Post on 25-Dec-2014
description
transcript
Mapping a Community through Time using Multiple Geographic
Resources
Roxbury, MassachusettsCompiled by Tim Rayworth
MassPLT and MA Department of Conservation and Recreation
Overview
The following slides track a neighborhood in Roxbury, MA from 1781 through 2008 using several types of geographic resources, including:
• A hand-drawn map from 1781• Fire insurance maps (Bromley and Hawkins Atlases)• A bird’s-eye view map• Aerial Photographs (Google/MassGIS)• MassGIS land use data layers viewed using OLIVER• Google maps• Google’s Street View images
Watch how the detailed area of Roxbury has changed from 1781 to 1931. Find the intersection of Centre and Bickford (marked with a star). Look especially for
• Changes in land use from agricultural to industrial• Changes to landscape features• Additions of structures and streets
OverviewBoston todayOverviewUSGS map, 7.5' series
Area of interest
Historic OverviewBoston 1781 Historic Overview
Area of interest
Roxbury 1781-3
Roxbury 1781 Detail of previous map
Roxbury 1873-3Roxbury 1873 Hawkins’ Fire Insurance Atlas
What happened to the stream?
Bromley Park will be a presence for years.
Roxbury 1886-3Roxbury 1886 Bromley’s Fire Insurance Atlas
Where did this pond come from?
Roxbury 1886-3Roxbury 1886 Bromley’s Fire Insurance AtlasRoxbury 1888 “Boston Highlands”, O.H. Bailey, Bird’s Eye(not to scale)
North
Roxbury 1899-3Roxbury 1899 Bromley’s Fire Insurance Atlas
Thomas Plant shoe factoryEstablished in 1896
School built on city lot
Roxbury 1906-3Roxbury 1906Bromley’s Fire Insurance Atlas
Roxbury 1915-3Roxbury 1915 Bromley’s Fire Insurance Atlas
Parcel developed as a park by Plant; designed by F.L. Olmstead Jr.
Roxbury 1931-3Roxbury 1931 Bromley’s Fire Insurance Atlas
There were 24 breweries in the area.The Burton Brewing company became the Moxie Soft Drink plant during prohibition.
• Data viewed in OLIVER, and online GIS tool provided by MassGIS
• Watch our corner for changes in type of urban cover.
• Watch surrounding areas for changes in use
• Note: the scale changes to include much more area
The most recent fire insurance map available is from the 1930s, so here we’ll switch to contemporary GIS resources to look at parcels by land use.
Roxbury Land Use 1971Roxbury 1971 Land-use data layer, MassGIS
Area of interest
Roxbury Land Use 1985Roxbury 1985 Land-use data layer, MassGIS
Urban Open? A devastating fire in 1976 destroyed the shoe factory (then converted to art studios and apartments), creating an area know locally as the ruins.
Area of interest
Roxbury Land Use 1999Roxbury 1999 Land-use data layer, MassGIS
Forested parcel disappears
Area of interest
Roxbury 2001-4Roxbury 2001 Orthophotos from MassGIS
Thomas Plant shoe factorysite: 1896-1976
Site of Bromley Park
Site of Plant’s Olmstead Park
Site of Burton brewery turned Moxie bottling facility
School siteLocation of Pond
Roxbury today- mapRoxbury 2008 Google Maps- map view
Streets have been rerouted and the character of the community has changed with the introduction of a housing development. Marks on this map indicate the location and direction of the street view images on the next few pages.
Roxbury today-strip mallRoxbury 2008 Google Maps- Street view
Roxbury today- Stop & ShopRoxbury 2008 Google Maps- Street view
Roxbury today- housing projectRoxbury 2008 Google Maps- Street view
Special thanks goes to Ronald E. Grim, curator of the Leventhal Map Center at the Boston Public Library for his direction, support, and provision of materials.
Sources:
• Leventhal Map Center at the Boston Public Library: http://maps.bpl.org• Boston Redevelopment Authority’s “The Boston Atlas”:
http://www.mapjunction.com/bra/• MassGIS: http://www.mass.gov/mgis/• Google Maps: https://maps.google.com• Jamaica Plain Historical Society: http://www.jphs.org/home/
Compiled by Tim Rayworth, MA Department of Conservation & RecreationContact: tim.rayworth@state.ma.us