Hi, vertex_property and edge_property should inherit publicly from vertex_property_type and edge_property_type. A patch follows. ./ContigGraph.h:55:39: error: 'type' is a private member of 'boost::mpl::eval_if<boost::detail::has_vertex_property_type<DirectedGraph<ContigProperties, Distance>, mpl_::bool_<false>>, boost::detail::get_vertex_property_type<DirectedGraph<ContigProperties, Distance>>, boost::no_property>' typedef typename vertex_property<G>::type vertex_property_type; ^ /usr/local/include/boost/graph/properties.hpp:251:49: note: constrained by implicitly private inheritance here template <class Graph> class vertex_property: vertex_property_type<Graph> {}; ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cheers, Shaun --- graph/properties.hpp.orig 2012-09-27 11:37:48.000000000 -0700 +++ graph/properties.hpp 2012-10-01 10:43:34.000000000 -0700 @@ -248,8 +248,8 @@ >::type type; }; - template <class Graph> class vertex_property: vertex_property_type<Graph> {}; - template <class Graph> class edge_property: edge_property_type<Graph> {}; + template <class Graph> class vertex_property: public vertex_property_type<Graph> {}; + template <class Graph> class edge_property: public edge_property_type<Graph> {}; template <typename Graph> class degree_property_map