I’ve wanted to do the Black Heritage Trail in Boston’s Beacon Hill since I moved here but it’s a lot harder to find than the Freedom Trail which is marked by a red brick line that traverses the city. I thought the Black Heritage Trail started somewhere in Boston and extended to the South End and onto Roxbury BUT IT DOES NOT! It’s limited to Beacon Hill!
I decided that July 4th was the perfect time to walk the Black Heritage Trail. It is a 1.5-mile loop. Parking is free and plentiful on July 4th well before the fireworks traffic. I went at 9:30 am and the weather cooperated. It was nice and cool, but still sunny. I am map challenged and the National Park Service app which is recommended on the Black Heritage site doesn’t actually cover all the stops. Instead, I took a screenshot of this map below and followed it to each of the stops.
I started at the Robert Could Shaw/54th Massachusetts Regiment Memorial because it was closest to where I parked. In addition, I went to Harriet Tubman Square in the South End. I had photos from prior stops
Black Heritage Trail + Other Famous African Americans in Boston Black Heritage Trail Sites:
1. Robert Gould Shaw and 54th Regiment Memorial
2. George Middleton House
3. The Phillips School
4. John J. Smith House
5. Charles Street Meeting House
6. Lewis and Harriet Hayden House
7. John Coburn House
8. Smith Court Residences
9. Abiel Smith School Museum of African American History
10. African Meeting House Museum of African American History
Harriet Tubman Square in the South End
Boston Phillis Wheatley Statue in Back Bay, Boston
Phillis Wheatley plaque in Chinatown, Boston
Richard Theodore Greener plaque in Harvard Square, Cambridge MA
It took me two hours to complete the Black Heritage Trail plus drive to the South End to see Harriet Tubman Park which was on my home anyway. I thoroughly enjoyed this trip back in history and learned a lot. I hope you enjoy my video!
p.s. Related posts:
Walden Pond and Black History Month
American Revolution Books for Kids & Boston Freedom Trail Guide
Great American Revolution Chapter Books for Kids
Lessons From The Boston Freedom Trail
Visiting the exact location of the Boston Massacre: A Unit on the American Revolution
Plimoth Plantation: Learning About The Mayflower
Plimoth Plantation: Learning About the Pilgrims
Plimoth Plantation: Learning About Native Americans
4th of July Celebrations in America’s Home Town
Top 10: Books for Kids Set in Boston
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BEST #OWNVOICES CHILDREN’S BOOKS: My Favorite Diversity Books for Kids Ages 1-12 is a book that I created to highlight books written by authors who share the same marginalized identity as the characters in their books.
