1868 Manuscript Trace Negative Surveys of the East Corner of Chauncy and Essex Streets (Essex Street Church) and of Curtis and Drake Wharves Running to Federal Street

Boston: William H. Whitney, 1868. Very good. Manuscript trace negative surveys; 29 1/2 x 24 1/2; in blue and red (on verso) ink; folded, with old crease lines and a bit of fraying to edges; occasional spotting; overall in very good condition.An interesting piece of Boston history, the map featured two surveys - the first outlining the corner of Chauncy and Essex Streets - the former home of the Essex Street Church. No longer existing nowadays, the church was formed in Boylston Hall in early 1819 and later that same year it moved to the Essex Street location. (truncated) The second survey featured two wharves running perpendicular to Federal Street - Curtis and Drake. The surveyor, William Henry Whitney (1843 - 1909) was a renowned civil engineer in Boston, remembered as one of the earliest adopters of blueprinting. After enlisting in the Union Army during the Civil War he later served as Alderman of Cambridge and was involved with the Back Bay Development Project. Towards the end of his career he would also work with the Union Pacific to produce numerous maps of cities on the West Coast. (Inventory #: 003899)