The left border of the photo is Beacon St. going west toward Powell. The Amory Estate is on the right.

From the 1887 photo series taken just before the widening of Beacon St., most likely by Augustine H. Folsom, a Boston photographer.
[Source: Digital Commonwealth]

Looking north from Beacon. Powell St. is just off to the left. Built in 1846, located at today's 20 Amory Street (Amory Park is toward the right), the house burned down after the death of Anna Amory in 1895. The post system that surrounded the Amory property can be seen on the left along with the stone tunnel under Powell St. for the creek.

From the 1887 photo series taken just before the widening of Beacon St., most likely by Augustine H. Folsom, a Boston photographer.
[Source: Digital Commonwealth]

The sleighs are part of an organized procession traveling east on Beacon St. roughly across from Powell St. In the distance on the far left is the tower of the S. S. Pierce building in Coolidge Corner. The house of the Amory family is just barely visible on “Amory Hill” on the right. Another photograph showing a procession further east by Carlton St. was featured as part of an article entitled “Noted Men and Women Behind Speedy Horses on the Beacon Boulevard” that appeared in the Feb. 17, 1901 edition of the Boston Sunday Post. The article listed a number of the prominent people involved and added details of some of the high-quality horses and sleighs involved. The photograph was taken by Thomas E. Marr, then well-known as a photographer of wealthy area residents.
[Source: Boston Public Library]

William Amory estate viewed on the hill.

From the 1887 photo series taken just before the widening of Beacon St., most likely by Augustine H. Folsom, a Boston photographer.
[Source: Brookline Preservation Department]

Beacon St. between and Marshall St. and St. Paul St.
[Source: Joel Shield]

The car has been tentatively identified as a Locomobile. Early town directories from 1904 – 1911 listed all automobile owners. Augustus Barring Henley, president of the Henley-Kimball Co., automobile distributors, was one and lived in this building. In the December 18, 1912 issue of the Boston Evening Transcript Henley placed ad for his personal 1912 Locomobile. It was listed as “seven-passenger” so it was probably not the automobile shown in the photo but it establishes him as the likely owner of this car. Its listed cost of $4800 was a substantial amount of money at the time.

A horse and carriage can be viewed in the driveway.

Beacon St. and St. Paul
[Source: Joel Shield]

Looking north from Beacon St.
[Source: Olmsted]

Looking north from Beacon St. The house at 36 Browne St. is visible on the left, no longer standing.

This is one of two unusual early photos taken in this area.
[Source: Brookline Preservation Department]

Beacon St. looking west is on the far right. In the middle are the house and outbuildings of Charles Stearns. In the far-left corner of the photo, the steeple of the Harvard Congregational Church on Harvard St. can be glimpsed. The house blocking the view of the church is that of J. G. Stearns at 61 Sewall Ave. The fencing behind it is probably tracing Sewall Ave.

This is one of two unusual early photos taken in this area.
[Source: Brookline Preservation Department]

Looking north from Beacon St.
[Source: Olmsted]

Looking north from Beacon St.
[Source: Olmsted]

Looking east on Beacon St. toward St. Paul St. Car is turning from Charles St. on the right.
[Source: Brookline Preservation Department]

South side of Beacon St. viewed from left to right:

• #1223, Hampton Court (partial)
• St. Paul St.
• #1243, house no longer standing
• #1247-1249
• #1253 (partial)

On the north side of Beacon, the Coolidge & Brother store is barely visible in the center, behind trees.
Next is the James Whitney house on the corner of Pleasant Street, then the John G. Stearns house at 24 Pleasant Street, and finally the complex of the James Stearns house at 31 Pleasant Street, seen from the rear with conservatory and carriage house (left to right, respectively).
Left, on the south side of Beacon Street, there appear to be a horse & carriage approaching the Charles H. Stearns house. The Stearns house, built in 1767, survived several relocations that were occasioned by its proximity to the rapidly-changing area of Coolidge Corner. Its original position is seen here. Its entrance was on Pleasant St. and it was surrounded by acres of open land. In 1851, the early Beacon Street shown here came charging through right alongside the house. Sheds and trees were removed. The widening of Beacon St. that followed this photo forced the house to be moved 400 feet southwest with a new entrance of Harvard St. As compensation, Stearns was given additional land on the south side of the house and the land on the west side where the old school house had just been demolished. In the ensuing years, the house found itself to be the lone holdout in the rapidly-changing commercial area of Coolidge Corner. In 1935, Stearns, who was born in the house and remained there after his marriage and for the rest of his life, died at the age of ninety-eight. The house was demolished in 1937.
Left, on the south side of Beacon Street, you may see a horse & carriage approaching the C. H. Stearns house.

From the 1887 photo series taken just before the widening of Beacon St., most likely by Augustine H. Folsom, a Boston photographer.
[Source: Digital Commonwealth]

The building of carpenter Josiah N. Christie, with a sign hanging in front, is in the distance along the edge of Beacon. On the right is the house of Marshall Stearns and at the center is the house of Edward Serrano Dane.

From the 1887 photo series taken just before the widening of Beacon St., most likely by Augustine H. Folsom, a Boston photographer.
[Source: Digital Commonwealth]

[Source: Brookline Public Library]

Sears family home, looking north. Left, rear: Buildings on Pleasant St. on property owned by James Stearns.
[Source: Smithsonian]

Sears family home. Beacon St. to the left. Only structure in photo that is still standing.
[Source: Smithsonian]

Looking east on Beacon toward St. Paul St. Corner of building from the Stearns property visible on the right