South Station built on filled South Cove/South Bay

South Station (and the surrounding South Cove/South Bay area) occupies land that was created by 19th-century filling of tidal coves and marshes to make room for rail terminals, wharves, and industrial development. The station's construction and later expansions were enabled by this land reclamation, which substantially changed the shoreline and tidal geography of Boston's southern waterfront. The site illustrates how transportation infrastructure in Boston was sited on newly created ground rather than original natural shoreline.