The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-11
,ethods Used in Rehabilitating Bea-
con Hill in Boston to be Tried
in New York

=. HE ups and downs Of Beacon
Hill. one OF the finest residen-
tial districts In Boston, are a
lesson in fortitude that may be
yriated by New Workers who are
ig 10 preserve the character OF
sections in which they live from
c.fui elements. As a matter of
there are only two sections In New
in which any pretence liz being
, to fight conditions which have
It or will bring disfavor on them.
Hill and Greenwich Village are
ID in a fight of Preservation
e against trade. the other against
intrusion. Both through well
ID campaigns are trying to retain
ain former splendor by emulating
ample of Beacon Hill.
, task before Murray Hill's pro-
4 and old Greenwich Village If
" In comparison to the one which
folks have overcome In a battle
,bably a decade. II was a fight
A under the most dls~couraging
!ons. one which few outside OF the
group Of Beacon Hill d~ellers
xpected would result in anything
W victory that has been attained
n zone OF tenements and stables,
'um section OF the Hub, the dwell
ace of foreigners from every Sec
nd every cline.
an immigrants occupied many
4, once the homes OF the best
es OF the Gig OF culture. The
II the Orient pervaded in another
4; the Jews held forth In other
Is grog shops were plentiful.
= found a nesting place there. as
any other races. II vas the poly
seton OF Boston.
u, Babel section OF old Boston was
intrenched with the State House
. flank and the famous Commons
Q other side. To uproot all this
onsidered an impossible task. Bos-
olks considered Beacon Hill the
OF aliens and let 1t go at that.
I'd of improving. the section was
ed TO ~depreciate both in character
ealsy worth as time passed. The
sion was reached OF n
. change that had come in the Hill
5 than a decade.
co Hill was the best dwelling loca-
in Boston thirty or forty years
1t was the Murray Hill, the Fifth
10 and the Greenwich Village or
In It were combined all the
res of these New York sections
, leur OF buildings. wealth and posi-
II residence and quaintness. A list
.:eacon Hill residents was like a
, from WHO'S Who in America"
, live on Beacon Hin during civil
lays and up to the latter SOS was
OF wealth and distinction,
property was so highly valued n
70 gly held. Houses costing $4,000
100000 were not uncommon then.
were many that cost 100000, and
were not a few which had come
, from Revolutionary days.
the early '90s a new era OF archi-
re was just b~lossoming out and
Young folks OF Beacon Hill were
ed away by II. When they got
they wanted houses Of the kind
American architects were turning
There was no place on Beacon
for these houses. the streets being
narrow In most cases TO permit OF
long sloping front stoop, so Com
wealth avenue came into vogue as
living place OF fashionable Boston.
then came Back Bay.
families were replaced by
Of small means, who were fol-
Il in turn by the foreign element.
'utions OF this kind brought the
OF Beacon Hill down and
\ until choice of tenantry was i'm
Bile. So the slums to the south of
Hill crept in and I'VE the boundary
eel the best and poorest swept
block after block. first 10 the north.
to the east. then to the west. until
1ched to the grounds of the State
sc and the old Commons.
yht there at the upper corner of the
IN was a group of houses which
withstood the advance OF tenements
, the south. The principal owner
nat group "a a man named Cod
!. a real estate dealer OF the firm OF
nan & Street. He advised his neigh
not to sell and 10 tolerate the dis
ing conditions which surrounded
/. He said that Beacon Hill would
: back and IL would be a greater
,on Hill than before. Outside the
p group of defenders OF the Hill, Mr..
nan and his partner. Street. were
ned at. but his neighbors were 40
led away by his determination and
logic OF his argument that they