Boston City Archives
Located in West Roxbury, MA, the Office of City Clerk Archives and Records Management Division is the repository for all official records that must be kept to honor both the history of the municipal government in Boston and the legal rights of its citizens.
Although Boston is nearly 400 years old, the City Archives were not established by State Law until 1988[1]. As the official archives of one of the United States oldest and most historic cities, the Archives represent an invaluable resource for not only local heritage and history, but for the history of the nation.
Collections
The City Archives holds records for over 60 current and historic government entities and departments. The bulk of these records consist of documentation of the history of Boston since incorporation as a city in 1822, although some records go back to the early 1600s.
Highlights include:
- Records relating to immigration and poverty at the time of the Irish Famine
- Documentation of Boston’s role in the Civil War
- Boston Public Schools Desegregation-Era Records
- City Council Records
- Transit Department Records
- City Tax and Treasury Records
Services
The City of Boston Archives provides access to historical materials for research, reference, and scholarly study. A professional staff is on hand to retrieve materials and assist with research strategies. Research must be done on-site by visiting scholars and researchers, but assistance and guidance is also available online or over the phone.
Finding aids of several collection holdings are available at the City Archives website.
The Archives are open to the public by appointment Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at their location in West Roxbury at 201 Rivermoor St.
Mission Statement
"The Office of City Clerk Archives and Records Management Division (the "City Archives") develops and implements citywide policy and procedures for the systematic management and disposition of all the municipal government records of Boston.
As per statute, chapter 68, section 6 of the Acts of the Commonwealth of 1988 these records include those of "any city department, agency, board, office, commission or public corporation."
The City Archives preserves Boston's municipal archival records by means of facilities, programs and procedures for physical accommodation, security, environmental control and document conservation.
The City Archives makes Boston's municipal archival records accessible to the public by means of document finding aids, reference procedures and the promotion of public use, and ensures ready access to essential evidence that documents the rights of citizens, the actions of municipal officials and Boston's historical municipal experience.
The City Archives is a public trust, which plays a key role in fostering effective and responsible government through management of the lifecycle of records and through sustained access to historically valuable municipal records. These records enable people to inspect what Boston municipal government has done, allow officials and agencies to review their actions, and help citizens hold government accountable. These records are rich and varied sources of information used to answer questions about the past of the City, the nation and society."[2]
References
- ^ http://archives.lib.state.ma.us/actsResolves/1988/1988Acts0068.pdf
- ^ City of Boston Government Website http://www.cityofboston.gov/archivesandrecords/default.asp