Boston has an illustrious literary history and many sites are located in some of the most picturesque areas of the city. Take a leisurely walk around the area and learn about Boston’s contributions to American literature.
There is no set route! This is intentional. Wander as you like and don’t forget to explore the beautiful streets that surround these sites. (Don’t miss the adorable Acorn street!) Click here to access an interactive map of the locations.
If you’d rather have a guided tour, check out the literary themed tours offered by Boston By Foot.
Childhood Home of Henry David Thoreau (4 Pickney Street)
Henry David Thoreau, author of Walden and Civil Disobedience, called this house home from 1821-1823.
Home of Louisa May Alcott (20 Pickney Street)
When she was around 20 years of age, Louisa May Alcott, the author of Little Women, lived at this address.
Nathaniel Hawthorne Residence (54 Pinckney Street)
Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of The Scarlet Letter and The House of Seven Gables, lived here in 1839 and 1940.
Louisa May Alcott home late in life (10 Louisburg Square)
Late in her life, Louisa May Alcott called this address home.
Henry James Residence (102 Mount Vernon Street)
Henry James, author of The Turn of the Screw, lived at this address.
Robert Frost Home (88 Mount Vernon Street)
Robert Frost, author of Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, called this house home.
Sylvia Plath Home (9 Willow Street)
After they were married, Sylvia Plath, poet and author of The Bell Jar, moved to this home with her husband, English poet Ted Hughes.
Edgar Allan Poe Statue (Boylston St. & Charles St.)
Edgar Allan Poe had a less than warm relationship with his hometown of Boston. However, in 2014, the city did erect a statue in his memory…near the author’s birth place.
Colonial Theatre (106 Boylston Street)
The story goes that Rogers and Hammerstein wrote the title song to Oklahoma in the theater’s lobby!
Brattle Book Shop (9 West Street)
The Brattle Book Shop is one of the oldest book sellers in America…having opened its doors in 1825! The building’s multiple floors of antique books are so packed that they spill out into the lot around the building.
Benjamin Franklin’s Birthplace (1 Milk Street)
Though the original structure has since been lost in a fire, Benjamin Franklin was born near here. The 15th of 16 children!
The Boston Evening Transcript (2 Milk Street)
The Boston Evening Transcript ran from 1830-1941. When it was taken over by Cornelia Wells Walter in 1872, it became the first major newspaper with a woman editor.
Old Corner Bookstore (3 School Street)
From it’s humble beginnings as a bookstore, the business grew to be the powerful publishing house, Ticknor and Fields. They were the first to offer royalties to authors and their cultivation of domestic authors helped advance American literature.
Newspaper Row (1 Devonshire Place)
This area was once known as Newspaper Row and contained the offices of the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Boston Post, Boston Journal, and the Associated Press.
Boston Latin School (45 School Street)
Founded in 1635, the Boston Latin School was the first public school in the US. It’s alumni include Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, and Ralph Waldo Emerson.
The Saturday Club (60 School Street)
The Parker House was once home to the infamous Saturday Club. This male-only group consisted of influential authors, philosophers, and politicians including Emerson, Longfellow, and Thoreau. The hotel also claims to have originally invented the Boston Cream Pie.
Reading of A Christmas Carol (88 Tremont Street)
The Tremont Temple was the location of the first American reading of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens in 1867. This was his second tour of America and Boston was his first stop. While in town, he stayed at the Parker House next door and attended The Saturday Club.
Boston Athenaeum (10 1/2 Beacon Street)
Before there were public libraries, there were private ones. The Boston Athenaeum was founded in 1807, though didn’t move to this current site until 1849.
Offices of Little, Brown, and Co. (36 Beacon Street)
Site of the original 1837 offices of Little, Brown, and Co. who published Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women.
Marriage of Longfellow and Fanny Appleton (39 Beacon Street)
After years of courting, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and “Fanny” Appleton were married in this house in July 1843. The two were very much in love and had two children together before Fanny tragically died after her dress caught fire.
