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Fields Corner Update
A large building with ghosts of brick arches dominates the heart of Fields Corner, hinting at how this bustling, diverse neighborhood has changed.
Until recently, no one remembered that the arch remnants on the south facade of the Field Building, known locally today as the o’Hearn storage Building, once opened into a music hall, built in 1886 and designed by local architect Edwin J. Lewis, Jr.
Historic Boston Incorporated is helping to uncover the hidden history of this commercial district and is working with building owners to use that history to inspire building improvements and development projects that help revitalize the neighborhood.
“Fields Corner is home to a number of historically important buildings—some of whose significance we are only just discovering—and there is a great opportunity to rehabilitate them and to preserve the unique and historic character of the neighborhood,” said Jeffrey Gonyeau, Senior Program Manager of HBI’s Historic Neighborhood Centers program.
Preservation-focused rehabilitation projects may allow building owners to tap into new financial resources while making significant improvements to their property and to the neighborhood.
The first step has been to research and document the history of some of the more prominent buildings in the neighborhood and to discover a past that has been forgotten.
Fields Corner takes its name from the Field family, who lived at and operated businesses near the intersection of Dorchester Avenue and Adams Street in the 19th century.
Henry Field built the large Field Building on his family land, in which the Post Office is now located, and which once housed the Dorchester Music Hall. The Music Hall initially hosted high-brow concerts and musical stage events, but by 1900 it was used more for political meetings and campaign rallies. The windows were bricked up and two floors subdivided in the early 20th century when it was converted to storage use by Patrick O’Hearn, turning it from a three-story into a five-story structure.
As HBI and its community partners document the rich history of the neighborhood, they are also approaching owners about potential rehabilitation projects. HBI could play a variety of roles in these projects from providing technical and pre-development assistance to undertaking the project directly. HBI has hired an architect to design a demonstration project at 1510 to 1514 Dorchester Avenue. The Amory Architects has designed a conceptual façade rehabilitation based on historic photographs and details that survive on the building. The design package identifies architectural elements that could be restored or preserved. It also includes a detailed scope of work with associated costs, and identifies potential resources to help finance the project, such as grants, historic tax credits, and loans.
“We hope to provide building owners with a vision for how their property can be improved,” Gonyeau said. “By combining this vision with tools and assistance to complete these projects, we can benefit their tenants, accomplish historic preservation objectives, and contribute to the wider economic revitalization of the neighborhood.”