The James Blake House is the oldest house standing in Boston today. This may come as a surprise to some, as popular notion holds the Paul Revere house to be the oldest house in Boston, which is incorrect, ad the Blake House predates it by nineteen years. Originally built in 1661, the house now occupies an area off Columbia Road in Dorchester just northeast of the Upham’s Corner area. When it was initially constructed, the house was likely surrounded by woods and pastures, with close proximity to both Dorchester Bay and South Bay given its location in the narrow, northern section of Dorchester.
James Blake was a Deacon and a constable who came to Dorchester with his parents in 1630 from England. The house was most likely built in 1661 according to dendrochronology testing conducted in 2006. This link provides some more detailed information about the history of the house. Below is a side view with the statue of Edward Everett, in his namesake square in Dorchester, visible on the right side.
