Cove Tenement Housing
THE OWNERSHIP OF THE COVE STREET TENEMENT HOUSE
The Cove Street Tenement has been followed in this parcel during most of the late 19th century. Starting at 1882 until the erasure of the street in 1898, the tenement buildings can be seen passed down.
1: Sanborn, Atlas of the City of Boston, 1882.
Shown is the first indication of Tenement buildings in 1882.
2: Bromley, Atlas of the City of Boston, Mass, 1888.
Following the 1882 display of the tenement building is in 1888, when Richard Burke became the landowner.
3: Bromley, Atlas of the city of Boston, city proper and Roxbury, 1890.
The 1890 Bromley map displayed the tenement building as a continuing ownership with Richard Burke.
4: Bromley, Atlas of the City of Boston, 1895.
The final image of the Cove Street tenement is seen in 1895, before Cove Street is gone, with new ownership: W.J. Corbett.
5: South End Occupied Tenement Housing, 1933.
TENEMENT HOUSING: WHAT THEY ARE AND HOW THEY WERE PRICED
Tenements are prolifically known in history as housing sites where multiple people rented out a small space within a building. Used in times of economic crises, these living spaces were rented out by the square foot to allocate price for space usage. Tenement living was a key factor of the life in Cove Street. For multiple years ranging in the 19th century, Cove Street was home to a tenement building passed on through generations. Above is an example of a Tenement Building located near Cove Street in the South End to provide an idea of what the Cove Street building could have been constructed as. This parcel had one tenement house at the beginning of the street that would be sold at around half a dollar for a few square feet. This price was allocated in order to be reasonable for residents of lower incomes but at the same time take enough money for the landowner to make a profit.
6: Boston Daily Globe, REAL ESTATE MATTERS.: Tenements and Spites Are in Big Demand, 1894.
THE UPKEEP OF THE COVE TENEMENT
Boston Globe articles preached that the sanitary upkeep of the infrastructure of the building was not up to par. Residents of this tenement were known to keep their designated habitats clean and well maintained, yet the landowner of this tenement on Cove Street, along with a few others located in the North End and the West End, put an order for the removal of the residents. Due to sanitary issues on the Landowners part, such as forgetting to update the products held within the tenements, the tenement population had to be relocated to areas that were no longer affordable. Many residents were outraged, such as a young widow with a family of five that did not see it realistically feasible to find a new living space in such a short amount of time, a Boston Daily Globe article stated. This outrage was met similarly when the Atlantic Rail company bought out other major buildings within Cove Street in order to make way for the Cove Bridge that would face the Atlantic Avenue train.Â
7: Boston Daily Globe, HEALTHIER CONDITIONS: Must Exist in South Cove, Say the Health Board, 1893.
The Removal
The tenement housing saw major push back in the late 19th century from poor upkeep, as many officials believed that the tenement was too close to other buildings and was not up to code on its updated infrastructure. With most of the residents from the Cove Street Tenement relocated to different areas of the city, the tenement ultimately faced its demolition once construction on the bridge along Cove Street was pushed through. The most unsatisfactory ending of this narrative on the parcel was that residents living in these tenement houses were forced out of their homes ultimately left with no place to go due to little money. The harsh reality of removal is stark here and upsetting to ponder where most of these residents ended up.
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: Sanborn. Insurance Maps of Boston. New York : Sanborn Map & Publishing Co., 1882. Boston Public Library, via Atlascope.
Figure 2: Bromley, George Washington. Atlas of the City of Boston, Mass. Philadelphia : G.W. Bromley & Co., 1888. Boston Public Library, via Atlascope.
Figure 3: Bromley, George Washington. Atlas of the City of Boston, Mass. Philadelphia : G.W. Bromley & Co., 1895. Boston Public Library, via Atlascope.
Figure 4: Bromley, George Washington. Atlas of the City of Boston, Boston Proper. Philadelphia : G.W. Bromley & Co., 1898. Boston Public Library, via Atlascope.
Figure 5: "Ryan Street - South End. Last house in row is occupied." Photograph. August 25, 1933. Digital Commonwealth, https://ark.digitalcommonwealth.org/ark:/50959/2801pk452 (accessed May 08, 2021).
Figure 6: "REAL ESTATE MATTERS.: TENEMENTS AND SPITES ARE IN BIG DEMAND. PAST WEEK WAS GOOD FOR BROKERS IN BUSINESS PROPERTY. "TENA DAVIS" STORE AND TENEMENT HAS BEEN TRANSFERRED." Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922), Sep 16, 1894. https://holycross.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=cas&url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/real-estate-matters/docview/497929460/se-2?accountid=11456.
Figure 7: "HEALTHIER CONDITIONS: MUST EXIST IN SOUTH COVE, SAY THE HEALTH BOARD. POOR FAMILIES MUST VACATE IN SIX DAYS OR TAKE CONSEQUENCES. SOME HOUSES ARE IN A WRETCHED STATE, AS ARE THE OCCUPANTS," 1893.Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922), Sep 28, 4. https://holycross.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=cas&url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/healthier-conditions/docview/497446281/se-2?accountid=11456.
Reference: "REAL ESTATE MATTERS.: BOSTON TERMINAL COMPANY TAKES THREE ESTATES ON FEDERAL AND COVE STS-- LARGE SALE OF PROPERTY IN DORCHESTER." 1897.Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922), Mar 24, 2. https://holycross.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=cas&url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/real-estate-matters/docview/498590405/se-2?accountid=11456.