The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-06-25
Movement Throughout Country
for Their Preservation
FAMOUS BOSTON CHURCH
Historic Edifice NestIes in the Arms
of a Skyseraper-Savine Paul
Revere's House-Brim-
stone Corner.


good-sized manufacturing town to Eng
land. Liberty Bell rings the changes
upon many a fat hotel bill Tor the benefit
of Philadelphia landlords. Most Amer
lean towns which have historical associa-
lions have begun to appreciate them.
East and west the landmarks are being
preserved. It has been discovered that
history made is quite as valuable as his
tory in the making, SO far as drawing a
crowd is concerned.
Our bank statements would be smaller
by millions every years" said a we'll
known State street financial man the
other day, IF it were not for throngs of
tourists who come to Boston all the year
through, and particularly in the vacation
months, to climb Bunker Hill Monument
to take Paul Revere's ride by trolley car,
to stand under the elm in Cambridge
where Washington took command of the
american army, to 1lnger for hanf an
hour on the site of the Brook farm ex-
pertinent and to read the inscriptions and
tablets which have been so plentifully put
up all over eastern Massachusetts. Our
monuments are money in our pockets"
Not so many years ago the disposition
among Boston business men was very
cdlty was the Old South Meeting House
saved by publie-spirited citizens from de-
struction in 1876. Yet there was general
public approval two or three years ago
when the owners of the historical strue-
ture spufned an almost fabulous offer
made by syndicate to build an office
building at the corner of Milk and WASH
ington streets. The proposition was not
entertained for a moment, and the real
estate people had to build around the old
church, which stands today much as II
stood when the British troops used 1t as
a riding academy save that it now nes-
ties, os to speak. in the arms of a sky
scraper. The only concession to twentieth
century ideas in the old SOUTH by the
way, is newly installed automatic
sprinkler to be used in case of fire, so that
over the very balcony in which subjects OF
Geoge III. used at royal festivals to stand
up and sing God Save the Kingr' Is now
extended an array of water pipes ready
to save the building
About the latest movement to con-
serve sone of the historical assets is one
looking to keep intact the Paul Revere
house In the North Eend. Situated in
the heart of the Italian quarter this an
Client wooden structure base several times
been threatened with demolition. 1t stands
North street, at the foot OF the mn
surmounted by Christ church, or the Old
known Only few months previous to
his celebrated ride Revere had witnessed
from this house, which was then situ-
ated in the fashionable part of the town,
the massacre in the square between ia
neuil Hall and the Old State house. II
Is plain. wooden, three-story edihce IN
Dutch style, built soon after the fire In
1e76-a monument to the good censtruc-
tive methods employed in colonial days.
"A very large number of Bostonians are de-
fermined that 1t shall not be torn down
while 1t still hods together.
Similarly every project to transform or
demolish a landmark is bitterly opposed
and usually defeated in Boston, For
the past ten or twelve years real estate
syndicate has been trying vainly to get
possession of Park Street church, popu-
larly known as birthstone Corner, and
noted as the headquarters of the Ortho-
sdox faction in the Unitarian controversy
of three-quarters of century ago-the
church. too, in which the first Sunday
school was organized in America and IN
which the national hymn America was
sung for the first time. Although this
site. which is opposite the entrances OF
Park street station, the most frequented
of the subway stations of the Boston
iE.eveated company's system, is naturally
of immense value, every attempt to ac-
ouire 1t for commercial purposes has been
nearby on which st. Paul's Daniel Web
ster's old church, stands have also failed
repeatedly.
From various circumstances the marked
attractiveness to outsiders OF the hlstori-
cal shrines ought by this time to be
pretty apparent TO Bostonians. 1t certain
" is so to everybody else. About this
time of the year begins the great annual
influx of tourists. many of them on their
wav 10 the mountain or shore resorts OF
Now England, eager to see In passing
what may fairly be called the greatest
American municipal museum of history.
The part played by the street cars IN an
this sightseeing astonishes most Vlsltors'
1t has often been remarked that In Bos-
TON the cars go everywhere. Even before
the elevated and the subway were In op-
Grafton they penetrated every quarter
that could be reached through the Wind
Ing streets. The story IS told tnal
Eparsimonious doctor from New lamp
shire calling on DIR. Oliver wendell
Holmes, remarked that sightseeing was
interesting for those who could AFFORD II.
.sWell" retorted the witty poet, II you
have five cents in your pocket you VIII
see a large part of American history by
taking a car over at the corner
& Today such is the perfection OF the
rapid transit facilities, il is possible 10
see much more in less time. In hardly
more than half an hour, by using the
Il" the visitor gets something like
bird s-eye view of the whole historical
city. Starting from one of the stations
in the subway the tourist travelling
southwark. reaches at the Dover street
81" station the point TO which the British
lines extended during the siege of 1775.
Along upper Washington street the Il"
roads runs on the land known a con-
fury ago as The Neck-the narrow strand
that then joined Boston to Roxoury. The
Nortbampton street station stands almost
on the site of the tavern which was half
way between the British and American
lines. and which on certain days-this
was before the Washingtonion temperance
movement swept the country--was crowd
ed first with the officers of the King
and then with the embattlils farmers
from Roxbury.
AS the train swings around TO th3 west
to make the loop at the Dudley street
terminal the passengers see the old bury
Ing ground of the Dudleys and other not
ables of earliest times, and as the loop
Is almost completed a Look up the hill
to the west reveals the ysiiow fnrnl of
the ancient meeting house occupying the
site of the chapel built by John Eliot, the
apostle of the Indians. Theaeesly taking
a South station train the tourist is car
ried back past Dover stree. and around
to the eastern water fro1. Here are
passed in succession Griffins wharf. at
which the historical Tea Patty" took
place: the T wharf fishing fleet fer many
years one of the most inter estng spec
taeles of its kind in the word; Coastitu-
ton wharf where the f1moss fiigate