Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

Boston College and the Chestnut Hill Reservoir

Located 6 miles west of Boston, Chestnut Hill is a leafy suburb notable for its stately old houses, scenic landscape and the historic campus of Boston College. Chestnut Hill is not a political or municipal entity. Its borders are roughly defined by the 02467 ZIP Code and encompass parts of Boston, Brookline and Newton, Massachusetts. Nor is Chestnut Hill a clear topographical designation as it refers to a series of hills that overlook the 135 acre (546,000 m²) Chestnut Hill Reservoir. In 1986, the National Register of Historic Places designated parts of Chestnut Hill as a historic district for the significance of its landscape and architecture. Examples of Colonial, Italianate, Shingle, Tudor, and Victorian architectural styles are evident in country estates and mansions and on the Boston College campus, itself an early example of Collegiate Gothic architecture. While most of Chestnut Hill remained farmland well into the early twentieth century, the area around the reservoir was developed in 1870 by renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, designer of Central Park in New York.

Points of interest in Chestnut Hill & environs

• Alumni Stadium, home of the Boston College Eagles
• The Atrium Mall, an upscale shopping center
• Brimmer and May School, a private elementary and high school
• The Burns Library, rare books and special collections at Boston College
• The Cardinal Mansion, former residence of Boston's archbishops, on the Boston College campus
• The Chestnut Hill Country Club and Newton Commonwealth Golf Club
• Chestnut Hill Country Day School, a private elementary school
• Cleveland Circle/Chestnut Hill Avenue, a popular shopping, dining and commercial district
• Conte Forum and Kelley Rink, home of BC basketball and hockey
• Hammond Pond, an extensive forest preserve and protected wetlands
• The Longyear Museum, documenting the life of Mary Baker Eddy, founder of the Christian Science Church
• The Longwood Cricket Club, birthplace of the Davis Cup
• The Mary Baker Eddy House, the historic last residence of Mary Baker Eddy
• The McMullen Museum of Art, on the Boston College campus
• Mount Alvernia Academy, a private elementary school
• Reilly Memorial Recreation Center, a public ice skating rink and swimming pool
• The "Tip" O'Neill Museum, a permanent exhibit in the O'Neill Library at Boston College that documents the late Speaker of the House
• Pine Manor College, a private women's college

Transport

Chestnut Hill is served by three branches of the Green Line of the MBTA, Boston's subway system. Stations include:

• B-line: Chestnut Hill Ave, South Street, Boston College
• C-line: Cleveland Circle
• D-line: Reservoir, Chestnut Hill