USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Boston > Sketches of Boston, past and present, and of some places in its vicinity > Part 15
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The north, south, and east wings, to contain the cells, are to be con- structed upon the " Auburn plan," being a prison within a prison ; the north and south wings will each measure 80 feet 6 inches in length, and 55 feet in width, and 56 feet in height above the surface of the ground ; the block of cells within each of the north and south wings will measure 63 feet 6 inches in length, 21 feet in width, and 54 feet in height, and will be divided into five stories; each story will contain ten cells, each of which will measure 8 by 11 feet, and 10 feet high, thus giving to each of these two wings 50 cells.
The east wing will measure 164 feet 6 inches in length, 55 feet in width, and 56 feet in height above the surface of the ground; the block of cells within this wing will be 146 feet 6 inches long, 21 feet wide, and 54 feet high ; it will also be divided into five stories in height; each story will contain 24 cells of uniform size with the cells of the northern and southern wings, before described, thus giving to this wing 120 cells.
The spaces around the outside of each block of cells in each of the wings (between the cell walls and the exterior walls of the said wings), are to be " areas," which are to be open from the floor of the lower story of cells in each wing, to the ceiling of the upper story. Galleries of iron will extend the entire length of each of these spaces, outside of the cells, on a level with each of the floors. These galleries will form a communi- cation with other galleries, which are to encircle the interior of the " cen- tre octagonal building," on the same uniform level with the other galleries. Each cell will contain a window and a door communicating immediately with the galleries of the areas.
All the areas around the outside of the cells of the north, south, and east wings, receive light from the great windows of the exterior walls. These windows will be thirty in number, each measuring 10 feet in width, and 33 feet in height, beneath which other windows, 10 feet wide and 9 feet in height, will be placed, thus yielding an amount of light to the interior
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EYE AND EAR INFIRMARY.
of the cells probably four times as great as any prison yet constructed upon the Auburn system. The jail kitchen and guard or inspection room, of the centre octagonal building, will receive light from windows of uni- form size, and arranged in the same manner as those windows in the ex. terior walls of the wings. The guard or inspection room will receive ad- ditional light from circular windows placed above the great windows, and from a skylight in its ceiling. The various stories of the west wing will be lighted from windows arranged uniformly with those in the exterior walls of the wings.
The exterior of the structure is entirely of Quincy granite, formed with split ashler in courses, with cornices, and other projecting portions hammered or dressed ; the remaining portions of the entire building, both inside and outside thereof, are of brick, iron, and stone, excepting the interior of the west wing, which are finished with wood.
Designed by Louis Dwight and G. J. F. Bryant, Architects.
Builders, Luther Munn, Joel Wheeler, Asa Swallow, Samuel Jepson, Charles W. Cummings, and Geo. W. Smith.
Estimated Expense, 193,458 feet of land and filling up, $ 165,645, or about 82 cents per foot ; foundation and building, $ 243,900; total cost $ 409,545.
EYE AND EAR INFIRMARY.
THIS institution was established in 1824, and incorporated in 1827. It is intended exclusively for the poor, and no fees are permitted to be taken. The new building erected for its accommodation in 1849, is situated on Charles street, a short distance southerly of Cambridge bridge. It con- sists of a main building 67 feet front by 44 feet deep, and 40 feet 4 in. high, and two wings 25 feet front and 31 feet high, one 52 feet deep, and the oth- er 63 feet. The front of the principal building is embellished by stone dressings to all the windows, doors, and cornices, in Italian style. The wings retire from the front 11 feet, and are perfectly plain. In the base- ment are the kitchen, wash-room, laundry, refractory wards, baths, store- rovina, &c. In the first story in the main building are rooms for the ma- tron and committee, and receiving and reading rooms ; in the wings are the male wards, with operating, apothecary, and bath rooms. In the sec. ond story are accommodations for the matron and private female wards. The building is heated by two furnaces, and provided with a thorough sys- tem of ventilation, and the whole surrounded by a spacious, airy ground, shut out from the street by a high brick wall. Architect, Edw. C. Cabot. Contractor, Jonathan Preston. Cost, land, $ 25,000; building, about $ 29,000; total, $ 51,000.
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NEW ATHENEUM.
THE NEW ATHENAEUM.
THE above illustration is a view of the front elevation of the new build- ing erected for the Boston Atheneum, on the southerly side of Beacon, between Bowdoin and Somerset streets. It is 114 feet in length; of ir- regular breadth, covering the entire space between the street and the Gran- ary Burying Ground; and 60 feet in height. In the design of this building several objects were to be regarded : - 1st, a library of 40,000 volumes, with provision for increase ; 2d, suitable places for the exhibition of works of art; and third, a museum for miscellaneous collections; beside the usual offices for such a building. The want of unity of plan, together with the extremely irregular form of the lot and the slightly disproportion- ate height of the stories, made the design one of considerable difficulty, which was sought to be obviated in effect by presenting to the eye a suc- cession of horizontal lines from the base upwards toward the cornice. The elevation is in the later Italian style of architecture, and resembles in the general arrangement some of the works of Palladio, though some of the details belong to a still later style. The material is of Patterson free stone, known here as "Little Fall gray rock," the color of which is a light gray, slightly varying in different stones, and the texture considera-
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NEW ATHENECM.
bly harder than the free stones in general use. The building is 10 feet back from the street, and the ground space in front is surrounded by a bronze lacquered iron balustrade, with stone coping.
The basement story is constructed of solid masonry, supporting the first floor upon groined arches of brick ; a room is here fitted up for the use of the janitor and his family. Here also are a furnace with flues, con- ducting the heat to all parts of the building ; rooms for fuel, for binding and packing books, apparatus for hoisting to the upper story, &c.
The entrance to the building is into the first story, by a doorway 14 feet high by 10 feet broad. It opens on a vestibule, or main entry, 32 by 23 feet, which contains staircases ascending to the upper stories, and light- ed from the roof and large windows in front. From this vestibule, designed to be finished in beautiful style of architecture, doors open to all the rooms in the building.
In the first story is a hall 80 fect in length, designed for the Sculpture Gallery, entered through the vestibule directly opposite the front door. It is surrounded by a row of iron columns opposite each window pier, for supporting the floors above. Fitting into these columns above are still others supporting the third floor, thus making continuons supports to the
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STATE HOUSE AND BOSTON COMMON.
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NEW ATHENEUM.
floors of each story, in addition to the walls. On the right of the vesti. bule are two apartments, designed for reading rooms, one in the front for newspapers, the cther in the rear for other periodicals. On the left of the vestibule is the Trustees' room. All these apartments are as yet unfin- ished, but are intended to be in appropriate ornamental style.
The second story is appropriated to the library. The main hall extends the entire length of the rear of the building, and is surrounded by an iron gallery, accessible by iron spiral staircases. It is divided by an archway, one copartment displaying the books in cases lining the walls, the other in alcoves between the pillars. It is highly finished, in Italian style, with decorated ceiling. For advantages of light, air, retirement, and an open southern aspect, this hall can hardly be surpassed. It contains over 40,000 volumes. The foregoing is an interior view of this room.
In front of this hall are two rooms ; one on the right designed for the li- brarian's room, the other on the left for miscellaneous collections, both to be finished like the library, with iron galleries and spiral iron staircases. They are capable of containing 30,000 volumes.
The third story is designed for pictures, and is divided into four apart- ments. The side walls are but 13 feet high, so that no picture can be placed too high to be seen distinctly. The light is admitted to each apartment by a skylight, and transinitted through a horizontal ground glass window.
The building is to be heated by a cast-iron steam furnace, requiring but one fire, and the hot air distributed and the various apartments ventilated by means of flues within the centre walls. The Cochituate water is car- ried throughout the building, which is furnished with water closets, and other conveniences connected therewith. Gas is also distributed through- out, and so arranged as to be applicable to the exhibition of works of art, as well as to ordinary purposes.
In the year 1848 the corporation purchased the library of General Wash- ington, at a cost of upwards of $ 4,000. This sum was contributed by about one hundred gentlemen of Boston, Salem, and Cambridge; seventy of whom subscribed fifty dollars each for this object. In the year 1846, the Athenaeum realized the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars, the gift of the late John Bromfield, "three fourths of its annual income to be invested in the purchase of books, and the remainder to be added to the cap- ital." Mr. James Perkins gave for the use of the institution, in IS21, his own costly mansion in Pearl Street, which was occupied for library pur- poses until June, 1849, and which was sold in February, 1850, for the sum of 8 45,000. Mr. Thomas H. Perkins and Mr James Perkins, Jr., in 1826 gave $ 3,000 each for the then library ; and $ 36,000 was afterwards subscribed by various citizens through the efforts and influence of Messrs. N. Bow- ditch, F. C. Gray, Geo. Ticknor, and Thomas W. Ward. The total Cost has been, for land $ 55,000 ; and for the building $ 136,000.
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THE NEW CUSTOM HOUSE
HARTWELL
THE NEW CUSTOM HOUSE.
SITUATED at the head of the dock between Long and Central Wharves, fronts east on the dock, west on India street, and is in the form of a Greek Cross, the opposite sides and ends being alike. It is 140 feet long north and south, 75 feet wide at the ends, and 95 feet through the centre, (the porticos 67 feet long projecting 10 feet on each side,) and is from the side walk to the top of the entrance story floor 10 feet, 4 inches, to the top of principal story floor 26 feet 4 inches, to the eaves 52 feet, to the ridge 62 feet 6 inches, and 95 feet to the top of the skylight of the dome.
It is built on about 3.000 piles, fully secured against decay ; the con- struction throughout is fire proof and of the very best kind.
The exterior of the building is purely Grecian Doric, not a copy, but adapted to the exigencies and peculiarities of the structure, and consists of a portico of 6 columns on each side, on a high flight of steps, and an order of engaged columns around the walls, 20 in number, on a high stylobate or basement ; the order of engaged columns terminating with 4 antæ at their intersection with the porticos. The columns are 5 feet 4 inches in diameter and 32 feet high, the shaft being in one piece, each weighing about 42 tons.
The roof of the building is covered with wrought granite tile, and the intersection of the cross is surmounted by a dome terminating in a sky- light 25 feet in diameter. The dome is also covered with granite tile.
The cellar, which is 10 feet 6 inches high to the crown of the arches, is principally used for the storage of goods, which are conveyed to it through the basement story. The steam apparatus for warming the whole build-
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THE NEW CUSTOM HOUSE.
ing (which it does effectually) is situated in the cellar, having easy access to the coal vaults under the sidewalk outside of the building.
. The principal entrances to the basement story are at each end. They are for the receipt of goods for storage. Near the northwest corner, on the west side, is an entrance to the Night Inspectors' apartments, also to the private staircase leading to the Collector's room and the attic. South of the west portico is the entrance to the heating-apparatus room, and on the south end is the entrance to the Custom House Truckmen's room. This story contains rooms for the Night Inspectors, Custom House Truck- men, and Engineer of the Heating Apparatus, also three sets of Water Closets : the remainder is used for the storage of goods, weigher's tubs &c.
The principal ingress to the entrance story, is through the porticos, but it can be entered from the Collector's private staircase, and fiom two oth- er private staircases from the basement. This story contains apartments and offices for the Assistant Treasurer, the Weighers and Gaugers, the Measurers, Inspectors, Markers, Superintendent of Building, &c. In the centre is a large vestibule, from which two broad flights of steps lead to the principal story, landing in two smaller vestibules therein, lighted by skylights in the roof, and these vestibules communicate with all the apart- ments in this story. The several rooms are for the Collector, Assistant Collector, Naval Officer, Surveyor, Public Store Keeper, their Deputies and Clerks ; and for the facilities of doing business this arrangement is not surpassed. The grand, cross-shaped Rotunda, for the general business of the Collector's department, in the centre of this story, is finished in the Grecian Corinthian order ; it is 63 feet in its greatest length, 59 feet wide, and 62 feet high to the skylight.
The dominical ceiling is supported on 12 columns of marble, 3 feet in diameter and 29 feet high, with highly wrought capitals; the ceiling is or- namented in a neat and chaste manner, and the skylight is filled with stained glass.
The building was commenced in 1837, and entirely completed in 1849; it has cost about $ 1,076,000, including the site, foundations, &c. It was designed by A. B. Young, A. M., Architect, and erected under his imme- diate supervision throughout. The execution of the whole was under the general direction of a Board of Cominmissioners, appointed by the Secre- tary of the Treasury of the United States. This Board consisted of Sam- uel S. Lewis, Esq., as chairman, Robert G. Shaw, Esq., disbursing agent and commissioner, and the Collector of the ports of Boston and Charles- town for the time being. Jonathan P. Robinson was Clerk to the Board of Commissioners. In one of the panels of the Rotunda is inserted a Tablet of marble, containing the following inscription : -
" Boston Custom House Building. Authorized by the 23d Congress, A. D. 1835. Andrew Jackson, President U. S. A. ; Levi Woodbury, Sec'y
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THE NEW COURT HOUSE.
of the Treasury. - Opened August Ist, A. D. 1847. James K. Polk, Pres- ident U. S. A. ; Robert J. Walker, Sec'y of the Treasury ; Marcus Mor- ton, Collector of the Port ; Samuel S. Lewis, Robert G. Shaw, Commis- sioners ; Ammi Burnham Young, Architect."
NEW CLUB HOUSE.
THE new Club House, situated on the northerly side of West street, is worthy of notice among the improvements of the city. It is 38 feet ir. front, 80 feet deep, and 52 feet high. The front elevation is built of Con- necticut freestone in Italian style, and combines great architectural beau- ty. The first story is occupied by two stores, and a central passage to the second story, in which is a lobby, reading room, and three parlors. In the third story is a hall 35 by 63 feet, and 22 feet high.
Erected by an association of gentlemen. Architect, H. Billings. Build- ers, Masons, Messrs. Wheeler and Drake; Carpenter, Chas. Dupee; Esti- mated cost of land and building, $ 45,000.
BOSTON SOCIETY OF NATURAL HISTORY.
THIS institution has recently purchased the estate in Mason street, formerly occupied by the Massachusetts Medical College, and remodelled the building to adapt it to its present purposes. It contains 9 rooms, one of which is occupied by the librarian, and each of the others by objects of interest in the different departments of natural history. The whole estate cost about $ 30,000, which was obtained by subscription from the liberal citizens of Boston. All who desire it have free access to the cabi- net every Wednesday, and strangers in the city, who cannot convenient- ly visit it on that day, can obtain admission at any time by application to an officer of the Society. Five volumes of the Boston Journal of Natural History, and three of the Proceedings of the Society at its Monthly Meet- ings, have been published, containing contributions from our most distin- guished naturalists, illustrated by engravings.
THE NEW COURT HOUSE, ERECTED 1833 - 1835.
THE corner-stone of this building for the accommodation of the Courts of Law of Boston was laid on the 23th of September, 1833, Theodore Ly- man being then Mayor of the city. The original cost of the undertaking
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THE NEW COURT HOUSE.
was about $ 179,000, but a further sum of $ 17,000 was appropriated in 1839 for the purchase of land for the formation of a street and passages around the building, making the total cost of the ground and edifice about $ 200,000. A portion of the land, however, on which the structure stands was formerly the site of the old Jail and belonged to the County, and its value is not included in the above estimate. The building is sit- uated in the centre of Court square, between Court and School streets, and is surrounded by a flagged pavement which extends southerly along the spacious area between it and the City Hall. The form of the edifice is that of a parallelogram, extending in length 176 feet by 54 feet in breadth. The altitude is 57 feet to the cornice, consisting of a basement and three stories : the first story above the basement being 12 feet, the second 20, and the third 18 feet in height. The material composing the building is of cut or hewn granite from the Quincy quarry, and at each front or extremity is a handsome portico of the Doric model, supported by four columns of fluted granite each twenty-seven feet in height and four and a half feet in diameter. These pillars are in the solid mass, and weigh about 25 tons each. The northern end or front of the building is parallel with Court street, but retired on a platform off the thoroughfare a few yards, while the southern front faces the rear of the City Hall or old Court House, and is approached from School street through the latter building and by avenues on either side of it. The main body of the new Court House is simple and unadorned, but the massive symmetry and superior design of the front entrances, tend somewhat to relieve the general plain- ness of its architecture. The interior is plain and substantial, without presenting much novelty of plan in its construction. An entrance hall. communicating with the southern portico and opening upon side doors, traverses nearly the full length of the building : and staircases ascending to the right and left of the two porticos lead directly to the galleries of the principal Court rooms; while the centre and side flights conduct to the various apartments in the several stories. The first floor contains rooms for the Police Court and Justices Court, the United States Marshal's room, and the Offices of the Clerks of the Supreme Court, Court of Com- mon Pleas, and Police Court. The second story contains the rooms of the United States and the Supreme Judicial Courts, as also the Law Libra- ry, the rooms for the Judges of the United States and Supreme Courts, and the Clerk's office of the United States Court. The upper or third sto- ry includes the Coinmon Pleas and Municipal Court rooms and the rooms of the Judges of those Courts, the Jury rooms of the several Courts, the Clerk's office and the witness rooms of the Municipal Court, and the Grand Jury room. The Court rooms are spacious, and comfortably furnished, measuring 50 feet by 40, and contain ample accommodation for the Bar and ordinary attendance. Some trifling disadvantages might be appre- hended to result from the location of the Court of Common Pleas. the
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THE NEW COURT HOUSE.
general resort of litigants, in the upper story, but the arrangement of the rooms for the most part is satisfactory, and the offices for the respective apartments are as large and commodious as could be desired. The United States pay to the city for the use of their apartments in the building the annual rent of $3,000. The Court room allotted to them is the same from which the slave Shadrach was a short time since rescued. The United States Circuit Court before Judge Woodbury is held in this apart- ment on the 15th of May and October in each year, and the District Court before Judge Sprague on the 3d Tuesday in March, the 4th Tuesday in June, the 2d Tuesday in September, and Ist Tuesday in December, and specially at the discretion of the Judge. The Supreme Judicial Court sits at the South end of the building, for the hearing of legal arguments on the first Tuesday of March, and the term for the trial of Jury causes commen- ces on the 7th Tuesday next after the 4th Tuesday of September. The Common Pleas Court for the County of Suffolk are held in the Court room in the 3d story on the Ist Tuesday of January, April, July, and October, and the Municipal Court, of which the Justices of the Common Pleas are ex officio Judges, is held in the room appropriated for that purpose on the Ist Monday of every month. The Police Court is busied every day in the trial of criminal offenders, and also sits every Wednesday and Saturday as a Justice's Court for determining civil causes under $ 20. The Social Law Library room on the 2d floor is a comfortable and well-lighted apartment, and contains a good selection of Juridical Text-books, including writers in general law, and the English and American Reports. The society was first organized in the year 1801. At a later date, 1814, an act of incorpo- ration was obtained which granted to the proprietors for the purpose of en- larging the collection all sums of money which should be paid by way of tax or excise by persons admitted to practice as Attorneys of the Boston Court of Common Pleas. For many years the Library, being but small, was kept in the office of a Member of the Bar who acted as Librarian, and subsequently it occupied a closet adjoining a large room in the old Court House then used for meetings of the Grand Jury. At a later period the whole room was devoted to the Library, to which when the present Court House was built a spacious apartment was appropriated, in which it has since been kept. A catalogue of the Library was printed in 1824. At that time the number of volumes was 1,473, in 1319 it had increased to 4,077, and in May, 1351, embraces about 4,200 volumes. A large number of the books, including some of the most valuable, were presented by the Hon. Charles Jackson ; but the Library is also indebted for donations to other gen. tlemen. The names of the donors are given under the titles of the works presented by them. The advantages of the Library are not confined to the Bar of Suffolk, but it is constantly and freely used by gentlemen of the profession from all the other counties in the State, by the Judges of the Courts, Members of the legislature and Judges and Jurists from all
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THE NEW COURT HOUSE.
VIEW OF THE NEW COURT HOUSE, COURT SQUARE.
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ERECTED 1833 - 1835.
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NEW ALMSHOUSE ON DEER ISLAND.
parts of the United States. The by-laws provide for the admission of new members on payment of $ 25 a share and $5 annual assessment, and admit also subscribers on payment of an annual sum of 88. But the members of the Bar of other Counties (except those who usually prac- tice at the Suffolk Bar) have the privilege of consulting the books of the Library at all times without expense. Each member is allowed to take from the Library one book at a time for a term not exceeding 24 hours, but no volumes are allowed to issue during the law term of the Supreme Judi. cial Court when the full bench is in session. The Librarian is appointed by the President and Trustees who have the general management of the affairs of the society and direct in the purchase of books, &c. Mr. Boyle is at present the Librarian.
NEW ALMSHOUSE ON DEER ISLAND.
THE form of this structure is that of a "Latin Cross," having its four wings radiating at right angles from a "central building." The central building is four stories high ; the lower story (on a uniform level with the cellars or work-rooms of the north, east, and west wings) contains the bathing-rooms, cleansing.rooms, furnace, and fuel-rooms; the two next sto- ries contain the general guard-room, to be used also as a work.room ; the next story is the chapel ; and the upper story is the hospital. The south wing is four stories high; the lower one contains the family kitchens and entry of the superintendent's family ; the second is appropriated for the family parlors of the superintendent, and a room for the use of the direct- ors, together with the entrances and staircases, and the opening or carriage way, for receiving the paupers. The staircases communicating with the guard-room, and with the cleansing rooms in the lower story of the central building, are also located in this story. The two remaining stories will be used for the family sleeping-rooms, superintendent's office, officers' rooms, and bathing-rooms, - together with the entries, passages, closets, and staircases. Each of the north, east, and west wings is three stories high, with basements and attics over the whole surface of each wing. The basements are for work-rooms. The remaining stories, including the attics, contain the wards, hospitals, and day-rooms for the inmates, to- gethier with the sleeping and inspection rooms for the nurses and attend- ants.
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