5 Historical Facts You Didn't Know About Boston

The city of Boston is one of the most historically rich cities in the country. However, there are a ton of cool facts about the city that most people who live here don't even know. From a patent on "Fenway Green" to a book bound with human skin, you'll want to share all of this information with your family and friends. Check out some of the cool, weird and interesting facts about the history of Boston below.

Chances are, if you're thinking about a Boston tunnel, you're thinking one thing and one thing only: traffic. However, there is one seriously cool fact about the Ted Williams Tunnel that most people don't know. The tunnel is the deepest in the country, and is nearly 90 feet under the earth's surface. About half of the over 8,000-foot tunnel runs underwater.

Fenway Park

While the home of the Boston Red Sox is known as "America's Most Beloved Ballpark," there is quite a bit of rich history that likely transcends what you already know about Fenway Park. For starters, the "Green Monster" wasn't green until 1947. The wall, which was originally made of tin, was actually painted green before it got its name. The 37-foot wall sees balls ricocheted off of it nearly every game and has well over 150,000 dents in it.

In fact, Boston is so serious about the color of the "Monstah" that there is actually a patent on "Fenway Green."

If you've been to the ballpark, you probably know that all of the seats are green ... except for one. There is one seat in the bleachers that is painted red. So what does it symbolize? Section 42, Row 37, Seat 21 marks the parks longest home run ever hit. It was Ted Williams who hit the 502-foot shot, back in 1946.

Newbury Street Used To Be Underwater

The shops, the salons and the restaurants weren't always meant to be on Newbury Street, because the street didn't always exist. Before the 1850s, the Back Bay area of Boston was actually part of the Boston harbor. The very first building to go up on Newbury Street after the area was filled was the Emmanuel Church, which is still there today.

Related: Boston History Lover's Guide: The Boston Public Library

Founded in 1780, Walter Baker & Co. (now owned by Kraft Foods) was the first chocolate factory in the United States. Located in the Lower Mills section of Dorchester, Walter Baker & Co. was open until 1965. The Bakers were so dedicated to chocolate that they offered their customers a money back guarantee. The factory building is still in Dorchester today, but it was transformed into condos and apartments.

Yes, you read that right. The Boston Athenaeum holds one of the only books bound by human skin. "The Highwayman" tells the story of a man known as a "burglar and a highwayman." Allen wrote his autobiography while in jail, years after robbing a man named John Fenno Jr. Before he died, Allen requested that a copy of the book, bound in his own skin, be delivered to Fenno. Sure enough, in 1837, Allen died, and his body was sent to Massachusetts General Hospital where some of his skin was collected and made into a book cover. The book was delivered to Fenno, but years later, one of his family members donated the book to the Boston Athenaeum, where it remains today.

Related: Boston's Best Music Shops