Custom Home Builders & Remodeling Contractors Chestnut Hill Boston

Boston City Hall
1 City Hall Square, Suite 500
Boston, MA 02118
Phone: (617) 635-4500

• City of Boston Permits & Licenses

Chestnut Hill ZIP Code: 02467

• Legal Sea Foods
• Besito Mexican Restaurant
• Comella’s

History

Chestnut Hill was named by Francis Lee; he built the first house in the 1850s. It is also characterized by a long stretch of Chestnut trees from Dunster street to Reservoir Lane. The first settlement was formed around a train station; it began as a neighborhood for families and friends of the initial landowners.

Chestnut Hill was considered remote to Boston, and with the railway transportation through Chestnut Hill railroad station, the town started to expand with commercial activities. Architects soon migrated to Chestnut to build their own homes and design structures for interested clients. Homes were built in the styles popular in that century, such as Tudor, Shingle style, and Colonial Revival.

With many elegant structures erected like the Chestnut Hill Golf Club and clubhouse built in 1897 (The lands of the golf course were the last open lands to be developed in the area), the Hollywood cemetery; Chestnut Hill gained acknowledgment for historically unique residences. In 1983, the Chestnut Hill North Local Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

What to do or see in Chestnut Hill, MA

Chestnut Hill Reservoir was created in 1870 to supplement the distribution of water in the city of Boston. It was built on existing marshes and served as a backup for water supply in the city. Located in Chestnut Hill, it is now a designated Boston landmark and is recognized in the National Register of Historic Places. Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science, lived in Chestnut in Dupee Estate, now known as Mary Baker Eddy Historic home.

The distinctive Gothic architecture and exterior have earned it its reputation as a sight of attraction. The Metropolitan Waterworks Museum is a facility that supplied Boston with clean drinking water in the 19th century. The museum was opened in 2011, an architecturally magnificent building with mammoth steam pumping engines. It is located adjacent to Chestnut Hill Reservoir. Through the exhibitions and educational programs focused on preserving and enhancing engineering, architecture, urbanization, public health, and social history, the museum tells a story of the evolution of the country’s water system.

Crime statistics

Chestnut hill is a safe area with good access to Boston. It is a highly residential area, and the competitive real estate market has enforced strong security measures. It is ranked among the five best neighborhoods to live in Newton. 74% of locals say they would walk alone at night because of tight security and well-lit streets. Also, most incidents reported, such as petty crimes, come from Boston College.

Notable people

• Mary Baker Eddy, founder of The First Church of Christ, Scientist (1908-1910)
• Thomas G. Stemberg, Businessman, founder of Staples Inc (Resident Chestnut Hill)
• Paul Fireman, he is a businessman and humanitarian. He was the CEO of Reebok International (a popular shoe brand). He sold the Reebok brand to Addidas in 2005.
• John Albert Wilson, he was a professor and a sculptor famous for his American civil war monuments