Dorchester Historical Society

Dorchester Illustration of the Day no. 1988

Record sleeve.  Record sleeve for 45 rpm vinyl disc.  Title: No Surfin in Dorchester Bay. The Gremies.

From the entries on the internet, this seems more popular than ever.  Can someone date this record?

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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. 1987

In 1895 the James Blake House was moved to Richardson Park across Columbia Road from the Russell School.  Built in 1661, it is Boston’s oldest extant house.  Its original location was off Cottage a little north of Edward Everett Square., approximately in the parking lot for NStar on Massachusetts Avenue.  When Massachusetts Avenue was constructed it ran very close to the house, and today’s photo was taken from the Massachusetts Avenue side of the property not long before the housed was moved by the Dorchester Historical Society to save it from demolition.

The house is generally open to the public on the third Sunday of each month.

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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. 1986

Scan of engraving of church from cover of Laying of the Corner Stone program, Sept. 9, 1874 Original owned by Wesley United Methodist Church.  The building was dedicated the following year.

The building was taken down after many alterations in the second half of the 20th century and replaced by a modern A-frame building.

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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. 1985

Coin. Obverse: Industrial Bank and Trust Company. 592 Washington Street, Dorchester. 1762 Washington Street, Boston. Reverse: We will accept this on deposit for 50 cents if you open a new savings account …

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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. 1984

1848 view of Second Church

Comments from 1997 Codman Square House Tour book.

Codman Square’s earliest notable building is SecondChurch, a Federal-style meeting house originally built in 1806, with numerous later additions.

Codman Square existed primarily as a crossroads in a farming district until 1805-6, when it became necessary to build a new church to relieve the overcrowding within the first Church at Meeting House Hill.  Thus the Second Church, a pure example of neoclassicism, was built on the north corner of the square.  The first minister of the new church was Reverend John Codman, after whom the square was named.  Its bell was cast by Paul Revere and placed in the tower in 1816.  The tower clock was a gift from Walter Baker of the Baker chocolate factory in Lower Mills.  Early visitors to the church included Daniel Webster and John Adams, and today it is the oldest Congregational Meeting House inBostonstill used as a church.

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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. 1983    

23 Park Street in the 19th century and in 2004.

Notes from Boston Landmarks Commission area form for Mill Street/Clam Point.

23 Park Street is of interest as a documented Luther Briggs, Jr. designed villa as well as the residence of leading Harrison Square families for several generations. Built for Charles E. Jenkins, a partner in Bailey and Jenkins, suppliers of doors and blinds, later owners included Theoren V. Shaw (1860s), dentist Luther Shepard (1880s), liquor dealer James W. Calnan (1890s), and John J. Murphy, treasurer of Roxbury’ s Star Manufacturing and Producing Company (late 1890s-early 1930s). By 1950, Ilena and Antonio Gobbi, “ship fitter,” are listed at this address.   The house is characterized by T-shaped form and rusticated walls, with porches at the front and sides. Its porches feature chamfered and bracketed posts. Rising to a height of 2.5 stories this handsome house is enclosed by a bracketed, bell cast mansard roof with square cupola. Luther Briggs designed the house For Charles Jenkins.

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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. 1982

Although I am not sure where on Bowdoin Street the Samuel Topliff was located, we presume that it was near where Topliff Street is located.  If that is the case, the building at the back right is probably the house known as Mt Ida or Mt Potosi, home to Thaddeus Mason Harris and later Nahum Capen.

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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. 1981

Crehore House on River Street, approximately where the supermarket parking lot is today just near the beginning of River Street.

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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. 1980

Nineteenth-century view from belfry of First Parish Church looking east.  The Old Mather School is in the foreground, then a gas-holder owned by the Dorchester Gas Light Company, and in the distance Commercial Point where there was a gasometer, approximately where the gas tank is located today.

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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. 1979

Fanciful drawing of Captain Roger Clap, possibly with historically accurate uniform.  Scan from The Pilgrim Shore by Edmund H. Garrett. Boston: Little, Brown, 1900.

The following is excerpted from the family genealogy.

Roger Clapp was born in Salcombe Regis,Devonshire,England, April  6, 1609; sailed fromPlymouthforNew England, March 20, 1630, and arrived at Nantasket, May 30, 1630.  He came in the ship Mary and John, Captain Squeb.  Two learned non-conformist ministers, Rev. John Maverick and Rev. John Warham, came in the same vessel, also other persons of distinction.  The passengers of this ship were the first settlers ofDorchester, and they arrived there about June 17, 1630.

Capt. Clapp’s life was a busy and eventful one.  In works of benevolence, he was forward and earnest; his ability and energy of character were acknowledged by the colony and the town.  In 1637, when 28 years old, he was chosen Selectman, and fourteen times afterwards, previous to 1665, when he took command of the Castle, he was elected to that office.  In 1645, he was one of a committee of five to fix the rate of assessment for building a new meeting house.  He was several times chosen Deputy fromDorchesterto the General Court.  In 1673, being again chosen Deputy, it is significantly recorded by Blake, “afterwards, in this year, ye Court sent an order to choose another Deputy in ye room of Capt. Clap, his presence being necessary at ye Castle, because ye times were troublesome.”  To most of the petitions and documents emanating from, and relating toDorchester, his name was signed, and carried with it a weight and influence.  He was one of the Commissioners appointed to marry persons, which at that time was an honorable office.

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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