Washington Street Elevated
Encyclopedia
The Washington Street Elevated was an elevated segment of Boston's Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
subway system, comprising the southern stretch of the Orange Line
(named after the original name for a section of Washington St, Orange St.). It ran from Chinatown
through the South End
and Roxbury
, ending in Forest Hills
in Jamaica Plain
. The initial portion of the line, which ran from Dover (now East Berkeley) Street to Dudley Square
opened in 1901, while the extension south to Forest Hills was completed by 1909.
The Washington Street Elevated was abandoned and torn down in 1987, replaced by a long-planned reroute some distance to the west, following the Southwest Corridor
that had originally been planned for Interstate 95
through Boston. During 2002, the MBTA deployed bus rapid transit
along much of the route from Dudley Square to Downtown Crossing
in the form of Phase I of the controversial Silver Line
; while significant effort was made to optimize the street routes for bus travel, there was considerable neighborhood criticism for reducing the number of available stops.
and originally featured much in the way of ornamentation and architectural prowess. By the time the "El" closed, however, much of this detail had been lost to decades of decay, neglect and cost-cutting. Forest Hills Station was designed by Edmund March Wheelwright and was quite different from the other stations along the line. The majority of stations were scrapped; however, Northampton Station was sold to the Seashore Trolley Museum
(Kennebunkport, Maine
) and still exists there. Parts of Dudley Station
were saved and incorporated into the current bus station.
The stations themselves were:
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, often referred to as the MBTA or simply The T, is the public operator of most bus, subway, commuter rail and ferry systems in the greater Boston, Massachusetts, area. Officially a "body politic and corporate, and a political subdivision" of the...
subway system, comprising the southern stretch of the Orange Line
Orange Line (MBTA)
The Orange Line is one of the four subway lines of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. It extends from Forest Hills in Jamaica Plain, Boston in the south to Oak Grove in Malden, Massachusetts in the north. It meets the Red Line at Downtown Crossing, the Blue Line at State, and the Green...
(named after the original name for a section of Washington St, Orange St.). It ran from Chinatown
Chinatown, Boston
The only historically Chinese area in New England, Chinatown, Boston is a neighborhood located in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. Centered on Beach Street, the neighborhood borders Boston Common, Downtown Crossing, the South End, and the Southeast Expressway/Massachusetts Turnpike.Part of it...
through the South End
South End, Boston, Massachusetts
The South End is a neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts.-Geography:The South End lies south of the Back Bay, northwest of South Boston, northeast of Roxbury, north of Dorchester, and southwest of Bay Village...
and Roxbury
Roxbury, Massachusetts
Roxbury is a dissolved municipality and current neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was one of the first towns founded in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630, and became a city in 1846 until annexed to Boston on January 5, 1868...
, ending in Forest Hills
Forest Hills, Boston
Forest Hills is a part of the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States.-Overview:As the name indicates, Forest Hills is characterized by hilly terrain and wooded areas within and adjacent to its borders...
in Jamaica Plain
Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts
Jamaica Plain is a historic neighborhood of in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded by Boston Puritans seeking farm land to the south, it was originally part of the city of Roxbury...
. The initial portion of the line, which ran from Dover (now East Berkeley) Street to Dudley Square
Dudley Square (MBTA station)
Dudley Square is a ground-level bus depot in Dudley Square, Roxbury, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, served by local buses of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and their Silver Line bus rapid transit service...
opened in 1901, while the extension south to Forest Hills was completed by 1909.
The Washington Street Elevated was abandoned and torn down in 1987, replaced by a long-planned reroute some distance to the west, following the Southwest Corridor
Southwest Corridor
The Southwest Corridor or Southwest Expressway was a project designed to bring an eight-lane highway into the City of Boston from a direction southwesterly of downtown. It was supposed to connect with Interstate 95 at Route 128...
that had originally been planned for Interstate 95
Interstate 95 in Massachusetts
Interstate 95 is the main highway on the East Coast of the United States, paralleling the Atlantic Ocean from Florida to Maine. The Massachusetts portion of the highway enters from the state of Rhode Island in Attleboro and travels in a northeasterly direction to the junction with Route 128 in...
through Boston. During 2002, the MBTA deployed bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
along much of the route from Dudley Square to Downtown Crossing
Downtown Crossing
Downtown Crossing is a shopping district in Boston, Massachusetts, located due east of Boston Common and west of the Financial District. It features large department stores as well as restaurants, music stores, souvenir sellers, general retail establishments, and many street vendors...
in the form of Phase I of the controversial Silver Line
Silver Line (MBTA)
The Silver Line is the only bus rapid transit line currently operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority . It operates in two sections; the first runs from Dudley Square in Roxbury to downtown Boston, Massachusetts and South Station, mostly via Washington Street, with buses...
; while significant effort was made to optimize the street routes for bus travel, there was considerable neighborhood criticism for reducing the number of available stops.
Stations
The Washington Street Elevated consisted of six stations, the most complex and major of which were at Dudley Square and Forest Hills. The original stations were designed by architect Alexander Wadsworth Longfellow, Jr.Alexander Wadsworth Longfellow, Jr.
Alexander Wadsworth Longfellow, Jr. was an American architect and nephew of poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.-Biography:...
and originally featured much in the way of ornamentation and architectural prowess. By the time the "El" closed, however, much of this detail had been lost to decades of decay, neglect and cost-cutting. Forest Hills Station was designed by Edmund March Wheelwright and was quite different from the other stations along the line. The majority of stations were scrapped; however, Northampton Station was sold to the Seashore Trolley Museum
Seashore Trolley Museum
The Seashore Trolley Museum, located in Kennebunkport, Maine, United States, is the world's oldest and largest museum of mass transit vehicles....
(Kennebunkport, Maine
Kennebunkport, Maine
Kennebunkport is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,720 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford metropolitan statistical area....
) and still exists there. Parts of Dudley Station
Dudley Square (MBTA station)
Dudley Square is a ground-level bus depot in Dudley Square, Roxbury, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, served by local buses of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and their Silver Line bus rapid transit service...
were saved and incorporated into the current bus station.
The stations themselves were:
| Station | Location | Opened | Transfers and notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Hills Forest Hills (MBTA station) Forest Hills Station is a station on the MBTA Orange Line, located in Forest Hills in the southern part of the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts at the intersections of Washington Street, Hyde Park Avenue, South Street, The Arborway and Morton Street.Forest Hills is the southern... |
Arborway and Washington St, Jamaica Plain | November 22, 1909 | Green Line "E" Branch (suspended from 1985), Forest Hills Cemetery Forest Hills Cemetery Forest Hills Cemetery is a historic cemetery, greenspace, arboretum and sculpture garden located in the Forest Hills section of the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. The cemetery was designed in 1848.-Overview:... |
|
| Green | Green and Washington Sts, Jamaica Plain | November 22, 1909 | ||
| Egleston | Egleston Square, Roxbury Roxbury, Massachusetts Roxbury is a dissolved municipality and current neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was one of the first towns founded in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630, and became a city in 1846 until annexed to Boston on January 5, 1868... /Jamaica Plain |
November 22, 1909 | ||
| Dudley Dudley Square (MBTA station) Dudley Square is a ground-level bus depot in Dudley Square, Roxbury, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, served by local buses of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and their Silver Line bus rapid transit service... |
Dudley Square Dudley Square Dudley Square is the primary commercial center of the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, located at the intersection of Dudley Street and Washington Street... , Roxbury |
June 10, 1901 | ||
| Northampton | Northampton St, South End | June 10, 1901 | ||
| Dover | Dover St (now East Berkeley St), South End | June 10, 1901 | ||
| Tower D junction, to Atlantic Avenue Elevated Atlantic Avenue Elevated The Atlantic Avenue Elevated was an elevated railway around the east side of downtown Boston, Massachusetts, providing a second route for the Boston Elevated Railway's Main Line around the Washington Street Tunnel... (1901-1938), Washington Street Tunnel Orange Line (MBTA) The Orange Line is one of the four subway lines of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. It extends from Forest Hills in Jamaica Plain, Boston in the south to Oak Grove in Malden, Massachusetts in the north. It meets the Red Line at Downtown Crossing, the Blue Line at State, and the Green... (1908-1987), and Tremont Street Subway Tremont Street Subway The Tremont Street Subway is a tunnel in Boston's subway system, and is the oldest subway tunnel in North America, opening on September 1, 1897. It was originally built as a tunnel to get streetcar lines off the streets, rather than a rapid transit line... (1901-1908) |
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