Last updated: March 28, 2023
Place
Lewis and Harriet Hayden House
NPS Photo
Quick Facts
Location:
66 Phillips Street
Significance:
Home to Lewis and Harriet Hayden and a site on the Underground Railroad.
Designation:
Black Heritage Trail Site
OPEN TO PUBLIC:
No
MANAGED BY:
Private Residence
After escaping from slavery in Kentucky, Lewis Hayden (1811-1889) and his wife Harriet (1816-1893) settled in Boston on the north slope of Beacon Hill. They soon established their home as the most active Underground Railroad safe house in the city, sheltering scores of documented freedom seekers. The famous fugitive couple William and Ellen Craft stayed with the Haydens while in Boston. Lewis also played a prominent role in the courthouse rescue of Shadrach Minkins in 1851 and the attempted rescue of Anthony Burns in 1854 after they had been arrested under the Fugitive Slave Law. During the U.S. Civil War, Lewis worked as a recruiter for the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment and later served as a state legislator in the Massachusetts General Court.
The Lewis & Harriet Hayden House is listed as a site on the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. To learn more about the Network to Freedom, please visit their website.
**Historic homes on the Black Heritage Trail® are private residences and not open to the public. Please respect the privacy of homeowners.
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🔊 Listen: Lewis and Harriet Hayden House on the Black Heritage Trail Audio Tour
Lewis and Harriet Hayden House - Boston African American National Historic Site