national register nomination for boulevard park historic

Apartment buildings within the district may be contributors or non-contributors
based on period of construction. Early purpose-built apartments fit within the context of
streetcar suburbs, as such suburbs often included apartment buildings. Single-family
houses converted to multi-unit residences also fit the context, as they represent needed
working-class wartime housing within the streetcar suburb period, during periods of
material shortages. Apartment buildings constructed after 1946 are non-contributors
within the listed context for two reasons. Unlike early apartments, streetcar lines did not
play a role in their location, and they generally include parking spaces for cars. Unlike
residential conversions, postwar apartments appeared during a period when construction
materials were more abundant. Postwar apartment buildings within the district may
become contributors to a future amendment to this historic district, utilizing additional
historic contexts, but are outside the scope of this project.
Historic Contexts in the Boulevard Park Nomination
The listed historic contexts, streetcar suburbs and City Beautiful neighborhood
design, are separate but related contexts. These contexts address development of the
neighborhood over time, not the architectural styles of the neighborhood. As a streetcar
suburb, Boulevard Park demonstrates how changes in transportation affected
neighborhood development. As a City Beautiful neighborhood, the district demonstrates
the principles of early 20 th century urban planning and Progressive social philosophy
while challenging the traditional view of historic districts as enclaves of the wealthy and
fortunate.
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