Blackstone Block Historic District
Why it's listed
Blackstone Block is a 2.3-acre section of Boston bounded by Union, Hanover, Blackstone and North Streets, just north of the Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market area. It began as a waterfront and mill district beside the Town Cove. Narrow interior alleys, including five-foot-wide Scott Alley, preserve the 17th-century street pattern, and six such lanes survive here. Brick buildings from the 1710s through the 1920s line the lanes and streets, and many are oddly shaped to match old lot lines. Two 18th-century buildings have Revolutionary War links: the Union Oyster House, where Isaiah Thomas printed the Massachusetts Spy from 1771 to 1775, and the Ebenezer Hancock House, where silver crowns from a French loan were brought in 1778. The block also holds the Boston Stone, an old pigment mill whose slab served as a distance marker from 1737. Many buildings have been altered, reduced in height or fitted with modern storefronts.
Significance in brief: The district retains six narrow 17th-century lanes within its interior, the only such group in Boston. Its brick buildings range from the 1710s to the 1920s and fit together on the old parcel lines. It holds the Boston Stone, a zero milestone, and two 18th-century houses tied to the Revolutionary War: the Union Oyster House and the Ebenezer Hancock House.
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 73000315, listed May 26, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Area bound by Union, Hanover, Blackstone, and North Sts., Boston |
|---|---|
| County | Suffolk County |
| Listed | May 26, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73000315 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | Peabody and Stearns (24 North Street, 1889); Mackay and Dunham (32 North Street, 1899); Charles B. Dunham (34-36 North Street); A. J. Carpenter (14-22 Marshall Street, 1916); Gilbert Miles Ramsey (18 North Street, 1922); Shepard and Stearns (1 Union Street, 1926); J. R. Worcester & Co. (46-52 North Street, 1928) |
| Architectural style | Georgian, Federal, Greek Revival, Italianate and French mansard, and early 20th-century commercial buildings |
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition marked as good, fair and deteriorated, altered and unaltered; many buildings have lost upper stories and have modernized storefronts. The Union Oyster House has been in continuous use as an oyster house since 1826. |
| Acreage | 2.3 |
| Coordinates | 42.36115, -71.05640 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 73000315.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4923393
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.