New-York tribune., 1920-01-12
Boston to 'sSlice''
Historic Common
For Street Room
Old South Meeting House
Tower To Be Arcaded to
Meet Pressing Demands
of Modern City Traffic

BOSTON, Jan. 11.-Boston is prepar-
ing to alter some Of its most cherished
historic features to meet the demands
OF modern conditions. Small strips are
to be sliced from Boston Common,
training ground for troops in Revolu-
tsonary days, and arcading Of the tower
Of the Old South Meeting House, where
the famous "tea party" was hatched, is
contemplated. Traffic problems, acute
in this city of narrow "cow lane"
streets, in each case are responsible.
The pairing Of the Common on two
sides of its forty.three-acre area has
been sanctioned only after overcoming
long standing opposition by those who
held that no considerations of modern
development should disturb this Revo-
lutionary landmark and present-day
breathing space in the city's center.
Several years ago the voters turned
down proposal to shrink the Common
in order to swell the streets But in
the recent city election the voters in all
but two wards declared in favor of
widening the streets from Common
land. The two wards which opposed
the plan are in Charlestown. seat of
another historic shrine, Bunker Hill
monument.
Bought in 1884
Under the plan, which is coHnpro-
mise arranged between the Street Com
r,4Sr
ciety, fremont and Boylston streets
which bound the Common on two of its
sides, will be widened to a maximum of
forty-three feet, instead of fifty to
sixty feet, as first proposed. This
will be accomplished without sacrifice
OF Creensward or trees, as the cuts will
be made from the broad malls of the
Common. The compromise. nlan~ca
ried with it an aCreem that no fur
ther invasion Of the Common would be
made. = lu,5 u} ul,kV
Boston Common was bought in 1854
by Governor Winthrop and others as
ground and was one of several such
tracts of communal lands and planting
grounds. To-day it is the sole re
mainder of these ancient commons,
other holdings having passed into pri-
vate hands.
1t was on Boston Common thsts Reyo-
lutionary soldiers drilled; from it's
limits at Park Square, then the Back
Bay in fact as we'll as in name and
now "made land" the British started
for Lexington April 10, 1775. On the
Common the British mustered their
forces to attack Bunker Hill and Brit
ish artillerymen set their guns on
Flagstaff Hill during the siege Of Bos-
ton Colonial eXpeditions set out
against Eouisb1rg and Quebec from
the old Common and Massachusetts,
regiments assem- bled there prior to
going to the front in the Civil War.
Cost Delays Plan
The proposal to cut into the Old
South Meeting House, which was built
in 1929 to obtain partial relief from
traffic congestion on Washington
Street, is still under consideration.
Mayor Peters approved the idea. the
Old South Association guardian of
the edifice, fell in with the plans under
missioners reported in favor Of the
change. The conditions named by the
association, however, including a de-
mand for payment for the property,
which is in the section Of highest
valuation, have delayed acceptance.
Under the plan the main part Of the
church, in which the colonists WORKED d
out schemes for the "tea party" and
which was later used by the British
as a riding school during the siege
of Boston, would not be disturbed.
The tower which juts out some twenty
feet from the front of the edifice,
would be arcaded to provide a passage
for foot traffic.