Government Center (MBTA station)

Government Center is an MBTA subway station and a transfer point between the Green Line and the Blue Line. It is located at the intersection of Tremont, Court and Cambridge Streets in the Government Center area of Boston.

History

Before the current Boston City Hall was built at its current location, completely replacing old Scollay Square, the station was known as Scollay on the Green Line and Scollay Under on the Blue Line. Years later, when the false walls on both ends of the Blue Line platform were removed to accommodate the change from four- to six-car trains, a surviving mosaic tile "Scollay Under" sign was uncovered, which can be seen on the eastern portion of the platform.

In the early part of the 20th century, the Blue Line was actually connected to the Red Line by a direct rail connection (though the color designations of the subway lines had yet to be assigned at that time). Rail cars from the Blue Line could emerge from a ramp portal surfacing near Joy Street, just beyond Bowdoin station, and run on tracks down Cambridge Street to connect to the Red Line near what is now Charles/MGH station. Because the tracks were unpowered, individual cars had to be towed along the street at night. This connection was never used in revenue service, but was used to transport Blue Line cars to the Eliot Street Yard maintenance shops then located near Harvard Square station. When the Blue Line eventually got its own maintenance shops, the connection was removed and...
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