A Window on the Past

Sometimes, while pouring through the archives, I come across an address. It might be part of an ad or a mention in an article, but I'm always left wondering what's at that geographic point today. Most of the time the end result of my search is disappointing., humanity has a bad habit of obliterating its architectural past, but there are occasional surprises.

The photo to the right was snipped from a 1921 issue of American Cookery a now defunct cooking and lifestyle magazine. It comes from an article that, of all things, discusses American Colonial architecture and specifically Palladian type windows. It states “This famous dwelling, the work of an English architect, who built it in about 1770, is linked with American history through its use by General Gage as his headquarters during the Revolution.” That line is pretty typical of high-end magazine copy from the twenties, it looks back to the American Revolution with a reverence that British magazines reserve for royalty.

Maybe it’s not surprising that the structure still stands. After all, in a way it is the American equivalent of a royal home (in spite of the fact Gage was on the other side), tied to the birth of the nation and independence from England. If it had been the home of the local butcher or copper smith, well you’d likely be looking at a parking lot. Aside from the loss of the railing that once lined the top of the window and Google Street View's glitches, the window remains pretty much as it did nearly a hundred years ago.

I guess I shouldn’t complain about preservation when it happens. At least the place is standing, we haven't lost it to corporate greed or the need to accommodate America's ever-growing population. Suburban sprawl hasn't replaced 75 Beacon Street with The Shops at 75 Beacon Street or a Starbucks. It's more than can be said for many historic homes, regardless of how important their former occupants might have been.