In downtown Boston, tucked between the soaring skyscrapers and bustling city streets, lies nearly 50 acres of history. This is Boston Common, the oldest public park in the United States. Established almost 400 years ago in 1634, the Common has borne witness to centuries of American history, from the Puritan colonists to the Revolutionary War to modern-day Boston. It remains a gathering place for city residents and a must-see destination for history buffs and visitors alike.
Puritan Beginnings
The story of Boston Common begins in the earliest days of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In September 1634, just four years after the settlement of Boston, Puritan colonists purchased the land rights to what would become the Common from William Blackstone, an Anglican clergyman and the first European settler in the area.^1
For much of the 17th century, the Common primarily served as a communal grazing area for cattle, sheep, and horses owned by the townspeople of Boston, a use that would continue until the early 19th century. But the Puritans also used the Common for more grim purposes – public punishments and executions.
A whipping post, pillory, and stocks stood near the center of the Common until 1817, where colonists would be publicly punished for crimes and transgressions.^2 The Common was also a site for hangings, most infamously from the so-called "Great Elm" tree. Pirates, murderers, and alleged witches were hanged from the tree‘s branches, as were four Quakers who were executed for their religious beliefs. Among them was Mary Dyer, whose statue now stands in front of the Massachusetts State House overlooking the Common.^3
Revolutionary Rumblings
As tensions between the American colonies and the British Crown came to a boil in the 1760s and 1770s, Boston Common became an increasingly important gathering place and strategic location. British Redcoat regiments drilled on the Common and even set up an encampment there in the years leading up to outright war, including the British occupation of Boston in 1768.^4
It was from the Common in April 1775 that 1,500 British soldiers departed to travel to Lexington and Concord, where they would clash with American militia in the first battles of the American Revolutionary War.^5 And over the next year, during the Siege of Boston, American Colonial forces made camp on the Common and used it as a staging ground.^6
Evolution Into a Public Park
After the Revolutionary War and into the early 19th century, Boston Common gradually transitioned from its colonial uses into the type of public greenspace we would recognize today. The town of Boston stopped allowing cattle grazing on the Common in 1830^7 and also removed the former whipping post and stocks around that time.
The Common was redesigned and improved with tree-lined paths, fences, and amenities for public recreation. By 1836, it was widely acknowledged as a public park.^8 The green space was a welcome respite from the squalor and overcrowding of booming industrial Boston in the mid-19th century.
Several of the Common‘s most prominent monuments and memorials were also erected during this time period. The acclaimed sculptor Martin Milmore created two of the most notable – the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in 1877 commemorating Civil War service, and the beautiful Brewer Fountain installed in 1868. Milmore‘s fountain is a bronze copy of an original found in Paris, but uniquely includes panels depicting scenes from Boston history.^9
20th Century Gatherings and Activism
Throughout the 20th century and into modern times, Boston Common continued to be not just a park for recreation, but also a important gathering place and a stage for activism, protest, and debate.
Some of the many momentous events and speeches here included:
- Pioneering aviator Charles Lindbergh promoting commercial flight in 1927
- Anti-war and civil rights rallies in the 1960s, including speeches by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr
- Vietnam Moratorium peace demonstration that drew over 100,000 in 1969^10
- Visit and mass by Pope John Paul II in 1979
- Championship celebrations for the Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots in the 2000s^11
In 1987, the Common was designated as a National Historic Landmark, recognizing its nearly four centuries of history.^12 A bronze plaque on a rock along Tremont Street also marks the location of the former "Liberty Tree," an elm where early Revolutionary activists would meet in secret.^13
The Common Today
Today, Boston Common remains a vital green space in the heart of the city, accessible to all. The 44-acre park^14 serves as a place for festivals and events, as well as protests and demonstrations carrying on its tradition of public expression.
Some of the most popular attractions and activities in the Common today include:
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Frog Pond: A reflecting pool turned into a spray pool in the summer and ice skating rink in the winter, complete with a Zamboni. The pond holds around 500,000 gallons of water.^15
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Parkman Bandstand: A Greek Revival structure used for concerts, rallies, and speeches. It‘s named after Boston lawyer and historian Francis Parkman.
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Monuments and memorials: The Common contains over 20 statues, plaques and monuments,^16 with the Robert Gould Shaw and 54th Regiment Memorial being the most recent addition in 2020.^17
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Central Burying Ground: Established in 1756, this cemetery along Boylston Street contains the graves of many British common soldiers and some notable early Bostonians.^18
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Plaque marking site of first U.S. townhouse: Also known as the Old State House today, this building dating back to 1713 once overlooked the Common.^19
As the starting point of Boston‘s Freedom Trail walking route of Revolutionary sites,^20 as well as the Black Heritage Trail,^21 Boston Common also draws countless tourists and history aficionados each year. Visitors marvel at the juxtaposition of a centuries-old park against the backdrop of sleek skyscrapers in the heart of busy, modern Boston.
But for Bostonians, the Common is simply a fact of daily life – a place to walk the dog, play catch, go for a jog, or take a break from the workday. In that sense, even after almost 400 years, the Common is still serving much the same purpose as it always has. It remains, as its name suggests, a shared and cherished public space for the common good.
