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Boston holds the densest concentration of historic single-family inventory in Massachusetts, and four neighborhood-defining styles shape most of what you’ll find:

  • Beacon Hill Federal bowfronts: brick rowhouses with curved bays and recessed entries, mostly 1800–1830 along Chestnut, Mt. Vernon, and the flat of the hill
  • Back Bay brownstones: Italianate and Victorian high-stoop terraces laid out 1857–1890 on the filled Back Bay land
  • South End Italianates: bowfront rowhouses with bracketed cornices on Tremont, Columbus, and the parallel cross-streets
  • Triple Deckers: turn-of-the-century three-family homes in Dorchester, Roxbury, JP, and Brighton

The city’s Landmarks Commission designates over 8,500 properties, and many overlap MACRIS historic-inventory records, which we surface on individual listing pages where available.

Map

Current listings (274)

National Historic Landmark

Federally designated as nationally significant — the highest U.S. historic recognition. Section 106 review applies to federal undertakings affecting the property.

National Register

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Owners may qualify for the 20% federal Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit on certified rehabilitation work.

State Register

Listed on the Massachusetts State Register of Historic Places.

Local Historic District

Inside a Local Historic District. Exterior changes visible from a public way require approval from the local historic district commission.

Local Landmark

Individually designated by the town as a local landmark. Exterior alterations require commission approval.

MACRIS Inventory

Documented in MACRIS, the state historic inventory. Informational only — no regulatory constraints.

Article 85 (Boston)

Subject to Boston Article 85 demolition-delay review, which can pause demolition of buildings 50+ years old for up to 90 days.