11.016J — The City — Kenmore Square Assignment #4

Figure 1: Street Map of Kenmore Square Site
(Source: Microsoft Expedia Streets and Trips, 2000 Edition)

Since its founding nearly four hundred years ago, the city of Boston has drastically changed. Originally a colonial settlement, Boston is now the twentieth most populated city in the United States and home to many influential individuals and corporations.¹ Amid the skyscrapers, universities, businesses, and neighborhoods which distinguish Boston and other metropolitan areas lay artifacts from the past that may be uncovered upon careful observation. According to Jane Jacobs in The Death and Life of Great American Cities:

Landmarks in cities perform … two … services in clarifying the order of cities. First, they emphasize (and also dignify) the diversity of cities; they do this because they are different. … Second, in certain instances, landmarks can make important to our eyes city areas which are important in functional fact, but need to have that fact visually acknowledged and dignified.²

Thus, the most interesting traces of past land use and functionality are antique constructions and landmarks whose individual size, form, and adornments illustrate trends in the history of the city. The Kenmore Square region of Boston is no different. It can be viewed as the amalgamation of two distinct layers, the present and the future, with the second superimposed upon the first. The current buildings, streets, sidewalks, and resident populations represent the present layer, while the new construction at the center of the Square is indicative of the future. Both layers contain landmarks and prominent buildings which symbolize the history of the site at different periods in its development, including the late 1800s, the early twentieth century, and the post World War II era. These traces and artifacts are the remnants of the former land uses, occupants, and proprietors. As a result, they truly illustrate the changing character of the region over the past century, while also providing valuable insight into the trends that will subsequently shape Kenmore Square in the future.

Figure 2: Current Aerial Photograph of Kenmore Square with Street Names³

Figure 3: Location of Kenmore Square in 1860⁴

The unique intersection of the streets in Kenmore Square at acute angles, as seen in the aerial photograph above on the left,³ is a direct trace of the region’s history before development in the 1890s. The map on the right shows the location of the site in 1860.⁴ Notice the junction of the Boston and Worcester Railroad and the Brookline Railroad at the corner of the site, adjacent to the intersection of Mill Dam, Beacon Street, and Brookline Avenue. Also observe the pool of stagnant water to the east of Kenmore Square enclosed by the Mill Dam. After the construction of the barrier in the early 1820s, this area quickly became full of sewage and other wastes creating a health hazard in its vicinity. By the time the map was drawn, the eastern portion of that pool was already being filled in order to form a new neighborhood known as the Back Bay, and Kenmore Square was filled just thirty years later. Thus, the streets themselves are an artifact which symbolizes the environmental history of the site. More importantly, they represent the close relationship that Kenmore Square has with the Back Bay, while also emphasizing the Square’s exclusive qualities. Both areas were filled as a result of the failure of the Mill Dam. In addition, Beacon Street and Commonwealth Avenue currently pass through both regions, yet the typical city grid pattern for roadways is completely abandoned in Kenmore Square. Though the architecture of the brownstone dwellings present in both neighborhoods is strikingly similar, Kenmore Square has grown to be a hub of automobile traffic and an integral portion of Boston University, while the Back Bay has stayed a primarily residential district. Furthermore, the unusual location and intersections of the streets in Kenmore Square has remained because it is functional—it succeeds in funneling traffic between Boston and Brookline. Yet the increase in traffic has had unpleasant consequences, including noise and air pollution which drove the shift in primary land use on the site from residential to a mixture of institutional, commercial, and residential.

Figure 4: Boston Blossom Florist

Figure 5: Boston University Residence Hall

Observe the photograph of the Boston Blossom Florist store, located at 468 Commonwealth Avenue, on the left above. The bay windows, multiple stories, and the lamp in the second floor window make the building appear to be more like a house than a store. The façade is unusually ornate for such an ordinary business, it set back slightly from the street with its own portion of the sidewalk in front, and it has a magnificent view of a park. A mansion is located just across the street with two doors at street level that are hidden by an elaborate dome covering a mosaic-style tile patio, as shown in the picture on the left. Several of its windows have intricate wrought iron balconies on their exterior. On the right side is a square red plaque that reads “481–483 Boston University Residence Hall.” It seems very unlikely that BU would construct such an ornate form for the purpose of housing young students. The detailed accessories are unnecessary for a dormitory and the balconies are a liability for the university. As a result, it can be inferred that these two buildings were once residences, and are artifacts of the early growth of Kenmore Square at the turn of the twentieth century, as supported by the sections of the Sanborn maps from 1897⁵ and 1937⁶ shown below.

Figure 6: Boston University Residence Hall

Figure 7: Section of 1897 Sanborn Map ⁵

Figure 8: Section of 1937 Sanborn Map ⁶

The Sanborn map above from 1897 depicts the first buildings to be constructed in Kenmore Square. They line the entire north side of Bay State Road in addition to scattered portions of Beacon Street and Commonwealth Avenue. Upon closer inspection of this map, it is clear that every lot is marked with the letter “D,” which stands for dwelling, and, with few exceptions, all of the buildings seem to be similarly shaped. By 1937, the majority of them were still dwellings, including 468 and 481–483 Commonwealth Avenue. According to Kenneth Jackson in Crabgrass Frontier, this was due to the presence of streetcars and railroads which passed through the site and the manner in which the houses were constructed, as explained in the following passage:

For the first time in the history of the world, middle-class families in the late nineteenth century could reasonably expect to buy a detached home on an accessible lot in a safe and sanitary environment. Because streetcars were quick and inexpensive, because land was cheaper in suburbs than in cities, and because houses were typically put up using the balloon-frame method.⁷

Thus, the brownstones currently on the site, whether they have been converted to stores, apartments, residence halls, fraternity houses, or offices, are artifacts of the original inhabitants of Kenmore Square. Like the streets, the former single-family dwellings have survived because they are functional and beautiful. The floor plan of the brownstones can be adapted to suit a variety of different purposes. Each building is relatively large with an open downstairs and a few additional floors above which are neatly sectioned into smaller rooms. Consequently, the house can be divided into individual rooms to create a dormitory and into single floors to form apartments or offices. Moreover, the spacious first floor can be easily transformed into a store like the Florist.

Figure 9: Waterman and Sons Funeral Home

The Waterman and Sons Funeral Home, pictured above, at the heart of Kenmore Square is another trace of Kenmore Square prior to World War II. Located at the intersection of Beacon Street and Commonwealth Avenue, the building has a distinct triangular form with curved corners and a castle-like roof. Yet it is not quite clear why a funeral home occupies such a centrally located and prominent form at the center of a neighborhood that is home to over 22,000 individuals under the age of 25 and just over 1600 people over 65 who would be most likely to be in need of a funeral home.⁸ Originally a single family residence located at intersection of Beacon Street and Commonwealth Avenue, by 1937 it was converted to a mortuary. Thus, its current occupant predates the influx of college students into Kenmore Square after World War II. The Waterman Funeral Home is a testament of the character of the site just after its construction. As more and more residents moved into the brownstones in the square, they needed a place to go when they got sick, and as a result, medical offices were established in some of the dwellings alongside the individual residences. And as the original inhabitants of Kenmore Square began to grow old, they required a place to be taken when they died, and consequently this funeral parlor was established. In The Death and Life of Great American Cities, Jane Jacobs clearly reveals additional reasons why this particular business has survived since the early twentieth century:

Mortuaries, or funeral parlors as we call them in the city, seem to do no harm. Perhaps in vital, diversified city neighborhoods, in the midst of life, the reminder of death is not the pall it may be on waning suburban streets. … Funeral parlors can, and often do, operate as positive and constructive forces. This is because a funeral parlor presupposes an undertaker. Undertakers, like druggists, lawyers, dentists, and clergyman, are representatives, in these neighborhoods, of such qualities as dignity, ambition, and knowledgeability.⁹

Although there appears to be less demand for its services, the Waterman and Sons business continues to succeed because of the “positive forces” that a funeral home can have in a neighborhood. Moreover, this type of commercial land use exemplifies the need for a contrast from the prevailing youthful commercial and institutional land use within the Square and the city as a whole.

Figure 10: Braemore Condominiums

Figure 11: Kenmore Abbey

Next, examine the photograph of the Braemore Condominiums at the corner of Commonwealth Avenue and Charlesgate West. Notice that the apartment building has an elaborate entrance covered with an awning and marked by several columns topped with ornate cornices. Through the doors, we notice a chandelier in what appears to be a lobby. The center photograph shows a similar building called Kenmore Abbey, located at the opposite end of the block. It is also made of brick and its entry is equally as elaborate. A slightly curved staircase leads to the front door, and the building is set back from the road just far enough to create a small garden. Another anomalous construction is Shelton Hall, a Boston University dormitory located along Bay State Road, pictured on the right above. This high rise brick construction lies in the middle of a street lined with typical brownstone dwellings. It is set back from the roadway by a sidewalk and a patio area lined with white benches. Like the Braemore Condominiums and Kenmore Abbey, the doorway to Shelton Hall is adorned with stone decorations and also seems to lead to a lobby. At the top of the molding is an engraving which reads “The Sheraton,” and this engraving is a true key to the past. These attractive buildings with distinctive entrances were all hotels that temporarily housed the passengers who came to Kenmore Square in the early 1900s due to the nearby presence of railroads. The Sanborn map from 1937 shows that there was, in fact, a Sheraton hotel located where Shelton Hall is today, and the Hotel Braemore and Hotel Kenmore inhabited the buildings which are now the Braemore Condominiums and Kenmore Abbey. The traces of the several hotels that formerly occupied the site have survived because, like the brownstones, hotels can be easily converted into dormitories and apartments, since the purpose of both types of buildings is to comfortably house and sleep residents.

Figure 12: Sheraton Sign

Figure 13: Section of Myles Standish Hall along Beacon Street

Figure 14: Boston University Bookstore

Artifacts of the past commercial land uses are also present all along Beacon Street. In 1937, Myles Standish Hall was an apartment building with storefronts on the ground floor, as shown in the section of the Sanborn map above (Figure 8) . While the building itself has survived, the storefronts have not. Yet they have left their mark on the exterior. In the photograph on the left above, two layers of stone can be easily distinguished. Though both are the same color and texture, they are slightly separated from one another leaving a rectangular crevice which shows exactly where a store was once located. The one stone separation between each rectangular region indicates the former divisions between the individual stores along Beacon Street. Traces of past commercial land uses are present further west on Beacon Street as well. The photograph on the right shows the Boston University Bookstore. Notice the large glass windows that are located on every floor of the building. These windows are reminiscent of the past owners, because upon inspection of another section of the 1937 Sanborn map, it is clear that this construction was once the Peerless Auto Sales and Services building. The large glass and open floor plan was ideal for prominently displaying automobiles in the 1940s, and the building has survived because the openness of the interior is also particularly suitable for organizing and selling books. Both the Myles Standish storefronts and the Peerless Auto Sales and Services Building are examples of previously commercial sections of the square that are now occupied by Boston University. Since the exteriors of these buildings have not changed considerably, these traces are significant because they emphasize that Boston University is respectful of the historic character of the buildings that it inhabits and will adapt them to suit its institutional needs.

Figure 15: Demolished Block on a 1974 Sanborn Map¹⁰

Figure 16: Block of Commonwealth Avenue

Figure 17: Hotel Commonwealth

            Nevertheless, the future layer of the site indicates that Boston University has not always been so respectful. The figure above is a portion of a Sanborn map from 1974¹⁰ detailing a section of Commonwealth Avenue in Kenmore Square. The photograph in the center shows that same section of Kenmore Square in 1999. The picture on the right illustrates the block in 2003, just four years later. All traces of the IHOP and the Rathskeller bar in the first photograph have been obliterated by the time the second was taken. Boston University was a limited partner in the development of the new Hotel Commonwealth, shown in the photograph from 2003, which is a new, European style multipurpose construction.¹¹ The ground floor is slated to contain upscale stores and boutiques which will most likely not be aimed at the students who live in the site. Thus, it is evident that Boston University will demolish old buildings in its possession to make way for new forms, and to allow gentrification to take place in Kenmore Square.

            Boston University is noticeably expanding into Kenmore Square at a steady rate and is the single force driving all of the changes taking place in Kenmore Square. This is obvious after reviewing the Sanborn maps or observing the prevalence of the square red plaques throughout the site. The Hotel Commonwealth, in conjunction with the artifacts and traces from the past, allows the future of Kenmore Square to be predicted. It can be suggested that when the remaining brownstone dwellings along Commonwealth Avenue and Bay State Road are sold, they will be acquired by the university and subsequently transformed into residence halls and offices. If BU obtains an entire block, it is unlikely, but nevertheless entirely possible, that it will demolish it in the spirit of the Hotel Commonwealth in order to create new buildings that will upgrade and enhance the Square. Even the Waterman and Sons Funeral Home is vulnerable to university and commercial expansion that is tailored to students. The central location of the building and its castle-like appearance would make it an ideal space for a restaurant like the Pizza Uno at the opposite end of the Square. Regardless, it can be directly inferred from the rarity of form changes and demolitions over the course of the site’s development that the changes which take place in the future will mostly be alterations of the interiors. The overall exterior appearance of the site will remain constant, though its occupants will continue to be increasingly related to colleges and universities.

            In conclusion, Kenmore Square currently displays two distinct layers, the present and the future, each of which provides traces and artifacts of the past populations and land uses which inhabited the site.   Kenmore Square originally emerged as a residential area on the outskirts of Boston, later grew to house diverse commercial establishments from a mortuary to an auto sales showroom, and finally developed into a key section of Boston University after World War II. The brownstone dwellings that have proven to be suitable for multiple purposes clearly signify the changing character of the site through time. Nevertheless, they are landmarks which are symbols of the diversity of the city of Boston as a whole. Finally, it can be speculated that the exteriors and locations of the buildings will most likely remain the same in the future, due to the growth of concern for historic preservation as a response to urban renewal in Kenmore Square, in Boston, and in cities in general since the 1960s. This strategy may serve two very important purposes. By renovating the interiors of buildings, the needs of 21st century city dwellers can be accommodated allowing them to live in spaces which are comfortable and suited to their lifestyles. By respecting the integrity of the exteriors of the buildings, traces of the area’s historical past remain in tact, thus linking the site’s past, present and future development.

¹ Robert Famighetti, ed., The World Almanac and Book of Facts: 2000 (Mahwah, NJ: World Almanac Books, 1999) 390.

² Jane Jacobs, The Death and Life of Great American Cities (New York: Random House, Inc., 1961) 384.

³ “Mass GIS/MHD 2001 Color Ortho Imagery Viewer.” Map. Massachusetts Geographic Information System. 18 Mar. 2003 < http://maps.massgis.state.ma.us/MassGISColorOrthos/viewer.htm>.

⁴ H.F. Walling, “Map of Boston and the Country Adjacent.” Map. David Rumsey Map Collection. 6 Mar. 2003 <http://www.davidrumsey.com>.

⁵ “Boston, Massachusetts Sanborn Insurance Maps, 1897, Volume 2N, Sheets 78 and 79.” Map. Digital Sanborn Maps: 1867-1970. 6 Mar. 2003. <http://sanborn.umi.com/ma/>.

⁶ “Boston, Massachusetts Sanborn Insurance Maps, 1937, Volume 2N, Sheets 237 and 238.” Map. Digital Sanborn Maps: 1867-1970. 6 Mar. 2003. <http://sanborn.umi.com/ma/>.

⁷ Kenneth T. Jackson, Crabgrass Frontier: The Suburbanization of the United States (New York: Oxford University Press, 1985) 136.

⁸ Boston Redevelopment Authority. “Census 2000: Summary File 1 General Profile 1: Persons by Race, Age, & Sex.” 10 Apr. 2003. <http://www.ci.boston.ma.us/bra/pdf/publications//PD__7wNSAs.pdf>.

⁹ Jacobs 232-233.

¹⁰ “Boston, Massachusetts Sanborn Insurance Maps, 1974, Volume 2N, Sheets 237 and 238.” Map. (Pelham: Sanborn Map Company, Inc., 1974).

¹¹ Brian Fitzgerald, “European-style Hotel Planned for Kenmore Square.” BU Bridge News. 5 Feb. 1999, 9 Apr. 2003 <http://www.bu.edu/bridge/archive/1999/02-05/features3.html>.

All photographs were taken by the author, Matthew Herman.