Dorchester Historical Society

Dorchester Illustration of the Day no. 1835

I just bought a new book published 2012 called Danny’s Tavern: A Collection of Neighborhood Stories, 1935-1975 by Dr. Tom Melvin.  You can find the book on Amazon.

Dr. Melvin spent his first twenty-nine years growing up in Dorchester and attended St. Peter’s elementary school.  He later became an engineer and worked as Capital Project Manager at Harvard University among other activities.  He taught Facilities Management at Wentworth Institute of Technology.

Danny’s Tavern, located under the Dorchester Citizen’s Club, right down the street from St. Peter’s Church, was owned by a bookie named Timothy Brennan (called Booker T).  Billy Flynn was a part-time bartender there who recorded neighborhood stories from 1935 to 1975 during changes in economic conditions, religious attitudes, family life and values in Dorchester and throughout the country.  Dr. Melvin has put together Billy’s notes into a readable book that promises to be a lot of fun.

If you remember the tavern, please let me know and tell me your story.

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The Dorchester Illustration of the Day (DIOTD) is sent weekdays. If you receive this e-mail by mistake, please reply to be taken off the e-mail list. If you know others who would like to receive the daily e-mail, please encourage them to join the group by going to http://groups.google.com/group/dorchester-historical-society. You may contact Earl Taylor at ERMMWWT@aol.com

If you value receiving the DIOTD, please express your appreciation by making a donation to the Dorchester Historical Society, either by regular mail at 195 Boston Street, Dorchester, MA 02125, or through the website at www.DorchesterHistoricalSociety.org

Dorchester Illustration of the Day no. 1834

Yesterday we saw the work of lithographer William Sharp.  His great rival in lithography was John Henry Bufford. Bufford’s firm produced lively, accomplished images in many forms, including sheet music, city views, marine views and landscapes, book illustrations, reproductions of paintings, commercial depictions of factories, and contemporary genre views.  After Bufford’s death in 1870, his sons Frank G. Bufford and John Henry Bufford, Jr. continued the business.  By 1879, “J.H. Bufford’s Sons, Manufacturing Publishers of Novelties in Fine Arts” worked from offices at 141-147 Franklin Street, Boston; and in 1881–1882 expanded the enterprise as far as New York and Chicago.  In 1880 they built a printing plant in Dorchester at 60 Clayton Street.  The building has the date 1880 with a a “b” in the middle of the date.  John H. Bufford. Jr. lived at 9 Elm Street from 1873-1877. 

The Bufford sons carried on their father’s work until 1890.  Over time, the Bufford firm was known for maps and plan’s printed for inclusion in the published reports of city and state commissioners. For manufacturing concerns the Bufford firm printed labels, advertisements, and factory views. The most memorable aspect of the firm’s work was the reproduction of artists’ works that were distributed to a national audience, such as bird’s-eye views of communities and whaling prints.

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The Dorchester Illustration of the Day (DIOTD) is sent weekdays. If you receive this e-mail by mistake, please reply to be taken off the e-mail list. If you know others who would like to receive the daily e-mail, please encourage them to join the group by going to http://groups.google.com/group/dorchester-historical-society. You may contact Earl Taylor at ERMMWWT@aol.com

If you value receiving the DIOTD, please express your appreciation by making a donation to the Dorchester Historical Society, either by regular mail at 195 Boston Street, Dorchester, MA 02125, or through the website at www.DorchesterHistoricalSociety.org

Dorchester Illustration of the Day no. 1833

Victoria regia or the Great Waterlily

William Sharp, 1803-1875, is credited with introducing color lithography to America in 1840.  He purchased property on Dexter Street (then named Howard Street) in Washington Village, Dorchester, in 1849.   Washington Village was part of Dorchester until 1855 when it was annexed to the City and became part of South Boston.  So Dorchester will claim Sharp as a resident.

William Sharp was the printer of The Fruits of America by Charles Mason Hovey published in Boston by Little and Brown and Hove, 1851-1856.  This is the first high-quality chromolithographic book published in America.   Its ninety-six plates contain subtle gradations in tone and complex overprinting that were the equal of the best work being done England at that time.  He was the printer for the book Victoria Regia; or The Great Waterlily of America by John Allen Foote published in Boston by Dutton and Wentworth in 1854.

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The Dorchester Illustration of the Day (DIOTD) is sent weekdays. If you receive this e-mail by mistake, please reply to be taken off the e-mail list. If you know others who would like to receive the daily e-mail, please encourage them to join the group by going to http://groups.google.com/group/dorchester-historical-society. You may contact Earl Taylor at ERMMWWT@aol.com

If you value receiving the DIOTD, please express your appreciation by making a donation to the Dorchester Historical Society, either by regular mail at 195 Boston Street, Dorchester, MA 02125, or through the website at www.DorchesterHistoricalSociety.org

Dorchester Illustration of the Day no. 1832

Postcard.  Caption on front: Our “Cruising Auto” Home.  Compliments of All-Dorchester Post, Boston, Mass. No. 154 Am. Legion, 1294 Dor. Ave.  Postally unused.  This card is a bi-fold with picture on front and inside. Ca. 1940s.

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The Dorchester Illustration of the Day (DIOTD) is sent weekdays. If you receive this e-mail by mistake, please reply to be taken off the e-mail list. If you know others who would like to receive the daily e-mail, please encourage them to join the group by going to http://groups.google.com/group/dorchester-historical-society. You may contact Earl Taylor at ERMMWWT@aol.com

If you value receiving the DIOTD, please express your appreciation by making a donation to the Dorchester Historical Society, either by regular mail at 195 Boston Street, Dorchester, MA 02125, or through the website at www.DorchesterHistoricalSociety.org

Dorchester Illustration of the Day no. 1831

Real photo post card: Lifeguard and friends at the beach

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The Dorchester Illustration of the Day (DIOTD) is sent weekdays. If you receive this e-mail by mistake, please reply to be taken off the e-mail list. If you know others who would like to receive the daily e-mail, please encourage them to join the group by going to http://groups.google.com/group/dorchester-historical-society. You may contact Earl Taylor at ERMMWWT@aol.com

If you value receiving the DIOTD, please express your appreciation by making a donation to the Dorchester Historical Society, either by regular mail at 195 Boston Street, Dorchester, MA 02125, or through the website at www.DorchesterHistoricalSociety.org

Three-d laser scanning of the Clapp Family barn began today.  This technology is now the accepted means of documenting the current conditions of historic buildings.  The firm of Harry R. Feldman, Inc., is providing the scan as part of its pro-bono program of documenting historic buildings, placing our barn in a list that includes the Old State House.

Friday, July 20, 2012

Today the firm of Harry R. Feldman, Inc., began the laser-scanning of the Clapp Family Barn to produce a 3d record of the building.  The Clapp Family Barn joins other historic properties including the Old State House in the pro-bono program of the firm.

Laser scanning is a relatively new technology that has been used as a precise survey instrument only since 1998.  It is quickly became a new industry standard and a prominent vehicle to make very accurate measurements in complicated environments.  3D laser scanning is used for acquiring building spatial data in three dimensions with high fidelity and low processing time.  The rapid collection of 3D information serves several purposes including historical, documentation and facility condition documentation.  This technology is considered the best solution for measuring as-built conditions for both exteriors and interiors of buildings. With several “scan” setups, a complete 3D model can be made of the existing conditions. These models are then used to create 2D civil or architectural drawings, 3D computer models, and final survey documents.

In the near term, the scan will serve as a valuable tool in producing architectural specifications for the replacement of doors and windows.  In the years to come the Society will make use of the scan as a way of monitoring changes to the building over time.

The Dorchester Historical Society thanks Harry R. Feldman, Inc., for choosing the Clapp Family Barn as a candidate for the pro-bono scanning project.

Dorchester Illustration of the Day no. 1830

Today we have another photo that the Boston Public Library has posted online: trolley stuck in snow at Upham’s Corner.

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The Dorchester Illustration of the Day (DIOTD) is sent weekdays. If you receive this e-mail by mistake, please reply to be taken off the e-mail list. If you know others who would like to receive the daily e-mail, please encourage them to join the group by going to http://groups.google.com/group/dorchester-historical-society. You may contact Earl Taylor at ERMMWWT@aol.com

If you value receiving the DIOTD, please express your appreciation by making a donation to the Dorchester Historical Society, either by regular mail at 195 Boston Street, Dorchester, MA 02125, or through the website at www.DorchesterHistoricalSociety.org

Dorchester Illustration of the Day no. 1829

Today we have a photo that the Boston Public Library has posted online: Thomas A. Fitzgerald son of Honey Fitz and intended wife Miss Marion H. Reardon of 59 Bakersfield Street, Dorchester.  They were married on Sept. 7, 1921.

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The Dorchester Illustration of the Day (DIOTD) is sent weekdays. If you receive this e-mail by mistake, please reply to be taken off the e-mail list. If you know others who would like to receive the daily e-mail, please encourage them to join the group by going to http://groups.google.com/group/dorchester-historical-society. You may contact Earl Taylor at ERMMWWT@aol.com

If you value receiving the DIOTD, please express your appreciation by making a donation to the Dorchester Historical Society, either by regular mail at 195 Boston Street, Dorchester, MA 02125, or through the website at www.DorchesterHistoricalSociety.org

Dorchester Illustration of the Day no. 1828

Remember the photo of the longest wooden stairway in the city we saw the day before yesterday?

Here’s a comment:

I lived on Jerome St. from 1941 to 1971 and went to the Mather School, a two mile walk. The stairway had been converted to concrete steps as long as I can recall. Yes, 100 steps. We (school buddies) all counted them.

It ran from Hancock, at Kane Sq. next to the DPW storage facility up to Downer Ave. When we were bored with the Hancock St. trek, we would go up to Downer Ave by the stairway, continue to Sawyer Ave., past St. Margaret’s Hospital, where many of my cousins and sister were born, and then down to Jerome St.

I was referred to the website by Karl Bossi ( Call Me Moose ) a classmate at St. Kevin’s and Boston Tech.

Paul Valleli

Today’s illustration is a drawing by Jack Frost for his column Fancy This in The Boston Herald, Wednesday, April 29, 1936, furnished by Richard Heath.  The caption to the drawing reads:

The Longest Wooden Stairway in Boston

The fatigue inspiring stairway shown in the sketch connects Hancock Street and Downer Avenue in Dorchester on Jones Hill.  There are more than a hundred steps and thirteen landings.  The granite wall shown in the foreground was built by the PWA.  The three family houses are common to the hill.  The building part way up the steps is a dance hall, well known in Dorchester.  After the city had been scoured pretty thoroughly, these Jones Hill steps were the longest wooden ones found—and wooden steps are not as abundant today as they once were.

I conclude from this that the photo we saw earlier this week may have been taken to furnish a model for Jack Frost so that he could sketch the scene.

Now the new mystery is: what was the name of the dance hall and who can tell us more about it?

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The Dorchester Illustration of the Day (DIOTD) is sent weekdays. If you receive this e-mail by mistake, please reply to be taken off the e-mail list. If you know others who would like to receive the daily e-mail, please encourage them to join the group by going to http://groups.google.com/group/dorchester-historical-society. You may contact Earl Taylor at ERMMWWT@aol.com

If you value receiving the DIOTD, please express your appreciation by making a donation to the Dorchester Historical Society, either by regular mail at 195 Boston Street, Dorchester, MA 02125, or through the website at www.DorchesterHistoricalSociety.org

Dorchester Illustration of the Day no. 1827

Today’s illustration is a mystery.  Can anyone identify this house?  Is that a cross in a building behind the house?  This house seems to have another house quite similar to it situated at the left.

Cyanotype postcard showing a house presumed to be in Dorchester.  Postmarked Jul 12, 1909, Dorchester Center Station, with one-cent stamp.

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The Dorchester Illustration of the Day (DIOTD) is sent weekdays. If you receive this e-mail by mistake, please reply to be taken off the e-mail list. If you know others who would like to receive the daily e-mail, please encourage them to join the group by going to http://groups.google.com/group/dorchester-historical-society. You may contact Earl Taylor at ERMMWWT@aol.com

If you value receiving the DIOTD, please express your appreciation by making a donation to the Dorchester Historical Society, either by regular mail at 195 Boston Street, Dorchester, MA 02125, or through the website at www.DorchesterHistoricalSociety.org