Parcel 394: 59 Congress St, c. 1955-1959

The Lower Hill Redevelopment Area Property Inventories contain photographs, building and lot descriptions, property ownership information, and real estate valuations of parcels located in the Lower Hill District Redevelopment Area from c. 1953 to 1961. The redevelopment area was bounded by Bigelow Blvd, Manilla St, Bedford Ave, Crawford St, Pride St, Fifth Ave, Sixth Ave, Wylie Ave, and Tunnel St and included thousands of buildings on 95 acres of land.

The URA conducted the surveys in order to execute the real estate transfers necessary for the redevelopment plan of the Lower Hill, which included the construction of the Civic Arena.

The records include notes on each building’s condition, date of construction, dimensions and occupancy. In addition to property surveys, the records also include photographs, deeds and correspondence between the URA and property owners. Taken together, the wealth of documentation in the collection provides a unique window into life and commerce in the Lower Hill District just prior to extensive mid-century redevelopment activity.