I just noticed on my bike commute today that the oldest surviving house in Boston is actually in Dorchester - The James Blake House, built in 1661.
More interesting facts:
- Second oldest house in the commonwealth (verified)
- In 1895 the city threatened to demolish the house for avenue widening and a new municipal greenhouse (to grow plants for Emerald Necklace) but the preservationists in Dorchester scrounged a few hundred $$ and hauled the house 1200 feet away, to its current location, with a horse-powered winch.