Boston, MA – Yesterday, a curious Boston resident photographed a large opening in the side of a wall. Located on Newbury, you would never notice much unless the door in question was opened. This is exactly what happened yesterday and led to an investigation on social media.
Although it may be interesting to speculate, the truth is actually far less interesting than you may think. In short, this isn’t anything particularly spectacular but it’s also fair to say that it used to serve a key role in Boston at one point further back in time.
It turns out that this structure was originally a streetcar station, designed to accommodate vehicles entering from the front, with pedestrian access to the Green Line at Hynes Station. It has since been repurposed as an MBTA power substation. Maintenance activities are likely underway at this time.
The subway line was not initially referred to as the Green Line; this designation was adopted several years later. At that time, the subway station was known as Massachusetts. For a period, the truncated cross-section of the streetcar track was visible on the rear of the building overlooking the Massachusetts Pike.
Although this may not seem that interesting to some, it is a key reminder of years gone by and shows that Boston is perhaps a more complicated, and linked city than first meets the eye.