Huntington Avenue

Huntington Avenue
Huntington Avenue
Avenue of the Arts
Route information
Length	3.0 mi (4.8 km)
Major junctions
West end	Route 9 at Washington Street / Riverway at the Brookline border
	Route 28; Ruggles Street / Louis Prang Street; I-90 Massachusetts Turnpike (below grade)
East end	Dartmouth Street at Copley Square
Location
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
Highway system
	Massachusetts State Highway System; Interstate; US; State;

Huntington Avenue is a major arterial thoroughfare in Boston, Massachusetts, measuring approximately 3.0 miles (4.8 km) in length. It originates at Copley Square in the Back Bay and continues southwest through the Fenway, Longwood, and Mission Hill neighborhoods to the town border of Brookline.^[1] The avenue carries the concurrency for Route 9 between Copley Square and Brookline.^[2]

In 1998, the City of Boston officially designated a central section of Huntington Avenue as the Avenue of the Arts to honor its concentration of cultural, musical, educational, and artistic institutions.^[3]

Route description

Back Bay

Huntington Avenue begins at the western edge of Copley Square at the intersection of Dartmouth Street and St. James Avenue, adjacent to the Boston Public Library, Trinity Church, and Copley Place. Heading southwest, it forms the southeastern boundary of the Prudential Center complex and passes the Mother Church and Christian Science Center, known for its 670-foot-long (200 m) reflecting pool and I. M. Pei-designed plaza.^[4]

Avenue of the Arts (Fenway)

Past its intersection with Massachusetts Avenue, Huntington Avenue enters the Fenway cultural corridor. Here, the street is flanked by landmark performing arts venues and universities:

Symphony Hall, home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, designed by McKim, Mead & White and opened in 1900.^[5]
Horticultural Hall, headquarters of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society from 1901 to 1992.
New England Conservatory and Jordan Hall.
The Huntington Theatre Company at the historic Boston University Theatre.
The main campus of Northeastern University, which lines both sides of the roadway between Forsyth Street and Museum Way.^[6]
The Museum of Fine Arts (MFA), with its classical Beaux-Arts main facade designed by Guy Lowell fronting the avenue.^[7]
Higher-education arts and technical colleges including Wentworth Institute of Technology, the Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt), and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts.

Longwood and Mission Hill

Continuing westward, Huntington Avenue skirts the southern edge of the Longwood Medical and Academic Area, passing the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and access routes to Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Boston Children's Hospital.^[8]

At Brigham Circle, the avenue ascends into Mission Hill. The median reservation ends here, and the Green Line E branch tracks share traffic lanes with motor vehicles. Huntington Avenue terminates at the intersection of South Huntington Avenue and the Riverway parkway at the Brookline border, where Route 9 continues west into Brookline as Washington Street and Boylston Street.^[2]

History

19th-century laying out and naming

Prior to the mid-19th century, the area now occupied by eastern Huntington Avenue was part of the tidal salt marshes of Boston's Back Bay.^[9] Following the 1857 legislative acts that authorized the filling of the bay, civil engineers planned broad radial boulevards connecting downtown Boston to the surrounding suburbs. The proposed southwest thoroughfare was initially referred to as "Western Avenue".^[10]

On December 29, 1864, the Boston Board of Aldermen officially named the thoroughfare Huntington Avenue in honor of Ralph Huntington (1784–1866), an influential Boston banker, real estate developer, and philanthropist.^[10]^[11] Huntington had been an early advocate for reclaiming the Back Bay marshes and donated substantial endowments to establish the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Boston Society of Natural History, both of which originally stood near the head of the avenue.^[9]

Originally, Huntington Avenue began at the intersection of Clarendon and Boylston Streets, running diagonally across Art Square (renamed Copley Square in 1883) past Trinity Church.^[9] During the 1960s, the Boston Redevelopment Authority pedestrianized the square and eliminated this diagonal section, truncating the avenue's eastern origin at Dartmouth Street.^[12]

Streetcars and the Huntington Avenue subway

In 1883, the Metropolitan Railroad laid horsecar tracks along Huntington Avenue from Francis Street to Copley Square, routing streetcars along a dedicated median.^[13] The line was electrified in 1894 by the West End Street Railway.

Between 1937 and 1941, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) financed and excavated the Huntington Avenue subway, a 4,300-foot (1,311 m) tunnel beneath the avenue.^[14] Opened on February 16, 1941, the subway portal near Opera Place redirected streetcars underground, connecting directly into the Boylston Street subway west of Copley Square and adding two subterranean stations: Mechanics (now Prudential) and Symphony.^[15]

Sports and entertainment landmarks

From 1901 to 1911, the block between Forsyth Street and Rogers Avenue was occupied by the Huntington Avenue Grounds, the first home ballpark of the Boston Americans (later renamed the Boston Red Sox).^[16] On October 1, 1903, the ballpark hosted the first game of the inaugural modern World Series. On May 5, 1904, Red Sox pitcher Cy Young threw the first modern perfect game in Major League Baseball history here.^[16] The site was redeveloped by Northeastern University, which erected a bronze statue of Cy Young in 1993 marking the historical location of the pitcher's mound.^[17]

Historic civic halls formerly situated on the avenue include:

Mechanics' Hall (1881–1959): A large exhibition hall built by the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association at Huntington and West Newton Streets, demolished for the Prudential Center.^[18]
Boston Opera House (1909–1958): Designed by Wheelwright and Haven at Huntington Avenue and Opera Place, financed by Eben Jordan Jr.; demolished in 1958.^[19]

Public transportation

Huntington Avenue is a multi-modal transit corridor operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA):

Light rail: The Green Line E branch operates along the corridor, running in a tunnel between Copley and the Opera Place portal (serving Prudential and Symphony), surfacing into a center median reservation with stops at Northeastern, Museum of Fine Arts, Longwood Medical Area, and Brigham Circle, and continuing in mixed street traffic to Heath Street.^[15]
Bus lines: MBTA Route 39 operates along the surface of the avenue between Copley Square and South Huntington Avenue. Additional routes using sections of Huntington Avenue include routes 9, 10, 55, 66, 85, 501, and 504.^[20]

Demolished landmarks

Boston Opera House (1909–1958)
Chickering Hall (1901–1912)
Mechanics' Hall (1881–1959)
New England Manufacturers' and Mechanics' Institute building (1881–1886)

Gallery

Mechanics' Hall, 1881
Huntington Ave at Copley Square, 1889
Huntington Ave YMCA, 1920
Horticultural Hall at Massachusetts Avenue, 1920
Aerial view of Huntington Avenue near the Museum of Fine Arts, c. 1920
Pedestrian crossing at the New England Conservatory, 2008

References

↑ Atlas of the City of Boston: Boston Proper and Roxbury. Philadelphia: G.W. Bromley & Co. 1895. OCLC 866755495.
1 2 "Office of Transportation Planning – Road Inventory Year-End Report". Massachusetts Department of Transportation. 2020. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
↑ Flint, Anthony (May 17, 1998). "Boston Shapes Its Avenue of the Arts". The Boston Globe. p. B1.
↑ Wiseman, Carter (2001). I.M. Pei: A Profile in American Architecture. New York: Harry N. Abrams. pp. 102–109. ISBN 978-0-8109-3477-1. OCLC 45248231.
↑ Johnson, H. Earle (1979). Symphony Hall, Boston. New York: Da Capo Press. OCLC 4832442.
↑ Frederick, Antoinette (1982). Northeastern University: An Illustrated History. Boston: Northeastern University. OCLC 8846387.
↑ Fairbrother, Trevor J. (1986). The Bostonians: Painters of an Elegant Age, 1870–1930. Boston: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. pp. 35–42. ISBN 978-0-87846-271-1. OCLC 13581335.
↑ Benson, Ann (2006). Medicine's Front Line: The History of the Longwood Medical Area. Boston: Harvard Medical School. pp. 55–68. OCLC 70263841.
1 2 3 Whitehill, Walter Muir (1968). Boston: A Topographical History (2nd ed.). Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. pp. 141–173. ISBN 978-0-674-07950-2. OCLC 361879.
1 2 Street Laying-Out Department (1910). A Record of the Streets, Alleys, Places, Etc. in the City of Boston. Boston: City of Boston Printing Department. pp. 233–234. OCLC 7714894.
↑ Huntington, E. B. (1863). A Genealogical Memoir of the Huntington Family in This Country. Stamford, Connecticut: J. Mower. pp. 224–226. OCLC 2621123.
↑ O'Connor, Thomas H. (1993). Building a New Boston: Politics and Urban Renewal, 1950–1970. Boston: Northeastern University Press. pp. 215–218. ISBN 978-1-55553-161-4. OCLC 27144414.
↑ Clarke, Bradley H.; Cummings, O.R. (1997). Tremont Street Subway: A Century of Public Service. Boston: Boston Street Railway Association. pp. 31–45. ISBN 978-0-938315-04-9. OCLC 38274351.
↑ "New Huntington Avenue Subway Opens Today". The Boston Globe. February 16, 1941. p. 1.
1 2 Clarke, Bradley H. (2003). Streetcar Lines of the Hub: The Boston Elevated Railway. Boston: Boston Street Railway Association. pp. 78–84. ISBN 978-0-938315-05-6. OCLC 54394017.
1 2 Nowlin, Bill (2010). The Great Red Sox Spring Training Tour. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing. pp. 12–15. ISBN 978-0-7385-7331-1. OCLC 610853874.
↑ Holleman, Joe (February 5, 2018). "A statue of Cy Young on the campus of Northeastern University". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved September 12, 2026.
↑ Sammarco, Anthony Mitchell (1999). Boston's Back Bay in the Victorian Era. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing. pp. 85–92. ISBN 978-0-7385-0158-1. OCLC 42698947.
↑ Eaton, Quaintance (1965). The Boston Opera Company: 1909–1915. New York: Appleton-Century. pp. 14–22. OCLC 1322238.
↑ "MBTA Bus Service Schedules and Maps". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. 2024. Retrieved September 12, 2026.

External links

[CityAtlas-1] Atlas of the City of Boston: Boston Proper and Roxbury. Philadelphia: G.W. Bromley & Co. 1895. OCLC 866755495.

[MassDOT-2] 1 2 "Office of Transportation Planning – Road Inventory Year-End Report". Massachusetts Department of Transportation. 2020. Retrieved September 12, 2026.

[Globe-Arts-3] Flint, Anthony (May 17, 1998). "Boston Shapes Its Avenue of the Arts". The Boston Globe. p. B1.

[PeiGuide-4] Wiseman, Carter (2001). I.M. Pei: A Profile in American Architecture. New York: Harry N. Abrams. pp. 102–109. ISBN 978-0-8109-3477-1. OCLC 45248231.

[BSOHistory-5] Johnson, H. Earle (1979). Symphony Hall, Boston. New York: Da Capo Press. OCLC 4832442.

[NEUHistory-6] Frederick, Antoinette (1982). Northeastern University: An Illustrated History. Boston: Northeastern University. OCLC 8846387.

[MFAArch-7] Fairbrother, Trevor J. (1986). The Bostonians: Painters of an Elegant Age, 1870–1930. Boston: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. pp. 35–42. ISBN 978-0-87846-271-1. OCLC 13581335.

[LMA-8] Benson, Ann (2006). Medicine's Front Line: The History of the Longwood Medical Area. Boston: Harvard Medical School. pp. 55–68. OCLC 70263841.

[Whitehill-9] 1 2 3 Whitehill, Walter Muir (1968). Boston: A Topographical History (2nd ed.). Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. pp. 141–173. ISBN 978-0-674-07950-2. OCLC 361879.

[StreetRecord-10] 1 2 Street Laying-Out Department (1910). A Record of the Streets, Alleys, Places, Etc. in the City of Boston. Boston: City of Boston Printing Department. pp. 233–234. OCLC 7714894.

[HuntingtonBio-11] Huntington, E. B. (1863). A Genealogical Memoir of the Huntington Family in This Country. Stamford, Connecticut: J. Mower. pp. 224–226. OCLC 2621123.

[CopleyRedesign-12] O'Connor, Thomas H. (1993). Building a New Boston: Politics and Urban Renewal, 1950–1970. Boston: Northeastern University Press. pp. 215–218. ISBN 978-1-55553-161-4. OCLC 27144414.

[StreetcarHist-13] Clarke, Bradley H.; Cummings, O.R. (1997). Tremont Street Subway: A Century of Public Service. Boston: Boston Street Railway Association. pp. 31–45. ISBN 978-0-938315-04-9. OCLC 38274351.

[WPAProj-14] "New Huntington Avenue Subway Opens Today". The Boston Globe. February 16, 1941. p. 1.

[Clarke2003-15] 1 2 Clarke, Bradley H. (2003). Streetcar Lines of the Hub: The Boston Elevated Railway. Boston: Boston Street Railway Association. pp. 78–84. ISBN 978-0-938315-05-6. OCLC 54394017.

[NowlinBallpark-16] 1 2 Nowlin, Bill (2010). The Great Red Sox Spring Training Tour. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing. pp. 12–15. ISBN 978-0-7385-7331-1. OCLC 610853874.

[YoungStatue-17] Holleman, Joe (February 5, 2018). "A statue of Cy Young on the campus of Northeastern University". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved September 12, 2026.

[SammarcoBackBay-18] Sammarco, Anthony Mitchell (1999). Boston's Back Bay in the Victorian Era. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing. pp. 85–92. ISBN 978-0-7385-0158-1. OCLC 42698947.

[OperaHist-19] Eaton, Quaintance (1965). The Boston Opera Company: 1909–1915. New York: Appleton-Century. pp. 14–22. OCLC 1322238.

[20] "MBTA Bus Service Schedules and Maps". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. 2024. Retrieved September 12, 2026.

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v t e Streets and squares in Boston
East–west streets	Beacon Street Boylston Street Commonwealth Avenue Congress Street Cornhill Court Street Day Boulevard Dedham Parkway Fenway Gallivan Boulevard Huntington Avenue Melnea Cass Boulevard Milk Street Neptune Road New Chardon Street Newbury Street Park Street Soldiers Field Road State Street Storrow Drive Summer Street Tremont Street Tremont Row Winter Street
North–south streets	Arborway Atlantic Avenue Blue Hills Parkway Bowdoin Street Brattle Street Brookline Avenue Charles Street Columbus Avenue Dorchester Avenue Enneking Parkway Federal Street Franklin Street Hanover Street Jamaicaway Jersey Street (Yawkey Way) Marshall Street Massachusetts Avenue Morrissey Boulevard Morton Street North Street Park Drive Riverway School Street Truman Parkway Turtle Pond Parkway Union Street Veterans of Foreign Wars Parkway Washington Street West Boundary Road West Roxbury Parkway
Intersections	Adams Square Andrew Square Blackstone Square Brigham Circle Central Square Chester Square City Square Cleveland Circle Codman Square Copley Square Day Square Dewey Square Dock Square Downtown Crossing Egleston Square Fields Corner Franklin Square Haymarket Square Hyde Square Jackson Square Kenmore Square Louisburg Square Mass and Cass Maverick Square North Square Nubian Square (Dudley Square) Packard's Corner Park Square Peabody Square Post Office Square Roxbury Crossing Scollay Square Sullivan Square Thompson Square Union Square Uphams Corner Winthrop Square
Italics denote streets and squares that no longer exist. See also Neighborhoods in Boston Transportation in Boston