Figure 1: A City Plan from 1861 depicting proposed street patterns and some major buildings in the area. (Harvard University Image Delivery Service. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Mar. 2015.)
By closely examining urban surroundings, it is possible to gain a deep understanding into the elements that have shaped the landscape of a community. Geologic processes shape the earth, which is in then developed my humans. Learning the history of a city allows us to understand patterns of human activity and observe how society has shaped, and is shaping, not only the physical landscape, but the social atmosphere as well. Historical and topographic data inform insights into current patterns of change, and can be used to predict a future course for a region. Looking at Boston, more specifically, the area immediately adjacent to the Public Gardens (Figure 1), and using historical, topographic, and environmental information, several distinctive patterns emerge, namely the initial increase, then decrease of residential living space, institutions, and industry. The area is now dominated by commercial entities, ranging from large insurance companies, to upscale clothing and furniture retailers, to expensive restaurants, to pharmacies and general stores. As industry and institutions left the site, the vacancies were filled by commercial entities, but some traces and artifacts of the past still remain.
Figure 2: A Sanborn Atlas from 1885, showing the building size, location, type, material, and use. It is color coded by material, which is obscured by the shading. Most of the buildings are made of local brick. (Harvard University Image Delivery Service. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Mar. 2015.)
Humans have heavily developed the land of the site over the past 100+ years, leaving very few natural traces or artifacts. Humans artificially placed the land of the site when the Back Bay was filled in the mid 19th century. The area was leveled, and then built upon. Thus, almost no visible natural history evidence remains.
On top of this newly flattened land however, Bostonians created a grid pattern of streets. Streets were one of the first things constructed on the new land. They formed the skeleton of the neighborhood. But they were also constructed to accommodate planned architecture. The rail yard does not follow the grid pattern, and is large enough to disrupt the street pattern. As seen in figure 2, the rail yard is an anomaly in the grid. The railroad revolutionized transportation, which in turn changed life in rural and urban areas alike. It is easy to overlook the impact that a railway has on an area. It is commonly only analyzed from an engineering or architectural point of view, when it is really part of a much larger social change. (Hayden, Dolores. "The Sense of Place and the Politics of Space." The Power of Place: Urban Landscapes as Public History. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 1995. 20-22. Print.) In this site, the rail yard brought commuters, visitors, and goods to the area. Looking ahead over 100 years, the broken grid pattern still prevails. The rail yard vanished over a century ago, yet the effects of its presence are still visible in the street pattern today. Despite the fact that no living human could have seen the rail yard, the lasting memory of it continues to affect people’s lives.
Figure 3: The steeple of the Church of the Covenant in the context of its urban surroundings.
Figure 4: The facade of the Emanuel Church juxtaposed with its residential surroundings, a modern streetlight, and a urban sign.
Figure 5: The front face of the Arlington St. Church and its surroundings.
Looking at a fire insurance atlas from 1885 (Figure 2) there are several other major building projects on the site. There are 3 churches in the upper half, 2 buildings belonging to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, The Boston Society of Natural History, and many residential homes. In the lower portion, we again see a large residential development, a church, and an institution of education, but also have several factories and the large rail yard. All 3 churches from the upper half are still standing today. Extremely well preserved and maintained, these structures serve not only a functional and aesthetic purpose, but also as historical artifacts that help us catch a glimpse into a long lost world. Figure 3 shows the steeple of the Church of the Covenant, figure 4 is the façade of the Emanuel Church, and figure 5 is a face of the Arlington St. Church. These buildings have served as community gathering areas for over a century. The have provided countless services to residents, and have influenced the neighborhood. Today, we see them simply as functional buildings, but in reality, they are fascinating remnants of previous generations of city residents. In the upper half we also see a city block with 2 MIT buildings and the Society of Natural history. They were both planned structures when parcels of land were being distributed, and were early buildings in the area. What their direct influence in the community was can only be inferred, but presumably they provided knowledge to residents, public access to information, an aesthetic element, and an influx of intellectuals, scholars, and students. This block of institutions however was already significantly altered by 1885, as seen in figure 2. The 2 MIT buildings were replaced with a single larger structure.
Figure 6: A plaque commemorating the former presence of MIT.
Figure 7: A zoomed out photo of the plaque against the current building, and the business it houses.
When MIT moved across the river in 1916, the older Rogers Building was demolished. Although no evidence of the original building remains, a plaque hangs on the current structure as tribute (Figure 6). This artifact helps keep the impression of MIT alive in the area, even though the physical campus is no longer located there. Now, the building is a commercial property. Figure 7 shows how 3 separate layers (MIT, the building, Nordstrom) interact to form the complete picture of the structure. It also illustrates how the trend of commercial influence is increasing in the area. Today, A life insurance company occupies the land where the original MIT once stood.
Figure 8: The front side of the Former Natural History Museum building, now home to Restoration Hardware.
Figure 9: The rear of the building.
The building that housed the natural history museum is, on the other hand, still standing and in use. It is now occupied by an upscale furniture company, which has restored the building to resemble its former beauty. Traces of long gone feelings linger in the historic building. The green space in the front and rear of the Natural History Museum building are still maintained, and can simulate what the land looked like many years ago. (Figures 8 and 9)
Although the appearance is not identical, the gardens are an artifact of a time when knowledge flourished in the area. Figure 10 shows a trace of a dividing space between the original structures. This space has been repurposed, but has been preserved as an artifact of the 19th century.
Figure 10: The space between the former Natural History Mueseum and the original MIT is still present, and now separates Restoration Hardware from the New England Life Insurance company.
In the lower portion of the site, the street pattern has shifted as land use changed. While the rail yard was in existence, one had to travel around it to get to the other side.Once the rail yard was removed, an opportunity to redevelop the area arose. The land was in too central of an area to leave unplanned. Looking at an atlas from 1951 (Figure 11) shows how the street pattern was altered after the railroad left. It appears that designers wanted to extend the grid structure into the new land, but could not create a perfect grid due to the triangular parcel of land. Thus, a “hybrid grid” structure can be observed, where some streets like St. James, Stuart, and Arlington line up with the grid of the upper portion of the site, and others like Columbus or Providence act as breaks. Intuitively, it makes sense why St. James, Stuart, and Arlington were extended through the former rail yard: traffic flow improved, the land was subdivided into smaller plots, and the grid system was integrated.
Figure 11: A Sanborn atlas from 1929-1951 showing street patterns and land use.("Sanborn Atlas, Boston 1929-1951." Sanborn. Vol. 2N. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. Print.)
Figure 12: Formerly Church St., this small street is now called Hadassah Way.
But other changes are a little more puzzling. Why, for instance, was Church St. not extended downward? Instead, a slightly awkward corner is created. Evidence of this strange break is still seen today (Figure 12). The street more resembles an alley, mainly because of its short length and narrow width. Why the decision to build a triangular building instead of extending the street was made is not clear, but it serves as an anomaly in the street pattern of the area. Turning attention to Figure 13, an atlas from 1992, another change in street patterns occurred. Providence St. was shortened, presumably to accommodate the much larger commercial project. This shortening of the street has had a similar effect as discussed with Church St. Figures 14 and 15 show what the shortened street now looks like.
Figure 13: A Sanborn atlas from 1992 showing street patterns and land use. ("Sanborn Atlas, Boston 1992." Sanborn. Vol. 2N. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. Print.)
Figure 14: A front view of what is left of Providence St.
Figure 15: A reverse view of the same Providence St.
As street patterns evolved, the buildings that occupied the space between them also changed. In the upper portion of the site there were more subtle changes in addition to MIT, the BNHS, and the churches. For example, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences moved into the area in the early 19th century. The building and its doorway serve as an artifact from the days when the building housed an institution of education. (Figure 16) Today, the space is occupied by a Banana Republic. Residential blocks in the top half of the site have remained almost untouched, except for the expansion of a hotel to accommodate the increasing human traffic into the area, and the construction of a parking garage, which was later removed.
Figure 16: The former location of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, now a Banana Republic.
Interestingly, in other areas of the site, parking garages have actually remained in the same locations as in the past, although their dimensions have changed. They collectively serve as artifacts to the flowering age of the automobile. Nowadays, it is easy to take the car for granted, but people still need places to park them in the city. Figures 17 - 19 show various locations of parking lots on the site, indicating many of them have survived to this day.
Figure 17: A parking lot on St. James St. This particular one is the right one in Figures 11 and 13.
Figure 18: A parking lot on St.James St. This particular one is the left one in Figure 11, and has been integrated into the large commercial property in figure 13.
Figure 19: A parking lot on COlumbus Ave.
In the bottom portion of the site, significant building changes occurred as land use changed. Most notably, the rail yard was replaced with a hotel, a furniture manufacturer, a bus station, a parking lot, a life insurance company, and a commercial building. This drastic shift away from the industrial railroad to a city-like shopping and transportation area is indicative of the general trend to move industry across the river or out of the city. But some traces of the rail yard remained, like the bus station. The bus station essentially replaced the rail yard as the commuter transportation building. But it was later removed, and is now the site of yet another insurance company (Figure 20).
Figure 20: The site of the former Bus terminal, now a financial building.
Figure 21: The site of the southern-most church in figure 2, and the former Salvation Army, now a large Liberty Mutual Insurance office.
The trend of increasing commercial properties is perhaps most evident in the upper half of the site. Here sharp contrasts between institutions and stores, old an new, historical and modern are easily seen. Buildings of different styles and from time periods are sandwiched between one another glued by walls but separated by decades. Figure 22 shows a peculiar contrast: The Emanuel Church shares a wall with Max Mara. These buildings not only were constructed at different times, but they have completely different functions and purposes, yet they are directly next to each other. This contrast of consumerist excess and religion exemplifies the overall trend in the area. A similar contrast exists with the Church of the Covenant and its residential neighbors. (Figure 23) The buildings flanking the church are personal homes that neighbor a religiously significant building. These residences also have stores on the ground floors.
Figure 22: The boudary between the Emanuel Church and Max Mara shows the contrast between religious and commercial land uses.
Figure 23: The facade of the Church of the Covenant, contrasted with its residential surroundings and modern urban infastructure.
Evidently, commercial interests are competing with established land uses in the area. Figure 24 further shows how prevalent retailers are in the area. The entire length of the street is shopping, and a clothing company even owns some space inside of a terrace at 500 Boylston Ave. What appears to have been designed as a tranquil refuge with rustic lighting and vintage fountains has become an advertisement for Marshalls (Figure 25).
Figure 24: A line of stores along Boylston Ave.
Figure 25: The inside alcove of 500 Boylston St. A beautiful, tranquil refuge from the busy street is invaded by a corporation.
In the lower part of the site, retail still takes a back seat to some other commercial uses. Here, and in places in the top half, insurance companies dominate. There are several within a block of each other, and most have spectacularly large building complexes that span several structures. These companies are using land that once served a very industrial purpose. Traces from that time period still remain among the modern financial buildings. Along Columbus Ave, there is an area of wide-open space (Figure 26).
Figure 26: A plot of open space along Columbus Ave. Formerly bordering the rail yard, this area is now a park.
This space is right next to the former location of the rail yard. Once again, the presence of railroad must have had influence into the development of the area and caused this gap in the fabric of the city. The overall street “feel” in this area is very different from just a few blocks over. This area feels more separate from the middle of the city, with more open space and wider streets. It does not yet feel crowded by buildings that seem to be literally building into each other.
Figure 27: A view down Columbus Ave. The pattern of bulidings and appearance of the street is quite different from the more popular ones to the north.
This different shape to the city can also be attributed to the former industrial land use: in the past, this land was either occupied or undesirable for development. Only after the removal of the railroad was its potential realized. Figure 27 shows a view down Columbus Ave, and how different it looks from some of the more crowded and popular Boston streets.
Figure 28: A photo of the golden dome anomaly on Boylston St.
There are some peculiarities to the site as a whole which should be mentioned, but the sources of which are unknown. One, is figure 28, a gold-plated dome in an entryway into a large commercial building on Boylston St. Perhaps this is an artifact to a time of great opulence in the area. Perhaps it is a replica of something that was once there. Perhaps neither. Regardless, the anomaly is interesting enough to note, even if the entire story of it is unknown. Another interesting trace that is not technically on my site is the highway. At the bottom tip of my site it is possible to glimpse a view of the interstate (Figure 29). It is not certain whether this is a trace of former railroad patterns, if the road was built upon the tracks, or if they are unrelated. Perhaps some more research could yield an interesting discovery. Finally, in figure 30 there appears to be a break in the center of the street pattern along Boylston St. near the Public Gardens. Speculation into what this could have been in the past has led to the conclusion that the median is a trace of a former streetcar line. Evidence exists of a line once being here but it is uncertain whether this is an artifact of that old line. (Walker Lith. & Pub. Co., and Walker Lith. & Pub. Co. New Map of Boston Giving All Points of Interest: With Every Railway & Steamboat Terminus, Prominent Hotels, Theatres, & Public Buildings. Boston: Walker Lith. & Pub. Co., 1918. Map)
Figure 29: A view of the interstate that passes by just outside the site boudary.
Figure 30: The possible trace of an old streetcar line along Boylston St. by the Public Gardens.
Over the past century, the area of Boston’s Back Bay that is adjacent to the Public Garden’s has undergone widespread social, economic, and physical change. From shifting street patterns, to building construction and demolition, to revolutions in transportation, to a decline in industry, an entire menu of factors have influenced the development of the site. Armed with past knowledge, and supporting evidence for past changes, predictions into the future of the site can be made. In recent decades, with the rise of consumerism and the invention of the Internet, social interaction and personal economics have been revolutionized. The consumerist mindset shared by many today helps to reinforce the trend of commercial influence in the site. The Internet has also allowed companies that cannot traditionally have separate locations, to build structures that are not physically connected. This has allowed insurance companies to dominate the area. In the future, I believe the area will become more saturated with shops, retail stores, and other forms of consumer needs/goods. In addition, the trend of insurance company and financial corporation intrusion will continue until sections of the site are purely business-oriented. Smaller buildings will be eliminated in favor of larger ones, small businesses will suffer the pressures of big business, and people will continue to move away from the area to live somewhere with a more enriching social community. Unless the land is reclaimed or repurposed, irreversible change in the social fabric will take place. People must remember that a city is not just a human construct, but also a living changing landscape. (Spirn, Anne Whiston. Preface. The Language of Landscape. New Haven, CT: Yale UP, 1998. 10-11. Print.) However, the city will adjust, as it always has, to the changing tides of human activity. It will continue to flourish long after current generations of humans have been forgotten. The memories of residents, influential individuals, land use, and buildings will continue to shape peoples urban lives. It is also very important to understand how our current actions will impact the future, and how our plans will come to fruition. If future concerns are kept in mind today, the city of the future will continue to bring joy and life to its residents, and to those who depend on its existence for survival.