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Martin Luther King Jr., Bostonian

By Tom Acitelli
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By Tom Acitelli
1 comment / new

Today marks the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech at the National Mall. Ten years before that epochal event, King was but a lowly grad student at Boston University, playing pick-up basketball games, dating his future wife, and, like grad students since time immemorial, happily dining gratis at friends' homes. He likely spent most of his time in the South End, including residing at three known addresses, as well as in and around the BU campus. King left Boston in 1954, returning for another forceful speech in 1965.


· MLK on Northampton Street [MySouthEnd.com]
· Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. archive [BU]
· Our Curbed Maps archive [Curbed Boston]

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397 Massachusetts Avenue

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King lived for a time in this Victorian with the bow front. It's the only address of his where there's an official plaque commemorating the tenancy.

397 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02118

170 Saint Botolph Street

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King lived in this brownstone for a time as well.

170 Saint Botolph Street, Boston, MA 02115

396 Northampton Street, #5

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King and new bride Coretta likely lived in this apartment for about a year after their 1953 marriage.

396 Northampton Street, Boston, MA 02118

Carter Playground

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King unwound from his graduate studies with basketball games in the park.

254 Camden Street, Boston, MA 02118

21 Holyoke Street

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King was a dinner guest of the long-time owners of this townhouse, which traded for a whopping $3,823,803 in January.

21 Holyoke Street, Boston, MA 02116

League of Women for Community Service

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Coretta Scott lived at the long-time headquarters of the League of Women for Community Service while she was dating King.

558 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02118

Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center

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The Boston University center houses the personal papers and correspondence of the school's famous alum.

771 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215

Massachusetts State House

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King spoke to a joint legislative session on April 22, 1965, closing his remarks by quoting his "I Have a Dream" speech almost verbatim.

1 Ashburton Place, Boston, MA 02108

Myles Standish Hall

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Where Martin met Coretta... And where King lived when he first got to BU.

610 Beacon Street, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215

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397 Massachusetts Avenue

397 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02118

King lived for a time in this Victorian with the bow front. It's the only address of his where there's an official plaque commemorating the tenancy.

397 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02118

170 Saint Botolph Street

170 Saint Botolph Street, Boston, MA 02115

King lived in this brownstone for a time as well.

170 Saint Botolph Street, Boston, MA 02115

396 Northampton Street, #5

396 Northampton Street, Boston, MA 02118

King and new bride Coretta likely lived in this apartment for about a year after their 1953 marriage.

396 Northampton Street, Boston, MA 02118

Carter Playground

254 Camden Street, Boston, MA 02118

King unwound from his graduate studies with basketball games in the park.

254 Camden Street, Boston, MA 02118

21 Holyoke Street

21 Holyoke Street, Boston, MA 02116

King was a dinner guest of the long-time owners of this townhouse, which traded for a whopping $3,823,803 in January.

21 Holyoke Street, Boston, MA 02116

League of Women for Community Service

558 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02118

Coretta Scott lived at the long-time headquarters of the League of Women for Community Service while she was dating King.

558 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02118

Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center

771 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215

The Boston University center houses the personal papers and correspondence of the school's famous alum.

771 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215

Massachusetts State House

1 Ashburton Place, Boston, MA 02108

King spoke to a joint legislative session on April 22, 1965, closing his remarks by quoting his "I Have a Dream" speech almost verbatim.

1 Ashburton Place, Boston, MA 02108

Myles Standish Hall

610 Beacon Street, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215

Where Martin met Coretta... And where King lived when he first got to BU.

610 Beacon Street, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215