Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Boston City Hall




In 1962 three professors at Columbia University won a nationwide competition, among 256 submissions, to design the Boston City Hall. In 1976, the American Institute of Architects nominated Boston City Hall as the SIXTH greatest building in American history! Wow! Well, those guys certainly do not live in Boston. Bostonians do not think much of the place and long for the pre-urban renewal days of Scollay Square. On December 12, 2006, Mayor Menino proposed selling this building, and the adjacent 8 acres of City Hall Plaza, to private developers. At that point a group of preservationists and architects filed a petition with the Boston Landmarks Commission to grant the building a special landmark status. Seems to be a quid pro quo at this point: No attempt to sell, then no status as a special landmark.

The Park Street Church

The Park Street Church was founded in 1829 by a group of 26 Bostonians in opposition to the growth of Unitarianism. This church is steeped in history. During the War of 1812, gunpowder was stored in the basement. In 1829, the abolitionist, William Lloyd Garrison, delivered his first anti-slavery address from the pulpit. In 1910, the Boston Chapter of the N.A.A.C.P. was organized here. In 1923, the oldest radio ministry in the United States began here. In 1949, Billy Graham's evangelistic crusades were introduced into Boston from this church.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

John F. Kennedy Federal Office Building

Perfect weather in Beantown today. The John F. Kennedy Federal Office Building rises above City Hall Plaza. This 26-story tower was constructed circa 1967.