Leather District | The Boston Roofers

In 1800, the Leather District was developed on a landfill constructed from shallow reefs to offer extra residences for the rising middle-class community of Boston. The firm is owned and operated by a unique mix of family residences in Boston's Chinatown, which is home to the city's main Chinese population. Located near Dewey Square and Kneeland Street, Leather District is a small enclave directly east of Chinatown. The nine different blocks are known for their brick warehouse constructions from the nineteenth century. Ground-level displayed window frames dominate these structures, placed in robust cast-iron pillars, because the leather industry and allied merchants who formerly operated here needed space for exhibition, office buildings, and workshops.

Neighboring the border of downtown Boston, the district didn't exist until the 1830s, when Boston's ground developments filled in the historic South Cove, allowing for the creation of both the district and Chinatown. Today, Leather District has evolved as a mixed-use district ever since the 1980s, and it currently has a range of business and household occupants, and seems more like New York City than virtually every other Boston neighborhood. It is home to the city's most homogeneous 119th-century-style architecture displays and large corporations including America's second oldest financial institution, ”The State Street Corporations". The district is also home to several working professionals, and its inhabitants are liberal with above-average public schools.

It was first created as a residential suburb, but following the Great Boston Fire in 1872, which destroyed the city's industrial core and resulted in the implementation of stricter industrial fire laws, the place then became the city’s hub of shoe and leather industry. The buildings built in this region between the 1880s and 1920 exemplify these restrictions, as well as the leather makers' need to maximize their workspace. Presently, the buildings and space have been converted to commercial and residential spaces while preserving its architectural patterns.

With the establishment of South Station as well as the route of the Washington Street Trolley, commercial uses such as textiles and leather manufacturing developed around the turn of the century. Chinese restaurants and specialty shops now abound on the lower floors of apartment buildings. The district also has great public transportation both locally and regionally. The MBTA Red Line, Silver Line, and Metropolitan Rail stations are located in the south, while the Orange Line stop is located in Chinatown. The Massachusetts Expressway and Interstate 93 are not far behind. Tufts Medical Center is a comprehensive hospital and health institution that is affiliated with many schools, including Tufts University. All making the Leather District a desire of many. Presence of several restaurants including Chinese and Italian, bars, coffee shops, and fun parks such as the Fenway Park, added to the District's uniqueness and serves as its attraction.