Land sales on Ashmont Hill began in 1872, based on the plan that attorney Edward Ingersoll Brown drew up for George Welles, and by 1874 there were seven houses, most notably the mansard-roofed “French cottages” on Welles, Ocean, Roslin, and Harley streets that were built to spur development. The majority of Ashmont Hill houses date from the mid-1880s to the turn of the 20th century.

In addition to the early French cottages, they include fine examples of the Stick Style, notable for strong verticality and “sticks” outlining the form of the house; the Queen Anne style, with complicated roofs, turrets and asymmetrical floor plans; the Shingle style, characterized by a shingle “skin” that wraps the exterior of the house; the Colonial Revival style, with center entrances, classical detailing, and often porches with Greek columns; and from the early 20th century, the Craftsman style featuring the simpler elements of the Arts and Crafts movement.

As the Boston Landmarks Commission has noted,” Few neighborhoods in Dorchester, and for that matter in Boston, can match Ashmont Hill for sheer number of substantial, well-crafted, well-designed, and well-preserved late-19th century residences.”