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The high density population leads to large amounts of crime. 1/4 of the population are immigrants and half of the population are under 25 years old or younger. Many of the adults are young professionals, and/or single mothers. Many jobs in Roxbury are office and retail oriented but related to all the fields because of Roxbury's diverse history. Roxbury knows how to accommodate for all types, though, since they have entertainment for people from all walks of life.

Historical Context

The Massachusetts Bay Colony found the coastline largely empty, and quickly founded a group of six towns, among them Boston, Cambridge, and Roxbury. For more than 200 years, Roxbury also encompassed West Roxbury and Jamaica Plain. Three miles south the only land route to the capital led through Roxbury, which made the town important for both transportation and trade. Roxbury in the 1600s also held many of the resources Pilgrims prized: potentially arable land, timber, and a brook—a source of both water and water power—and stone for building. In fact, it was the unique stone, later dubbed Roxbury puddingstone, which led to the name “Rocksberry". That particular stone, visible on stony outcroppings and in buildings, such as the Warren House, exists only in the Boston basin thus proving to be a valuable asset to the community that led to early prosperity. Within a few decades, they also developed prized apple orchards led to another unique claim to fame, the Roxbury Russet apple, particularly suited for cider, a favorite beverage for early Pilgrims. During the late 1700's the Revolutionary War had caused most Roxbury residents to move elsewhere because of the violence. After the war, those able to afford it sought to live in free-standing, single-family houses away from their jobs in the city which led to Roxbury becoming one of the first American suburbs. Many homes were built in a style called Greek Revival, symbolizing the republic of ancient Greece, a democracy that the young United States admired.

Trade in rum, salt, fish, and tobacco was booming in the early 1800's which led to the wealthier citizens deciding that Roxbury was worth reinvesting in after the war. The 1820's horse-drawn carriage line across Boston Neck and down Washington Street as well as the 1835 opening of the Boston to Providence, RI railroad made this task significantly easier. Beginning in the 1840’s many Irish immigrants flooding to the Massachusetts to escape the potato famine. As immigration continued some Irish families settled directly in Roxbury, or second generations families moved from Boston to Mission Hill and later in the Dudley Street area. St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, the first Catholic Church (with a predominantly Irish congregation) was built in 1846. In the 20th century Irish dance halls proliferated on Dudley Street which was used for for Irish dancing. Some of the homes of these wealthy residents still stand today—the Edward Everett Hale House on Morley Street, the Alvah Kittredge Mansion on Linwood St. the Spooner Lambert House on Dudley Street, Rockledge on Highland St. and Ionic Hall on Roxbury Street. Oakbend, the last mansion built in Roxbury, (in 1872) now houses the National Center of Afro American Artists. The neighborhood also contains an example of workers’ housing at Frederick Douglas Square (Greenwich, Warwick, and Sussex streets), brick houses built in the 1880s. As the need for more workers rose, old farms and the estates were subdivided, and with the advent of trolley service in 1887, single family homes, row houses, and multi-family homes sprang up to accommodate the growing population. One of these, Hibernian Hall, built in 1913, is now the Roxbury Center of the Arts. Many famous Irish were born in Roxbury including James Michael Curley, John Lawrence Sullivan (first heavyweight boxing champion) and Maurice Tobin.

Many German immigrants also immigrated to the US in the early 1900's, quite possibly to escape the affects of the first World War. German immigrants also settled in the Mission Hill area of Roxbury, and were instrumental in developing the many breweries that prospered along the Stony Brook until prohibition. In the early 20th century, a Jewish community was also established. Responding to the need for increased municipal services, the citizens of Roxbury voted to incorporate as a city in 1846, and later to become annexed to Boston in 1868. During the 1940's and 1950's, a major migration from the southern to the northern cities led Roxbury towards becoming the center of the African-American community in Boston. They were joined by immigrants from the Caribbean, especially Jamaica and Barbados and after World War II by southern blacks migrating north. During this population boom, city planners set aside land for Franklin Park—with 527 acres it is the largest park Boston. Designed by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, Franklin Park is the final jewel of the Emerald Necklace, the seven mile stretch of public parkland that begins at Boston Common. Social issues and the resulting urban renewal activities of the 1960s and 1970s led to a decline in the neighborhood population, as racism caused a significant white flight. The reason for such a large immigration was mostly due to visionary African-American leader W. E. B. Du Bois who inspired people to various parts of the world in search of their dreams of freedom and equality.

Industry

In the 1600's, most people were farming or living off of the land. 1700’s mills and tanneries made up the main industry of Roxbury, but by the 1800’s breweries, piano makers, iron foundries and rubber makers provided employment for a growing Roxbury population. By the turn of the 20th century, the area was a bustling mix of department stores, hotels, silent movie theaters, banks-even a bowling alley- designed by prominent Boston architects in a rich mixture of revival styles. As the marshes were filled in, factories and warehouses took their place. Nowadays, most spaces are used for office or retail stores since the community holds an emphasis on keeping jobs within the neighborhood and promoting jobs for youth since

Demographics

The population of Roxbury as of 2016 is 59, 626. The population density is very high at 13,346 people per square mile, compared to Boston as a whole at 12,812 people per square mile. Roxbury is 4% more densely populated than Boston as a whole. The crime rate is 39% higher than the national average, meaning 1 out of 25 people will become a victim. The annual crime rate has gone down by 4% in 2016. The median income is $35,354 and the unemployment rate is 11.5%, which is 30% lower than the national average. Male median earnings are 41% higher than female median earnings. Roxbury test scores in public schools are 38% lower than the national average. Only 74.9% of the Roxbury population has made it past 8th grade. 1/4 of the Roxbury population was born in another country. 42% of the population is 25 years old or younger. Out of that demographic chunk, many are single mothers, and young professionals. Meanwhile, only 11% of the population are over the age of 65. 40% of the population drive to work, 36% take public transportation, 10% of the population walk to work, 10% bike to work, and 4% work from home. In the early twentieth century, waves immigrants came to Roxbury, and in the 1940s and 1950s African Americans began to migrate from the American south, making Roxbury a center of Black culture. Roxbury's crime rate is 7% higher than the national average for 2016. The average home in Roxbury is worth $455,000 but the average home is sold for $380,000 because of Roxbury's reputation. The cost of living in Roxbury is about 15% cheaper than the national average.

Housing

There are many housing resources in Roxbury that people can be able to live in. There are government housing, shelters, different organizations and Domestic Violence resources. Emergency Shelter Commission mission is to help prevent and end homelessness and hunger through proactive planning, policy analysis, program development and advocacy with our city, state, federal and community partner agencies. The Boston Fair housing helps Boston residents purchase,improve and keep their homes. They offer training and financial help first time buyers. There are different organizations such as MASS housing, Section 8 waiting list, Action For Boston Community Development and Mass Access. Mass Housing provides more than $16 billion for financing housing for home buyers and home owners. It will increase affordable housing for Massachusetts residents. Section 8 waiting list is a voucher program that that opened on January 2003 accordance with provisions contained in the United States Housing Act of 1937, as amended. Action for Boston Community Development provides basic services and programs to help individuals, families and communities of Boston to overcome poverty live with dignity and achieve to their full potential.

Community Resources

Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative

The Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative’s mission is to empower Dudley resident’s to organize, plan for, create and control a vibrant, diverse and high-quality neighborhood in collaboration with community partners. DSNI’s main focus is community empowerment. Residents are to be empowered to take leadership roles and engage in the community with power and knowledge. In order to act collectively and to acknowledge that they need to transform into the community’s vision, DSNI takes on full potential in providing information , tools, and processes for good community decision-making. This is done by the Resident Development Institute. It includes develops leaders, public policy advocacy, strategic thinking and planning, resource development, values, vision and power. Being innovative, involved, and informed of the community one lives in can relieve a person’s stress. You can actually talk about goals and weaknesses of the community and actually be heard by others who will support you. Another focus that DSNI has is sustainable economic development. Sustainable Economic Development engages residents, community partners and other stakeholders in planning and controlling the physical and economic development of the neighborhood in order to move towards our vision of a vibrant and thriving community. They partner with Project Hope to make sure no child goes homeless in creating a strong network of neighborhood partners, institutions, schools, and city agencies. They provide crisis intervention, resources, and organizing support. Also, Dudley has support of neighborhood watch groups and neighborhood clean ups as ‘Boston Shines.’ DSNI has partnerships with The Food Project and Alternatives for Community and Environment (ACE) Roxbury Environmental Empowerment Project (REEP). Together they grow local foods and educate residents about healthy choices within food options in the neighborhood. When it comes to affordable housing for residents, Dudley Neighborhood Inc. is an organization that promotes affordable housing and community control of development and land in the Dudley Neighborhood. They help inform residents on how to prevent foreclosures as well. Youth seem to also be a main priority in this community. Youth Opportunities and Development calls for connecting young people ‘to a supportive community with caring adults, enriching opportunities and responsive systems that support them being in a school career and life” (DSNI). Children from 0-5 years are prepared for the highest levels of success in school and life. The Dudley Children Thrive commit to “working with the families and providers in sharing information, opportunities, and formulas” for these kids (DSNI). They want children to feel smart, loved, and confident in themselves and in their family. For kids K-12th grade, parent advocacy, school partnerships, and ‘stronger leaders brighter future mentoring’ programs are taking place. Young adults 18-24 years old have a young alumni network. They develop campaigns, organizing events, and volunteering to make the community a better place.

Haley House

Haley House has been devoted to helping those who have been subject to vulnerability by many types of inequality. They have been working towards wholeness and economic independence. They offer collaborative living and working environments that build communities and connections across boundaries. They model creative alternatives that confirm the dignity and worth of each person and it challenges the attitudes and structures that continue to promote suffering. This organization uses food and the power of community to break down barriers between people, transfer new skills, and revitalize neighborhoods. They believe in radical solutions like solving problems at their root by challenging attitudes that perpetuate suffering and by building alternative models. The Haley House Organization divides into 4 branches. Direct Services, Housing, Urban Farming, and the Haley House Bakery Café continue to address basic human needs. The direct services include their soup kitchen, food pantry, elder meal, and clothing room run entirely by resident volunteers. They offer over 24,000 meals a year through the soup kitchen and over 65,000 meals through the food pantry. Haley House has provided over 100 permanent and affordable housing through the housing program. A lot of the houses are reserved for the homeless individuals who stay an average of 8.2 years. Urban Farming do community and school based gardening partnerships that encourage healthy lifestyles, community building, and contribution to heathy and local food access. Haley House Bakery Café is a business that offers catering and wholesale with affordability and organics. This café also offers programming like the Take Back the Kitchen (TBK) after-school program that teaches about health, nutrition, and culinary arts. They have a Transitional Employment Program that gives job training and placement assistance. Art is Life itself (AiLi), Art Gallery, and Community Tables are also apart of the Haley House Bakery Café.

Project Bread and the Foodsource Hotline

Project Bread, located in East Boston, supports more than 400 community food programs in over 120 communities in Massachusetts. Funds raised throughout the year help support over 400 community food programs—soup kitchens, food pantries, food vouchers at health centers, subsidized CSA shares, community gardens, double-value farmers market coupons, etc—in over 120 communities statewide in Massachusetts. This funding also targets the state’s most vulnerable populations—children, working poor families, immigrants, and elders. They have much support from partners, donors, corporate sponsors, an individuals. The foodsource hotline is a toll-free hotline that responds to more than 46,000 calls a year from people across Massachusetts struggling to feed their families. FoodSource Hotline counselors refer callers to food resources in their community as well as provides them with information about school meals, summer meal sites for kids, elder meals programs, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps. They will screen callers for eligibility for SNAP and help them with the application. Their goal is to help the caller find as many resources as possible to put good food on the table. When relevant, they also connect callers with utility, fuel assistance, and MassHealth. And all information is kept strictly confidential.

Environmental Resources

The mission of the Environment, Energy and Open Space Cabinet is to preserve and enhance the resources of our built and natural environment, to promote affordable, efficient, reliable and safe energy systems, and to provide clean, green, safe and accessible open space for residents and visitors. The Cabinet oversees the Inspectional Services Department, the Environment Department, the Parks and Recreation Department, and oversees programs and policies on energy efficiency, green buildings, groundwater, park planning, recycling, renewable energy, and certain transportation issues. The City of Boston continues to pursue energy-saving initiatives to conserve energy in municipal buildings and also encourage residents and businesses to improve their energy use. They are dedicated to the development and construction of public and private renewable energy systems throughout our community. The Public Works Street Lighting Division is working to convert street lights from traditional lighting sources, such as mercury vapor and sodium, to LED.

Renew Boston Solar is increasing the solar energy system capacity in Boston. With the assistance of U.S. Department of Energy's SunShot Initiative, the City of Boston launched Renew Boston Solar to encourage the widespread adoption of solar energy in Boston. Through Renew Boston Solar, the City is encouraging the installation of solar technology throughout Boston, including easing permitting requirements, mapping feasible locations, and planning the city-wide bulk purchase, financing, and installation of solar technology. The city is working with local organizations to maximize Boston 's participation in state incentive programs and innovative financing initiatives. Plus the city is tracking and mapping solar and other renewable energy systems in Boston. Solar Boston partners include the U.S. Department of Energy, the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, local utilities and unions, an anonymous foundation, and a broad range of local, regional, and national clean energy stakeholders.

Education

Roxbury has a variety of schools in their district. There are 125 public schools that students can attend to. They include traditional district schools, exam schools, pilot schools, Horace Mann charter schools (also called in-district charter schools), Turnaround schools and Innovation schools. Exam schools include Roxbury Latin Academy, Boston Latin Academy and John D. O'Bryant. These schools are based on exam scores on national entrance exam plus grade point average. Students are going into these schools from 7th grade until their senior year of high school. They prepare students for college and other lifestyles that students need to learn.

The Boston Public Schools' pilot schools have a great partnership that was launched in 1994 among Mayor Thomas M. Menino, the Boston School Committee, superintendent, and the Boston Teachers Union. The pilot schools were created to be models of educational innovation and to serve as research and development sites for effective urban public schools. Pilot schools are part of the school district but have over budget, staffing, governance, curriculum/assessment, and the school calendar to provide increased flexibility to organize schools and staffing to meet the needs of students and families. Roxbury has six Horace Mann Charter Schools, which is also called the district charter schools. Alternative school is when a student that just came to America, helps students has a strong start in the Boston Public schools. There are other programs that help students that are over-age or off-track, who need to go to school at night, has disabilities, and has disciplinary issues. Turnaround schools allows Boston Public Schools to come into the school to assist their lowest-performing schools by changing the staff, increasing class time, and adding new supports for students. With these flexibilities, the "Level 4" schools can access new tools to that can increase improvement in performance.

There are colleges in the area. Roxbury Community College is one of the popular colleges that people attend to get their Associates Degree. Also, there are universities such as Northeastern and Wentworth Institute of Technology.

Educational Services

Boston Day and Evening Academy, located in Roxbury, re-engages off-track students in their education. It prepares them for high school graduation, post-secondary success and meaningful participation in their community. BDEA is open 10 hours a day in where it serves any Boston Public School student who is overage for high school, who has had trouble with attendance issues, has been held back in 8th grade, who feels they are not getting the attention in class that they need to succeed, or who has dropped out but is eager to come back to school to earn their diploma.Boston Day and Evening Academy receive much help from community, non-profit, and corporate partners.Boston Day and Evening Academy gratefully accepts support from individuals, foundations, corporations, partnering agencies, and state programs. Schools are finding themselves with budgets that are smaller than the costs of providing students with a quality education, and BDEA is no exception. We must rely heavily on funding sources other than the state to continue to provide high quality, competency-based, experiential education to each of our students. City on a Hill Charter Public School is a cluster of charter schools in Roxbury. It is a network of three college preparatory high schools in the cities of Boston and New Bedford. Each City on a Hill school is tuition-free and open to all students. CoaH schools do not have entrance exams; students are admitted by a random lottery with new students admitted in the ninth grade only.City on a Hill serves students who are traditionally underserved by the public school system. The majority of students arrive performing significantly below grade level. However, 100% of City on a Hill students pass the MCAS, and 91% of recent graduates have enrolled in college.While a fully-grown City on a Hill school operates almost entirely on state funds, they rely on private gifts to supplement the operating budget of growing schools, to provide capital support, and to fund special projects and educational initiatives.As another example, Roxbury Preparatory Charter School (Roxbury Prep) began on Mission Hill in 1999, serving 75 students. By 2019, they will serve 1,800 students at three middle school campuses and a high school. Roxbury Prep is a nonprofit organization that starts and manages outstanding urban charter public schools that prepare students to graduate from college. Charter schools are entitled to federal categorical funding for which their students are eligible, such as Title I and Special Education monies. Federal legislation provides grants to help charters to manage start-up costs.

826 Boston is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write. This organization has programs like after school writing and tutoring, creative writing workshops, storytelling and bookmarking field trips, summer theater and writing camp, the in-school writing and publishing program, and college preparedness programs. It is located on 3035 Washington Street in Roxbury. There is also the YouthBuildBoston (YBB)that was founded in 1990 with the goal of providing underserved young people with the support and credentials needed to successfully enter the trades. While YBB promotes the core values of youth development and community service, it stands out as an innovative non-profit offering a hands-on approach to building trades training. Students are put on a career path through highly successful programs, from construction training to sustainable landscape design. These programs provide opportunities in vocational education, but also academic instruction, counseling and other life skills that readily strengthen and prepare students for the workforce upon graduation.YBB receives much support from scholarships and apprenticeships and YBB is located on 27 Centre Street, in Roxbury.

In April of 1978, The Dudley Branch Library opened its current location at 65 Warren Street in Roxbury. The Black Doll Show, live concerts, author visits and poetry sessions are some of the annual offerings at the Dudley Branch. There are also programs sponsored each year by the Fellowes Athenaeum Fund Grants and may include local history, adult literacy, music and children and teen programs. The Dudley Branch has a large collection of books that covers African American experience since before the Civil War. Some of the topics covered are the slave trade, the Underground Railroad, the Harlem Renaissance, and the Civil Rights Movement. There is also a large collection of books about African American music and musicians including gospel, blues, jazz and soul.

Recreational Centers

There are many community centers that children and adults can attend to. The Roxbury YMCA was founded in 1851 in the Greater Boston which is a cause driven nonprofit organization committed to developing youth by informing them about healthy living and promoting social responsibility in the community. It is one of the largest urban YMCA's in the country and Boston s largest provider of social services for children and families. The Greater Boston YMCA offers programs in categories, including adult education, aquatics, child care, sports and health/wellness.

The John A. Shelburne community center is a non-profit recreational, educational, and cultural enrichment facility located in the heart of historic Roxbury. It has been a safe place for a large number of ethnic, cultural and economically diverse youth and adults for over twenty five years. The Hattie B Copper Community center served Leadership development for women of color for over 89 years. The Center was named after John A. Shelburne that was a native of Roxbury. He dedicated 30 years of social service to his community to help them succeed. They center will continue to create programs that will enhance opportunities for the youth to build leadership skills for themeslves.

In 1916, the Hattie B Cooper Center opened their doors to 69 children at the Fourth Methodist Church on Shawmut Avenue. They have served in the Roxbury community for nearly 100 years that provided programs facilitate growth and development, while creating opportunities for future successes. The women noticed a need in the community to educate the youth and keep them safe, the same issues that Cooper addresses today. They currently provide high quality care for early education and care to 125 students on the daily and children that are children that are in the infants and toddler program, Preschool, and After school program.

Boston Centers for Youth and Families is located near Roxbury Crossing. It offers a range of affordable programs including preschool, school-aged & adult education, family literacy, youth employment, violence prevention & intervention, senior activities, recreation and enrichment. Their mission is to enhance Boston’s residents by partnering with various organizations to offer a wide range of comprehensive programs and activities according to neighborhood needs and interests..

The Reggie Lewis Center was opened in 1995 which was built by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This center serves as the home for the Roxbury Community College’s powerful intercollegiate and intramural athletics. Known as the “Reggie” and one of the fastest tracks in the World. The “Reggie” hosts over ninety high schools, collegiate and national track meets annually and some have included meets such as the USA Track and Field Championships, Boston Indoor Games, Northeast 10 Championships, NCAA Division II Championships and the High School National Championships. This center is a place for children and adults can attend to different sports such as basketball, track and soccer. They have community outreach programs that helps students stay out of trouble. There are after school programs to tutor students with their homework, physical activities and Arts and Crafts. Its a positive centers that changes people's lives for the better.

Entertainment

For the Sport Fans

The popular local teams in the area consist of the Boston Red Sox (baseball), Boston Bruins (hockey), Boston Celtics (basketball), and the New England Patriots (football). Other local teams, although less well known, also include the Boston Breakers (women's soccer) and Boston Cannons (lacrosse). Other notable sporting annual events include the Boston Marathon on the third Monday of every April, also known in Massachusetts and Maine as Patriot's Day. Boston is also home to the Charles Regatta. The Charles Regatta has been the world's largest rowing competition for the last 46 years.

Museums

Boston Children’s Museum was founded in 1913 by the Science Teachers' Bureau, making it one of the largest children's museums in the world. The Boston Children's Museum was originally created to instill a sense of wonder about science and the arts in Boston's youth.

The Hamill Gallery of African Art is 16,000 square feet owned by Bobbi and Tim Hamill housed in a 19th century wallpaper factory that Tim Hamill had purchased in the 1970's. With over 40,000 pieces from Ghana, Mali and Nigeria they hope to educate the public about tribalism and the importance of authentic art. Many of these objects preserve and convey beliefs and values about tribalism. The masks were typically used in costumes to dance for social structure, education, or entertainment as displayed through their 70 traveling exhibits.

Parks

Several parks, including the urban wilds which surround the William J. Devine public golf course, offer residents substantial green space. Other parks including in the "urban wild" space are the Eliot Burying Grounds, the Puddingstone Garden and the Buena Vista Urban Wilds. These parks recently received $450k in grants to restore and revitalize the areas in the community. Some other active parks are the Southwest Corridor Park, Highland Park, known as Fort Hill, along with the Elma Lewis Playhouse Park. The Emma Lewis Playhouse Park has annual concerts and other miscellaneous venues year round and the park is an active member of the Franklin Parks Coalition.

Abbotsford - 300 Walnut Street

Abbotsford was built in 1872 for industrialist Aaron Davis Williams Jr. It was designed by architect Alden Frink. The structure, originally named Oak Bend, is an example of a Victorian Gothic-style villa in Boston and a reminder of the 19th century prosperity. The home was once part of an estate known for its apple orchards; it later served as a school for delinquent boys. It was purchased in 1976 by the National Center of Afro-American artists and renovated for use as a museum dedicated to the collection and exhibition of the black visual arts heritage worldwide.

Blue Hill Avenue Synagogue - 397 Blue Hill Avenue

Designed and built by architect Frederick Norcross in 1905. Financed by the Adath Jeshurun congregation, it was erected at a center of Jewish activity in early 20th century Boston. In 1967, the temple was sold to Ecclesia Apostolic because the Jewish population was rapidly declining because of the white flight as the area became the heart of black culture in Boston. The First Haitian Baptist Church purchased the Late Romanesque Revival building in 1978 and restored it to its present state.

Cedar Street Marble Row Houses: 28-40 Cedar St.

This marble-clad block is an example of Second Empire Style design, a French style popular at the time of Roxbury’s annexation to Boston in 1868. Built by George D. Cox in 1871, the houses were an attempt to attract other developers by creating the base for a middle class urban square.

Cox Building - John Eliot Square

Built in 1870 by developer G.D. Cox, this building typifies the post-Civil War reconstruction of Roxbury from an independent rural town to a suburban neighborhood. The Cox Building originally consisted of a central section containing street-level stores with hotel rooms on the upper floors, flanked by five attached one-family residences.

Edward Everett Hale House - 12 Morley St.

A Unitarian clergyman and well-known humanitarian reformer, lived in the Greek Revival residence for over forty years. He was also an author of many novels, including The Man Without a Country. The house was built on Highland Street in 1841 during the early period of suburban growth, and was moved to this location between 1899 and 1906.

Eliot Burying Ground - Eustis St.

This has been the oldest cemetery in Roxbury. It was established in 1630 and named after Reverend John Eliot. He is buried in the Parish Tomb, along with other early ministers of the First Parish of Roxbury.

First Church of Roxbury - John Eliot Square

The oldest wood frame church in Boston, this 1804 building is the fifth meetinghouse on this site since the first church was built in 1632. The architect, William Blaney, was a church member. The land around it is a fragment of the original town commons. Its most famous pastor was Reverend John Eliot, the missionary to the Algonquin Native American tribe. Due to Eliot's work, First Church in Roxbury was one of only three churches in the Puritan Massachusetts era to admit Native Americans as full fledged members.

Freedom House - 14 Crawford St.

The Freedom House was established in 1949 by social workers Otto and Muriel Snowden. The Freedom House is an important social, educational and political organization and gathering place for the neighborhoods of Roxbury, Mattapan, Dorchester and Jamaica Plain. It has been at the center of key political movements in Boston, including urban renewal in the 1960s, the bus crisis of the 1970s, and education reform for the city's children beginning in the 1990s.

Hibernian Hall: Dudley Square

Hibernian Hall was one of the last of Dudley Square’s lively Irish social clubs and dance halls during the first half of the twentieth century. It began in 1836 in New York as a response to anti-Irish sentiment, and later shifted to charitable work and the promotion and preservation of Irish cultural heritage.

Landing Place - 500 Parker St.

This was one of two public boat landing sites that served the town in colonial times. In 1658, John Pierpont built a tidal mill here at the point where the Stony Brook emptied into the tidal basin. In 1821, the Mill Dam was built for power. The Sewall and Day Cordage Mill was built here in 1834, which became the largest manufacturer of rope used in maritime trades.

Malcolm X and Ella Little-Collins House - 72 Dale St

This was the home of Ella Little-Collins, an educator and sister of activist and Muslim leader Malcolm X, who lived here in the early 1940's. Ella acted as a parental figure to Malcolm, encouraging him to study theology and law during his incarceration. Malcolm returned to Boston in 1953 and founded Temple Number Eleven. After visiting the holy city of Mecca in 1964, Malcolm rejected black separatism and adopted the name El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz. He was later assassinated in 1965.

Palladio Hall - 60-62 Warren St.

Built in the late 1870s, Palladio Hall is a rare Boston example of an Italian Renaissance-style commercial block. It was designed and owned by Nathaniel J. Bradlee.

Shirley Eustis House - 33 Shirley St.

Construction for the Shirley Eustis House began in 1747, but was not completed until 1750 by the governor of the Massachusetts, William Shirley. This mansion is one of only four remaining colonial governors' mansions in the United States. The house served as a barracks during the Siege of Boston in 1775-1776, housing the Continental Army's Sixth Regiment of Foot. From 1823-1825 it was the home of Massachusetts Governor William Eustis, the first democrat to hold that post.

Spooner-Lambert House - 64 Bartlett St.

Built in 1782 for Major John Jones Spooner, first commander of the Roxbury Artillery. Boston merchant Captain William Lambert bought the house in 1788.

William Lloyd Garrison House - Highland Park St.

This Greek Revival residence was the home of William Lloyd Garrison, leader of the anti-slavery cause in Boston and editor of the abolition journal The Liberator. The house, called Rockledge, was built in the 1840's, during Roxbury's early period of suburban population growth. After emancipation was achieved, Garrison and his wife retired to his mansion in 1864.

Miscellaneous Entertainment in Roxbury

The Roxbury Center for the Arts, Culture, and Trade, which opened in 2005, celebrates community culture through visual and performance arts.

Roxbury International Film Festival has been running since 2000. The festival is New England’s largest film festival that “showcases and honors the work of emerging and established filmmakers of color”.

Roxbury has also held an Annual Mother's Day Walk for Peace since 2000.

Public sculptures and murals can also be see down Ruggles Street and Malcolm X Boulevard.

Transportation and Travel

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) was the first to emerge in the city in 1631, when Boston was a peninsula to the mainland but a narrow strip of land which is not the south end. The MBTA has 5 different train lines and 500 bus lines. There are the Red, Orange, Commuter Rail (Purple), Green and Blue. The orange line and many buses runs through Roxbury.

Roxbury Crossing is an MBTA subway station on the Orange Line, located at 1400 Tremont Street in the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, on the location of a former commuter rail station of the same name. The current station opened in 1987 as part of the renovation and relocation of the southern Orange Line. Like all stations on the Orange Line, this station is wheelchair accessible.

Boston Police Department

Safety

The Boston Police Department is a government organization dedicated to working in partnership with the community to fight crime, reduce fear and improve the quality of life in our neighborhoods. Their Mission is Community Policing. The Boston Police Department established Safe Street Teams in 2007 to enhance community engagement. Safe Street Teams provide a reassuring presence in neighborhoods by walking the beat hile cultivating local relationships, pursuing proactive crime prevention measures, enforcing public safety, and improving quality of life. Community policing builds trust and reduces crime in Boston’s neighborhoods. The BPD Safe Street Teams create clean, safe and orderly environments, increase positive interaction with local youth, and listen to the concerns of residents while offering tangible solutions. In April 2011, the City of Boston presented its comprehensive plan at a Youth Violence Summit in Washington, D.C. The Obama Administration selected the City of Boston along with five others to participate in the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention. Participants shared knowledge and experience, as well as develop comprehensive community-based plans to prevent youth and gang violence. Building upon a strong foundation of existing relationships and best practices, the City of Boston and its partners developed a multidisciplinary plan to reduce violence in our neighborhoods. The plan includes evidence-based crime prevention, intervention, enforcement, and reentry strategies; improves information sharing and coordination; and enhances civic engagement on multiple levels through a shared mission of youth violence prevention and reduction. The BPD also has other programs and partnerships including the street outreach team, constituent response team, crime stoppers text-A-Tip program, neighborhood advisory councils, etc.

Waste Collection and Disposal

The Code Enforcement Police's (CEP) primary function is to maintain and enhance the quality of life for Boston's residents by enforcing the State and City sanitary codes related to illegal dumping, improper storage of trash, illegal vending and posting, and unshoveled sidewalks. CEP maintains a strong presence in the City by patrolling the streets of Boston on foot, bike, or car. The Waste Reduction Division (formerly Recycling and Sanitation) is responsible for the collection and disposal of residential recyclables, trash, and leaf and yard waste. The Division also holds hazardous waste drop-off days up to four times per year, seasonal paint and motor oil drop-offs, and offers discounted backyard compost bins.Boston has single-stream recycling. You can mix all recyclable materials together and place them on the curb for pickup on your recycling day. In addition, they collect and composts residents' leaf and yard waste on designated recycling days from April to the first week of December.Boston residents can also safely dispose of hazardous waste and shred unwanted documents for free on specific dates and events.