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I

THE OLD AND THE NEW

     AT A POINT OF ADVANTAGE ON PEMBERTON SQUARE, A FEW PACES IN FRONT OF THE COURT HOUSE OF SUFFOLK COUNTY, THERE IS AN INTERESTING VISTA DOWN COURT STREET WHERE, AMID THE MOST CONGESTED TRAFFIC, THE OLD AND THE NEW ARE STRIKINGLY CONTRASTED, AND JOSTLE EACH OTHER AT EVERY TURN. IT IS HERE THAT THE AMES BUILDING, AT THE TIME OF ITS CONSTRUCTION IN THE EARLY NINETIES, A VERITABLE SKY-SCRAPER, OVERSHADOWS THE OLD STATE HOUSE,—THE OUTER WALLS OF WHICH DATE FROM THE SECOND TOWN & PROVINCE HOUSE BUILT IN 1712-1713.



     THE FRONT OF TRINITY CHURCH IS WELL SEEN FROM WHERE HUNTINGTON AVENUE ENTERS COPLEY SQUARE. IT IS ONE OF THE RICHEST EXAMPLES OF ECCLESIASTICAL ARCHITECTURE IN BOSTON, AND IS CALLED THE MASTERPIECE OF THE ARCHITECT—H. H. RICHARDSON. THE EDIFICE WAS CONSECRATED IN 1877. ITS PREDECESSOR ON SUMMER STREET WAS DESTROYED IN THE FIRE OF 1872. PHILLIPS BROOKS WAS RECTOR OF TRINITY FROM 1869 TO 1891, WHEN HE WAS MADE BISHOP OF MASSACHUSETTS. THE PHILLIPS BROOKS MEMORIAL, ON THE HUNTINGTON AVENUE SIDE OF THE CHURCH, WAS ERECTED BY POPULAR SUBSCRIPTION. THE STATUE BY AUGUSTUS ST. GAUDENS AND THE CANOPY BY CHARLES F. McKIM ARE POSTHUMOUS WORKS,  BUT THE DESIGNS OF SCULPTOR AND ARCHITECT WERE PRACTICALLY COMPLETED BEFORE THEIR DEATHS.



      THE SPACE COVERED BY ADAMS SQUARE WAS OPENED AS RECENTLY AS 1879, BUT IT MERGES INTO OLD DOCK SQUARE, WITH ITS LOW BUILDINGS, FANEUIL HALL, AND THE MARKET DISTRICT BEYOND. THE ORIGINAL FANEUIL HALL, THE GIFT OF PETER FANEUIL TO THE TOWN OF BOSTON, WAS COMPLETED IN 1742. THE SECOND FANEUIL HALL, WHICH IS EMBRACED IN THE PRESENT STRUCTURE, WAS BUILT ON THE BRICK WALLS OF THE OLDER BUILDING AND DEDICATED TO THE  “CAUSE OF LIBERTY” IN 1763. THE TOWN MEETINGS AND DEBATES HELD HERE DURING THE REVOLUTIONARY PERIOD GAVE THE HALL ITS FAMILIAR NAME. IN 1805 THE “CRADLE OF LIBERTY” WAS DOUBLED IN WIDTH AND MADE A STORY HIGHER UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF CHARLES BULFINCH. IN 1898 THE ENTIRE BUILDING WAS RECONSTRUCTED WITH FIRE-PROOF MATERIAL ON THE BULFINCH PLAN. SINCE THE REVOLUTION THE HALL HAS BEEN THE POPULAR MEETING PLACE OF CITIZENS ON GRAVE AND IMPORTANT OCCASIONS. ON THE STREET FLOOR, BELOW THE HALL, IS THE MARKET THAT HAS CONTINUED SINCE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE BUILDING IN 1742. THE FLOORS ABOVE THE HALL HAVE BEEN OCCUPIED BY THE ANCIENT AND HONORABLE ARTILLERY COMPANY FOR MANY YEARS.





IV

      THE HISTORIC WEST BOSTON BRIDGE, CONNECTING THE WEST END WITH CAMBRIDGE, WAS REPLACED IN 1907 BY THE TOWERED AND ORNAMENTED STRUCTURE CALLED THE CAMBRIDGE BRIDGE. THE HUGE MASONRY TOWERS AT THE CENTRAL ARCHES BEAR THE SEALS OF THE TWO CITIES WHICH THE BRIDGE CONNECTS AND ARE STRIKING AND IMPORTANT FEATURES OF  THE CHARLES RIVER BASIN. VESSELS WITH MASTS NO LONGER GO ABOVE THE CAMBRIDGE BRIDGE, THE ARCHES BEING TOO LOW. ITS CONSTRUCTION WITHOUT A DRAW OR LIFT MARKED THE END OF NAVIGATION ON THE UPPER CHARLES. IN ADDITION TO ORDINARY TRAFFIC, THE CAMBRIDGE BRIDGE IS USED BY THE SUBWAY TRAINS RUNNING FROM PARK STREET, BOSTON, TO HARVARD SQUARE, CAMBRIDGE.



     TEMPLE STREET HAS THE CHARACTER OF ALL OF THE OLD STREETS THAT CONNECT THE FADING WEST END WITH THE BEACON HILL SECTION. SOME OF THEM STILL HAVE AN AIR OF SHABBY GENTILITY. MOST OF THE OLD DWELLINGS HAVE BECOME BOARDING HOUSES, WHILE THE STREET FLOORS HAVE BEEN RECONSTRUCTED FOR BUSINESS USES. THE BULFINCH DOME OF THE STATE HOUSE IS ALWAYS THE CONSPICUOUS LANDMARK ON THE CREST OF THE HILL.





     THE ORIGINAL PENINSULA OF BOSTON WAS ALMOST COMPLETELY AN ISLAND. ALTHOUGH THE RECLAMATION OF BROAD MARSHES AND FLATS HAS ALTERED THIS CONFORMATION, IT IS STILL IMPOSSIBLE TO ENTER THE CITY PROPER ON CERTAIN LINES OF RAILWAY EXCEPT BY BRIDGES AT THE VERY ENTRANCES OF GREAT TERMINALS. VESSELS STILL USE THE CHANNELS WHICH THESE BRIDGES CROSS. FORT POINT CHANNEL, ON THE SOUTH, IS CROSSED BY TRACKS OF THE NEW YORK, NEW HAVEN, AND HARTFORD RAIL ROAD. THE ROLL LIFT BRIDGE, AT THIS POINT, IS A MASSIVE STEEL STRUCTURE. WHEN RAISED FOR THE PASSING VESSELS, THE HUGE AFFAIR PRESENTS A STRIKING SPECTACLE REARING ABOVE A MEDLEY OF SMOKING ENGINES AND NET-WORK OF PASSING TRAINS.

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