Beacon Hill
Beacon Hill is a historic neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts.
Description
Beacon Hill was named after the beacon set on the hilltop by the Puritan settlers. This beacon was essentially a "bucket full of pitch hanging from a pole." The beacon was setup to warn the dwellers of the countryside in case of the scenario of an attack on the town. However, the beacon was never actually used.
As a result of the hill's top being carted off to fill in Mill Pond, the hill is now shorter than it used to be. This benefited the developers as it presented them with the advantage of building on the hilltop and created more land at Mill Pond.
After the opening of the new Massachusetts State House in 1790, the Hill became a popular place to live in. Developers created upscale housing on the south side of the hill, which overlooks the Boston Common.
The much less posh North side of the hill was inhabited earlier. It went by the nickname "Mount Whoredom".
Trivia
- A viewpoint was located at Beacon Hill.
- George Washington referred to the North side as Mount Horam.
Reference