Welcome to the NEHS!
The mission of the North End Historical Society is to collect and preserve the historical record and material culture of Boston's North End, and to preserve, catalog, and present these resources in service to the community through publications, lectures, educational programs, and exhibits.
We are committed to uncovering the rich and dynamic history of one of Boston's oldest neighborhoods and finding ways to share it that are responsive and accessible to all.
"Boston's North End:
An Italian-American Story"
The NEHS-produced documentary, "Boston's North End: An Italian American Story, is available for purchase as a DVD or streaming link.
Boston’s North End: An Italian American Story is the first feature length, high definition film to chronicle the vibrant Italian American community that has called the North End of Boston home for more than 100 years. The documentary movie is based on historical records and interviews with Italian American North Enders and their descendants, ranging in age from 7 to 94, from around the Boston area.
Highlights include early political struggles, former World Welterweight Boxing Champion Tony DeMarco, and Stephen Puleo, author of “The Boston Italians,” and “Dark Tide: The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919.” It also features original music written especially for the film, home videos, and many photographs.
Written by John Balcom and Maureen McNamara. Produced by the North End Historical Society, Inc. (2016). 71 minutes, in color.
"What effective, community rooted scholarship should look like... a solidly grounded historical and cultural picture of life in the North End from the early 20th century until the present." - Anthony Bak Buccitelli, Italian American Review 8 (1018), pp. 106-108.
"Boston’s North End: An Italian American Story ... tells the tale of the vibrant Italian-American community that has called this area of Boston home for over 100 years." - www.wetheitalians.com (6 October 2018).
"The film produced by the North End Historical Society offers a modern and passionate view on the Italian immigration in the North End between 1860 (the Genoese settlement of the North end) to the present." - Professionisti Italiani a Boston and the Dante Alighieri Society of Massachusetts (24 April 2016).
