Understanding Landmarking: Why It Matters and How It Works

A plain-language guide for Charlestown residents — with lessons from Memorial Hall and Monument Square (created April 2026)

You’ve probably walked past Memorial Hall at 14 Green Street, or stood in Monument Square and felt — even if you couldn’t quite name it — that these places matter. Not just to Charlestown, but to history.  If you’ve ever wondered, “Can I actually do something to protect a building in my neighborhood?” — the answer is yes. And right now, two of Charlestown’s most important places are in the middle of that very process. This is your guide to understanding how it works.

What Does It Actually Mean to ‘Landmark’ Something?

Think of a landmark designation as a building’s most powerful form of legal protection. Without it, almost any historic building in Boston — no matter how old or significant — can be demolished after just a 90-day delay. That’s it. Ninety days, and a piece of history can be lost forever.

A landmark designation changes that. Under Boston’s landmarking law (Chapter 772 of the Acts of 1975), the Boston Landmarks Commission (BLC) can formally recognize a building, site, or entire neighborhood as historically significant — and give it lasting protections. Once designated, the BLC reviews proposed exterior changes, new construction, and demolitions within the landmark or district. The goal isn’t to freeze everything in amber; it’s to ensure that change happens thoughtfully and with respect for what makes a place special.

There are several types of designation the BLC can grant. An Individual Landmark protects a single building or structure. A Landmark District covers an entire area of above-local significance — think national or regional importance. An Architectural Conservation District recognizes local significance. And a Protection Area can buffer a landmark from unsympathetic development nearby. As we’ll see, both Memorial Hall and Monument Square involve different flavors of this process.

The Four Criteria: Does This Place Qualify?

Before a building can be landmarked, it has to meet at least one of four criteria established by the BLC. Knowing these criteria helps you evaluate whether a place you care about might be a good candidate — and helps you make the case when you advocate for it.

  • National Register listing.  If it’s already on the National Register of Historic Places, that’s a strong starting point.
  • Historical events.  Did something of real consequence happen here? Something that contributed to the cultural, political, social, military, or economic story of the neighborhood, city, state, or nation?
  • Notable persons.  Is the place meaningfully connected to the life of a historically significant person?
  • Architectural significance.  Does the building exemplify a distinctive period, style, or method of construction? Is it the work of a notable architect or builder?

Most Charlestown landmarks check more than one box. A great preservation case checks all four. Memorial Hall at 14 Green Street is a nearly perfect example.

Memorial Hall, 14 Green Street — Individual Landmark

Built 1791 | Originally the Samuel Dexter House | Home of Abraham Lincoln Post 11, G.A.R. since 1888

A Building That Has Witnessed Everything

When Samuel Dexter built his mansion on Green Street in 1791, Charlestown was a village of fewer than 2,000 people.¹ Dexter was a Harvard graduate (class of 1781), he served in the U.S. House of Representatives, then the Senate, then as both Secretary of War and Secretary of the Treasury under President John Adams.² He built a high-style Federal mansion — granite ashlar on the façade, a cupola on the roof, a greenhouse, landscaped grounds extending all the way to Main Street. It was, by any standard, one of the finest homes in the young republic.

The estate changed hands over the following decades, with successive owners maintaining its horticultural reputation and its stature as one of Charlestown’s great private residences. Then, in 1887, the last private owner, Rhodes Lockwood Jr., sold the property to the Abraham Lincoln Post 11 of the Grand Army of the Republic — an organization founded by Union veterans of the Civil War.³ The building was converted into a meeting hall, with a two-story addition on the southeast elevation, and a raised roof creating space for a second-floor hall. It has been in continuous use as a veterans’ hall ever since — more than 130 years of community service.

In the mid-1990s, a small group of veterans committed themselves to revitalizing the building, which had slowly fallen into disrepair. For more than a decade, the Friends of Memorial Hall — working with craftspeople from the North Bennet Street School in the North End — undertook a meticulous restoration. In May 2025, they celebrated the culmination of that work with a public Open House and ribbon-cutting. The building is alive again: home to the Abraham Lincoln Post, a veterans’ outreach program, and community programming.⁴

Where Things Stand: The Landmark Petition

The CPS submitted a petition to the Boston Landmarks Commission to designate Memorial Hall as an Individual Landmark. In January 2026, CPS submitted a draft Study Report — a detailed historical document prepared by our consultant — to the BLC for review.⁵ In February 2026, the BLC notified the property owner and moved the designation process forward.⁶ The BLC has since posted its own Study Report for public review. A public hearing before the Boston Landmarks Commission is scheduled for April 14, 2026. Written public comment is open through April 13, 2026.

“Memorial Hall bears historic significance as an eighteenth-century mansion and later as a meeting hall that has been in continuous use by the residents of Charlestown since the 1880s.” — Boston Landmarks Commission Study Report, 2026

If designated, the BLC will review proposed exterior changes to the building — ensuring that this remarkable architectural hybrid (part Federal, part Second Empire) is protected in perpetuity. Occupancy and interior use are not subject to review, and routine maintenance in-kind is typically exempt.

Monument Square — Landmark District

Petition accepted July 2022 | Study Committee convened April 2025 | Community input ongoing

One Square, Three Centuries of Significance

Monument Square is not simply a pretty collection of townhouses clustered around the Bunker Hill Monument. It is — quite literally — the financial mechanism by which one of the nation’s most important battlefields was preserved. When the Bunker Hill Monument Association needed to fund the construction of the obelisk that now defines our skyline, they did it by subdividing the surrounding land and selling parcels for residential development. The sale of those lots funded the Monument. The development of those lots transformed Charlestown from a village into an urban neighborhood.

The square’s urban plan and its contribution to the development of the neighborhood, state, and nation has been recognized at the federal level: buildings within the district are already protected from adverse effects of federally funded projects, and a historic neighborhood zoning overlay provides some guidance for alterations. But — and this is the crucial gap — these buildings are not protected from demolition. A 90-day delay is all that stands between a piece of Monument Square and a wrecking ball.

How a District Study Works

The Monument Square Landmark District process began in July 2022, when the Boston Landmarks Commission accepted a petition from Charlestown registered voters. The Mayor and City Council then appointed a Study Committee — six Charlestown residents (including at least one Monument Square property owner and the Charlestown Neighborhood Council precinct representative) plus five BLC Commissioners. The committee’s job is to gather public input, define the district’s boundaries, and develop criteria and standards for design review.

The Study Committee began meeting in April 2025 and has held sessions throughout the year — in June, July, October, November, December, January, February, and March.⁷ The process is public: agendas and minutes are posted on the City’s website, and residents can attend or submit written comments at any time. Community engagement events are scheduled for April 15, 2026, and the committee anticipates presenting a draft framework for public feedback in Spring 2026.

What a Landmark District Does — and Doesn’t — Do

We know there are questions and, frankly, some anxiety about what a Landmark District means for property owners. So let’s be clear about what it does and doesn’t do, because the reality is far less burdensome than some fear.

  • What it reviews: Visible exterior changes, new construction, major additions, and demolition within the district.
  • What it doesn’t touch: Interior work, routine maintenance in-kind, and occupancy or use are not subject to BLC review.
  • No retroactive requirements: Existing conditions that were lawful when installed can remain as ‘grandfathered’ conditions. You are not required to rip out vinyl siding or replace windows.
  • Predictability over case-by-case interpretation: Today, Monument Square projects go through BPDA design review under the Neighborhood Design Overlay, applied case-by-case. After designation, BLC certificates become the primary review, using clearly adopted standards developed by the Study Committee — which includes your neighbors.

A Landmark District is not about stopping change. It’s about ensuring change happens with clarity, consistency, and respect for what makes this neighborhood irreplaceable.

The Step-by-Step Process: How Landmarking Actually Works

Whether for an individual building (like Memorial Hall) or a district (like Monument Square), the landmarking process follows a formal, public path. Here’s how it works from beginning to end.

Step 1: Prepare and Submit a Petition

Anyone — a resident, an organization, even the Mayor or a BLC Commissioner — can initiate a landmark petition. You start by preparing a draft petition and submitting it to the BLC Executive Director at BLC@boston.gov. The Director reviews the draft and meets with you to discuss it. The complete petition must include a written summary of the history and significance of the resource and signatures from Boston registered voters.

Step 2: BLC Accepts the Petition

If the BLC votes to accept the petition at a public hearing, it’s added to the pending Landmarks list. For a district, the Mayor and City Council appoint a Study Committee. For an individual building, the BLC assigns staff to work with the petitioner on the Study Report.

Step 3: Prepare the Study Report

The Study Report is the heart of the process. It’s a detailed historical and architectural analysis that documents why the resource is significant, establishes proposed boundaries (for a district), and develops the criteria and standards that will guide future design review. For Memorial Hall, CPS hired a professional consultant to prepare the report — a significant investment in making the strongest possible case.

Step 4: Public Feedback

When a final draft Study Report is ready, it’s posted for a period of public feedback. Residents can review it and submit written comments. This is your chance to add your voice to the record.

Step 5: BLC Votes on Designation

After feedback is gathered and any amendments made, the Boston Landmarks Commission votes on whether to designate the landmark or district. This vote happens at a public hearing.

Step 6: Mayor and City Council Review

If the BLC approves designation, the Mayor has 15 days to approve or reject. If the Mayor approves, the City Council has 30 days to approve or reject. Both layers of review provide additional public accountability — and additional opportunities for community voices to be heard.

Step 7: Designation and Ongoing Design Review

Once designated, the BLC reviews proposed changes to the landmark or properties within the district through its design review process. Thoughtful proposals that follow the guidelines in the Study Report are approved efficiently. The BLC is not in the business of obstruction — it’s in the business of thoughtful stewardship.

Why This Matters to All of Us in Charlestown

Charlestown is one of the most historically layered neighborhoods in America. The battles that gave rise to the nation were fought here. The architecture of our streets reflects two centuries of growth, immigration, industry, and community. Our town has survived annexation, urban renewal, and decades of development pressure. But history is not self-protecting.

What is happening right now with Memorial Hall and Monument Square is not abstract policy. It’s our neighborhood making a deliberate choice about what we want to pass on to the people who will live here after us. Landmarking is one of the most powerful tools we have — and it only works when residents show up, speak up, and make the case that these places matter.

CPS has been part of this work for years: advocating for Monument Square, petitioning for Memorial Hall, funding the research, navigating the process. But this work belongs to the whole community. You don’t need to be a historian or a lawyer to get involved. You just need to care.

How to Get Involved Right Now

    • Stay informed: sign up for emails from the Boston Landmarks Commission to follow local relevant projects.
    • Support CPS: Our advocacy, research, and education work is funded by members. Join or donate at charlestownpreservation.org/support.
    • Start your own petition: Know a building that deserves protection? We’re happy to talk through the process. Email us at info@charlestownpreservation.org.
    • Keep up to date on events: On the CPS Events page, if  you scroll to the bottom, you’ll find a calendar of community meetings and events that are open to the public.