USA > Massachusetts > Gazetteer of the state of Massachusetts, pt 1 > Part 16
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and Clarendon and Dartmouth streets, is Copley Square, - from its area and surrounding edifices the finest square in the city.
The principal thoroughfares in East Boston are Chelsea Street, running longitudinally with the island, and Meridian Street, so called from its running north and south. The first connects with Chelsea at the north, the latter at the south, - meeting at a sharp angle near the centre of the southern section. Other streets cross these, usually running in direct lines across the island. Webster Street commands a fine view of Boston Harbor and the city proper, and is adorned with many beautiful residences. The street system of South Boston is, for the most part, regular ; the avenues generally crossing each other at right angles. Dorchester Avenue runs di- rectly south, by South Bay, from Federal Street in the city proper to Milton Lower Mills; while Broadway, the principal thoroughfare, ornamented with trees, runs centrally through the territory to City Point. Warren Street and Walnut Avenue are the principal car- riage ways through Boston Highlands ; and Washington Street (east) and Dorchester Avenue, Bowdoin, Hancock and Boston streets, through Dorchester.
The principal avenues of Charlestown are Chelsea Street, passing along the land side of the Navy Yard, and connecting Warren and Chelsea bridges ; Bunker Hill, Main and Medford streets, running from Chelsea Street through the whole length of the peninsula, and at Charlestown Neck uniting in Broadway, which stretches over Winter Hill in Somerville quite to Medford. Monument Square, the largest public park, has an area of about six acres. Market Square is a handsome space in the southern section. City Square, at the extremity of the peninsula, is the point whence radiate most of the principal streets, and is flanked on the south by the huge building called the Waverly House, built by Moses Dow frem the profits of the " Waverly Magazine." Another fine building is what was Charlestown's "City Hall," now a branch of Boston Public Library.
Brighton is the chief cattle market of New England. Its chief objects of note are the Abattoir (the place of slaughter of food animals) ; the Cattle-fair Hotel; Allston - a pleasant modern village where terminates the " Mile-ground; " Bigelow Hill, whence are fine views of sea, villages and vistas of hills; and the Chestnut Hill Reservoir with its driveway, at the south, near the line of Newton. .
Boston Common is a public park, containing about 48 acres, on the southwesterly slope of Beacon Hill. It is beautifully diversified with knolls, avenues, parterres and fountains ; and delightfully shel- tered by great trees, - English and American elms, lindens, several varieties of maple, English oak, cottonwood and other kinds.
Near the centre is an iron fence surrounding a thrifty young tree, on the spot where stood the Old Elm, so noted from its size and for the tragic events which have occurred in its vicinity. In 1776, as many as thirty Indians, concerned in massacres, were hung upon the branches of this and other trees around it. Here, in early days,
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Quakers were hung for conscience' sake ; and here, later, Whitefield preached to an audience, it is said, of 20,000. This tree was de- stroyed in the great gale in 1876. Near by, on the north side, is the
ARMY AND NAVY MONUMENT,
Frog Pond (without a frog), a pretty little lake, and within it a fountain throwing a huge jet of water to a great height. Rising from the margin of the pond is the central and highest elevation of
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the Common, on the summit of which stands a lofty column of white granite surmounted by the bronze figure of Liberty; its base surrounded by allegorical figures of stone in half relief; while lower, on the four angles of the pedestal, are bronze statues of a soldier, a sailor, the muse of history and the genius of peace. The monument is by Milman, and commemorates the sons of Boston lost in the war of the Rebellion. On the Park Street side of the Com- mon is the noble fountain presented by Gardner Brewer. About midway on the Tremont Street side are the Cogswell fountain, mostly of granite, and the interesting monument to Liberty, erected in 1888. The design is by Robert Kraus. It is a round column of granite on a pedestal of the same material, on the front projection of which stands a beautiful bronze figure of Liberty, with an eagle just alighting at her feet. It is popularly known as the Crispus Attucks monument, because his name stands first on the list of those who fell in the Boston Massacre, in 1770, which this monu- ment commemorates. In the southern part of the Common is the Old Central Burying Ground, long unused, and now deeply shaded by a variety of thrifty trees. In this cemetery were buried many British soldiers. In the early days of the Revolution the Common was the principal camp ground of the British. The Charles Street side was then the western water front, and along its line were pits for the musketmen; while batteries occupied the eminences in the rear.
The Public Garden, separated from the Common by Charles Street, was laid out in 1803. It comprises about 24 acres, recovered from the tide, and lying in the form of a parallelogram, with an artificial lake of about four acres in the centre. A fountain in its northern part is the source of supply. Clumps of trees and shrubs about the margin and the rocky island, give variety to the scenery ; which is further increased by a bridge thrown across the lake at a narrow place midway of its length. The latter also affords an ex- cellent standing place to see the movements of the numerous boats with which the lake is supplied. Clumps of shrubs, trees singly and in groups, beds of flowers varied weekly through the season, meet the eye of the visitor in every direction. The garden is fur- ther decorated by the elegant monumental fountain of marble with carved base, and surmounted by a sculptured group consisting of surgeon and his patient, erected in honor of the discoverer of anæsthetics ; by the beautiful marble fountain representing Venus standing in a shell rising from the sea; by the bronze figures of Edward Everett and Charles Sumner, near the north and south sides of the garden; and last and most impressive of all, the bronze equestrian statue of Washington, by Thomas Ball. The figures are of heroic proportions, and are set on a granite pedestal 16 feet in height.
The Driving Park, situated in the Back Bay district, on Charles River, and near Brookline, has an area of about 106 acres, including some 35 acres of water in stream and pond; and consists of a fine, broad road running along the higher portions of the park in a laby-
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rinthian manner, making a driveway of several miles in length. Slender-shafted trees line the road, thickets of shrubs occupy the steeper banks, while beds of hardy flowers fill vacant plats of ground on terrace and slope. Another attractive place for small parties to stroll and lunch is Franklin Park, in the Roxbury district,- a half- wild tract of forest and field, large enough to contain the Common and Public Garden seven times over. Near by, on the west, is the Arnold Arboretum, in West Roxbury, about one-third as large. It is a scientific botanical garden under the direction of Harvard Col- lege. There are in the city, belonging to it, about 40 minor parks, turfed, and planted with trees and shrubs, and having an average area of about an acre. Eleven of these are in the city proper (or Old Boston), three in South Boston, five in East Boston, ten in Rox- bury, three in Dorchester, four in Charlestown, two in West Roxbury, and two in Brighton. There is throughout the city a remarkable number of streets shaded by colonnades of fine trees, often of great size. The Charles River Embankment, 200 feet in width, extending along the south bank of the river from Leverett Street, near Craigie's Bridge, to Cottage Farm Bridge, near the Riding Park in Brighton, will contain about 69 acres. The Chestnut Hill Reser- voir, at the borders of Brighton and the city of Newton (where Beacon Street terminates) has a broad marginal park, making an agreeable driveway. Altogether, the park system of Boston now contains about 1,133 acres ; and there is a project to add a marine park at South Boston, and a large park for Charlestown. There are also three or four private "gardens," where entertainments are given, and the public admitted for a fee.
The climate of the city, though variable, is generally favorable to health, and usually for a large portion of the year affords most delightful weather. The east and northeast winds in the latter part of the winter and early spring, and the sudden great changes of temperature at all seasons, are severely felt by people of weak constitutions or enfeebled conditions of the body; but the intense heats of summer are agreeably tempered by the same ocean breezes, which bring an atmosphere filled with the salty vapors of the sea. The temperature for six months of the year is within the range most comfortable for all ; while January and July give extremes which cause discomfort at times, these periods are not often so pro- longed as to depress the health. The average temperature of the hottest and coldest months for the ten years including 1871 and 1880 was, for January, 27.3º, and for July, 71.8º. The death-rate of the city in 1886 (not a specially favorable period) was 23.40 per cent. ; there having been 9,265 deaths from an estimated population of 395,924.
Boston has 35 public and private cemeteries. Of these, Copp's Hill, at the north end of the city, and the King's Chapel and the Granary cemeteries, are the oldest. The largest are Forest Hills Cemetery, con- taining 228 acres, and Mount Hope Cemetery, 105 acres, in Roxbury. The other large ones are Evergreen Cemetery, in Brighton; Cedar Grove Cemetery, in Dorchester; Mount Calvary Cemetery, in Rox-
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bury ; St. Benedict's, in West Roxbury. The noted Mount Auburn Cemetery, just outside of Boston, is made use of by many of its fam- ilies.
Attractive points, as affording the best views, are the old Dor- chester Heights, fortified by General Washington, now called, also, "Telegraph Hill " and "Mount Washington," in what is now the South Boston district; Parker Hill, and West Roxbury Fort (the
MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL, BOSTON.
site marked by the handsome standpipe of the Boston Water Works), the cupola of the State House; Bunker Hill Monument; and, in the near suburbs, Corey Hill, in Brookline, and Mount Auburn Obser- vatory. Of antiquarian interest, there are the Copp's Hill Ceme- tery and the Granary Burying Ground; Christ Church; Faneuil Hall ; the Massachusetts Historical Society's and the New England Genea- logical Society's collections ; the old South Church, and the Old State House and its contents. Of scientific interest are the collections
COFFEY-CO .- SC.
MECHANICS' FAIR BUILDING, BOSTON.
of the Boston Natural History Society ; the Bussey Institution and Arnold Alboretum, in West Roxbury ; the United States Arsenal at Watertown; and the Navy Yard in Charlestown. Lovers of litera- ture and art will be interested by the Boston Public Library, the Boston Atheneum, and delighted at the Museum of Fine Arts. Lovers
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of musical science will visit the New England Conservatory of Music, at Franklin Square Park, and the Boston Conservatory, on Tremont Street, overlooking the Common. For an outing, the visitor will perhaps follow the example of the resident, and, picnic in Franklin Park, or try the sea breezes at Revere Beach or Nantasket.
Among the most conspicuous public buildings in the city are the State House, Post-office, Custom House, City Hall, the new County Court-house and the new Public Library, Faneuil Hall, Quincy and Washington markets, and the jail on Charles Street.
Buildings of important benevolent uses are the Massachusetts General Hospital, the City Hospital, the Lunatic Asylum, the Car-
MASONIC TEMPLE, BOSTON.
ney Hospital, Children's Hospital, New England Hospital for Women and Children, the Homeopathic Hospital, the Eye and Ear Infirm- ary, the Perkins Institution for the Blind, and several of lesser note. The Massachusetts Charitable Mechanics' Association build- ing, and Horticultural Hall, are interesting, and serve important public uses. The Masonic Temple is of much interest from its architecture, exterior and interior, and from its being the seat of the highest Masonic authority in New England.
The older section of the State House, situate on the east side of Mount Vernon Street and fronting on Beacon Street, is a substantial and symmetrical structure 173 feet in length, 61 feet in depth, and 120 in height, crowning the summit of Beacon Hill. The top of the dome is about 230 feet above tide-water. It was built upon land
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formerly owned and occupied by John Hancock, and was opened for legislative use on January 11, 1798. The bronze statues of Daniel Webster and Horace Mann decorate the grounds in front. In Doric Hall within, which will continue to serve as the elegant vestibule of the vast edifice, are marble statues of President Washington and Governer John A. Andrew, together with the battle flags of the Massachusetts regiments in the war of the Rebellion, and other inter- esting memorials. The new State House includes the old one which bears the gilded dome, now so familiar to all who have looked upon the city from far or near. The new portion joins solidly on the
STATE HOUSE - BEACON STREET FRONT.
rear, and extends, by an arch over Mount Vernon Street, to about the same distance beyond it as the older part extends on the Beacon Street side. The new portion is of the same height, but the long sky-line is broken at the middle by a projecting section surmounted by a pediment somewhat in the style of a Greek temple. On this projection, and an equal distance at each side, is a colonnade, similar to the one on the front of the dome section. This fronts on the broad eastern avenue made by the removal of the Temple Street
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buildings as far as Derne Street. Old Doric Hall, in the remodelled edifice, serves as an entrance, through a broad arch that replaces its back wall, to the great Memorial Hall, five steps higher, and occupy- ing the space above the Mount Vernon Street arch. The building
is modest yet impressive and beautiful in its ex- terior, while its interior is thought to be formed perfectly to the purposes of the General Court and the other departments of the State government.
The Custom House, on State Street, is built- en- tirely of granite, - ex- terior and interior walls and dome-like roof. It is of the Doric order of ar- chitecture; its ground plan being the form of a Greek cross. Its cost was over a million dollars.
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THE CUSTOM HOUSE, BOSTON.
The Post Office has a facade of more than 200 feet on Devonshire Street, but its front is on Liberty Square, and is much loftier. It is
CITY HALL, BOSTON.
built of white Rockport granite, and its cost considerably exceeded two millions of dollars.
City Hall, in Court Square, and fronting on School Street, is built
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of Concord granite, in the style of the Italian Renaissance, - costing more than half a million dollars. In front of it stand admirable bronze statues of Benjamin Franklin, and of Josiah Quincy, an emi- nent mayor of the earlier period of the city.
The new County Court-house occupies the entire western side of old Pemberton Square, and covers an area of 85,688 square feet. Its length is quite near 450 feet; width 200 feet; height of walls from the square, 90 feet; top of dome, 200 feet. The building is fire-proof throughout, its exterior being of white granite, and the interior walls of brick. In architectural style it is of German character on a basis
FANKUIL. HALL AND QUINCY MARKET.
of the Early Roman style, with special modifications by the architect. It presents great variety of ornament with nobleness and solidity. Its interior is remarkably adapted for light and air.
Large and handsome private buildings, both dwellings and busi- ness houses, are becoming very numerous; while the architecture is constantly becoming more definite and artistic
Faneuil Hall, which, from the meeting held in it by the early advo- cates of American freedom, came to be called " The Cradle of Lib- erty," was erected in 1742 and presented to the city by Mr. Peter Faneuil, a Boston merchant. The street floor and basement are wholly occupied by markets for the sale of meats, fish, dairy prod- ucts and vegetables ; while the second story contains a hall 76 feet square, decorated with large portraits in oil colors of Washington, Samuel Adams, Daniel Webster and others, which is still much used by popular assemblies. On the east side of this building stands the Quincy building or market, of granite, much larger than the
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other, and used for the same purpose. It was opened in 1827. Nearly all the section about Faneuil Hall, including part or all of several streets, is devoted to the same kind of merchandise; the section ex- tending quite to Atlantic Avenue.
Boylston Market, for many years a landmark at the corner of Washington and Boylston streets, has given place to a more modern building of stone, of greater size and more varied uses. Washing- ton Market, on the corner of Washington and Lenox streets, is the third building in size devoted to the provision trade.
The great bell in Faneuil Hall is the only one in the city proper which now gives general notice of fires ; the alarm being communi- cated to the engine houses by electricity, from upwards of 400 boxes placed in every part of the city. The fire department has 33 steam fire engines, 8 chemical, and one hand engine, with necessary appar- atus and carriages, with nearly 150 horses. The harbor, also, is supplied with two fire-engine boats. There are 238 fire reservoirs, and about 5,000 hydrants connected with the street mains of the city water-works. The latter also furnish an ample supply of water in all parts of the city, the pipes delivering freely at even the most elevated points.
Boston has an extensive and excellent sewerage system, which drains it thoroughly. In its front is the illimitable sea ; and at its back are hundreds of miles of grassy and forest-clad hills and valleys. Owing to its situation, the air is constantly changing, and is of a high degree of purity ; consequently the city proves a very wholesome place of residence.
In her varied industries Boston manifests remarkable skill and activity. Her sons are engaged in almost every art, manufacture, trade, calling and profession. Her merchants, manufacturers and seamen are known over all the world. Her capitalists are builders and operators of railroads all over the country, and her capital has aided, in large proportion, in opening the mines of precious metals in the mountainous West, and in developing manufactures in remote sections of the Union. Among home industries, shipbuilding holds a fair proportion. She is noted for small craft built for speed, - from the oarsman's shell to the swift-sailing schooner; while steam vessels up to 1,200 or 1,500 tons are occasionally sent out from her yards. The annual value of this manufacture is about $1,000,000.
The annual catch of her fishermen, including fish products and shell fish, reaches a value of about half a million dollars. In ad- dition to this, a large part of the catch of other Massachusetts ports and of Maine and New Hampshire is handled by the fish dealers of Boston.
The dutiable value of imports for the year ending June 30, 1888, was $63,897,778 ; the export of domestic merchandise for the same period being $55,482,664. There were also some exports of foreign goods, from the quantity imported. These aggregates have been ex- ceeded in several recent years. The foregoing statement does not include coastwise traffic, nor that by land conveyance, whose figures would vastly exceed those of the foreign trade ; but no means exists.
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by which accurate data can be obtained regarding domestic com- merce, excepting in the receipts of breadstuffs. Those of flour for the year ending September 30, 1888, were 2,899,294 barrels ; of corn, 6,167,333 bushels ; of oats, 6,234,316; of wheat, 1,703,888. The num- ber of vessels entering the customs district of Boston during the year ending June 30, 1880, was 2,874; and the number of clearances for foreign ports was 2,827.
New England CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC Franklin Square Boston
The last report of the Comptroller of the Currency (1888) gives the aggregate returns of 55 Boston national banks, as follows : - Capital Stock. Surplus Fund. $51,400,000
Returns from two private banks 420,000 $13,293,256.20 166,544,00
A later statement shows 60 national banks in active business in the city. There were also, at the close of the year 1888, 15 savings institutions, the aggregate of whose deposits, undivided earnings, guaranty fund, premium, suspense and rent accounts was $101,808,-
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793.75 ; eight trust companies, whose capital stock, deposits, etc., aggregated $58,523,896.07; two loan companies, whose assets amounted to $280,752.19; two mortgage loan and investment cont- panies, whose resources aggregated $1,083,730.23; twelve co-opera- tive banks, with assets amounting to $1,232.312.19.
The penal and reformatory institutions in the city are the prison in Charlestown, belonging to the State, the county jail on Charles Street, the House of Correction at South Boston, the House of In- dustry and the House of Reformation, on Deer Island. There is also a House for Neglected Children in Roxbury, and alinshouses on Deer Island, Rainsford Island, and the Austin Farm. The South End Industrial School for boys and girls was established six years ago by a few philanthropic and practical persons ; and the number of its pupils, together with its results within their homes and in their later career, has already shown the utility of this class of institu- tions. The same may be said concerning the Farm School for Boys during a longer period; for this institution was organized in 1832. It is intended for those of less favored condition than the former. There are in the city upwards of 87 private schools, having school buildings and other property to the value of nearly $4,000,000. This number includes the collegiate institutions of Boston University, with its law, medical, theological, musical and general departments ; Boston College; Boston Academy of Notre Dame; the Massachu- setts Institute of Technology ; and the professional schools, - the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Harvard Medical School, Mas- sachusetts College of Pharmacy, Boston Dental College, the New England and the Boston Conservatories of Music, the Petersilea Academy, and the School of Drawing and Painting (Museum of Fine Arts). The Perkins Institution and Massachusetts School for the Blind, the Boston School for the Deaf, are partially of the public school system. The public special schools consist of 19 kindergar- tens, 1 manual training school, 5 schools of cookery, and 21 evening schools, - 5 of the latter giving instruction in drawing.
The city has a normal school of the highest class, associated with which is a training school having grammar and primary departments; a Normal Art School, two Latin schools (the Boys' and the Girls'), an English High School, a Girls' High School, and six general high schools. With these are a large number of the lower graded schools, in suitable proportion in the city system. The number of public school buildings in Boston, as given in the State census of 1885, was 164, having an estimated value of $8,601,410. The number on May 1, 1889, had increased to about 180. Boston's system of public in- struction is a very excellent one, and at the World's Exposition in Vienna, in 1873, it received the award of honor.
By the census of 1885, it appears that there are in Boston 233 public libraries, possessing 2,177,318 books. These consist of the State (reference), city public, association, private circulating, public and private school, professional, church and Sunday-school libraries. The oldest of these is that of the Massachusetts Historical Society, established in 1791. The New England Historic and Genealogical
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Society is a younger institution occupying a kindred field, - both having valuable reference libraries. The Boston Atheneum, estab- lished in 1849, has a handsome building and a large library. The largest collection of books is that of the Public Library. Ten years ago the number of volumes in this library was 345,734; the number of persons employed was 141 ; and the city appropriation for the current expenses of the year $121,- 000. There are now 505,410 vol- umes, with twelve branches and three delivery stations, in as many remote sections of the city. The .... ... RIBTO VIG OUR6DL JBICAL library has outgrown its old build- ing on Boylston Street, a spacious and elegant structure, and has made necessary the new and ca- pacious building on Copley Square. This has a frontage of 225 feet on each of the three streets that bound it; and its cornice is 70 feet above the street, while Bates Hall, RUSSELL & RUIMARDEON'SC 40 feet deep, and occupying the NEW ENGLAND GENEALOGICAL AND HISTORICAL SOCIETY'S BUILDING. entire Dartmouth Street front, rises to a height of 80 feet, - re- ceiving a part of its light from the roof. The architecture is Roman, with slight modifications.
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