Charlestown (pop.place), Boston, Suffolk County, MA

Charlestown is a neighborhood of Boston located on a peninsula bounded by the Charles River, Mystic River and Boston Harbor. Charlestown was laid out in 1629, became a city in 1848, and was annexed by Boston on January 5, 1874.

Significant Dates

1629

Historical Context

Charlestown was established in 1629, making it five years older than Boston. Early English colonists resided here first, but many moved across the Charles River to Boston because of the poor water in Charlestown. Charlestown was also the site of one of the first battles of the American Revolution. The British punished the citizens of Charlestown for their participation in the battle by burning the town to the ground. Charlestown was rebuilt quickly after the war

Place Class

Populated Place

Elevation

36 feet

Latitude (decimal)

42.3778749

Longitude (decimal)

-71.0619957

GNIS/GNS Feature ID

619308

Authoritative Source

U.S. Geologic Survey (USGS). “Archive database of 2021” at U.S. Geographic Information Names System (GNIS) ( https://www.usgs.gov/us-board-on-geographic-names/download-gnis-data : accessed 31 May 2024).