Frederick Douglass Square Historic District

Frederick Douglass Square Historic District is a residential neighborhood in Lower Roxbury containing Victorian-era row houses from the late 1800s. The homes line several streets in the area and display architectural styles such as Second Empire and Queen Anne.

The area began in the 1860s when a salt marsh was filled and transformed into residential space. Builder Robert Treat Paine Jr. created hundreds of houses to accommodate working-class and immigrant families.

The square honors Frederick Douglass, the renowned abolitionist and orator, reflecting its significance to Boston's Black history. Walking through the neighborhood today, you can see how these residential streets served as a community hub for working families seeking stability.

The neighborhood is walkable and lets you see over 70 houses with different details from the Victorian period. Daytime visits work best when light highlights the architectural features.

Early buyers could purchase homes with modest down payments and receive affordable mortgages stretched over several years. This offer made homeownership accessible to working families for the first time and shaped the neighborhood's social fabric.

Location: Massachusetts

GPS coordinates: 42.33583,-71.08444

Latest update: December 14, 2025 14:40