Boston, VA

Boston, Virginia is a city located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is the largest city in Northern Virginia and the fifteenth-largest city in the United States with a population of over 600,000 people. The city has been known as Boston since 1630, when English colonists named it after Boston, Massachusetts. The area that would become Boston was part of an area called Charles City County until 1642, when it was divided into Norfolk County and Suffolk County. In 1650, Norfolk County was divided into four wards: North Ward (now downtown), East Ward (now South Boston), West Ward (now Roxbury), and Middle Ward (now Jamaica Plain).

In 1755, Suffolk County was divided into seven districts: North District ( Boston), East District (East Boston), West District (West Roxbury), South District ( South Boston Neck or Charlestown Neck), Centre District (Copley Square and Back Bay), and North End District. In 1785, Norfolk County was divided into nine districts: North district including what is now downtown; East district including what is now Dorchester; West district including what is now Brighton; South district including what is now South End; Centre district including Beacon Hill; Northwest district including Fenway Park; Northeast district including Brookline Village; and Southwest districtincluding Quincy Market.

The first real estate development in Boston took place on King Street between Hanover Street and Cornhill in 1630. By 1700 there were about seventy houses on King Street. The first recorded sale of land in present-day Dorchester took place on July 4th, 1635 when Nicholas Boylston sold land to John Winthrop for £40 sterling. Land sales increased rapidly after that as wealthy merchants from England began to settle in the area. By 1700 there were about two hundred houses on King Street alone.

The first recorded sale of land in present-day Roxbury took place on October 3rd, 1636 when Thomas Dudley sold land to John Winthrop for £60 sterling. Land sales increased rapidly after that as wealthy merchants from England began to settle in the area. By 1700 there were about four hundred houses on King Street alone.

The first recorded sale of land in present-day Jamaica Plain took place on September 25th, 1638 when William Phips sold land to John Winthrop for £100 sterling