You can see why this is the most photographed street in America! I love taking shots of Acorn Street. I never get out there enough.
Cob” is an Old English word for a rounded mass or lump, something that was easy to find in Boston’s rocky soil. Builders used these troublesome stones to erect walls, provide balance to ships, and of course, to pave the roads. These “cobbled-together” streets became known as cobblestone roads.
While cobs were free and easy to use, the uneven ground led to many a broken wheel and twisted ankle. Most of Old Boston’s cobblestone roads have since been replaced, but a few still exist in Beacon Hill, including Acorn Street!