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Calf Pasture Pumping Station
PUBLIC
Arch I " 3^' Submitted by:
Prof, i-duni'ci P. .SoiQer Stucrt Harwel]
Androv; liudak
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eaIf Pasture Pump.lnpj Station
Subrp.itted by:
Arch T " V'
Prof. dunr>i P. .Sokler Stur.rt j-';arv7e],]
; /indrcvr lii'.dak
Bryan Buriio.
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h >A- Pt,
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'5tn,-.t,pd ;it t[;;. tip of v;;;ut In now Coliinhia Point,
r.ov.-.^r^^r.-., 3, n ]p>^r^- c^^r^^lt. bulldlrr knov;r: as the Calf
Pasture Pu. pin.- station. Onco the heart of the Boston Sok-
ern.o Sy.ter., it row stands virtually idle and in disrepair.
It is a luildin. that easily attracts the attention of passers,
Fl^;. hv hec.uso, in oont^^st to the. nev: University of Ta ssachusett.
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tuiiriii^;-; and the CnTu-hla Point ho-s^-r -ro^pct, it Iccrrs liV
'' ''--'-•-•'. '' re::.nant of a tuijdinf^ style and tradition
lonp:
siMce ,:cne. It v;as this contrast that caught our attention an
-c:.A.t us to investi,;ate the history of this structure.
A study of the pu-oir,^ station cannot be made without
first outlining its relationship
to the ir^mense system which
it served. The Calf Pasture Pu.oing Station was the keystone
"^ "" ^°^^Pl^^: network of sewera-e and drainage known as the
Boston Jmuroved Sewera;,e 3yste:n. This system was designed to
^l->ln all of >^oston-s sewera,:o and transport it through a tun-
nel to voon Island for settlin. in a reservoir and then into
the harbor,
I'Yo"! its found In':-- u'a^-''-•^1-^T *''','• .>Vk^.-o^vi.- Tlre-.-->,'jj, noston h'as knov:n
as the town of Poston. It , U^ not have .aat could bo consider.
'""^'^^"^^ -ver...ent
'' -,.d. ., , ,.,,,,, ,,, ^^^^
^ ^ ^ ^ ^^ ^^^^^^^^^^
or nub,,. ...vi.os. d.w.^ra.e and drain..;, w^s left up to the
^-llvidu.ls or to ori.,ta contr-etors .ho construe l.nd drains
a
- • .• • • .. . ,jr-' '^
(Utoli o7' ;t5;)'' '] U'' ^n 1!" rTnrc'U". brjdy of^v.'atfr, the liarbor
dv t,!u' O'Si'iv ' •:; ilvcv, ! '; i d j-m 3 j-n'-l In.-, 1:(V,);|:(; anu h5 :~ land ii^.to
5t. At t''"''r t.^w ' , "li^!.l'•, or r.n feca] v.-a.sijc v.'n s drained i!i1;o
the survey.]]''. ^ '~r •:-'{.r-ry; ^'ar-'Vjae the. v.'ator olocct wra-, r.ot yet
In ir-'2'3, rcr:tor. -jc-c^ '. vcd a cltv charter and the Tunlcipal
Kovernn'ent be,c:an to e:^erc.ise some control and tal:e some
resoons ihi] i ty for the draina,c:e of the city. I^'ost of this
control too': the fo?'- of" rc^-ul:: ti ons to li'.i^.it th.e anount
and quality of d :'a l^-n'-e construction hy -Drivatc contractors.
From IPOO to 1P23, the city of P.oston grev; trerr.ej-idously due
to filliriP: operations carried on in Eack Bay, South 3ay th.e
,
Ro>;bury Carnal ai'ca ;,nd alor;g the harbor v;hcre Corriinercial Wharf
is today. 'I'tio aj'cas filled vrere tidal flats or svjarnps that
orif:ina]]y alinor.t iiiado the city an island except for the necl:
•tliat con.n.ectod Poston to the Tovan of ao::rbury. Drairia..<;e in Bos-
ton before s\ich fi.llin;-)- v;as oasvi as i)i ren.eral the city v:as
n^ade up of a r.orU^p, of !";i]ls ine]i!dinr; '"'eacon, Port ai^d Coigns
}lil]s. Gravity tool: carr? of everythinn:.
.
V.'ith tlie e::<tension of city boundries into the tidal
flats, a serious prol;ler:i arose. Tlie old sei.'crs and ditches
could not be allov:(>d to crii:ity into t!ic: urcs ti ;;ious land areas
ncKly created. They h'ld to b- ("tended und(;r t!:e fill until
tlioy reri r;!;fdi Idle )]c\-: 'n-.;>->];.; of tlio river or haid'or, Hecausc
the nev; band was only five to ten feet abc.ive hi-',h tide levels
aiid fii'-'irly a '! 'I heu;-.e'; t^r-'ini'T) f'-'o;,! iiin'':; "1 c^ca t ed [ i n th.o
'<:''''>.:,
b'lr;;:'"-)''- • ' ' ;,• ,• e"' d i: d : : ' .]• P 1 1. p,-..l
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done "hoforr. C;t1-; r ':. ^ '-.: ti"";^;; v-r; :-r-:vM:y sufficiert to
carry rt\;:!y tir' v;-;;.-.., of t\:c rM:; . As tlio tide roce, flc-t
oDcrat;':'' M' i, '.';:• cl'r''.:i r^.':"- V:" rr'Hth of the sc;v:crs ir
ordf'r to ' V ;: ' •';! • r;-,-'i I'-^-u'l Vro-) foj-cinp the, fou2
v:ater bnr': 1r';o 1: :;ri!.'"..- frrr'i vrnicJ"! it- cine. :vhen t;:c v^;t:'^r
crates wer':; chut, £..'..".;ornr^o b^iokod U'p .Into the hou:;.es clo5c::t tc
tlie rates as P'-'V/rrare pi'ossuro built dd Ttoi:\ sources at
h5r:b,er levo?_r, Al "o r-oiiii \y'.r.tn3 th:it v'ould nor'r.ally be
carried rio'.v: h.y lb.- {•u:ri'nt ir, t'r.c draJr. v.'ould settle tc
the botti.in of l\:v. l.i !;., eve !:ti;ull;i cuusJi:r'; putrl fica tior. cf
the n'ater.lals. At Iovj tide, tVie .(rates would oner. allo'.;ir~ the
daranoQ un v.'aters to rush C)Ut Irto the bay or river, carrv'rs-
\:
them lari''c; quantities of settled iriUcl:. The outrushinr- '.."-.ters
would then neet the inooT.ir,p: tides arjd iri.stead of be inn: cDrrie-
nv.'ay \rnu'ld b;^ ui]('d \)v aj-'.ain.'^t the shore. This l.ar;^-o accr'-ula.'
of decayir:/^ earbario l:e,~an to deco!;;pose ,'ind especially durir.ir
,
summer montVis, v.'ould create ai': absc;lutely \U"ibea:i'able sterc;":,
v:as only co- ;;-'our.d:rd V\v t-he introduct j on of fecal v:aste ir. zhe
iP'lO's v.'ith the i nstallr.t Ion of •..•at'.;r clo;;ets in city hor.es.
There ;a-e ma)-!y .".c.counts of this bot?i in official doc\:-
nients and cvf'i lii v^rM-juVrr lif;lMrai. 'Ib.e City '-:oard of Health
hiv
reported, "l-'v^r tc ti- 1 ', or ' •,•?: " i-.>)-i nt or;co , ar.d free •1 V
onvel fiVH'f'J J n ar. J.,. (.,••• ., I .,,..,^ :o :.;tro1''" af., to a.^c
the slec-ijrr;, 1 -;.• :,• t;..' •;•• ] , <:).'. y"U;:f"! 1 o anl eyeso''^-
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everybody." '' i: t'l-- 'oo' , _j :'_-.^' ' i.L' "L'l. ''•"''l <' f -^'^as i"r
