Celebrating the Extraordinary People Who Make Mattapan a Wonderful Community

Members of the community who have, or continue to contribute, to the lives of the neighborhood are profiled on this website and in street banners along River Street in front of the Loop at Mattapan Station.

The initial set of profiles honors members of Mattapan’s William Carter American Legion Post 16, the first chartered African American Post in Massachusetts.

Windows into Mattapan’s William E. Carter American Legion Post 16

The oldest African American Legion Post in Massachusetts, the William Carter Post 16, was founded in 1919 in honor of Sergeant William E. Carter who served the nation for 40 years. Sergeant Carter fought in the Spanish-American War, was a member of the famed African American 372nd Infantry Regiment in WWI, and died fighting in France in 1918 at the age of 60.

Today, members of Post 16 serve as mentors, sponsor youth programs, and contribute to the community in countless ways.