This residential neighborhood once boasted continuous residential inhabitants since 1630. In the 18th century the neighborhood became a fashionable place to live. Wealthy families shared the neighborhood with artisans, journeymen, laborers, servants, and slaves. The district is infamous for its long history of rioting and unrest, from the Stamp Act riots of the early American Revolutionary War that forced Thomas Hutchinson to flee in 1765 to the religious and migrant violence throughout the 19th century, punctuated by various epidemics. It wasn't until the late 19th century and intense efforts to eradicate poverty among North End residents that the fortunes turned. From the 1880s onwards, the old wooden buildings were replaced by modern architecture using brick and mortar. Only a select few historical buildings were preserved, most importantly Paul Revere's House.[1]
North End remained largely unaffected by the modernizing craze that swept Boston in the 21st century. The historical North End district continued to live in the shadow of the superhighways cutting through Boston and the Financial District's massive skyscrapers reaching towards the sky preferring the warmth of brick and the elegance of wrought-iron balconies. The wharf continued to serve shipping interests and life went on all the way until the Great War. Despite superficial damage, North End weathered the holocaust surprisingly well and even two centuries after the war, most of its buildings remain standing and in habitable condition, including the Old North Church, where the Railroad founded its latest headquarters after the loss of the Switchboard. The densely packed alleyways are also a haven for roving bands of super mutants and raiders, concealing the Railroad from prying eyes. However, other clandestine creatures stalk the night here, most notably Pickman, a killer preying on the hapless raiders.[2]
↑Fallout 4 Vault Dweller's Survival Guide Collector's Edition p.464-465: "Zone 13: Neighborhood: North End This residential neighborhood once boasted continuous residential inhabitants since 1630. Currently, it boasts a variety of crumbling brick and wooden structures, some of historical significance, and is anchored by the Old North Church and the culmination of the Freedom Trail. It is deep in the catacombs under this church that the Railroad faction has holed up. Otherwise, this relatively small but dense zone should be approached with relative care; roving bands of Super Mutants and Raiders have been seen, and there’s chatter regarding a fiendish serial killer who stalks the old alleyways after dark." (Fallout 4 Vault Dweller's Survival Guide Map)
