SH Archive 1874 Boston Post Office. Demolished in 1929.

[KD Archive]

The old post office at Post Office Square in Boston which was demolished in 1929. This post office was under construction during the Great Boston Fire of 1872. It allegedly opened its doors for business in 1874.

Below are a few demolition images followed by a link to where these, and quite a few more zoomable photographs could be examined. Yup, this is one of those "forever gone" buildings.

​

Sources:

• Digital Commonwealth: U.S. Post Office being torn down.
• Post Office, Boston - Lost New England
• Post Office Square, Boston - Wikipedia

* * * * *
​

The first link above is the one with multiple archived images. Posting this thread for those knowledgeable to see if there is anything out of the ordinary in this 1872-74 building.

Note: This OP was recovered from the Wayback Archive.

Note: Archived Sh.org replies to this OP are included in this thread.

 

[BStankman]

Note: This post was recovered from the Sh.org archive.
Username: BStankman
Date: 2018-09-22 10:18:27
Reaction Score: 2

Wow, who destroys something like this?
And replaces it with an Art Deco evolved from Egyptian revival style building.
John W. McCormack Post Office and Courthouse

This name again. Ralph Adams Cram of Cram & Ferguson, Knight of Pythias. Tartary - an Empire hidden in history. It was bigger than Russia once...

The Art Deco and Moderne structure was designed in a collaboration between the Supervising Architect of the United States Treasury Department and the Boston architectural firm of Cram and Ferguson.

Not from the same Art Deco building, but I think the fraternal society mission is pretty clear.
If Fraternal love held all men bound, what a beautiful world this would be!" Justus H. Rathbone, Founder The Knights of Pythias

More Boston inconsistency here. Quincy Market, Boston Mass, Circa 1910
People are probably right when they say these buildings are in clear view on the east coast and everyone is too busy to notice.

 

[Archive]

Note: This post was recovered from the Sh.org archive.
Username: ISeenItFirst
Date: 2018-09-22 12:24:57
Reaction Score: 2

Odd. In my recent reading, I discovered that 1877 seems an important date. They claim that around 80-90% of extant buildings in DC were built between 1877 and 1949.
The other kicker is that reinforced concrete was only just invented at that time. Literally the first concrete building in the US was supposed the have been a residence in 1871.
From wiki: "Before 1877 the use of concrete construction, though dating back to the Roman Empire, and having been reintroduced in the early 1800s, was not yet a proven scientific technology."

I'm not sure that this is reinforced concrete here, there is definitely a lot of brick and steel, and some portions also look like reinforced concrete.

See some hoses that look like pneumatic lines, but don't see anyone working a pneumatic drill or jackhammer, which should have been long available at this time. No sight of any pneumatic generator either. I take it back, found a jackhammer guy and a pneumatic generator. I knew those looked liked pneumatic lines.

Also there are duplicate sculptures. Might they have been molded? Would have liked a better look at those.

 

[KD Archive]

Note: This post was recovered from the Sh.org archive.
Username: KorbenDallas
Date: 2018-09-22 20:24:21
Reaction Score: 0

Also there are duplicate sculptures. Might they have been molded? Would have liked a better look at those.

The linked website allows to zoom in pretty good.

This name again. Ralph Adams Cram of Cram & Ferguson, Knight of Pythias.

L’ecole de Beaux Arts in France was the common denominator for quite a few of the most famous architects. They were building these after studying there.

 

[Archive]

Note: This post was recovered from the Sh.org archive.
Username: ISeenItFirst
Date: 2018-09-22 20:52:15
Reaction Score: 1

The linked website allows to zoom in pretty good.
L’ecole de Beaux Arts in France was the common denominator for quite a few of the most famous architects. They were building these after studying there.

Wasn't that also where the first cave painting discoverer attended?

 

[KD Archive]

Note: This post was recovered from the Sh.org archive.
Username: KorbenDallas
Date: 2018-09-22 22:53:46
Reaction Score: 1

Wasn't that also where the first cave painting discoverer attended?

I think that guy went to one of the Expos.

 

[JWW427]

Note: This post was recovered from the Sh.org archive.
Username: JWW427
Date: 2019-08-29 19:48:38
Reaction Score: 1

In the name of all that's sacred, WHY?