Southern Dorchester

In the 1630s, new settlers in the area were allocated parcels of land of different types for various uses. They generally received a small number of acres for their home lot, a few more that were suitable for an orchard, and additional parcels of sweet meadow for grazing and salt meadow for hay. The flat land and gently rolling hills of Southern Dorchester, south and west of present-day Fields Corner and Mount Bowdoin, were allocated as grain-planting fields.  Each family received a “great lot” of up to sixteen acres for growing corn, wheat, and other grains.  

As families grew, new homes were built throughout the area, and small neighborhoods began to develop including those at Grove Hall, Four Corners, Codman Square, Ashmont, Neponset and Lower Mills. These neighborhoods were home to many accomplished women, a number of whom are celebrated in this Southern Dorchester Trail. They made their marks in the arts, business, education, medicine, philanthropy, and women’s suffrage and contributed to the economic life of the area through their employment in factories and mills. A study of these women and their accomplishments provides a new entry point into the overall history of Dorchester, exploring local connections and the way in which Dorchester’s residents participated in the wider world of American society. 

Geographically, the Southern Dorchester trail is the largest. Anyone interested in visiting the sites might wish to break the tour into two or more parts using the clusters below as a guide.