Established in 1890

When you walk along the Muddy River, it is easy to mistake it for a natural remnant of the New England landscape. It isn't. It is wholly man-made. Or should we say, Olmsted-made. 

Established in 1879

As quickly as the Back Bay developed, another problem festered. A mill company's dam's basin became an increasingly noxious open sewer, particularly at low tide. Even then, pollution was a problem, and Bostonians demanded a solution. 

Enter Frederick Law Olmsted. He proposed to flush out the stagnant waterway and add naturalistic plantings to emulate the original tide marsh ecology of the Fenway area. His plan was true to both the character of the land and the needs of the growing population. 

Established 1856 - 1888

In Colonial times, this area known as Back Bay was literally that: an inland bay alongside the peninsula on which Boston was established. Twice a day the Atlantic tides would send cleansing waves up the Charles River to flood it. That is, until the 1820s, when an enterprising mill company built a dam along what is now Beacon Street. 

The St. Botolph Area Architectural Conservation District Commission (SBAACDC) meets on the third Wednesday of each month to review proposed exterior work. Interested in becoming a commissioner? Please see details about nomination in the district's Study Report and check the commission information section at the bottom of this page.