measi's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Armory Don't it always seem to go That you don't know what you got til it's gone. They paved paradise, put up a parking lot. -- Joni Mitchell Over the last tenday or so, I've caught daily glimpses of a new (de)construction project on Boston University's West Campus. It's another one of the urban projects that makes the campus of my college days-- only about five years ago, mind you-- disappear into a bygone era. First the buildings on the south side of Kenmore Square were torn down, with the monstrocity of a hotel being built in its place. The charm of the turret-topped brownstones, highlighted by copper fittings that had turned that old-world green with the environment-- all destroyed for yet another hotel to be built in its place. Now the National Guard Armory on Commonwealth Avenue is being torn down as part of the ongoing "student village" project BU has talked about building for over a decade. The back half of the building is already gone. It seems that everything, including the funky front section, is being destroyed. It's a shame-- the Armory really is a cool looking building. It even had a moat-- with a bridge. My family pictures from my graduation were taken there. Unfortunately, it was a building that was in disrepair. More than three-quarters of it were condemned. It was a fascinating building to explore. The locked gates to the condemned sections didn't stop us. Ivanna and I went in there a few times. The entire band had a freshman hazing session down there-- creating a Halloween haunted house in the darkness, using nothing but the pipes, leftover supplies, and the twists and turns of the corridors to add the effects we wanted. I even did a Beltane ritual in there once, with Ivanna, LGM, and an old friend, Rob McCourt. It was the first and last public sabbat that I lead. There were three above-ground levels and six sub-levels to the armory, the lowest being a nuclear bomb shelter (with glass windows, no less), and was still fully stocked with water drums (long since evaporated off), aspirin (still in bottles) and saltine crackers. There was an underground firing range-- the old pulleys and strings were still attached to the ceiling. Desks still sat in rows in some of the side rooms. Some had phone books from the early 60's. Some even had files in the drawers. It was as if everyone had just suddenly left. Now it's being destroyed completely. Probably for the better in some senses, but it was just such a cool place to go through. It's a shame that it's disappearing. A couple years ago, a new dorm opened-- spiffy clean, with big windows that provided unhindered views of the Boston skyline. It was the first phase of this "student village" project. And like all modern buildings it has a look to it that looks too modern for a city like Boston. Now there will be a huge expanse of this. It's going to stick out like a sore thumb. Ah well. The joys of being an alumnae. I guess it happens to everyone. 9:44 a.m. - 8 August 2002 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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