Boston University's expansion along Commonwealth
Avenue over the past 60 years was greatly
facilitated by its willingness to recycle existing
buildings for academic use. Rarely did the
University have to demolish an old building to put
up a new one. An exception was this block of
apartments at 308 Bay State Road, behind the School
of Theology. The buildings were part of a
real-estate development that never really took off
(the westward movement of Bay State Road having
stopped some blocks to the east) and for many years
housed BU offices. This photo was taken shortly
before their June 1961 demolition to make way for
the LAW tower (which housed SED until 1980).
Notice, in the background, how few buildings there
were along Memorial Drive in Cambridge and how
downtown Boston was still without a skyline worthy
of the name. Photo: BU Photo Services
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