Jacob Wirth is Reopening in the Theatre District

A Boston institution for a century and a half, Jacob Wirth is reopening after a half-decade hiatus in Boston's Theatre District.

The Jacob Wirth traces its Boston roots to 1868, when the German-style restaurant was founded on Stuart Street in Boston. According to the restaurant's Wikipedia page, the Greek revival-style building that the restaurant called home was built in 1844. Jacob Wirth was designated a Boston landmark in 1977, and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.

What's more, while it was open, Jacob Wirth was the second-oldest continuously operating restaurant in Boston, next to the Union Oyster House, which opened in 1982. And here's another interesting fact: Jacob Wirth was the first Boston distributor of Anheuser Busch beers, way back in the 1860's. Because the Wirth family and the Anheuser family are both from Kreuznach in Germany.

The restaurant was at first put up for sale and then closed after a fire in 2018. And there it has sat since: a legendary Boston landmark, empty. But Boston Restaurant Talk reported last week on a recent piece by Boston Business Journal that Jacob Wirth is eyeing a reopening in early 2024. And if the reports are to be believed, it'll pretty much be the same Jacob Wirth we all knew and loved.

"Extensive renovations" are underway, with a plan to bring back the classic menu of German food and brews. Regulars who used to belly up to the long, mahogany bar for the occasional piano singalongs will be pleased to know those are in the plans, as well as updated lighting and more accessibility throughout the restaurant. I for one can't wait to go back and fill my stein.

Read more here in Boston Restaurant Talk, and keep on scrolling to take a look at some more historic properties in Massachusetts and throughout New England.

There's a lot of history in New England. And New England's historical homes house a lot of that history. Let's see where to go.

I was lucky enough to grow up in New England. Massachusetts, specifically. Wakefield, even more specifically. And Greenwood, even more specifically than that. From field trips to day trips, I've visited historic places all over the state. Because there's a lot of history here! All the way back to Plimouth Plantation, where I went with my Greenwood School classmates and took my own kids years later.

When you have a place like Massachusetts--and New England as well--where people have been building houses for hundreds of years, you end up with a lot of historic homes. I can remember looking for those historic home markers on houses when I was a kid. And I actually have one in my neighborhood now: the Count Rumford House in North Woburn. It's even open for tours from time to time.

But here's the thing: there's so many of these spread out all over New England that it's hard to get a read on where to go. Enter the fine folks at Assurance. They put together something called Preserving the Past: Cities With the Most Historical Homes and it's a fine resource. They dig into, among other things, the U.S. cities with the most historic homes. But I'd like to focus on New England.

Assurance played with the numbers a bit and got a ranking for the U.S. cities with the most historic homes per 100,000 residents. And that's where New England really shines. Five out of the six states landed cities on that list, so let's see how many houses each city boasts. And let's pay one a visit, while we're at it! Oh, and the full list is here if you want more.

275.5 Historic Homes per 100,000 residents - With all of those breathtaking mansions that attract thousands upon thousands of tourists annually, it's no wonder Newport landed in the Top 5.

245.7 Historic Homes per 100,000 residents - Wasn't Martha Stewart's famous first home, Turkey Hill, in Greenwich? All those high-end CT towns just blend together.

241.3 Historic Homes per 100,000 residents - I was really hoping it was Bangor that would make the list and not Augusta. Because Stephen King's house is in Bangor. What the hell, let's take a look at it anyway.

215.1 Historic Homes per 100,000 residents - Newton's just a stone's throw from the ROCK 92.9 studios in Waltham. I might have to pay a visit to the Hammond House one of these days.

184.9 Historic Homes per 100,000 residents - There's a pretty decent drop-off between 12 and 15 on this list, but there's still plenty to see from Olde Towne and beyond in Portsmouth.

178.1 Historic Homes per 100,000 residents - It's no surprise that Cambridge cracked the Top 20. It's just a surprise that a city so rich in history wouldn't rank higher!