The Architecture of Atlantic Avenue

In order to discuss the architecture of 359-439 Atlantic it is first and foremost important to understand the architecture of the era, and the purpose of the buildings being examined. The late nineteenth to early twentieth centuries were a time of rapid progress for the City of Boston. Major throughways, and public transit were becoming integral parts of the city as jobs became more plentiful for those willing to take the leap into city life. The architecture of the time reflected this theme of rapid change, with simplistic facades, and squared off shapes to reflect the need for purpose rather than for aesthetics. At the turn of the twentieth century this area was up and coming but also vital due to the wharves that lined one side of a major road, Atlantic Avenue. To hone in once again on 359-439 Atlantic Avenue, the architecture was simplistic yet efficient. As depicted in the pictures to the left, the buildings range from three stories to six stories, and with the exception of one outlier at 397 Atlantic that happened to be made of wood, every building has a brick exterior. Window designs varied, which is demonstrated by the intricate design of 439 Atlantic (right side of bottom image), and the simplistic design of 405 Atlantic's windows (leftmost building in top image). Some buildings appear to have shingled roofs while others are flat. The differences between buildings reflect the differences in ownership, and in function.