An architectural whodunit... Harvard's granite lions
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stellarfun
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It's gotta be the large structure seen at the bottom of this 1955 aerial, right? Current images show a big concrete mat there.
Image courtesy of the BRA Digital Atlas.
I think thats probably it. It shows now as a big concrete pad. The Harvard press release spoke about a cement plant, and that looks to be there SW of the Western Ave bridge. At extreme frame left, there looks to be the small neighborhood that was torn down for Charlesview.
The railroad spur from the cement plant; I guess that eventually linked up with the Penn Central (pre Conrail, pre CSX) main line in the Allston yards.
And judging by the shadows, the building all by itself on the north side of Western Ave east of the Barry's Corner neighborhood was probably five stories high.
Thanks for the find!
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kz1000ps
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The five story building north of Western Ave is still there. It's 135 Western Ave, the New England Deposit Library, completed 1941, and according to the list of Harvard owned property in Allston from 2000 that you posted on page 31 of that thread, they own it.
stellarfun
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On June 7, went on an expedition in search of the lions. Took a clue from the Harvard reference that architectural granite excavated from the lab site was being moved to the old Sears site.
Took numerous panoramic zooms (from the Cambridge St. ramp) of the old Sears site, scrutinized the results, zoomed and cropped further, and this is the result. Is the lions lair under wraps, or are they elsewhere? And is there any symbolism in the blue wrap? Blue being the color of Columbia University whose school nickname is the lions.
Took numerous panoramic zooms (from the Cambridge St. ramp) of the old Sears site, scrutinized the results, zoomed and cropped further, and this is the result. Is the lions lair under wraps, or are they elsewhere? And is there any symbolism in the blue wrap? Blue being the color of Columbia University whose school nickname is the lions.
Suffolk 83
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its blue because most tarps are blue. no conspiracy here
Well, I think you are on the right track.
In 1960, the Daily Boston Globe reported that the block of buildings, 675 and 683 to 691 Boylson St. at Exeter, including the Kensington building was sold to the Rockland-Atlas National Bank of Boston. The bank, located at 36 Huntington Ave. did so anticipating the Prudential Insurance company's plans. They purchased the building for office expansion. They had intended to purchase another adjacent building and tear down an "adjoining building" for parking.