Research Guides: Beacon Hill: Online Resources

General Overview & Demographics

City Data for Boston - Beacon Hill
Boston Planning and Development Agency - Beacon Hill at a Glance
Neighborhood guide to Beacon Hill produced by the BPDA that includes relevant recent documents, upcoming events, news, planning, projects, and research publications.
Boston in Context - Neighborhoods
2017-2021 American Community Survey comparing the United States, Massachusetts, Boston, and Boston's neighborhoods across several social, economic, and housing characteristics.
Beacon Hill Civic Association
the Beacon Hill Civic Association (BHCA) mission is to preserve and enhance the quality of life on Beacon Hill.
Boston Art Commission - Public Art in Beacon Hill
Information about publicly accessible artworks in Boston, information about the public art process in Boston, calls to artists, and news on current projects.
Beacon Hill: Continuity and Change
Author: Gary P. Castanino, Professor of Sociology, Suffolk University
1972, 198 pages
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"...a demographic analysis of the Beacon Hill community in an attempt to document changes over the decade 1960-1970; includes a sampling of attitudes to discover underlying feelings of the population relative to its major concerns and behavior in the following areas: participation in voluntary associations, perception and experience with crime on Beacon Hill, activities and opinions, community concerns and future orientation, and opinions of municipal services; contains comparison of census data and sample background data, analysis of sample data and a summary and comparison of data; this item was found in the BRA collection.."
Beacon Hill: The North Slope - Proposal to Extend the Beacon Hill Historic District (1963)
Includes brief history of the area and a street by street account of the buildings evaluated for importance in national, city or local historical and architectural interest.

Historical Images & Resources

Boston Public Library Flickr - Beacon Hill
The Boston Pictorial Archive holds photographs and prints documenting Boston's Beacon Hill neighborhood in the 19th century, with the bulk of the material ranging from 1811 to 1865. Images include historic buildings and street scenes, as well as the excavation of Beacon Hill in 1811.
Digital Commonwealth - Beacon Hill
This site provides access to photographs, manuscripts, books, audio recordings, and other materials of historical interest that have been digitized and made available by members of Digital Commonwealth, a statewide consortium of libraries, museums, archives, and historical societies from across Massachusetts.
Harrison Gray Otis Papers
Harrison Gray Otis (1765-1848) papers held by Historic New England reflect the planning and work of Harrison Gray Otis, the Proprietors of Mount Vernon, and the Boston Mill Corporation in developing the Beacon Hill neighborhood.
Historical Boston in Context
Boston's demographic changes between 1950-2021.
Historical Profiles of Boston's Neighborhoods
Data on population age, gender, race, education attainment, and more by neighborhood.
Historic New England Collections
With more than 110,000 objects and one million archival materials, Historic New England's collection includes photographs, wallpaper, jewelry, home furnishings, architectural drawings, clothing, and more, telling the story of New England's history. Numerous documents related to historic Beacon Hill are available.
Sentry, or the Beacon: The Beacon and the Monument of 1635 and 1790
Wheildon, William W. (William Willder), 1805-1892
Smith School at 46 Joy Street
Historical report on the Smith School and environs in Boston's Beacon Hill neighborhood and it's role in the early education of African-Americans; evaluates it's architectural significance and offers visual documentation and short and long term recommendations for its rehabilitation; this item was in the BRA collection.