Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-02-01
CUT INTO BOSTON COMMON
COMPROMISE PLAN AGREED
ON TO USE HISTORIC LAND
Old South Meeting House VIII BE AL
tered TO Help Relieve Traffic
Congestion.

BOSTON. Ian. 3l.-Boston is pre-
pairing to alter some OF its most cher
mands OF modern conditions. Small
strips are TO be sliced from Boston
Common. training ground for troops in
the tower OF tho Old South Meeting
House. where the famous tea party"
prob ems. acute In this city Of marrow arrow
responsible.
sides OF it's forty-three- acre area has
been sanctioned only after tho over
coming OF long standing opposition b.
Of modern development shouid disturb
this Revolutionary landmark and pres
ent-day breathing space in the city's
center.
down a proposal 10 shrink the Com
mon in order to swell the streets. But
in the. recent city election the voters
in all hu; two wards declared in favor
OF widening the streets from Common
lands. The two wards which opposed
another historic shrine. Bunker IIi!l
Monument.
Ia Compromise Plan.
Under the plan. which Is a compro-
mise arranged between the street
commissioners and the Boston Common
Society, fremont and Boyiston Streets,
which bound the Common on two OF
ts sides. viii be widencd 10 a max.
nifty to sixty feet. as frs, proposed.
lhis will be accomplished without sac
rihce OF greensward or trees. as the
cuts Will be made from the broad malls
OF tho Common. The compromise plan
carried with II an agreement that no
.urther Invasion of the Common would
DC made.
Boston Common was bought In 1854
| by Governor winthrop and others As
common COW PaStnF oi snS trai sic
tracts OF communal lands and plant
ing grounds. Today it is the sole re-
maindcr Of these ancient commons,
other holdings having passed into prl-
vnte hands.
Scene of Stirring Events.
dictionary soldiers drilled: from its
limits at Park Square. then the Back
Bay. in fact as we'll as in name. and
for Lexington on April le. 1875. On
the Common the British mustered their
forces 70 attack Bunker Hill. and Brit
ish artillerymen SGT their guns on
j ,agstan Hill during the siege of
Boston.
co onial expeditions set out against
l.ouisburg and Quebec from the old
Common, and Massachusetts regiments
assembled there prior TO going to the
front in the Civil War.
South Meeting House, which was built
IN LES. TO obtain partial relief from
Mayor Pe,ers approved the idea: the
Old South Association, guardians OF
the ediflce. fell in with the plans un-
dee certain conditions. and the street
commissioners reported in favor OF
the change.
citation, however including a demand
for payment for the property. which
Is in the section OF highest valuation,
have delayed acceptance.
Main Edince to Rem ain.
Under the plan. the main part OF
the church, in which the Colonists
worked out pans for the tea party"
and which was later used by the Brit
ish as q riding school during the
siege. of Boston. would not be dis
turbed. The tower, which juts out
some twenty feet from the front OF
the ediiice, would be arcadcd to pro-
vide passage for foot traffic: the
street line would be extended TO run
flush with the tower front, and the
sidewalk moved back to lead directly
to the arcade. An additional twenty
fee; Uf street space at this point would
case considerably the crush of traffic
in the bottle mouth OF Newspaper Row.