Dorchester Illustration no. 2391 Home of Hannah T. Bliss
This real photo post card shows the home of Mrs. Hannah T. Bliss and Sons in 1908. The house was located at 151 Adams Street, and the land on which it stood was later incorporated into Ronan Park. The location is the southern corner of the park where it faces Adams Street. Hannah acquired the property on June 17, 1893, from Pierce heirs and lived there until her death in 1910.
There is a small sign in the front yard next to the wooden stairs that says Dr. Bliss.
Cyrus Bliss, a farmer, and Hannah Bliss were born in Rehoboth, married there and had children Frederick and George. The non-population census for agriculture in 1880 reported that Cyrus had 117 acres of land; value of the farm $2,000; value of equipment $250; value of live stock $390; and an estimated value of yearly production of $1,000. Cyrus died April 4, 1883.
Hannah and her sons moved to Boston, and city directories have entries for Hannah at 184 Adams before acquiring the house in the photograph at 151 Adams Street.
The entry in the 1910 census includes Hannah at age 82; Frederick W Bliss, 57, a lawyer; George D. Bliss 54, a physician in general practice; and Mary Jenning, 23, a servant who immigrated in 1902 from Ireland.
Hannah died on November 9, 1910, of a cerebral hemorrhage, and her son George signed the death certificate. Dorchester undertakers R. & E. F. Gleason arranged the funeral, and Hannah was buried in Rehoboth.
The 1918 atlas shows the house had been demolished by that year, and the parcel was incorporated into the park. The park was named for Father Peter Ronan (1842–1917), first pastor of St. Peter’s Church in Dorchester.