Dorchester Illustration 2611 Shawmut Station
The top photograph in today’s illustration was recently shared on Facebook.
The Shawmut Branch of the Old Colony Railroad runs from Savin Hill to Ashmont. Electrification of the Shawmut Branch began at the end of 1926 and continued over the next two years. At that time, a tunnel cap was placed over the Shawmut section of the line. The photo at the top of today’s illustration, dated Aug. 22, 1928, shows the tunnel cap leading from Centre Street to the Shawmut Station in the distance. The new Shawmut Station opened for service on Sept. 1, 1928.
The bottom photo shows the scene as it looks today. The building at the left in the older photo is no longer there. That location is now the Epiphany School parking lot, which can be seen in the distance to the left of the station. In 1928, when the top photo was taken, the site of the Epiphany School was the Thomas A. Fitzpatrick facility. The Fitzpatrick Brothers auto repair company later moved to Centre Street, a little off to the left of what can be seen in the photos.