|
In the City of Boston, the Twelfth Suffolk
District includes Precincts 8, 11 and 12 of Ward 16, Precincts
4, 11, 12, 13 and 14 of Ward 17, and Precincts 1, 2, 4, 5,
6 and 21 of Ward 18, primarily covering sections of Dorchester
and Mattapan.
Dorchester is Boston's largest neighborhood and also its oldest,
founded a few months before the city itself. The neighborhood's
|
 |
historical diversity is exhibited in its architecture, from the old
Victorian homes of wealthy Bostonians to the multi-family dwellings
of later groups of immigrants. Today, Dorchester retains its diversity.
Its main thoroughfare, Dorchester Avenue, connects many close-knit
neighborhoods and thriving commercial districts of all kinds. Dorchester
is also home to the University of Massachusetts at Boston and the
John F. Kennedy Library.
Mattapan was annexed to Boston in 1870 as part of Dorchester. As
with other neighborhoods of the time, Mattapan developed as the
railroads and streetcars made downtown Boston accessible. Predominately
residential, Mattapan is home to a mix of single homes as well as
two and three family houses. Mattapan Square, where Blue Hill Avenue,
River Street, and Cummins Highway meet, is the commercial heart
of the neighborhood.
