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[]
Boston Common has been called the oldest public park in all of the United States. The common was 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] This only lasted for a few years, as affluent families bought additional cows, which led to overgrazing. In response, grazing was limited in 1646. The Common would go on to be used for a variety of purposes, including military drills and public hangings.[Non-game 2] Directly prior to the Revolutionary War, Boston Common was used as a camp by the British infantry, from which they left to march on Concord (leading to the Battles of Lexington and Concord and the start of the Revolutionary War).[Non-game 1][2]
The Common's true status as a park seems to have emerged no later than 1830, when the grazing of cows was formally ended and renaming the Common to "Washington Park" was proposed. This did not occur, although the 1804 renaming of the bordering Sentry Street to Park Place (later to be Park Street) reflected the change in perception. 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] Other structures on the Common's perimeter included the Boston Public Garden, officially opened in 1837 as the first public botanical garden in the United States, and the Massachusetts State House, completed in 1798 to house the state government (replacing an earlier building in the Financial District).
As time marched on and Boston grew, the Common became the nexus of the city south of the Charles River, an idyllic park surrounded by historic mansions. The Common's main attraction was its swan pond, which featured ornate swan boats which could be used by parkgoers.[Non-game 3] Another major tourist attraction was the Freedom Trail, a walking route to tour various historical sites around Boston. The trail's origin was at the Common, with its first stop at the State House before continuing further into the city.[Non-game 4]
The Common changed over the years with the advance of time and technology. Some of these changes were beneficial, such as the construction of Park Street station, providing metro service to the area,[Non-game 1] and the installation of a Protectron tour bot for historical engagement and directions for tourists following the Freedom Trail. Others were less so: the city sold so much of the surrounding land to property developers that the Public Garden was forced to merge into the Common. Consequently, the size of the swan pond was reduced several times to become that of a "glorified puddle," to the chagrin of the groundskeeper, who lamented the disappointment to tourists.[3]
Park Street station remained in service well into the 2070s, when it was purchased by the Vault-Tec Corporation to serve as a pre-excavated site to construct one of their Vaults: Vault 114 would house Boston's upper class, including its business and government elites, but in secret, it was an experiment to test said affluent residents' reactions to a Vault with cramped, communal spaces and none of the amenities that might be expected by the upper class.[4] However, the Vault remained unfinished by the time the Great War struck, whether intentionally (perhaps as a product of corruption, a scam job putting union workers on payroll for a project intended to go nowhere)[5] or not. With the Great War, the Common itself was left to decay, abandoned like much of the rest of Boston. This was the state of things until the arrival of Edgar Swann, an Institute worker turned FEV test subject who was exiled to the Commonwealth following undesirable test results. Swann made his home in the groundskeeper's shack near the swan pond. He eventually lost his mind to the effects of the FEV exposure,[6] and by 2287 has mutated into a super mutant behemoth, wearing the former swan boats as armor.
Since Swan's arrival, Boston Common has developed a fearsome reputation as a place to be avoided at all costs (ironically making it appear as one of the most peaceful places in the city). There are widespread stories that no one who enters the Common ever comes out alive, though not many know that Swan is the cause of the danger, and even his existence is subject to rumor.[7][8] This reputation is so strong that even the raiders who dominate the surrounding neighborhoods won't follow their prey into the Common,[9][Non-game 3] and various groups including the Railroad have since built numerous signs around the Common warning visitors to stay away.[Non-game 4][Non-game 1] This has not stopped people from trying, whether they are simply uninformed,[10] out of options,[11] or overly daring[8] (one raider group even set up fortifications in an attempt to take out Swan);[12] their remains are strewn around the Common, a morbid sign of the danger within.
The Common has not remained totally abandoned. For one, the Freedom Trail has been co-opted by the Railroad, who use it to make contact with outsiders who wish to seek them out.[Non-game 1] Meanwhile, despite being unfinished, Vault 114 was possibly still inhabited at some point; by 2287, regardless of any possible former owners, the Vault has since become the hideout of Skinny Malone's crew of Triggermen, who discovered the Vault after being muscled out of Goodneighbor, their old territory.[13]
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.[14] 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 called 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[]
- Road to Freedom: The Sole Survivor has heard of a group that aims to take on the Institute and only has the clue, "Follow the Freedom Trail." To find the Railroad, they have to start at Boston Common.
Notes[]
- Enemies will not follow the player character into Boston Common, and are scripted (via the quest DN131_Commons) to retreat when they approach an area around the Common. Many of these enemies have dialogue lines scripted to play during their retreat. The full list of enemies who retreat includes: raiders, Gunners, Pillars of the Community initiates, super mutants, mutant hounds, mongrels, feral ghouls, Protectrons, Assaultrons, Mister Handies, and Mister Gutsies.
Companion comments[]
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' though 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[]
.jpg "FO4 Street sign Tremont (1).jpg (821 KB)")
References[]
- ↑ Codsworth: "Ah, the Boston Public Garden. And some of the swan boats are still intact."
(Codsworth's dialogue) - ↑ 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."
- ↑ Groundskeeper's log
- ↑ See Vault 114 for details.
- ↑ Triggerman (human): "So, I got a question. Why the hell would anyone build a Vault out of a subway station? This place is like... the opposite of air-tight."
Triggerman (ghoul): "Because they weren't planning to use it, you moron. We used to pull this kind of con all the time back before the war. Get a bunch of union boys to work some construction job that would go nowhere. Keep everyone on payroll."
(Dialogue for Triggermen in Vault 114) - ↑ Swan's note
- ↑ 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) - ↑ 8.0 8.1 The torn note is on the corpse of Kath; propped up against a tree.
- ↑ Raider: "Damn it!"
"Oh, hell no..."
"You gotta be kidding me..."
"He's/She's heading into the Common!"
Raider: "Fall back!"
"Fucking idiot!"
"Stay back! Let Swan deal with him/her."
(Raiders' dialogue) Note: Raiders will retreat when the Sole Survivor enters the Common. They have a 75% chance of saying one of the first four lines followed by one of the last three lines; otherwise, they will only say one of the last three. - ↑ The Torn letter is on the corpse of Mikail near Swan's Pond.
- ↑ The Fugitives' holotape is found in the hand of a partial skeleton resting against a monument at the edge of the Common.
- ↑ The holotape Raider's advice is found beside the skeletal remains of a raider who tried to create barricades to kill Swan, at the section of the fortification with the explosives crate.
- ↑ 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. - ↑ Street signs at Boston Common
Non-game
- ↑ 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) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 Boston Common on Wikipedia
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 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) - ↑ 4.0 4.1 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) - ↑ 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."