Copley Square History

Copley Square rests entirely upon made land that was former the Great Bay, a large bay in the Charles River. The filling of the Bay began at Arlington Street in 1858 and continued westward. For thirty years, gondola cars arrived to Boston from Needham hourly and around the clock carrying the soil, sand, and rock that was used for fill. By 1880, Back Bay was filled from Arlington Street to Massachusetts Avenue, bounded to the north by Back Street. This land-making project was unprecedented in scale and remains one of the largest urban landmaking endeavors completed in the United States.