Building Boom

Building Boom. Preparing for a New Century. , The great fire of 1872 was a tragedy…but also an opportunity. Developers used rubble from the fire to create new land along the channel. After all, real estate was in high demand but access to the water was not since trains had largely replaced ships., The buildings that sprouted up on the new land were bigger (and safer thanks to new fire codes). Atlantic Wharf encompasses three of the grandest: the Russia, Tufts, and Graphic Arts Buildings, all originally built in 1897., [Captions:] , Russia Building , Named for the Russia-bound ships that once docked at the site, this building housed the Library Bureau, a company specializing in card catalogs and other library supplies., Other occupants included office supply businesses, publishers, architects, management consultants, and a ship model shop., Headline News , The Boston Globe heralded the advent of the buildings on June 27, 1896. All three are brick and classical revival in style., The Tufts and Graphic Arts Buildings shared the same architect: Rand and Taylor, Kendall and Stevens. The Russia Building is the work of the celebrated Boston firm of Peabody and Stearns, which later designed the tower for the city's iconic Custom House., Tufts Building , James W. Tufts, the building's namesake, was a member of the family that founded Tufts University. He also started the Arctic Soda Fountain Company, which manufactured, displayed, and shipped its products here., The Acme fountain, shown here, appeared in the company's 1874 catalogue and sold for the steep sum of $2,000., Graphic Arts Building , As suggested by its name, the building was a center for the printing and publishing trades. One long-term occupant was American Type Founders, which made metal type for printing presses., This view of the casting room at American Type Founders was taken in 1897, shortly before the company moved here from its Congress Street location.