Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, right, and Adelaide Cromwell, president of The Heritage Guild, applaud after unveiling a plaque during a ceremony to honor Zipporah Potter Atkins, the first African-American to purchase
property in Boston, near where her house stood Tuesday, May 20, 2014 in Boston. Atkins bought here house in 1670 in an area on the edge of what is today known as Boston's North End. Photo: Stephan Savoia, AP