Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1920-01-13
BOSTON COMMON
TRAFFIC VICTIM
Cherished Historic Fea-
lures To Be Attended
To Meet Conditions

szrzng to alter some of its most cher
7ssged historic features to meet the
demands of modern conditions. Small
ysxfus are to be sliced from Boston
Common, training ground for troops
IN Revolutionary days, and arcadlng
sf the tower of the Old South Meeting
Horse. where the famous "tea par
av~ was Matched, is contemplated.
T~affic problems, acute in this city Oh
ussrvow 4cow-lane" streets, IN each
EASE. are responsible.
The pairing of the Common on two
sides Of its 3-acre area has been sane
sioued only after the overcoming OF
+5oug-standing opposition by those who
AeI6 that no considerations of mod
ERR development should disturb TINS
-rezlnyutionary landmark and present.
day breathing space in the city's CEN
ter Several years ago the voters
surned down a proposal to shrink the
Common in order to swell the
streets. but in the recent city cleo
tfon the voters in all but two wards
declared in favor of widening the
strpets from Common lands. The two
wards which opposed the plan are IN
, Caarlestown, seat of another historic
SHRINE. Bunker Hill Monument.
Compromised Cut
Under the plan, which is compro-
.uaisr arranged between the street
commissioners and the Boston Com
rnon. society, fremont and Boylston
gfrea.fs, which bound the Common on
fwu Of its sides, will be widened to a
maximum of AZ feet instead of so to
so feet as first proposed. This will
be accomplished without sacrifice OF
xreensward or trees, as the cuts will
he made from the broad malls of the
ESn1mon. The compromise plan car
xSed with it an agreement that no
fHrzner invasion of the Common
lvaouid be made.
Bnston Common was bought in
164S by Governor Winthrop and 9th
eTx as a common cow pasture and
training ground, and was one of sew
eraI -snch tracts of communal lands
sanH planting grounds. Today it is
the sole remainder of these ancient
eomanIbns, other holdings having pass
ed into private hands.
ct was on Boston Common that
revolutionary soldiers drilled; from
ITS limits at Park Square, then the
Back Bay in fact as we'll as in name
and now 'made land" the British
s4Sried for Lexington on April 10,
1zE5. On the Common the British
mustered their forces to attack Bun
kex Hill and British artillerymen set
thalr guns on Flagstaff Hill during
gne serge Of Boston. Colonial expe-
aItions set out against Louisburg and
Quebec from the old Common, and
Massachusetts regiments assembled
Siaexe prior to going to the front in
the Cival war.
>Oid Church Proposal.
y The proposal to cut into the Old
South Meeting House which was built
Ia 1929 to obtain partial relief from
cratic congestion on Washington
q StFEer. is still under consideration.
Mayor Peters approved the idea; the
CksG South Association, guardians of
The 'edifiee fell in with the plans I'M
der certain conditions, and the street
commissioners reported in favor of
tine change. The conditions named by
Ehe association, however. including a
demand for payment for the property,
~aSEch is in the section of highest val
aation, have delayed acceptance.
Under the plan the main part of
siae church. in which the colonists
worked out plans for the ''tea party"
and which was later used by the Brit
Hzh as riding school during the
ay8ege of Boston, would not be dis
eeurbed The tower which juts out
S0ne twenty feet from the front of
the edifice, would be arcaded 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 20 feet
.wf street space at this point would
ease considerably the crush of traffic
1n che bottle-mouth. of Newspaper
N0w.