Town Gate Site - View this location on map Before the South End marshes were filled in the 1830s, this site was the narrowest point on Boston Neck, the narrow strip of land that led to the city. Here, on the road to Roxbury, the colonial town maintained a fortified gate. The first fortification was built in 1631 to protect the town from Indian attack. It was replaced in 1714. During the British occupation of Boston in the 1770s, General Gage strengthened the fort to prevent assault from rebellious colonists. Vestiges of the town gate remained until the 1820s. Washington and E. Berkeley streets, Boston, MA Historical

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