Boston, Massachusetts
Boston | ||
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| City in the United States | ||
 Local Spiritual Assembly of Boston, 1940.
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| Location of Boston
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| History: Firsts |
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| - | Local Assembly | 1908 |
| How to contact: | ||
| - | https://www.bostonbahais.org/contact | |
| Official Website | https://www.bostonbahais.org/ | |
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Boston is a city in Massachusetts, United States, with a population of 673,184[1].
History[edit]
The first person to become a Bahá’í in Boston was Kate C. Ives who accepted the Faith in 1899. By 1905 regular Bahá’í meetings were being held in the city, and in 1908 the first local administrative body for the Boston Bahá’ís was formed. It was called the 'Executive Committee', and was the precursor to the Local Spiritual Assembly (which was eventually incorporated in 1940).
In 1912 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá visited Boston in May, July, and August, during his tour of the United States, and he gave ten public talks,
In 1913 the Boston Bahá’í's began renting a room for its weekly meetings for the public on Huntington Avenue. They moved the location to the S.S. Pierce building in Copley Square in 1914. In 1919 they began renting an entire twelve room house on Charles Street.
In 1938 the Boston community received a letter written on behalf of the Guardian directing them to establish a permanent Bahá’í Center.
"The matter of choosing a suitable place for an official and permanent Center of the Cause in Boston is indeed most vital. Not only such a fixed headquarter would help in increasing the efficiency and quality of your labors. it would in addition, greatly enhance the prestige of the Cause in the eyes of the public. The Guardian would strongly advise that every effort be exerted to secure such a center for the Cause in Boston, and will pray that the friends may all be guided and stimulated to contribute all they can, to meet the necessary expense."[2]
A studio on Trinity Court at Dartmouth and Stuart Streets was acquired which could seat up to seventy-five people.
In 1950 the Boston community acquired the Kensington building on Boylston Street, where ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had spoken in 1912, and began using it as the Boston Bahá’í Center.
In 1960 Rúḥíyyih Khánum visited Boston and gave several talks.
In 1967 the Boston Bahá’í Center moved to a 40 Botolph Street. In 1977 a lending library was established at the Center. The Center moved again in 1990 to 495 Columbus Avenue, then to 595 Albany Street in 1993, where it has remained to the present day.
References[edit]
- ↑ "Boston city, Massachusetts QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 3, 2017.
- ↑ https://bahai-library.com/rideout_history_community_boston
