Watch CBS News

'Curious' About Tiny Building Near Boston Garden

'Curious' About Tiny Building Near Boston GardenWBZ

Call it the anti-Hancock. A building in Boston so small and seemingly forgettable that, ironically, it gets noticed quite often.

Perhaps you've seen it when driving on the Leverett Connector, that little four-story building in the shadow of the TD Garden, standing all by itself.

The curious little building drove Joan of Haverhill to Declare her Curiosity to WBZ, wondering:

"Why the little brick building was left standing between the Boston Garden and the Leverett Connector?"

The itty bitty brick building has an address of 42 Lomasney Way, right in the heart of Boston's West End. It has six apartments, but the owner was out of the country so we couldn't get inside.

WBZ's David Wade was able to find a bit of history to help answer Joan's questions. For that he turned to the West End Museum, and tour guide Bruce Guarino.

"A building from a bygone era, from a neighborhood that doesn't exist anymore," Guarino reflected on the small structure. And he should know. Bruce Guarino grew up in the West End and watched the landscape change.

Many of the buildings that used to stand around 42 Lomasney Way were demolished in the late 1950s. It was part of a revitalization plan, replacing the smaller apartments with high rises.

When the Boston Redevelopment Authority got to #42 the owner said, "No, and the residents say 'no we're not moving out'," Guarino said.

How exactly did the one-time owner have enough clout to get the city to back down? A few former West Enders we spoke with said they believe the former owner had some infamous connections.

"I don't know about that…" Guarino said.

But after years of battling, the city gave up and built around it, leaving a curious little building in the shadow of high rises, parking garages, and the Boston Garden.

© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.