Louisburg Square is the most exclusive address on Beacon Hill, a graceful enclave of red-brick Greek Revival row houses framing a private gated park. Laid out beginning in 1826 by the Mount Vernon Proprietors on land once owned by painter John Singleton Copley, the surrounding homes were built between roughly 1834 and 1847. It was named for the 1745 Battle of Louisbourg, in which Massachusetts militiamen took part.
The small oval green at its center is owned and maintained by the Louisburg Square Proprietors, an early American example of a privately held residential park, and it remains closed to the public. Statues of Christopher Columbus and Aristides the Just stand at either end. The square has long housed Boston’s elite and notable residents over the years. Visitors are welcome to admire the cobblestoned street and brick facades from the public sidewalk, but the central garden is not open to the public.
Good to know
- Laid out from 1826; surrounding houses built circa 1834-1847
- The central green is a private park, closed to the public
- Features statues of Christopher Columbus and Aristides the Just
- Cobblestone street and facades are best enjoyed from the sidewalk
Getting there
- Address: Louisburg Square, between Mount Vernon Street and Pinckney Street, Boston, MA 02108
- Neighborhood: Beacon Hill
- Nearest T: Charles/MGH (MBTA Red Line); Park Street (Red and Green Lines) is also nearby