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In Our Neighborhood

Welcome to Our Neighborhood

"New Courthouse" of 1838
New Courthouse in 1838

Court Square gets its name from the courthouses and prisons to which it has been home for most of Boston’s history. The drawing to the right shows the “New Courthouse” in 1838. It was the last — the courts moved to Pemberton Square early in the 20th century and the building was demolished to make way for a municipal building that for years was home to the Boston School Committee.

But much of what makes the area interesting happened not in the courthouse, but on the streets and in the nearby buildings. Our tour covers —

Event Year Location
First School in US1635School St.
Old Corner Bookstore 1712School & Washington
Boston Massacre1770State & Congress
Boston Tea Party1773Washington St.
Trials of Thomas Sims & Anthony Burns 1851/4Court Sq.
World’s First Electric Fire Alarm System 1852Court Sq.
Invention of Telephone1876Cambridge St.
Original Ponzi Scheme 1920School St.

We also have a few old photos showing the way we were.

Tour Starts Here >> Latin School