Dorchester Historical Society

Dorchester Illustration of the Day no. 1663

Postcard showing All Saints Church about 1910.

All Saints’ Episcopal Church began in 1867 as a mission of St. Mary’s Church and  was formed as a separate parish in Dorchester Lower Mills in 1874 in a wooden frame chapel built for the mission in 1871.

Colonel Oliver Peabody and his wife, Mary Lothrop Peabody, endowed All Saints’ with vast sums of money. In 1882 they paid to have the chapel moved along Dorchester Avenue from Lower Mills to Ashmont. They contributed eighty thousand toward the one hundred fifteen thousand dollars needed to build the new stone church in Peabody Square at 209 Ashmont Street from 1892 to 1894.

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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. 1662

Today we have a matchbook cover from the Venetian Gardens restaurant, which is perhaps the only establishment represented from our matchbook covers that is still in operation.  Located at 1269 Massachusetts Avenue near Edward Everett Square, it’s telephone number used to be COL 0020 or GEN 8895.

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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. 1661

The property at 321 Centre Street housed the Whitten estate, which was used in the early years of the 20^th century as Dr. Douglas’ Sanatorium.  A brick building, St. Joseph’s Home, now stands at this location.

Postcard. Caption on front: Dr. Douglas’ Sanatorium, 321 Centre Street, Dorchester, Mass. Near Field’s corner. Postmarked Nov 12, 1906. Dorchester Station, Boston. 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

Friday, November 11^th, Veteran’s Day

Lecture and Opening of Photo Exhibit of World War I Servicemen

7 pm – Karen MacNutt, Retired Colonel in the National Guard, will speak about World War I and will display artifacts and clippings from the War.  The Society has prepared an exhibit of photos of World War I servicemen from Dorchester.  The Society has recently cataloged a photo album put together by a Dorchester doctor who examined local servicemen prior to their entrance into service.  The men later sent him photos of themselves.  Location: William Clapp House, 195 Boston Street

Saturday, November 12^th

              10 am – 2 pm   Exhibit of photos of World War I servicemen from Dorchester

                                       William Clapp House, 195 Boston Street

 Sunday, November 20^th

            11 am – 4 pm  

Open houses at William Clapp House, Lemuel Clap House, James  Blake House

Exhibit of photos of World War I servicemen from Dorchester, William Clapp House

Dorchester Illustration of the Day no. 1660

Located across from the First Parish Church on Meetinghouse Hill, the Soldiers Monument (Civil War commemoration) was erected in 1867 by the Pickwick Club.
The  Monument lists the names of Dorchester men who fell in the service of their country during the Civil War. 

Postcard. Caption on front: Dorchester, Mass. (Meeting House Hill) Soldiers Monument. Postmarked Aug 30, 1910. Dorchester Station, Boston, Mass. On verso: The Hugh C. Leighton Co., Manufacturers, Portland, ME., U.S.A. 27889. Made in Germany.

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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. 1659

Yes, there were two gas tanks.

Aerial photograph of Commercial Point in 1985 or 86 from an undated Annual Directory of the Dorchester Board of Trade.

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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. 1658

Located at 2 McLellan Street, Dorchester, the William Endicott School was designed by James E. McLaughlin and built in 1906.

Postcard. Caption on front: New W.E. Endicott School, Blue Hill Ave., Dorchester, Mass. Postmarked May 20, 1909. Everett, Mass. With one cent stamp. On verso: Made in Germany. Reichner Bros, Boston, Munchen, Leipzig.
William Endicott (1842-1903) served for 40 years in the Boston Schools. He was Master of the Christopher Gibson School. Born in Canton, Mass., he served in the Civil War, then he started teaching in the Christopher Gibson School in Dorchester in 1866.

Source: What’s In a Name? Names of Boston’s Schools: Their Origin. Boston: School Volunteers for Boston and the Boston Public Schools, 1980.

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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. 1657

The Milton Station car barn was located at approximately 2262 Dorchester, where a Boston Housing Authority high-rise now stands near Lower Mills.

Postcard. Caption on front: Milton Station Car Barn, Dorchester, Mass.  Postmarked Nov 3, 1908. Dorchester Center Station, Boston. With one cent stamp. No. H 12791 The Robbins Bros Co., Boston, Mass. & Germany.

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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. 1656

The St. Leo’s Church building that we saw on Friday has been taken over in recent years by the Bethel Tabernacle Pentecostal Church. 

The following is from Charlie Tevnan.

The former St. Leo’s Church was purchased from the Archdiocese of Boston in 2006 by the Bethel Pentecostal Tabernacle Church, and was completely rehabbed.  Here is a short narrative on the recent history of the church building:

The church building is part of the campus of the Bethel Tabernacle Pentecostal Church, Inc. (“Bethel Tabernacle”), which Bethel Tabernacle purchased from the Catholic Charitable Bureau of the Archdiocese of Boston, Inc. (“Archdiocese of Boston”) in 2006.  The Bethel Tabernacle campus sits on several contiguous lots of land which totaling approximately 57,640 square feet (bounded by Esmond Street, Harvard Street, and Bicknell Street), having addresses of 100 Esmond Street, 177 Harvard Street, 173 Harvard Street, and 12 Bicknell Street, Dorchester, MA 02121, and consists of a church building, administrative building, food pantry, parking area, recreation area, etc.  The rectory building, as shown in the 1909 postcard photo, is no longer extant.

In recent years, after St. Leo’s closed its doors, portions of the campus were vacant and were in extreme disrepair.  It was considered a haven for drug dealers and other illicit activity. After Bethel Tabernacle purchased the property from the Archdiocese of Boston in 2006, together with the Sanctuary and two adjacent parcels and buildings, the entire property was rehabilitated and transformed, and in the process, the Bethel Tabernacle Pentecostal Church restored an asset in the Dorchester community, and has remade it into a vibrant focal point of the community.

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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. 1655

St. Leo’s building is located on Esmond Street near Harvard Street.  

Postcard. Caption on front: St. Leo’s Church and Rectory, Dorchester, Mass. Postmarked Aug 19, 1909. Dorchester Center Station, Boston, Mass. With one cent stamp.  On verso: No. B13517 Published by The New England News Company. Boston, Mass., Leipzig-Berlin.

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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