From Petition to Plan: Charlestown’s First Historic District Is Taking Shape

Charlestown is one step closer to establishing its very first local Landmark District—and the community is at the center of the process.

How We Got Here

On July 6, 2022, 26 registered voters submitted a petition to the Boston Landmarks Commission to recognize the historic planning and development of the Monument Square area, the neighborhood surrounding the Bunker Hill Monument. The Commission agreed the area merited further study and launched the Monument Square Landmark District Study Committee—composed of Charlestown residents and Boston Landmarks Commissioners.

The Study Committee is tasked with understanding and documenting the historic, architectural, and archaeological significance of the neighborhood, proposing the district’s boundaries, and crafting recommendations for long-term management of the district that preserve the area’s unique character while allowing thoughtful, context-sensitive growth.

*McIntyre, H. Map of the City of Boston and Immediate Neighborhood: From Original Surveys. Boston: H. McIntyre, 1852; Boston: Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center, Boston Public Library*

How the District Landmarking Process Works

Graphic of the Boston Landmark Designation Process Timeline

Designating a historic district is a multi-step public journey. After the petition to landmark, the neighborhood is accepted for further study by the Boston Landmarks Commission, the real work starts:

A Study Committee is Appointed: Guided by Chapter 772 of Massachusetts General Laws, the Mayor of Boston appoints a combination of local residents and select members of the Boston Landmarks Commission to recommend whether to establish a district and to identify the character-defining features of the district that should be subject to preservation reviews.
A Draft Study Report is Created: The Study Committee and Boston Landmarks Commission staff draft a report that establishes the significance of the historic district and the justification for its preservation through specific preservation guidelines. The Study Committee discusses its findings and drafts the report in a series of public meetings. A draft of the study report is then shared with the public with an invitation to submit feedback on any aspect of the report.
Revisions are Made Based on Community Input: After the draft study report is posted for public review, written comments are collected for 60 days. At the end of the 60-day comment period, a public hearing of the Boston Landmarks Commission is held for verbal community feedback. The Study Committee then reconvenes to make any necessary amendments to the report.
The Landmarks Commission Votes: After the final study report is posted, there is a second public hearing at which the Boston Landmarks Commission takes a roll call vote to decide whether to approve the district.
Mayoral and City Council Review: If the Boston Landmarks Commission approves the designation of the district, the measure is presented to the Mayor, who has 15 days to approve, reject, or take no action on the measure. If approved, the City Council then has 30 days in which to approve, reject, or take no action on the Commission’s vote.

At each step, there are clear opportunities for residents to ask questions, share ideas, and shape the future of their neighborhood.

Where Things Stand Now

*Photograph of Monument Square Study Committee on site.*

The Study Committee for the Monument Square Landmark District held its first meeting on April 1, 2025, and has been meeting regularly, both in person and virtually, to review the petition, evaluate the proposed boundary, and draft potential standards for the district.

One major topic currently under consideration is whether to expand the boundary proposed in the original petition. The existing proposal includes only the buildings directly around Monument Square, but the committee is exploring whether additional nearby streets and properties with similar histories should be included. They are also weighing the benefits of creating a “protection area,” which would surround the district and provide light oversight focused on preventing demolitions, landscape or topography changes, or major height/massing increases that could compromise the core historic district.

Stay Involved

Public participation is essential to the Study Committee’s work. All materials, agendas, approved minutes, presentations, and meeting recordings are available at boston.gov/monumentsquare. Physical binders of all documents can also be reviewed at the Charlestown Branch Library.

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Learn more about the landmarking process

Any ten registered Boston voters can petition the Boston Landmarks Commission to landmark a building, object, neighborhood, or landscape to be a protected landmark in any Boston neighborhood. To learn more, visit Boston.gov/landmarks.

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