Roxbury in Boston in Suffolk County, Massachusetts — The American Northeast (New England)
John Eliot Square
Roxbury, Massachusetts
Photographed by Marc Posner, July 13, 2024
1. John Eliot Square Marker
On this hill the Puritans in Roxbury built their first meetinghouse in 1632. The hill was named in 1848 for Reverend John Eliot (1604-1690), the second minister of the First Church in Roxbury. Eliot, known as the Apostle to the Indians, with the assistance of Job Nesutan, translated the entire Bible into Massachusett Algonquin in 1663.
On April 18, 1775, William Dawes began his ride to Lexington and Concord from the First Church grounds, while Paul Revere made a parallel ride from Charlestown. Patriot troops occupied 'Meeting-House Hill Common' as part of the defense of Boston. The present church, built in 1804, is the fifth built on this site.
Today, the Square continues as a center of Roxbury surrounded by diverse communities housed in a rich variety of architecture.
Site Rededicated 2003.
Thomas M. Menino, Mayor, City of Boston
Erected 2003 by City of Boston.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Religion & Religious Structures • Settlements & Settlers • War, US Revolutionary. A significant historical year for this entry is 1632.
Location. 42° 19.8′ N,
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Massachusetts’ Historic Boston. It is also in the American Northeast, in New England, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Meetinghouse at First Church in Roxbury (within shouting distance of this marker); The First People of Roxbury (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Jeep (about 300 feet away); A Revolutionary View of Boston, 1776 (about 300 feet away); Roxbury Begins Here! (about 300 feet away); Roxbury "Puddingstone" (about
Photographed by Marc Posner, July 13, 2024
2. John Eliot Square Marker
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker.
Photographed by Marc Posner, July 13, 2024
3. First Church, Roxbury
Photographed by G.W.Bartlett, January 24, 2026
4. John Eliot Square Marker and First Church, Roxbury
Credits. This page was last revised on March 23, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 19, 2024, by Marc Posner of Somerville, Massachusetts. This page has been viewed 640 times since then and 89 times this year. Last updated on March 23, 2026, by G.W.Bartlett of Hingham, Massachusetts. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 19, 2024, by Marc Posner of Somerville, Massachusetts. 4. submitted on January 28, 2026, by G.W.Bartlett of Hingham, Massachusetts. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
