George Middleton and Louis Glapion built the house at 5 Pinckney Street in 1786, now the oldest home on Beacon Hill. Middleton, a leader of the Bucks of America militia during the American Revolution, was active in Boston’s early Black community. He co-founded the African Society, contributed to Black education, and served as a Grand Master of the Prince Hall Masons. Glapion, a hairdresser possibly from the French West Indies, lived in the home until his death in 1813. The house reflects early Black Bostonian life.
