The Boston African American National Historic Site is actually a collection of several buildings in Boston that are relevant to the history of Africa Americans in the area. While most people probably don’t think of Boston first when they think of either the struggle for Emancipation or that of Civil Rights, the truth of the matter is that the town has been very heavily involved with the equal rights movement for a very long time.

The Boston African American National Historic Site actually is a collection of buildings that were erected before the Civil war, so it goes to show that this is some of the oldest extant African American-related history structures that are still open for the general public to view. In particular, The African Meeting House is the oldest standing black church in the United States that is still left standing.

There are other buildings that are included in the Boston African American National Historic Site as well: The 54th Regiment Memorial, the Abiel Smith School, the Charles Street Meeting House, the John Coburn House, The Lewis and Harriet Hayden House, the George Middleton House, the Philips School, the Smith Court Residences, and the John J. Smith House.

Unfortunately, the majority of he sites are not open to the public and merely marked along the path. The ones that are open to the public include the African Meeting House and the Abiel Smith School – both of which happen to house the Museum of African American History inside. The 54th Regiment Memorial is also open for the public to enter. The rest are either privately owned or unable to be opened to the public at this time.

The trail itself is about 1.5 miles, which makes it a great way to spend a beautiful day in Boston. You can get a self-guided map at the Abiel Smith School, and park rangers will provide tours of the guided areas when you make a pit stop. This are of the country is extremely historic when it comes to the roots of African American culture in the United States – and this National Historic Site is a great place to dig into the oldest parts of that culture.