Boston, Massachusetts, USA (East, North, South) (Allston) (Readville) (Roslindale)
1854 - Boston

Boston, a city and seaport, seat of justice of Suffolk county, Massachusetts, and capital of the state, is situated at the western extremity of Massachusetts bay. By rail road, it is 464 miles N. E. from Washington ; 236 miles N. E. from New York ; 200 miles E. by S. from Albany ; 111 miles S. S. W. from Portland ; 43 miles N. N. E. from Providence ; 76 miles S. S. E. from Concord ; and 124 miles N. E. from Hartford. Lat. of the state house, 42° 21' 22" N., Ion. 71° 4' 9" W. The city consists of three parts, Boston Proper, East Boston, and South Boston. Boston Proper, or Old Boston, occupies a peninsula embracing about 700 acres; the surface is very uneven, and in three places rises into hills of considerable elevation, the highest being 138 feet above the level of the sea. A narrow isthmus, or "Neck," as it is called, a little more than a mile in length, joins the peninsula to the mainland of Roxbury on the south. This Neck, once overflowed by the tides, was the only passage to the city till the year 1786, and by fortifying it in the early part of the revolution, the British were enabled to cut off all intercourse between Boston and the surrounding country. It has since been raised, and made much wider, so that at present there are four broad avenues leading over it from Roxbury to Boston. Besides these thoroughfares, seven bridges connect Boston Proper with East Boston, South Boston, and the mainland. The first one built was the Charles River bridge, 1503 feet long, leading to Charlestown. It was opened for travel on the eleventh anniversary of the battle of Bunker's Hill, June 17th, 1786. The Old Cambridge bridge, 2758 feet in length, with a causeway of 3432 feet extending across Charles River to Cambridge road, was completed in 1793. The South Boston bridge, 1550 feet long, leading from the Neck to South Boston, was opened in 1805. Canal Bridge, 2796 feet in length, connecting Boston with Lechmere Point, was finished in 1809. From the centre of this bridge another bridge, 1820 feet in length, ex tends to Prison Point, in Charlestown. Boston Free bridge, about 500 feet in length, leading to South Boston, and Warren bridge, 1,390 feet long, leading to Charlestown, were finished in 1828. In addition to these, the Western avenue, about 1 1/ 2 miles long, and from 60 to 100 feet wide, extends from the foot of Beacon street to Sewell's Point in Brookline. It is built upon a substantial dam, which is constructed across the bay, enclosing an area of about 600 acres. By means of a cross-dam, this enclosure is divided into two large basins, which, by the aid of tide-gates, are filled at flood tides, thereby creating a vast hydraulic power, at all times available. The partition dam also forms the basis of a branch avenue lending from the main one to Roxbury. The entire work was completed in 1821, at a cost of over $600,000. With the exception of Western avenue, all the others leading from the city, either are or will be come, at a given time, the property of the state, and free for public use. The various railroads conducting into the city proper have bridges constructed expressly for their accommodation. Places in the vicinity, not reached by any of these thoroughfares, communicate with Boston by means of steam- ferries...

Among the public buildings, the state house from its position is the most conspicuous. It stands on the summit of Beacon Hill, fronting the common. It was erected in 1798 on ground termed in the grant, "Governor Hancock's pasture." The edifice is 173 feet long, and 61 feet wide, with a dome 50 feet in diameter, and 30 feet high, the summit of which is about 120 feet from the ground, and 230 feet above the level of the sea. The view which is afforded from the cupola is unsurpassed by anything in the United States, if not in the world. Every portion of the city is before the eye of the beholder. The harbor is spread out towards the east, embosoming a multitude of beautiful islands, and whitened with a thousand sails. On the other hand is an illimitable expanse of country adorned with fruitful fields, and every where dotted over with elegant villas and flourishing villages ; while to the north towers Bunker Hill monument, marking the place where the first great battle of the Revolution was fought. The number of persons who visited the cupola of the state house from April to November, 1849, was 62,430. On the entrance-floor stands a fine statue of Washington, by Chantrey. The representatives' hall is in the centre on the principal floor, the senate chamber in the east, and the governor's and council chamber in the west wing. The old state house is still standing at the upper end of State street, on the site occupied as the seat of government in Massachusetts 140 years. The first building was erected in 1659, (afterwards destroyed by fire;) the second in 1714, (also destroyed by fire:) and the present one in 1748. Faneuil Hall, the "Cradle of Liberty," as it is called, is an object of much interest, as being the place where the orators in the days of Hancock and Adams roused the people to resistance against British oppression. It is situated in Dock square, and is 100 feet long, 80 wide, and 3 stories high. The hall is 76 feet square, and 28 feet high, with deep galleries on three sides. The building was presented to the citizens, in 1742, by Peter Faneuil, Esq. Faneuil Hall Market, immediately east of Faneuil Hall, on Dock street, was at the time of its erection the handsomest market-house in the United States. It is upwards of 500 feet long, 60 feet wide, and two stories high, with a dome. The second story, called Quincy Hall, is so constructed that it can be occupied as several apartments, or thrown into one, as occasion may require. The building was erected in 1826, at a cost of about $150,000. There are several other markets in the city, besides those at East Boston and South Boston. The custom house is near the head of Long Wharf, fronting both on Commerce street and on the harbor. It is built of granite, in the form of a cross, and surmounted by a dome, the top of which is 90 feet from the ground. The foundations rest upon 3000 piles. Its length is 140 feet ; width, including the projections of the cross, 95 feet. Each front has a portico of six Doric columns - each a single stone, costing about $5000. The entire cost of the building was upwards of $1,000,000. The Merchants' Exchange is a magnificent fire-proof building, situated on the south side of State street. It has 76 feet front, and extends back 250 feet to Lindall street, covering 13,000 feet of ground. The front is composed of Quincy granite, with four pilasters, each a single stone 45 feet high, and weighing about 55 tons. The roof is of wrought iron, covered with galvanized sheet-iron. The great central hall, 80 feet by 68, is occupied as the Merchants' Exchange and reading room. In the basement is the city post- office. The building was finished in 1842, and cost, exclusive of the ground, $175,000. The city hall, a granite building, consisting of an octagon centre with wings, is located on a plat of ground between Court Square and School street. The court house, also of granite, is in Court square between the city hall and Court street. It contains the rooms of the city, county, and United States courts. The city prison, consisting of a centre building in the form of an octagon with four wings extending in opposite directions, is near the foot of Cambridge street. Masonic Temple, in which the Freemasons have a lodge, is on Tremont street, fronting the Common. The new Tremont Temple, erected on the site of the one burnt in 1852, is on Tremont street, opposite the Tremont House. The main hall, which is on the upper floor, is 130 feet by about 73, and 45 feet in height, having galleries on three sides, with eight separate flights of stairs. Directly under this hall are 18 rooms, averaging about 16 feet in width, and from 32 to 38 feet in length. Fronting on Tremont street are four rooms occupied as stores, in the rear of which are two others, each 32 feet by 16, and a vestry, 73 feet by 33. Still farther in the rear is another hall or chapel, 73 feet by 53, with a ceiling 25 feet high. In a recess at one end of the great hall stands one of the largest organs in America. It is 45 feet high, and 36 feet wide, containing 70 stops and 3010 pipes. The Boston Music Hall, completed in 1852, fronts both on Winter street and on Bumstead place. The length of the central hall is 130 feet; width 80 feet; height 65 feet. The Fitchburg railroad depot, at the corner of Causeway and Haverhill streets, was at the time of its completion the handsomest railroad edifice in the United States, and cost upwards of $70,000.

In Boston there are nearly a hundred churches of the various denominations, viz. Unitarian 22; Congregationalist 14; Baptist 13; Methodist 12 ; Episcopalian 1 1 ; Roman Catholic 11 ; Universalist 6, besides those of various other denominations. Christ church, (Episcopal.) built in 1723, is the oldest church edifice in Boston. The Old South Meeting house, erected in 1730, is the next. From the great historical interest connected with this church, it is selected for the annual election sermon, preached before the governor and general court.

The wharves and warehouses of Boston are on a scale of magnitude and grandeur surpassed by no other city of equal population. The N. and E. sides of Old Boston are lined with wharves and docks, which, taken together, make up an aggregate length of over 5 miles. Many of them are stupendous structures. Long wharf, lined with spacious warehouses, extends into the harbor 1800 feet ; T wharf reaches from the centre nearly to the outer extremity of this wharf on the X. side, and is parallel to it. The two are united by means of a short cross-wharf. The next S. of Long wharf is Centre wharf, 1379 feet long, with a uniform range of ware houses four stories high, throughout its whole extent. The custom house is situated between these two, on Commercial street. Still farther S. is India wharf, 980 feet in length, and from 246 to 280 in breadth, having a range of lofty warehouses in the centre. Here are found vessels from China and India. The most important N. of these are Commercial wharf, Lewis's wharf, and the Eastern Railroad wharf. Commercial wharf and Lewis's wharf are each occupied by a range of massive granite warehouses. On the Eastern Railroad wharf, the landing of the East Boston ferry, there are two such ranges, with an avenue between leading to the station house...

The total value of foreign imports into Boston for 1850 amounted to $29,909,376; 1851, $31,350,553; 1852, $33,987,144.

There were in December, 1852, 32 banks in Boston, with an aggregate capital of $24,660,000; circulation, $8,304,591 ; specie, $2,784,792 ; proportion of circulation to one dollar of specie, $2.98; amount of circulation and deposits, $18,597,678. Five other banks have since gone into operation. There were 18 insurance companies, with resources to the amount of $6,783,172, and liabilities amounting to $5,955,060. The assessed value of real and personal property in Boston, in 1851, was about $187,000,000, on which a tax was collected at the rate of $7 on $1000, to the amount of $1,350,000.

The expense of the city police for the year ending May 1st, 1852, was $49,737, and of watch for the same period, $95,645. The entire cost of the Boston water-works up to January 1st, 1852, amounted to $5,185,711. The cost of introducing water into East Boston was $306,980. During the year 1852, a loan of $100,000 was made for the balance of the temporary water debt, at 41 per cent., payable in 20 years, in London. The total amount of city debt, May 1st, 1853, was $1,830,000.

The want of river advantages is supplied to Boston by railroads, of which seven great lines terminate in this city. There are lines of railway recently completed, opening communication with the St. Lawrence river at Ogdenshurg in New York and La Prairie in Canada, and another in process of construction through Maine, that is to connect with Montreal. The Great Western line extends through Albany, Buffalo, Detroit, and Chicago, and when completed, will connect with the Mississippi at two points, Galena and Rock Island...

Among the principal hotels of Boston may be named the following : - The Tremont House, on Tremont street; the Revere House, on Bowdoin square; the American House, on Hanover street; the Winthrop House, on Tremont street, and the Adams House, on Washington street. Most of the above are first class hotels...

The Indian name of the Boston peninsula was Shawmut, signifying Living Fountains. From the peculiar conformation of its surface, the first settlers called it Tremont, or Trimountaiu. This name, however, was soon dismissed for the present one, which was given it in honor of the Rev. John Cotton, who emigrated from Boston, Eng land. The Rev. John Blackstone was the first white inhabitant of the peninsula. Here he lived alone until the arrival of John Winthrop, the first Governor of Massachusetts, who came to Charlestown with a small party of emigrants, and having remained a short time, removed across the river in 1630...

Population, in 1800, 24,937 ; 1810, 33,250; 1820, 43,298; 1830, 61,391; 1840, 93,383; 1850, 136,881.

A New and Complete Gazetteer of the United States: Giving a Full and Comprehensive Review of the Present Condition, Industry, and Resources of the American Confederacy ... Thomas Baldwin (of Philadelphia.) Joseph Thomas January 1, 1854 Philadelphia : Lippincott, Grambo & Company 1854.

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