The Bulfinch Triangle Historic District is a
historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from c ...
roughly bounded by Canal, Market, Merrimac, and Causeway Streets in the
West End of
Boston, Massachusetts. The entire district was laid out by architect
Charles Bulfinch
Charles Bulfinch (August 8, 1763 – April 15, 1844) was an early American architect, and has been regarded by many as the first American-born professional architect to practice.Baltzell, Edward Digby. ''Puritan Boston & Quaker Philadelphia''. Tra ...
on
land reclaimed from the old Mill Pond (also known as North Cove), and is now populated by well-preserved commercial buildings from the 1870s through early 1900s. It was added to the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1986.
Description and history
The Bulfinch Triangle area is located north of Boston's
Government Center area, with the
TD Garden
TD Garden is a multi-purpose arena in Boston, Massachusetts. It is named after its sponsor, TD Bank, a subsidiary of the Toronto-Dominion Bank of Toronto, Ontario. It opened in 1995 as a replacement for the original Boston Garden and has been k ...
to the north, the
North End to the east, and the
West End to the west. The historic district is bounded on the north by Causeway Street, the east by Canal Street, and the southwest by Merrimac Street. This area was in colonial times under water, in a part of the
Charles River
The Charles River ( Massachusett: ''Quinobequin)'' (sometimes called the River Charles or simply the Charles) is an river in eastern Massachusetts. It flows northeast from Hopkinton to Boston along a highly meandering route, that doubles b ...
known as North Cove which separated the North and West Ends. It was a tidal flat that was filled in beginning in 1807, with its northern edge forming Causeway Street. Architect Charles Bulfinch designed the street layout for the landowners, and the area was filled with material taken by lowering
Beacon Hill and
Copp's Hill
Copp's Hill is an elevation in the historic North End of Boston, Massachusetts. It is bordered by Hull Street, Charter Street and Snow Hill Street. The hill takes its name from William Copp, a shoemaker who lived nearby. Copp's Hill Burying G ...
. The area became a nexus for a number of early railroads, serving points north and west of the city, which prompted its further development as a manufacturing area. The rail stations were eventually consolidated into
North Station
North Station is a commuter rail and intercity rail terminal station in Boston, Massachusetts. It is served by four MBTA Commuter Rail lines – the Fitchburg Line, Haverhill Line, Lowell Line, and Newburyport/Rockport Line – and the Amtrak ...
. By the late 19th century it was a center of Boston's furniture trade, with manufacturing and sales showrooms in integrated buildings.
The 59 buildings in the district are mostly five or six stories in height, and are built of brick and stone. Stylistically, many of them show elements of the Renaissance Revival, which was particularly popular in the last quarter of the 19th century. There is a particularly fine example of Second Empire architecture at 48–72 Canal Street, designed by
Gridley J. F. Bryant
Gridley James Fox Bryant (August 29, 1816 – June 8, 1899), often referred to as G. J. F. Bryant, was a Boston architect, builder, and industrial engineer whose designs "dominated the profession of architecture in ostonand New England." ...
and completed in 1871 for the Paine Furniture Company. There are a number of good examples of the Beaux Arts style, including two on Portland Street designed by Stephen Codman. A number of older buildings (dating to the mid-19th century) line part of Causeway Street, but have been compromised by removal of their upper floors and modernization of their facades.
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See also
*
References
External links
{{National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts
Historic districts in Suffolk County, Massachusetts
Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts
National Register of Historic Places in Boston