Fisher Hill Historic District

Fisher Hill is a hilltop residential district in Brookline, Massachusetts, covering about 150 acres between Boylston Street, Chestnut Hill Avenue, Clinton Road and Sumner Road. Until the 1880s it held large estates. In 1884 landowners asked Frederick Law Olmsted to plan a subdivision, and he and John Charles Olmsted used curving streets to suit the uneven terrain. Developer Jacob Pierce laid out several roads and built houses on speculation, aiming to keep the area high-class. In 1914 165 property owners signed a covenant barring apartment houses, two-family houses, garages, stores and hospitals. The result is a collection of single-family houses in Queen Anne, Shingle, Colonial, Medieval Revival and Craftsman styles, designed by well-known Boston architects. Residents included Galen Stone, John Longyear, Arthur Rotch and several noted musicians. A 1981 condominium development on the former White/Galen Stone estate, a college campus and some modern houses are considered non-contributing.