Boston Subway Ditch - Boston Common
Posted by: 
NorStar
N 42° 21.291 W 071° 03.811
19T E 330053 N 4691238
This picture was taken over 100 years ago to document the digging of the subway line from Park Street to Boylston Street along the Boston Common.
Waymark Code: WM2WBP
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 12/30/2007
Views: 105
Compared to the mammoth effort to level Boston's three hills (of which only part of Beacon Hill remains today) to fill in the Back Bay and other areas of Boston, this effort was a piece of cake. But, it was an historic event, none the less.
Boston was experiencing heavy traffic along Tremont Street as trolley cars shared the road with pedestrians and horse carriages. In the 1890s, it was decided to dig a trench and put the trolley cars under the street. The result was a subway line that was the oldest in the United States and is still used today as part of the MBTA 'green line.'
The picture selected and photographed is found in the waiting platform of the Boylston MBTA station. Historic New England put up the display and dated the picture as January 22, 1896 (I could use a confirmation of this in a visit). There are other pictures as well as trolleys displayed there, as well (you need to pass through the fare gate - Inbound side only - to see them).
The picture I took is just south of a place where flags and statues are arranged in a semi circle, called Parkman Plaza, on Boston Common. It is also where the Freedom Trail begins. I have a wide view that provides the greatest context for the picture as well as a cropped verson that is about the same view as the original picture.
Comparisons:
- The prominent land mark is the Park Street Church, which is the white spire near the center of the picture.
- Tremont Street is to the right and remains in the same location now as before.
- The ditch is where the side walk currently is located. You can hear the trolleys pass underneath at some locations.
- There are some office and retail buildings that may be in both pictures. One that I think is in both pictures is the J. Stearns building (J. Stears was a department store) on a corner.
Year photo was taken: 1896
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