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The Freedom Trail starts here! Visit this once-idyllic park surrounded by ancient architectural prewar mansions and the remains of the State House, but be warned; there are numerous signs recommending you stay away from the pond at the park’s west end.Fallout 4 Vault Dweller's Survival Guide

Boston Common, also referred to as the Common and Boston Commons, and including Boston Public Garden,[1] is a location in Boston in 2287.

Background[]

This section is transcluded from Boston. To change it, please edit the transcluded page.

Once owned by William Blaxton (the first European settler of Boston), until it was bought from him by the Puritan founders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Established in 1634, Boston Common started as a communal grazing ground for their cattle.[Non-game 1][2] However this only lasted for a few years, as affluent families bought additional cows, which led to overgrazing. A perfect example of the Tragedy of the commons, after which grazing was limited in 1646 to 70 cows at a time. Boston Common continued to host cattle until they were formally banned from it in 1830 by Mayor Harrison Gray Otis.[Non-game 2]

The Common was used as a camp by the British before the American Revolutionary War, from which they left for the Battles of Lexington and Concord.[Non-game 1][2] It was used for public hangings up until 1817, most of which were from a large oak tree which was replaced with gallows in 1769. Including the four executed Quakers known as the Boston martyrs. On May 19, 1713, two hundred citizens rioted on the Common in reaction to a food shortage in the city. They later attacked the ships and warehouses of wealthy merchant Andrew Belcher, also the lieutenant governor was shot during the riot.[Non-game 2]

Its true park status seems to have emerged no later than 1830, when the grazing of cows was ended and renaming the Common as "Washington Park" was proposed. Renaming the bordering Sentry Street to Park Place (later to be called Park Street) in 1804 acknowledged the reality. By 1836 an ornamental iron fence fully enclosed the Common and its five perimeter malls or recreational promenades, the first of which, Tremont Mall, had been in place since 1728, in imitation of St. James's Park in London.[Non-game 2]

As time marched on and the city grew, the Common became the nexus of the city south of the river. An idyllic park surrounded by historic mansions and the State House, latter becoming the beginning of the Freedom Trail. Where tourists could follow to visit the most famous and historic sits around the city.[Non-game 3] As the years passed, however, the city sold off the land to property developers, eventually having to merge the Common and the Public Garden. Much to the chagrin of its groundskeeper and disappointment to its tourists.[3] As technology developed, they constructed a metro station to service the area.[Non-game 1] Which it did well into the 2070s.[4] This however was not the end of its service life. It was purchased by the Vault-Tec Corporation to serve as a pre-excavated site to construct one of their Vaults. However, with their purchase of a functional station from a corrupt bureaucracy, they contracted the work out as well. They were just as corrupt. The scam continued until the day nuclear fire halted society above. Vault 114 would've been a place where the wealthiest would've been led by an insane fool in the most abject squalor.[4] Despite this the vault would be used at some point, later becoming abandoned, and eventually being discovered by a weaker band of Triggermen, led by Skinny Malone, who were muscled out of their old territory of Goodneighbor.[5]

For some time after the War the Common was left to decay just as the rest of the city's parks. This was the state of things until Edgar Swann arrived. After his expulsion and abandonment, Swann eventually made his way to Boston Common where he made his home in the groundskeeper shack. It was here he finally lost his mind to his mutation,[6] eventually creating armor from the swan boats of the pond and developed into a behemoth.

As for the park itself, it was only after his arrival that the Common became a place not only to be avoided at all costs, but to be fundamentally feared.[7] So feared, in fact, that even raiders won't follow their prey into the area.[8][Non-game 4] Early on, a group of raiders quickly constructed fortifications around the locale, in an attempt to kill the creature. They failed, one of their skeletons lays backed into a gazebo, their fortifications and extra explosives lay abandoned. Some time later, the Railroad would construct warning signs.[Non-game 3][Non-game 1] Since then the bodies of countless victims who did not heed the warnings are strewn about the Common.[9][10][11][12] This was not the end of the Common's habitation, for one, the Freedom Trail was co-opted by the Railroad who use it to make contact with those who wished to seek them out.[Non-game 1] Meanwhile, as mentioned above, the Vault in construction beneath its Metro station was reoccupied.

Layout[]

Situated south of the river in the center of downtown Boston, Boston Common is a park containing a gazebo with a bandstand and a fountain marking the start of the Freedom Trail. Swan's Pond is on the western side, complete with a pre-War swan boat and a statue. Several roadways converge at the common, including Boylston, Tremont and Essex Streets.[13] Several signs warning of danger surround the common from these approaching roadways.[Non-game 5]

Surrounding locations include the Massachusetts State House to the north, the Boylston Club to the south and Prost bar in a basement to the west. Park Street station is in the northeastern section of the park; the subway station leads to Vault 114.

The Freedom Trail also begins at Boston Common. On the eastern side of the common next to the fountain, there is a non-hostile Protectron named Tour bot in its pod that can be activated by a nearby "tell me more" button. In front of the fountain is a wooden sign and a seal in the ground. The sign reads "At Journey's End Follow Freedom's Lantern," and the seal reads "The Freedom Trail. Boston." The number 7 is written in the center of the seal with red ink, and the letter A in "Trail" is bracketed.

Notable loot[]

  • Torn letter - On Mikail's body, directly in front of the Boston Common fast travel point by the southeast entrance of the park.
  • Grognak the Barbarian issue #6 - In the gazebo at the center of the common, on the ground next to a skeleton and several radiation barrels.
  • Raider's advice - In the gazebo at the center of the common, on a heavily irradiated barrel.

Related quests[]

Notes[]

When at this location, companions make comments, which are activated just in front of the APC.

Location comments
Character Comment
Cait "We're takin' a big chance walkin' thoughIn-game spelling, punctuation and/or grammar the Common. Just sayin'."
Codsworth "Ah, the Boston Public Garden. And some of the swan boats are still intact."
Curie "Boston Common. Can we explore?"
Danse "Every map of this area we've recovered has the Common marked with a big red 'X.' I guess we'll find out why."
Deacon "The Common looks peaceful, but no one sane goes inside."
John Hancock "Hey. This is the Common. You sure you don't just wanna go around?"
Nick Valentine "Lot of my cases dead end in Boston Common. I'd prefer not to join them."
Piper Wright "Blue, we're walking right into Boston Common. People don't come back from here."
Preston Garvey "General, Boston Common has a bad reputation. People just don't come back from here, and nobody knows why."
Robert MacCready "Wait, this the Common. We need to get the hell out of here... unless you like being killed."
X6-88 "I've heard rumors about this place. People come here and are never seen again."

Appearances[]

Boston Common appears only in Fallout 4.

Behind the scenes[]

Boston Common is based on the real-world Boston Common, also known as "the Common," a central public park in downtown Boston, Massachusetts that serves as the southern end of the Freedom Trail. The real-world Parkman Bandstand can also be seen in-game.

Gallery[]

References[]

  1. Codsworth: "Ah, the Boston Public Garden. And some of the swan boats are still intact."
    (Codsworth's dialogue)
  2. 2.0 2.1 Boston Common placard: "Established in 1634, Boston Common started as a communal grazing ground for cattle until it was made a public park (the oldest in the country). In the year before the Revolutionary War, a thousand Redcoats camped on the Common. The Redcoat brigades that marched on Lexington and Concord departed this very ground."
  3. Groundskeeper's log
  4. 4.0 4.1 See Vault 114 for details.
  5. Nick Valentine: "Malone's crew here used to be small time, muscled out of the old neighborhood by bigger players. Until they found this place."
    "Don't know what happened to the previous owners, but they're not exactly around to charge rent. An empty vault. Perfect hideout. Hold up! I hear some of them coming."
    "Nice and quiet. You keep this up, you'll make a name for yourself. Not a good name, mind you, but who cares?"
    "Hard and loud, huh? Well, it gets the job done. Too bad for whoever cleans up the floors..."
    "This door's on the fritz. Let me see if I can get it open... Almost got it... there we are. Hell of a lot easier to do when the lock isn't on the other side..."
    "More stairs? Who built this damn Vault, a fitness instructor?"
    "Skinny Malone and the rest of his boys are waiting for us, somewhere. The name's, uh, ironic, but don't let that fool you. He's dangerous."
    "Another locked door. Shouldn't be too hard... Okay, I got it, but I hear big, fat footsteps on the other side. Once we step through this door, get ready for anything."
    (Nick Valentine's dialogue) Note: These lines are spoken during the quest Unlikely Valentine.
  6. Swan's note
  7. Cait: "We're takin' a big chance walkin' though the Common. Just sayin'."
    (Cait's dialogue)
    Deacon: "The Common looks peaceful, but no one sane goes inside."
    (Deacon's dialogue)
    Hancock: "Hey. This is the Common. You sure you don't just wanna go around?"
    (Hancock's dialogue)
    Robert MacCready: "Wait, this the Common. We need to get the hell out of here... unless you like being killed."
    (Robert MacCready's dialogue (Fallout 4))
    Nick Valentine: "Lot of my cases dead end in Boston Common. I'd prefer not to join them."
    (Nick Valentine's dialogue)
    Piper Wright: "Blue, we're walking right into Boston Common. People don't come back from here."
    (Piper Wright's dialogue)
    Preston Garvey: "General, Boston Common has a bad reputation. People just don't come back from here, and nobody knows why."
    (Preston Garvey's dialogue)
  8. [clarification needed]Raider: " Damn it! Oh, hell no... You gotta be kidding me... He's/She's heading into the Common! Fall back! Fucking idiot! Stay back! Let Swan deal with him/her."
    (Raiders' dialogue) Note: Raiders will not follow the Sole Survivor into the Common. Cursing their luck and falling back or exclaiming that they'll let Swan take care of them.
  9. The holotape Raider's advice is found beside the skeletal remains of the raider who tried to create barricades to kill Swann. That section of the fortification with the explosives crate.
  10. The Fugitives' holotape is found in the hand of a partial skeleton resting against a monument at the edge of the Common.
  11. The Torn letter is on the corpse of On Mikail near Swan's Pond.
  12. The torn note is on the corpse of Kath; propped up against a tree.
  13. Street signs at Boston Common

Non-game

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Fallout 4 Vault Dweller's Survival Guide Collector's Edition p.472: "[14.04] BOSTON COMMON
    Established in 1634, Boston Common started as a communal grazing ground for cattle before it was made a public park (the oldest in the country). In the year before the Revolutionary War, a thousand Redcoats camped on the Common. The Redcoat brigades that marched on Lexington and Concord departed from this very ground.
    Park Street Station is accessed to the northeast of this common. This is also the start of the Freedom Trail. On the east side, at the Protectron tour bot and fountain, the number '7' is daubed on the circular ground plaque pointing at the letter 'A.' Follow the red stripe along the ground from here to continue the specified quest.
    There are numerous signs warning of the dangers of Swan’s Pond. Aside from a Railroad warning and numerous verbal graffiti warnings, look for:
    - A TORN NOTE ON KATH'S BODY, ON THE NORTHEAST SIDE OF THE POND.
    - A TORN LETTER ON MIKAIL'S BODY, BY THE SOUTHEAST ENTRANCE TO THE COMMONS.
    - A FUGITIVES' HOLOTAPE CLUTCHED IN THE SKELETAL HAND BY THE STATUE. PLINTH, ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE POND."
    (Fallout 4 Vault Dweller's Survival Guide Map)
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Boston Common on Wikipedia
  3. 3.0 3.1 Fallout 4 Vault Dweller's Survival Guide Collector's Edition p.470-471: "ZONE 14: NEIGHBORHOOD: BOSTON COMMON
    The Freedom Trail starts here! Visit this once-idyllic park surrounded by ancient architectural prewar mansions and the remains of the State House, but be warned; there are numerous signs recommending you stay away from the pond at the park’s west end. Perhaps it’s better to start investigating the thin red line still visible along much of the sidewalks, a trail leading you through some of the most famous historical structures still (partly) standing. Surrounded by five other neighborhoods, Boston Common is at the nexus of the city south of the river."
    (Fallout 4 Vault Dweller's Survival Guide Map)
  4. Fallout 4 Vault Dweller's Survival Guide Collector's Edition p.472: "[14.03] SWAN'S POND
    The focal point of the Boston Common neighborhood since the early 1600s, the pond once featured ornate swan boats for visitors and citizens to take for a trip. This location is highly dangerous; even Raiders avoid the Common. Be sure to search the boathouse for five notes to understand more. Look for warnings about Swan's Pond around Boston Common."
    (Fallout 4 Vault Dweller's Survival Guide Map)
  5. Fallout 4 Vault Dweller's Survival Guide p. 470: "ZONE 14: NEIGHBORHOOD: BOSTON COMMON"
    "The Freedom Trail starts here! Visit this once-idyllic park surrounded by ancient architectural prewar mansions and the remains of the State House, but be warned; there are numerous signs recommending you stay away from the pond at the park's west end. Perhaps it's better to start investigating the thin red line still visible along much of the sidewalks, a trail leading you through some of the most famous historical structures still (partly) standing. Surrounded by five other neighborhoods, Boston Common is at the nexus of the city south of the river."
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