Chestnut Hill
Well-known for being home to Boston College, the predominantly residential village of Chestnut Hill is located west of downtown Boston and is bordered by the communities of West Newton, Watertown, Auburndale, and Brookline. Entering into the twentieth century, Chestnut Hill was mostly farmland, though some development around the village’s local reservoir began to take place around 1870 by the world-famous architect Frederick L. Olmsted. Over the years, a number of notable figures lived in Chestnut Hill such as the owner of the New England Patriots Robert Kraft, the first wife of President Theodore Roosevelt, Alice Hathaway Lee Roosevelt, and the former Governor of Massachusetts and former United States Senator Leverett Saltonstall.
Living and visiting Chestnut Hill offers residents and visitors alike a wealth of historic and recreational spaces to appreciate. In 1986, a number of sites in Chestnut Hill were recorded into the National Register of Historic Places, such as the Boston College Campus Historic District and the Old Chestnut Hill Historic District. The village also boasts a wide array of architectural styles from Colonial to Italianate and Victorian, all of which reflect shifts in the public’s taste. But besides Chestnut Hill’s general exterior, the village has a number of outdoor spaces for people to enjoy such as Hammon Pond Reservation, Chestnut Hill Reservoir, Edmands Park, and the Newton Commonwealth Golf Course. In terms of education, Chestnut Hill is home to Boston College, Pine Manor College, a private, all-girls liberal arts school, Mount Alvernia Academy, Brimmer and May School, and the Beaver Country Day High School. Chestnut Hill can be reached by Interstate 90 and can also be accessed by Green Lines B, C, and D on the MBTA.
