Living on Brewer street as a child, the municipal parking lot at Thomas street was something I took for granted. Out of purely personal curiosity, I've been trying to find out for a while exactly when the parking lot was built. I've found references to local businesses and the city trying to locate a parking lot in the area going back to 1954, but until now I couldn't find mention of the actual site selection and construction. I would have kept this trivia to myself - I can't imaging that anyone cares but me - but for one fact mentioned in passing in the article. The one unnamed building set for demolition would have been the the old G.A.R. building, also used as a school house for a time, and originally built as the town hall. You can see the building's location in this 1874 map. I don't suppose it occurred to anyone to take a picture of the building before they demolished it.
Jamaica Plain Citizen April 4, 1957
Bids Out For Parking Facility
Will Hold 70 Cars On Site Of Thomas St.
The City of Boston Real Property Board announced this week it is advertising for proposals for the construction of a suburban off street parking facility on the northerly side of Thomas st. near the heart of the Jamaica Plain business district. There is but one building located on Thomas street to be demolished, Commissioner Carp said. The remainder of the property is vacant.
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There is a picture of the G.A.R. building on page 91 in the book titled Jamaica Plain by Anthony Mitchell Sammarco from the Images of America series. Too bad this fairly historically important building wasn't protected.
ReplyDeleteLove your site, btw!
Coincidence - I just saw that picture two days ago!
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