Black Heritage Trail, Boston, MA

The Black Heritage Trail® explores the history of the 19th century free Black community of Boston. The trail consists of 14 sites, and begins at the Robert Gould Shaw Memorial on Beacon Street and finishes at the Museum of African American History which includes the African Meeting House and the Abiel Smith School. Self-guided tours can be conducted at any time, Monday through Sunday. Maps and site brochures can be obtained at the Abiel Smith School during site hours.

Sites on the Black Heritage Trail® include:

• Robert Gould Shaw and 54th Regiment Memorial
• George Middleton House
• Phillips School
• John J. Smith House
• Charles Street Meeting House
• Lewis and Harriet Hayden House
• John Coburn House
• Smith Court Residences
• Abiel Smith School
• African Meeting House

The sites along the Black Heritage Trail are part of Boston African American National Historic Site is comprised of the largest area of pre-Civil War black owned structures in the U.S. It has roughly two dozen sites on the north face of Beacon Hill. These historic buildings were homes, businesses, schools, and churches of a thriving black community that, in the face of great opposition, fought the forces of slavery and inequality.