Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

Chestnut Hill
Village
Coordinates: 42°19′50″N 71°9′58″W / 42.33056°N 71.16611°W / 42.33056; -71.16611Coordinates: 42°19′50″N 71°9′58″W / 42.33056°N 71.16611°W / 42.33056; -71.16611
Country United States
State Massachusetts
County Norfolk County, Suffolk County, and Middlesex County
ZIP Code 02467

Chestnut Hill is an affluent New England village located six miles (10 km) west of downtown Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Like all Massachusetts villages, Chestnut Hill is not an incorporated municipal entity. Unlike most Massachusetts villages, it encompasses parts of three separate municipalities, each located in a different county: the town of Brookline in Norfolk County; the city of Boston in Suffolk County (parts of its neighborhoods of Brighton and West Roxbury), and the city of Newton in Middlesex County. Chestnut Hill's borders are roughly defined by the 02467 ZIP Code. Chestnut Hill is not a topographical designation; the name refers to several small hills that overlook the 135-acre (546,000 m2) Chestnut Hill Reservoir rather than one particular hill. Chestnut Hill is best known as the home of Boston College, part of the Boston Marathon route, as well as the Collegiate Gothic canvas of landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted.[1]

History

While most of Chestnut Hill remained farmland well into the early 20th century, the area around the reservoir was developed, in 1870, by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, designer of Central Park in New York City and of the Emerald Necklace in Boston and Brookline.

Because of the significance of its landscape and architecture, the National Register of Historic Places, in 1986, designated parts of Chestnut Hill as historic districts. Examples of Colonial, Italianate, Shingle, Tudor Revival, and Victorian architectural styles are evident in the village's country estates and mansions. The Boston College campus is itself an early example of Collegiate Gothic architecture.

Parkland

Hammond Pond Reservation, an extensive forest preserve and protected wetlands, goes through Chestnut Hill and Newton.[2]

The Kennard Park and Conservation Area is a post-agricultural forest grown up on 19th century farmland. The mixed and conifer woodlands reveal colonial stone walls, a red maple swamp with century-old trees, and a sensitive fern marsh.[3]

Shopping centers

Transportation

Chestnut Hill is served by three branches of the Green Line of the MBTA, Boston's light rail system. Stations include:

  • B Line: Chestnut Hill Avenue, South Street, Boston College
  • C Line: Cleveland Circle
  • D Line: Reservoir, Chestnut Hill

The area is also served by various MBTA buses.

Registered historic districts

Education

The village is served by the Public School District of Brookline and the Newton Public Schools. There are also a number of private schools including Mount Alvernia Academy (Catholic, K–6), Brimmer and May School (non-denominational, K–12) and The Chestnut Hill School. Children may opt to attend school in neighboring villages or in Boston.

Chestnut Hill is home to Boston College and Pine Manor College.

Notable people

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-04-03. Retrieved 2011-01-24.
  2. ↑ "Hammond Pond Reservation". mass.gov.
  3. ↑ "Newton Conservators - Kennard Park". www.newtonconservators.org.
  4. ↑ "Seth Klarman". Forbes. Retrieved 2017-02-23.
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