Beacon Hill Civic Association Community Corner

The Beacon Hill Architectural Commission and the BHCA

The Historic Beacon Hill District, the oldest historic district in Massachusetts, originated in 1955 by an act of the Massachusetts General Court (Chapter 616 of the Acts of 1955, as amended). This legislation confers upon the City of Boston’s Beacon Hill Architectural Commission (BHAC) the authority to review and regulate proposed alteration, construction, reconstruction, or demolition of any architectural feature within the district that is “open to view from a public way”.

The Beacon Hill Civic Association’s (BHCA) Architecture Committee also reviews individual matters coming before the Beacon Hill Architectural Commission, and they submit their comments to the Commission for their consideration in advance of the BHAC monthly hearings.

The Commission meets on the third Thursday of each month to review proposed exterior alterations and to make sure these proposed alterations are within the Historic Beacon Hill District Architectural Guidelines. The public is invited to attend these hearings to participate in this unique protection of our historic neighborhood.

The next BHAC hearing will take place on Thursday, November 21st, at 5:00 pm at Boston City Hall in the Piemonte Room. For an agenda of matters to be reviewed, please visit the BHAC webpage at https://www.boston.gov/historic-district/beacon-hill-architectural-district or contact the BHCA office at 627-227-1922.

First Friday Coffee Hour

If you haven’t yet become a member of the BHCA, we invite you to join us at our First Friday Coffee Hour on December 6th at 9 am at 74 Joy Street. There you can learn a bit about what the BHCA does in the community and how you can be a part of our important work. Your input in quality of life issues on the Hill is important to us, and we rely on neighbors to bring comments and concerns to our attention. By joining our membership, you add to the collective voice of the neighborhood and support our work in historic preservation, community development and civic engagement. We hope to see you there!

Decorating Days, Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 7th and 8th

Meet your friends and neighbors on Saturday morning, December 7, on the grounds of the Otis House at 141 Cambridge Street, to cut and decorate the holiday garlands. If you’d like to volunteer to decorate the gas lamps, call the BHCA office or email [email protected]. We look forward to seeing you there!

Upcoming BHCA Meetings

Architecture Committee – Monday, November 18th, 5:00 pm, 74 Joy Street

Other Upcoming BHCA Events

 Beacon Hill Meet & Greet – Monday, December 2nd, 75 Chestnut Street

First Friday Coffee Hour – Friday, December 6th, 74 Joy Street

Decorating Days – December 7th and 8th

48th Annual Beacon Hill Gala – February 8th at Four Seasons Boston

Visit the Beacon Hill Civic Association website www.bhcivic.org or call the office (617-227-1922) for more information on any of these events.

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