Roxbury Cultural District
The district celebrates Roxbury's rich arts and cultural assets.
-
Still have questions? Contact:
Arts and Culture
-
1 City Hall Square
Room 802Boston, MA 02201-2029
About the district
The Mass Cultural Council designated the district on May 18, 2017. The need for a cultural infrastructure in Roxbury was first highlighted in 1987 by the Roxbury Heritage State Park Master Plan. That formed the foundation for the Roxbury Cultural District. Roxbury holds a fertile history that includes:
- the First People
- early English settlers, and
- the American Revolution.
Roxbury had a large Irish and growing Jewish population in the mid-19th century. Roxbury is now known as the center of African American culture in Boston and New England. The district has strong ties to jazz, as well as early leaders of the civil rights movement.
The mission of the district is to find and recognize Roxbury's cultural assets. The district also creates tools, strategies, resources, and spaces that elevate the arts in Roxbury. The four main goals of the district are:
- activating assets and marketing community programming
- economic development
- built environment, and
- governance and sustainability.
Roxbury is the geographic center of Boston. The Roxbury Cultural District includes Nubian Square and John Eliot Square. Notable cultural facilities in the district include:
- Hibernian Hall
- Dudley Café
- The First Church of Roxbury
- Roxbury Heritage State Park, and
- Eliot Burying Ground.
-
Still have questions? Contact:
Arts and Culture
-
1 City Hall Square
Room 802Boston, MA 02201-2029
