Sweeping Through Bromfield Street

From Dave Brigham:

In what seems another lifetime, I used to walk the streets of Boston, much as I do now, except I did it for money. Wait, that doesn't sound right. I wasn't a hustler. I worked in the mailroom for a real estate publishing company, and then as a proofreader/mail guy for an accounting firm. In those capacities, I occasionally had to deliver documents or pick up paperwork in the city's financial district and environs. One of my favorite places to wander was Bromfield Street, a short thoroughfare that runs between Tremont and Washington streets. Today it still retains some of the old-world Boston charm that I fell in love with back in the 1990s, but gentrification is well under way. I recently walked along the street again. Here's what I found....

The building on the left with the lovely gold leaf detail is 45 Bromfield Street, home to the DrinkMaster Bartending School, Bromfield Jewelers and other businesses. On the right is the former Massachusetts Bible Society store, now home to Bosworth Place, which offers short-term office rentals. The Jenga-looking tower looming in the background is 45 Province, a luxury condo development with prices ranging from $725,000 to $4.25 million. Like just about every neighborhood in Boston, this one near Downtown Crossing is changing rapidly.

(The totally awesome front door to Bosworth Place, located on Bosworth Street.)

This is quite a juxtaposition: The Watch Hospital, which opened in the late 1950's, and the Amazing Intimates & Smoke Shop. The watch store, unfortunately, wound down last fall, due to rising rents and decreasing business. As the reporter in the Boston Globe article linked to in the previous sentence indicates, "But these days, with more people using smartphones as personal clocks, and the cost to keep the lights on climbing, the shop and its staff have cut back." I suspect the Amazing store will last at least a little while longer. You can't digitize personal pleasure products. Well, not entirely.

Despite the less-than-optimal quality of this picture, it tells the story of how Boston is changing. On the right edge of this photo is 32-36 Bromfield, home to Shed's BBQ and I'm not sure what else. Small office tenants, I reckon. This building, which I wish I'd shot more of, went up in 1870 as the headquarters of the Methodist Boston Wesleyan Association. Check out this photo from 1973.

The three-story building in the middle of the photo is a historical gem. This is 20-30 Bromfield, which, according to Wikipedia, is one of the few surviving 19th century commercial granite structures in downtown Boston.

The building originally had five sections, but the pair on the left side were torn down to make way for construction of the Washington Building next door. The building at 20-30 Bromfield was designated a Boston Landmark by the Boston Landmarks Commission in 1983.

Now, back to the photo above with the sleek modern tower piercing the airspace above Downtown Crossing. This is Millennium Tower Boston, which at 685 feet is the fourth tallest building in Boston. It occupies part of the space where local retail legend Filene's once stood. The initial project at the former retailer's site ran out of money, and the massive hole in the ground after demolition was completed left city officials and residents pissed off for years (see February 10, 2011, "Up From the Basement?"). This is what Boston has become: gleaming residential towers and hotels with no soul or personality lording their wealth and futuristic visions over the smaller, more human-scaled buildings in their midst.

Anyway...back to Bromfield Street.

Located between Shed's BBQ and the historic 20-30 Bromfield building is this gated passageway (above), which was created in 1880 when a former store was removed to ease access from the street to the back of the building, per a Boston Landmarks Commission document I found online.

Across from the 20-30 Bromfield building is this beauty (above), the former headquarters of Boston Casualty Co. On the corner of Bromfield, 42 Province Street is home to Colonial Trading Co., Bromfield Nails, Versus (an arcade bar) and Sam LaGrassa's sandwich shop, among other businesses.

On the corner of Province opposite the former Boston Casualty building is situated a competitor for Colonial Trading: Bay State Coin.

In business since 1981, Bay State Coin was previously home to John Dean Coin. I LOVE that the store pays cash for teeth. How long will this cozy little remnant of times gone by last at this spot?

Located above the coin shop is The Marliave (below), a French restaurant opened in 1885. It was closed at some point, but revived in 2008. I ate here once, near the end of my tenure at the previously mentioned accounting firm. I don't recall what I ate, and my recollection of the vibe of the restaurant is dim, but I recall feeling out of place in a dusty, fusty place that was perhaps past its prime. My boss, who I believe had strong French ancestry, insisted on taking me here when I announced I was taking another job.

I love the detail above this entrance to the Washington Building (below), home to Sidebar Boston, among other businesses.

Next to the Washington Building is the Diamond & Jewelers Building, with this elegant, yet shuttered, entryway (below).

The Diamond & Jewelers Building's heyday as home to numerous artisans trading in gold, silver, jewels and engraving is long past.

Across the street from the Diamond & Jewelers building, which is on the corner of Washington Street, sits this fetching entryway to a former jewelry and luggage store.

Most recently there was a City Sports store here. But it, too, closed. There's a good chance that this building and others along the north side of Bromfield (not including the old Boston Casualty building) will soon be torn down. New York City-based Midwood Investment & Development bought several parcels along Washington and Bromfield streets more than a decade ago, including the location of the erstwhile City Sports building, as well as the former locations of an AT&T store and Payless ShoeSource store and other businesses, including my friend Nancy's favorite store, Bromfield Pen.

Midwood has proposed a stunning, 700-foot-tall building featuring apartments, condos and retail options. Dubbed One Bromfield, the building would be one of the five tallest in the city, according to this 2016 report. If you want to see the plans, check out this web site. The plan is "under official review," according to the Bldup web site.

We travel now from the possible future to the distant past.

This plaque below The Marliave's outdoor patio memorializes Governor's Alley, a pre-American Revolution narrow street that led to the stables and rear grounds of the long-gone Province House, per the plaque. Built in 1679 for a merchant, the Province House was the home of governors of the province of the Massachusetts Bay Colony from 1715 until after the Revolution.

(The rear of 45 Bromfield, referenced above, along Bosworth Street.)

(The rear of 100 Tremont Street, on the corner of Bromfield. This building is home to, among other businesses, the Beantown Pub.)

Leaving the Greater Bromfield Area and heading toward Government Center, I saw a few more things of interest.

(I'm somewhat obsessed with getting a good shot of the Tremont Temple Baptist Church. This isn't that shot. Opened in 1896, the church features a large auditorium, ground-floor retail shops, and upper-story offices, per Wikipedia. I can never get good light when I walk by the church, and there isn't enough space on the opposite side of Tremont Street to get a good angle either. Below is a Google Maps image to give you a sense of the place.)

(Here we have a two-fer: the gold plaque at the top recognizes that on this site [School Street] from 1748-1844 stood the Boston Latin School. The school, founded in 1635, originally was located on the opposite side of the street; it has stood on Avenue Louis Pasteur in the Longwood area since 1922. The lower plaque notes that the Parker House [known now as the Omni Parker House] has operated on its corner of Tremont and School streets since 1856. "Among the illustrious patrons of the Parker House were Charles Dickens, Ulysses S. Grant and John F. Kennedy," the plaque says.)

(Located on the sidewalk outside the Omni Parker House, right below a window sign reminding passersby that the hotel is the birthplace of Boston Cream Pie, is this plaque about the infamous night of April 18, 1775 when Paul Revere saw two lights in the North Church and set out on his famous ride. "THIS VIEW PRESERVED FOR ALL FUTURE GENERATIONS BY CHARLES HILGENHURST AND COLLEAGUES OF THE BOSTON REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY IN THE YEAR 1960." If you can stand outside the Omni Parker and see what is now called Old North Church in the North End, I will eat my tri-cornered hat. OK, I like that last sentence, so I'm keeping it. Turns out, however, that you can still see the church, but it's difficult since the MBTA elevated the new head house of the Government Center T station.)

(Last, and certainly not least, is this plaque at 10 Tremont Street commemorating several events of historic significance. On this site in 1789, President George Washington stayed at Joseph Ingersoll's Inn, the plaque tells us. Also, in 1825, Daniel Webster -- Massachusetts Senator and U.S. Secretary of State -- practiced law in the same building, according to The Next Phase Blog. This is also the spot where S.S. Pierce & Co., a wholesaler and grocer, got its start in 1831. Of course, none of these things happened in the building that stands at this location now, which dates to the late 19th century.)