Francis Parkman House
- Year
- 1824
- City
- Boston, MA
The Francis Parkman House at 50 Chestnut Street is a three-story brick townhouse on Beacon Hill, built in 1824 by the builder John Hubbard and speculated to have been designed by Cornelius Coolidge, with whom Hubbard often worked. It's a National Historic Landmark not for its architecture but for its occupant: historian and horticulturalist Francis Parkman lived here from 1865 until his death in 1893, writing a significant portion of his multi-volume history 'France and England in North America' inside its walls.
the building
A Beacon Hill townhouse. The house sits on the south side of Chestnut Street on a lot that runs back to Branch Street, with a small garden behind it — one of a row of fine brick townhouses built after the street was laid out in the early 19th century.
the architect
Cornelius Coolidge is only speculated to have designed the house; he was active laying out and building townhouses along Chestnut Street in this period, working with the builder John Hubbard.
significance
The house is a National Historic Landmark, designated for its association with Francis Parkman, who lived and worked here for nearly three decades until his death in 1893.
nearby
- Bachelor Apartments
- Headquarters House
- Second Harrison Gray Otis House
- David Sears House
- Church of the Advent
- Nathan Appleton Residence