147-185 Summer Street

Fig 2.) Figure 26.) Image of the burnt area of Boston following the Great Boston fire of 1872. 147-185 Summer Street is circled in Yellow, on the western border of the fire's extent. 

My parcel, located from 147 to 185 Summer Street in Boston, Massachusetts highlights the dynamic energy of the South / Chinatown area as it evolved into the bustling center of commerce it is today. Following the Great Boston Fire of 1872, business flooded into the devastated, vacant block of 147-185 Summer Street at blisteringly fast speeds. As business ventures and capital sought to fill the void the fire had left, the development of transportation in the area skyrocketed to meet demand, primarily focused on South Station. Business acumen also brought in significant icons to Summer Street such as Frank and Lina Hecht, who based part of their organization out of their Hecht Building on Atlantic Avenue next to Summer Street. Frank and Lina Hecht were some of the richest and philanthropic Bostonians of their era and represent the type of people investing heavily in the Summer Street area. At the bottom of the page, take a tour through Summer Street investigating the makeup, transportation options, and people of Summer Street!

147-185 Summer Street is a historic part of Boston located snuggly against South Station. Both my parcel and the area surrounding summer street evolved greatly throughout time as capital investment and business entered the area. Notice the difference in land allocation for buildings in the late1800s versus the 1900s, most of the space between buildings and behind them has been swallowed up for development. Summer street was also a place of bustling traffic due to the triangular intersection between High Street, Summer Street, and Federal Street. In addition to this street traffic, rail transit such as the Dorchester Tunnel line moves directly across 147-185 Summer Street and stops at South Station. In addition, the Atlantic Ave Elevated line (el) runs perpendicular to Summer street and also makes a stop at South Station. Finally, perpendicular to Summer Street on Atlantic Avenue is the Hecht Building, which evolved from a wool warehouse into a bustling factory under the helm of Jacob Hecht. Jacob's wife, Lina Hecht, would go on to be one of the most notable philanthropists alongside her husband and is an iconic historic figure in Boston’s Jewish community. 

Yellow = 147-185 Summer Street

Red = the site of the Hecht Building

Citations found below

In addition to being a part of historic Boston, Summer street is still around today located in the Financial District. Summer Street is a bustling area that not only connects Boston with a majority of it's financial institutions, but also to South Station, the southern portal into and out of the city.