If you’re walking through the North End of Boston, you’ll probably be distracted by the smell of cannoli or the massive crowd gathered around Paul Revere’s house. But if you head up the hill toward Copp's Hill Burying Ground, you’ll find something much weirder. It’s a house. Well, "house" is a generous term for what is basically a vertical slice of architecture sandwiched between two normal-sized buildings.
44 Hull St Boston MA is famously known as the Skinny House. It is, quite literally, the narrowest house in the city.
Most people just take a selfie and keep moving, but the story behind why it exists is way more interesting than the dimensions themselves. It wasn’t built this way because of a lack of space. It was built out of pure, unadulterated petty rage.
The Civil War Feud That Built a Landmark
The legend of 44 Hull St Boston MA starts with two brothers. We don’t have their exact diary entries—those are lost to time—but local historians and public records from the 19th century paint a pretty clear picture of a family inheritance gone wrong.
When their father died, he left a plot of land on Hull Street to his two sons. One brother was away serving in the military during the Civil War. While he was gone, the other brother decided to take advantage of the situation. He built a large, sprawling house on the majority of the lot, leaving only a tiny, seemingly useless sliver of land for his sibling.
Imagine coming home from a war and finding out your brother stole your inheritance.
He didn't sue. He didn't move away. Instead, he decided to ruin his brother's life by blocking his view. In 1874, he built a four-story wooden structure on that narrow strip of land. It was designed specifically to block the sunlight and the breeze from reaching the larger house next door.
It’s the ultimate architectural "middle finger."
Just How Small is the Skinny House?
Let’s talk numbers because they’re honestly ridiculous. At its widest point, the house is about 10 feet across. At its narrowest? Just over 6 feet. That is barely enough room for a tall person to lie down horizontally.
If you stand inside and stretch out your arms, you can probably touch both walls.
The interior layout is a vertical puzzle. There are no hallways. Each floor is basically one room, connected by a series of steep, narrow stairs that feel more like ladders. It’s about 1,165 square feet total across four floors. To put that in perspective, a standard two-bedroom apartment in a modern Boston suburb is often larger, but it's spread out over one level rather than four.
The front door isn't even on the front. Because the building is so narrow, the entrance is actually located in an alleyway on the side.
Living in a Spite House Today
You might think a place like this is just a museum or a historical curiosity. Nope. People actually live here. In fact, it sold in 2021 for a staggering $1.25 million.
That’s a lot of money for a house where you have to be careful not to buy furniture that’s too wide to fit through the door. Speaking of furniture, most of the pieces inside have to be custom-made or brought in through the windows using a pulley system. Forget about a king-sized mattress or a sectional sofa.
Living at 44 Hull St Boston MA requires a very specific lifestyle.
- Vertical cardio: You’re going to be climbing stairs all day long. If you forget your phone on the fourth floor while you're in the kitchen on the first, that's a workout.
- Privacy issues: With windows on both sides and a location right on a popular tourist path, you’re basically living in a goldfish bowl.
- Minimalism is mandatory: You cannot be a hoarder in this house. There is simply no place for "stuff."
The kitchen is on the first floor, the "living room" is on the second, and the bedrooms are stacked on top. The top floor actually has a pretty decent view of the harbor, which is ironic considering the house was originally built to take a view away from someone else.
Why 44 Hull St Boston MA Matters for Boston History
Boston is full of "Firsts" and "Oldests," but the Skinny House represents a different side of the city’s character. It’s about the grit and, frankly, the stubbornness of New Englanders.
The North End has transformed from a colonial neighborhood to a maritime hub, then an Irish enclave, then a legendary Italian district, and now a high-end residential area. Through all of that, this tiny wooden house survived. It survived the Great Fire of 1872 (which barely missed this area) and the massive urban renewal projects of the 20th century that tore down huge chunks of the city.
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It stands as a reminder that property rights in Boston have always been a bit... complicated.
Other Spite Houses You Should Know About
Boston isn't the only place with these weird buildings. There’s a "Spite House" in Alexandria, Virginia, that is only 7 feet wide. There’s another in Frederick, Maryland, built to stop the city from extending a street through a doctor's property.
But the one on Hull Street is the most famous because of the sheer audacity of its height. Most spite houses are one or two stories. This one towers over the street, making sure everyone knows exactly how much the builder hated his brother.
Visiting the Skinny House: What You Need to Know
If you're planning to see 44 Hull St Boston MA for yourself, don't expect a guided tour. It is a private residence. Please don't knock on the door or try to peek through the windows. It’s rude, and honestly, the owners are probably tired of it.
The best way to see it is to walk up from the Old North Church toward Copp's Hill. As you walk past, the house is on your left. From the street, it looks like a narrow slice of chocolate cake tucked between two brick buildings.
- Time your visit: Go early in the morning before the tour buses arrive. The North End gets incredibly cramped by midday.
- Look at the side: Walk into the small alleyway to see the entrance. This gives you a much better sense of just how thin the structure really is.
- Check out Copp's Hill: After you see the house, cross the street to the cemetery. It's one of the oldest in the country and offers a great view of the USS Constitution across the water.
Final Practical Insights for History Buffs
If you’re fascinated by the architecture of 44 Hull St Boston MA, you should dig into the Boston City Archives. They have digitized many of the old property maps (Sanborn Maps) that show how lot lines changed over time.
Understanding the Skinny House isn't just about the "wow" factor of its size. It's about understanding 19th-century inheritance laws and the absolute lengths people would go to for revenge before the era of modern zoning boards.
Actionable Steps for Your Visit:
- Map it: Plug "44 Hull St" into your GPS, but start your walk at Faneuil Hall to get the full "Freedom Trail" experience.
- Photography: Use a wide-angle lens. If you try to take a photo with a standard phone lens from the sidewalk, you won't be able to fit the whole height of the building into the frame because the street is so narrow.
- Respect the Neighborhood: The North End is a living, breathing neighborhood. Keep your voice down and stay off the private steps of the residents.
The Skinny House is a monument to the fact that humans have always been a little bit petty, especially when it comes to family and real estate. It’s a piece of history you can still touch today.
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Next Steps for Deep Diving into North End History:
Check the Boston Landmarks Commission's publicly available reports on the North End's "Spite Houses" and the 1874 building permits. These documents offer a technical look at how the city allowed such a narrow structure to be built during a period of rapid urban densification. Additionally, a visit to the Leventhal Map & Education Center at the Boston Public Library can provide a side-by-side comparison of the 44 Hull Street lot before and after the 1874 construction, confirming the physical manifestation of the legendary family feud.