Arnold Arboretum
Why it's listed
Arnold Arboretum occupies about 265 acres of hilly ground in Boston's Jamaica Plain district. It began in 1872, when Harvard received a bequest from New Bedford merchant James Arnold to create a tree farm for scientific study. Charles Sprague Sargent, appointed director in 1873, led its growth over some fifty years and brought in Frederick Law Olmsted, whose ground plan survives in the ponds, winding roads and paths, and the placement of some plantings. An 1882 agreement gave the land to Boston, which leased it to Harvard for a thousand years at a dollar a year, with the grounds to be open to the public as part of the city park system. Plants are grouped by species and family, labeled, and recorded. Bussey Hill and Peters' Hill carry scenic overlooks. An 1890 brick administration building, a herbarium, greenhouses and a bonsai house stand within the grounds. Sargent also built the library and herbarium and wrote the fourteen-volume Silva of North America.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it the pre-eminent U.S. institution for the study of woody plants, with over 6,000 varieties of trees and shrubs from the North Temperate Zone. It reflects the work of first director Charles Sprague Sargent and the Olmsted-designed landscape. The 1882 city-university agreement made it part of Boston's park system.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 66000127, listed October 15, 1966. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 22 Divinity Ave., Boston |
|---|---|
| County | Suffolk County |
| Listed | October 15, 1966 |
| Reference number | 66000127 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Architect / builder | Landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted |
| Areas of significance | Science |
| Level of significance | National |
| National Historic Landmark | Yes, designated January 12, 1965 |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in use as an arboretum and museum; grounds open to the public from sunrise to sunset, except the two Harvard-owned tracts. |
| Acreage | 265 |
| Coordinates | 42.29929, -71.12332 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Sites (archaeological sites, battlefields, landscapes) are often listed with a restricted address to protect them from looting or disturbance. Listing is honorary for private owners; federal undertakings on or near the site go through Section 106 review, and state laws may protect burials and artefacts regardless of listing.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 66000127.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q568666
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.