Atlantic Avenue and Bridge

1899 newspaper headline and illustration of proposed Cove Street extension

1: Boston Globe, Cove St Extension plans for bridge, 1899.

1911 Boston Globe headline about Cove Street bridge, Cove St Extension plans for bridge, 1899.

2: Boston Globe, New Haven's View on Cove Street Bridge, 1911.

Photograph, Atlantic Avenue at corner of Kneeland Street looking northerly, 1916.

3: Boston Mass., Atlantic Avenue at corner of Kneeland Street looking northerly, 1916.

THE ORIGINAL PROPOSAL

One of the most interesting aspects of the Cove Street parcel is the erasure of the street in early 1899. Instead of the street existing, Atlantic Avenue pushes back the houses to clear space for rail tracks. In specifics, Globe articles inspect this erasure and explain the proposal of the Cove Street Bridge Project. Occurring in the early 90’s, the Boston Railway Terminal company bought out parts of Cove Street in order to produce a bridge that would overlook the Atlantic Avenue railroad. The original proposal featured a bridge that would be fifty feet wide (until the company decided to expand another ten feet after a year of pushback) and would be used for train transportation beginning on Kneeland Street. This bridge would then cross into Cove Street, followed by Atlantic Avenue, and finally cross the water into South Boston. The original cost for this bridge was meant to be around $400,000 and allow for job opportunities in construction. The plan on paper seemed efficient and realistic, however, when the bridge was proposed to the public, the Terminal Company began to face unforeseen pushback that could be considered costly.

PUSHBACK

Although the plans for the Cove Street bridge were sound and well thought out, the company faced many challenges. Residents of Cove Street and South Boston fought back on the proposal as the introduction of this bridge would relocate much of the population. The destruction of land and property enraged many and the residents of this area in Boston saw no gain from the Bridge proposal. Already put off from the dismissal many faced from the tenement house, Cove Street residents were enraged with this idea. Through a multitude of court hearings, residents continuously would provide with one unanimous answer when officials asked at meetings if there was a push back and disagreement with the bridge proposal. South Boston residents began to push back even further on the demands of the bridge as much damage was already done on the land where the bridge would connect, therefore pleading for more money to be put into the bridge and allocated to the city in order to fix the infrastructure of the area. These setbacks for the Boston Railway Terminal Company lasted for around a year before either side found solutions.

Photograph, Atlantic Avenue from Cove Street Bridge, looking northerly, 1910

4: Boston Mass., Atlantic Avenue from Cove Street Bridge, looking northerly, 1910

Photograph, Buildings at corners of Kneeland Street and Atlantic Avenue, 1912.

5: Boston Mass., Buildings at corners of Kneeland Street and Atlantic Avenue, 1912.

AGREEMENTS

Eventually, residents of both Cove Street and South Boston came to a negotiation point. Settling for a sixty foot wide bridge, South Boston residents were able to work with the Railway Terminal Company to come to this conclusion justly. Although Cove Street residents would appear at the court trials and hearings for when the Terminal Company proposed the plan in the beginning, the people began to falter and eventually the company did not face any pushback when their final hearing came. Therefore, at the end of 1898, the Cove Street Bridge plan was advised to start and the bridge officially began construction. Working on the bridge for around a year, the final result lead to the erasure of Cove Street, leaving Atlantic Avenue to be pushed back to where Cove Street used to stand.

1899 newspaper headline, "Extension of Cove Street"

6: Boston Globe, No opposition for the Extension of Cove Street, 1899.

photograph of elevated railway, addition to cross girder opposite South Station (changes for shuttle track), 1910.

7: Boston Elevated Railway Company, Addition to cross girder opposite South Station (changes for shuttle track), 1910.

COVE STREET BRIDGE CONCLUSIONS

The Cove Street Bridge is a key factor in the life and history of Cove Street. This action can be considered the final piece of Cove Street when it no longer existed. The actions of the Boston Railway Terminal Company lead to the question of whether the bridge lead to the flourishing of this parcel or the ultimate demise. Although with the input of the bridge, Cove Street ceased to exist, it lead to helping the surrounding streets thrive in a new mode of transportation and ultimately helping the city grow into that of prosperity. Therefore, the Cove Street Bridge is important in signifying the development of the whole city and the expansion of transportation.

Parcel main

Cove Tenement Housing

Residents and Attitudes

References:

Cover Photo: Boston, Mass., "East Side of Cove Street, Boston, Mass." Photograph. 1897. Boston Athenaeum Digital Collections, https://cdm.bostonathenaeum.org/digital/collection/p16057coll41/id/9/

Figure 1: "COVE ST EXTENSION.: PLAN PROVIDES FOR A BRIDGE OVER THE TRACKS OF THE CONSOLIDATED ROAD AT A COST OF $400,000." Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922), Mar 14, 1899. https://holycross.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=cas&url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/cove-st-extension/docview/499049768/se-2?accountid=11456.

Figure 2: "FIGURES COST AT A MILLION: NEW HAVEN'S VIEW ON COVE-ST BRIDGE. RAILROAD MEN SAY THIS WOULD NOT BE SATISFACTORY. MELLEN DISCUSSES PLAN WITH CITY OFFICIAL." Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922), Mar 29, 1911. https://holycross.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=cas&url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/figures-cost-at-million/docview/501656392/se-2?accountid=11456.

Figure 3: Boston (Mass.). "Atlantic Avenue at corner of Kneeland Street looking northerly." Photograph. December 23, 1916. Digital Commonwealth, https://www.digitalcommonwealth.org/search/commonwealth-oai:h415rz90b (accessed May 08, 2021).

Figure 4: Boston (Mass.). "Atlantic Avenue from Cove Street Bridge, looking northerly." Photograph. December 23, 1910. Digital Commonwealth, https://www.digitalcommonwealth.org/search/commonwealth-oai:h415s205b (accessed May 08, 2021).

Figure 5: Boston (Mass.). "Buildings at corners of Kneeland Street and Atlantic Avenue." Photograph. May 12, 1912. Digital Commonwealth, https://www.digitalcommonwealth.org/search/commonwealth-oai:h415s2815 (accessed May 08, 2021).

Figure 6: "EXTENSION OF COVE ST.: NO OPPOSITION AT HEARING, COMMITTEE TAKES PLANS UNDER ADVISEMENT." Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922), Mar 09, 1899. https://holycross.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=cas&url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/extension-cove-st/docview/499056086/se-2?accountid=11456.

Figure 7: Boston Elevated Railway Company. "Addition to cross girder opposite South Station (changes for shuttle track)." Photograph. August 7, 1910. Digital Commonwealth, https://www.digitalcommonwealth.org/search/commonwealth-oai:h415px378 (accessed May 08, 2021).

Text Reference: "NEW COVE ST BRIDGE.: NUMEROUS ADVOCATES BEFORE THE U S ARMY ENGINEERS. STREET COMMISSIONER DORE SAYS 85,000 IN SOUTH BOSTON WANT THE STRUCTURE--HON TILLY HAYNES AND OTHERS TELL WHY IT SHOULD BE BUILT. PROTEST AGAINST BRIDGE. MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION SAY FORT POINT CHANNEL SHOULD NOT BE OBSTRUCTED, AS IS PROPOSED BY THE CITY." Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922), Dec 14, 1899. https://holycross.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=cas&url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/new-cove-st-bridge/docview/499263140/se-2?accountid=11456.

Text Reference: "COVE ST EXTENSION CHECKED.: RAILROAD AND BOSTON STREET COMMISSIONERS WATCHING EACH OTHER." Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922), Oct 04, 1898. https://holycross.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=cas&url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/cove-st-extension-checked/docview/498964747/se-2?accountid=11456.

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