Holocaust Museum Boston | 125 Tremont Street | Downtown

Java King said:
That's funny, but seriously it would be great to have an MBTA history and transit museum. There is SO MUCH railroad history for the region.
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I always thought Park Street Station could use some more ornamentation/markers or renovation/modernization to showcase it more as the first American subway station. I think there's a mural now, but it's pretty easy to miss and for the most part, it's a pretty unremarkable station.
 
chrisbrat said:
Given that the T apparently doesn't have enough funding to hit proposed deadlines, provide on-time and/or safe service, or communicate with their ridership, I don't want that organization distracted by coming up with a plan for, and then building, a museum.

Get the new cars in and running, fix the slow zones, open the damn bike path along the GLX, hire a communications manager who, y'know, communicates, balance the fucked-up budget, figure out the NSL, and THEN think about a fun museum.
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(I know this is all way off topic, but a theoretical museum would probably be a self-supporting and separate entity.)
 
king_vibe said:
(I know this is all way off topic, but a theoretical museum would probably be a self-supporting and separate entity.)
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Very true -- but this is such a colossaly fucked up group, I really don't want them distracted by ANYTHING other than providing reliable, safe service.
 
Smuttynose said:
I always thought Park Street Station could use some more ornamentation/markers or renovation/modernization to showcase it more as the first American subway station. I think there's a mural now, but it's pretty easy to miss and for the most part, it's a pretty unremarkable station.
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Boylston was part of that first "subway" ride, too, although Park Street was finished earlier. At the very least they could occasionally dust/clean the two vintage cars that are off on the side at Boylston. A little more effort might allow for making that little nook where those two cars rest (and have rested for decades) accessible and into a "mini museum." Probably wouldn't take much effort or money.
 
Good riddance to that cheap pastiche. Hello interesting museum. Not so sure about the architectural fit, but at least it is an upgrade.
 
chrisbrat said:
Given that the T apparently doesn't have enough funding to hit proposed deadlines, provide on-time and/or safe service, or communicate with their ridership, I don't want that organization distracted by coming up with a plan for, and then building, a museum.

Get the new cars in and running, fix the slow zones, open the damn bike path along the GLX, hire a communications manager who, y'know, communicates, balance the fucked-up budget, figure out the NSL, and THEN think about a fun museum.
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This thread is hugely derailed, but a T museum would not need to be a construction project, nor something that the T ran. Something incorporating the unused Tremont St. subway south of Boylston, and managed by an interested non-profit would work quite well. The old round church building in Eliot Norton park could be repurposed as an entrance, with most of the museum being in the tunnel itself. Nothing to build, no obligation from the T for much of anything.
 
chrisbrat said:
Very true -- but this is such a colossaly fucked up group, I really don't want them distracted by ANYTHING other than providing reliable, safe service.
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Abso-fucking-lutely:

1686331415554.png
 
HenryAlan said:
This thread is hugely derailed
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I saw what you did there, sir, with your punnery--and I salute it. To get things *back on track*: remember that the abutting 9 Hamilton Pl. hotel project got approved for construction some time ago already. It will be interesting to see how these two construction projects interplay, logistically, if all goes well and there's an actual convergence.
 
HenryAlan said:
This thread is hugely derailed, but a T museum would not need to be a construction project, nor something that the T ran. Something incorporating the unused Tremont St. subway south of Boylston, and managed by an interested non-profit would work quite well. The old round church building in Eliot Norton park could be repurposed as an entrance, with most of the museum being in the tunnel itself. Nothing to build, no obligation from the T for much of anything.
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I don't understand the need. We have a T museum, it is the entire system. It operates as a barely functional living museum to the ghost of transit past.
 
mssrro said:
Another view (from 1900-1915):

Park Street subway entrance on Tremont Street by Boston City Archives, on Flickr
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I find this photo fascinating, not the least for the amount of foot traffic that a CBD would absolutely die for today.

Based on the shadows, mid-late afternoon weekday in a cold weather month. Very likely dated before 1910, no motorized vehicle can be seen. Earlier than the photo I posted, so probably closer to 1900.

Predominately, almost exclusively, men who appear to have white collar jobs. Many/most appear to be queueing up to enter Park St. station. As daylight savings time was not established until 1918, this appears to be the 3 PM or 4 PM rush, depending on the month.
 
stellarfun said:
I find this photo fascinating, not the least for the amount of foot traffic that a CBD would absolutely die for today.

Based on the shadows, mid-late afternoon weekday in a cold weather month. Very likely dated before 1910, no motorized vehicle can be seen. Earlier than the photo I posted, so probably closer to 1900.

Predominately, almost exclusively, men who appear to have white collar jobs. Many/most appear to be queueing up to enter Park St. station. As daylight savings time was not established until 1918, this appears to be the 3 PM or 4 PM rush, depending on the month.
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I originally thought you were right regarding the dating, but based on the presence of the Cambridge Street subway as well as the modernized facade at 127 Tremont, I'd say that this picture has to date from 1912 or later.

Digging into the history of this block, 125-129 Tremont looks like it was originally built up as rowhouses in around 1832. The owners were various members of the Phillips family (of Phillips' Academy fame) who held the properties as investments.

1800



1853



1858



ca. 1880-1889

In the mid-to-late 19th century, the rowhouses began to be converted to commercial use, several of the facades were significantly renovated, and mansard roofs were added.



ca. 1895

In 1896 the George A. Sawyer Co. clothing store tore down the rowhouse at 129 Tremont (blue) and replaced it with the current building:



1907

Around 1907, the owner of 128 Tremont (green) constructed a completely new facade:



1913

In 1911-1912, the Talbot Company clothing business decided to modernize 127 Tremont (yellow), raising it to six stories and giving it a new facade as well:



ca. 1917-1934

By the mid-20th century, the block was increasingly showing its age:



1953



ca. 1955



1956

Finally, in 1956 the Merchants Co-Operative Bank announced that it would be redeveloping 125-126 Tremont. The bank scheduled its opening at that location for March 4, 1957.

bccWhVHl.jpg


1976

 
^Agreed, great post, reminds me of one of the old-schoolers "Ablarc". He often posted years ago on this forum (or perhaps the predecessor forum to archboston). His posts contained detailed history and info and were always so informative.
 
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I think the architecture of the building is interesting but the downtown location? Who knows if real estate was available but I'm curious if the West End neighborhood was considered. If the museum was located on the top of Cambridge Street it could associate with the West End which had a large Jewish population and a number of Synagogues during WWII. And then further explain the loss of the historic neighborhood and investigate the continued bias of 1940s and 50s thru urban redevelopment planning. The location could be close to the historic Vilna Shul (1903) on Beacon Hill and upper Cambridge would still be somewhat close to the Holocaust memorial on Union St. Also the west End Museum could be associated in some way. It just feels like the downtown location is to get the most tourist traffic. I hope the museum's program incorporates Boston's Jewish history as well. Also Cambridge Street could use a shot in the arm with some exciting architecture(Tip Top and Dunkin corners) .
 
dhawkins said:
I think the architecture of the building is interesting but the downtown location? Who knows if real estate was available but I'm curious if the West End neighborhood was considered. If the museum was located on the top of Cambridge Street it could associate with the West End which had a large Jewish population and a number of Synagogues during WWII. And then further explain the loss of the historic neighborhood and investigate the continued bias of 1940s and 50s thru urban redevelopment planning. The location could be close to the historic Vilna Shul (1903) on Beacon Hill and upper Cambridge would still be somewhat close to the Holocaust memorial on Union St. Also the west End Museum could be associated in some way. It just feels like the downtown location is to get the most tourist traffic. I hope the museum's program incorporates Boston's Jewish history as well. Also Cambridge Street could use a shot in the arm with some exciting architecture(Tip Top and Dunkin corners) .
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Yea, I think they chose this site for its prominence, not its connection to the Jewish community. Particularly because it's designed to draw lines through genocides other than the Holocaust.
 
The inspiration for this or the copy of it? https://goo.gl/maps/6BRAQELjkuLoweDKA

Equilibria said:
Interesting... whoever the architect was in 1955 really nailed it, then. Admittedly, some of the fake Federal details work better than others (see the chimneys), but I think it works as a whole.

It's a shame, IMO, that the decision with this project seems to be to spite the surroundings rather than embracing them.

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