The neighborhood, once primarily farmland,[2] is popularly known by its twentieth century identity as a working class Irish Catholic community.

South Boston contains Dorchester Heights, where George Washington forced British troops to evacuate during the American Revolutionary War.

South Boston has undergone gentrification, and consequently, its real estate market has seen property values join the highest in the city.

Landfill has since greatly increased the amount of land on the eastern side of the historical neck, and widened the connection to the mainland to the point that South Boston is no longer considered separate from it.

During the American Revolutionary War, George Washington placed a cannon on Dorchester Heights, thereby forcing the evacuation of British troops from Boston on March 17, 1776.

That fort was replaced by a granite fortification (bearing the same name) prior to the American Civil War, and still stands on Castle Island as a National Historic Landmark.

During the 1970s, South Boston received national attention for its opposition to court-mandated school (de facto) desegregation by busing students to different neighborhoods.

[5] The history behind the South Boston Saint Patrick's Day Parade is General Henry Knox brought 55 cannons captured at Fort Ticonderoga.

The Boston chapter of the Irish Northern Aid Commission marched with black armbands and a sign reading "England Get out of Ireland".

The application of the Irish American Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Group of Boston, or GLIB, to march in the Saint Patrick's Day Parade in 1992, the first of its kind in the history of the parade, was met with a rejection by the South Boston Allied War Veterans Council.

[15] As of 2017[update], it was the fastest growing part of Boston and has stimulated significant economic growth in the city.

[16] This $14.6 billion project buried the formerly elevated Central Artery I-93 Interstate which previously cut off the waterfront from the rest of the city.

In May 2010, Mayor Menino announced plans for the city to develop 1,000 acres on the South Boston Waterfront as an Innovation District.

[17] Inspired by the success of the 22@ model, the mayor's vision was to redevelop the then-mostly abandoned Seaport District into a hub for Information Age jobs and a new frontier for cutting-edge industries such as clean tech, health care information technology and mobile media.

Carson Beach also features a walkway which allows one to walk, bike, or run along the water's edge from Castle Island to the Kennedy Library.

The principal program theme, the History of Castle Island, stresses the role of the fort in harbor defense.

Atop the hill sits a tall monument commemorating the Patriot battle that drove the British out of Boston.

Included in this memorial are all the names of the South Boston residents who gave their lives fighting for the United States.

Located at D Street and Northern Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts, the park is a rectangle of green lawn, gardens, trees, benches, and paved walkways.

Artwork along the paths displays fish and sea motifs, paying tribute to the city's maritime background.

[26] This urban park features baseball and soccer fields, a traffic garden, a spray area and a jogging track at 600 William J.

[citation needed] The housing facilities are under the control of the Boston Housing Authority (BHA)[30] and include West Broadway which was built in 1949 and occupies 20 acres (81,000 m2),[31] West Ninth Street[32] (these three facilities are next to each other and commonly called D street), Old Colony which was built in 1941,[33] and Mary Ellen McCormack, which is the BHA's oldest development, being constructed in 1936.

The phase two completion included high-efficiency affordable housing in town-house style and four-story elevator buildings.

Part of this project was funded by a HOPE VI grant which ensured $22-million for the project to build these new public houses for the citizens of South Boston, replacing 223 original apartments along Old Colony Avenue up to Dorchester Street and over to Reverend Burke Street which were demolished.

[37] South Boston is served by two Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Red Line rapid transit stations: Broadway and Andrew.

[39] South Boston has been the birthplace and home to a number of notable people, including: Notes Sources