1930 Tyng Pictorial Historical Map of Boston Common, Boston, Massachusetts

This is Griswold Tyng's 1930 pictorial historical map of Boston Common and its surroundings in Boston, Massachusetts.

A Closer Look

Coverage includes Boston Common, the Public Garden, and portions of Beacon Hill. Throughout and surrounding the map are illustrations and text discussing important local figures, buildings, and events, including the various features of the Common itself, such as the Frog Pond, the Parkman Bandstand, and the Brewer Fountain. The gold-domed Massachusetts State House stands at the top towards the right, at the intersection of Beacon and Park Streets. These sites are all labeled with either a number or a letter and listed in an index at the bottom right.

Historical allusions range from the earliest English settlers to relatively recent events such as the Civil War or the 19th-century philanthropists who helped pay for the beautification of the Common and the establishment of the Public Garden. Tyng emphasizes the importance of the Common as a center for civic engagement and the struggle for freedom, whether independence from the British or the fight against slavery.

A dashed line at the center towards the left indicates the city's original shoreline, some 2,000 feet from the nearest point of the modern shoreline, demonstrating the degree of land reclamation over the centuries. Inset illustrations and maps in the corners depict the Common in 1630, 1730, and 1830, charting its evolution from a cow pasture to a great public space.

The Boston Common

The Boston Common, established in 1634, is the oldest public park in the United States and a defining feature of Boston's historic landscape. Originally set aside as a communal grazing ground for livestock by the Puritan settlers, the Common quickly became a central gathering place for civic, military, and social activities. Over the centuries, it has served a variety of roles - from a campsite for British troops during the American Revolution to a venue for public hangings, protests, and political rallies. As Boston grew, the Common evolved from a utilitarian space to a landscaped public park.

Publication History and Census

This map was drawn by Griswold Tyng and published by Little, Brown, and Co. It is undated, but from context, it can be dated with a high degree of certainty as c. 1930, in tandem with the city's tercentenary. The map is noted in the OCLC among the holdings of eight institutions and in the David Rumsey Historical Map Collection.