The City Conservation League formed on a picket line to save the Jordan Marsh block in the spring of 1975. Three years later, in 1978, Boston’s first grassroots historic preservation advocacy group began. It took on the name of the Boston Preservation Alliance in recognition of its founding as an informal association of 25 member organizations. (Today the Alliance works with almost one hundred organizational and corporate members and hundreds of individual members).

Since the beginning, the Alliance took on a number of controversial and challenging issues that would set the tone for the next three decades.  The Alliance first became involved in discussions over a Draft EIR in March 1978, which released by the General Service Administration. The document spurred concerns over the effect of a new Federal office building in downtown Boston. The Alliance’s active involvement in the choice of location influenced the GSA decision of a site near North Station rather than demolishing historic buildings in the Theatre District.

Early on, the Alliance proved itself to be an effective advocate for historic preservation and strong leader in the city of Boston.

The Opera House
Courtesy of the Bostonian Society