Bordered on three sides by water, and with close proximity to Boston, Chelsea has grown in popularity in recent years as a place to live for cost-savvy commuters. Its Colonial era rural character underwent sweeping changes as a result of the Industrial Revolution, leading to massive population growth as multifamily houses and tenements were built to accommodate the ever increasing numbers of European immigrants. Much of the city was destroyed in the Great Fires of 1908 and 1978, but the city recovered quickly from both tragedies, welcoming new arrivals so that today it is home to one of the largest concentrations of Hispanic-Americans in Massachusetts. Our walking tour will include the Bellingham-Cary House, the former hunting lodge of 17th century Governor Richard Bellingham, Chelsea Garden Cemetery, laid out in 1841 as an early example of a Rural Garden Cemetery, City Hall and other distinguished examples of public architecture built after the 1908 Fire, houses of worship and residential districts reflecting Chelsea's 19th and 20th century heritage.
