Mather House

In 1677, a prominent Puritan minister, Increase Mather, built a home on Hanover Street in Boston’s North End. This became known as the Mather House. This wasn’t the Mather family’s first home in the area. Their previous residence, located where the Paul Revere House now stands, was destroyed in the devastating fire of 1676. Mather House became the childhood home of Increase’s son, Cotton Mather, who also achieved prominence as a minister. The Mathers resided in this house for 11 years. Interestingly, the house continued its legacy as a residence for influential religious figures, later housing ministers Andrew and John Eliot. By the late 19th century, the Mather-Eliot House, as it was then known, appeared as a small wooden structure dwarfed by larger brick buildings. Photos from 1898 show the house nestled among these more modern structures. Sadly, by 1908, the Mather House was demolished. Today, a 7-Eleven occupies the ground floor of the building that stands on the site. A glimpse into the past can be found in the neighboring building to the right, originally constructed in 1884, which still stands as a silent witness to the changing landscape of Hanover Street.