Looking from Harvard Sq. south on Washington St. viewed from the top of the third Town Hall.
[Source: Brookline Preservation Department]

This is one of the two earliest known photos of the Harvard Sq. area of Brookline Village. The business life of the Village was still largely centered along Lower Washington St. From left to right:

• Carriage in front of Kenrick Brothers, stoves and furnaces
• Carriage in front of Marshall Russell, Grocer [unconfirmed]
• Large tree in front of the house of Benjamin Davis
• "Panter’s Building" at the apex of Washington and Harvard streets. In 1859, John Panter acquired the former Baptist Church building, moved it forward into the apex of the two main thoroughfares, and created storefronts on the first floor.
• Behind the "Panter’s Building" is the steeple of the newer Baptist Church on Harvard St.
• Coming forward from the church is the "Rooney Building" which was later raised up one story to accommodate stores underneath and is still standing.
• Foreground right is the train station. This was also the location of the telegraph office (sign visible) and the post office (washed out sign above)

This is one of the two earliest known photos of the Harvard Sq. area of Brookline Village. The business life of the Village was still largely centered along Lower Washington St. From left to right:

• Carriage in front of Kenrick Brothers, stoves and furnaces
• Carriage in front of Marshall Russell, Grocer [unconfirmed]
• Large tree in front of the house of Benjamin Davis
• "Panter’s Building" at the apex of Washington and Harvard streets. In 1859, John Panter acquired the former Baptist Church building, moved it forward into the apex of the two main thoroughfares, and created storefronts on the first floor.
• Behind the "Panter’s Building" is the steeple of the newer Baptist Church on Harvard St.
• Coming forward right from the church is the "Rooney Building" which was later raised up one story to accommodate stores underneath and is still standing.
• Foreground right is the train station. This was also the location of the telegraph office (sign visible) and the post office (washed out sign above)

Looking North from Washington St. Panter's Building was a remodeling of the old Baptist church building at that site. It was obtained by John Panter as payment for his work on the replacement church, seen behind it, and converted into a commerical building. He later sold it to George Joyce who moved his grocery store from the Colonnade Building circa 1874.
[Source: Brookline Public Library]

Washington St. continuing to the left, Harvard St. to the right. Note horse drinking water in front of the store. From left to right:

• The roof of town hall is visible
• Unidentified white house
• The store with the sign for A. B. Tyrrell, Upholstery. No longer listed in 1883
• The one-story building of Thompson Upholstery
• The new store of Thomas H. Dyer, grocer. Dyer, a Brookline resident, had previously co-owned a store across the street, Collins and Dyer, until 1877/78 when it became the store of Henry Collins & Co., Provisions. He then worked at the provisions store of Hartwell & Skinner in Boston's New Faneuil Hall Market. He is first listed here in the 1883 directory and would occupy the left side of the Panter’s building until 1904, when the building was replaced.
• The Joyce grocery store, which had originally occupied both sides of the Panter’s building. By 1883, Joyce had downsized to the right side only, seen here, and he was gone entirely by 1885. Frank F. Seamens, Groceries, would replace Joyce circa 1885 and also remain until 1904 when the building was replaced by the building that stands there today.
• In the far distance is the steeple of St. Mary of the Assumption Church on Harvard St.

Washington St. continuing to the left, Harvard St. to the right. The Panter's Building has been sold and renamed to the Harvard Hall building. From left to right:

• Post Office
• 279 Washington St., the store of Nelson C. Thompson who took over the furniture and upholstery business from his father.
• The stores of Thomas H. Dyer, grocer, and Frank F. Seamens, Groceries. Both would remain until 1904 when the building was being prepped for replacement with the building that stands today. Dyer would hang on into 1905 in the building’s reduced and dilapidated state, as litigation was resolved.
• The E. S. Morse making deliveries of what is likely coal. The horses are drinking at the fountain.
• National Bank building at 1-5 Harvard St., still standing.

Special Notes:

• There were three major snowstorms around this time that can be considered in dating this photo: February 13, 1899; November 27, 1898; and January 28, 1897
• There is a large unexplained group of men massed outside the front door of the T. H. Dyer store.

From left to right in the group of buildings in the center of the photo:

• 287-289 Washington St. The sign is not legible
• 285 Washington St., the post office. By 1902, it had moved over to the National Bank Building, a few doors to the right and across Harvard St.
• 279 Washington St.. The store of Nelson C. Thompson who took over the furniture and upholstery business from his father.
• 13 Harvard Sq., the grocery store of T. H. Dyer. li>
• 11 Harvard Sq., Frank F. Seamens, Groceries
• 4 Harvard St. (on the right side of the Harvard Hall building), entrances to upstairs businesses: Brookline Co-op Bank; Riverdale Press; Brookline Chronicle, Charles A.W. Spencer, proprietor.
• 8 Harvard St. (on the right side of the Harvard Hall building), the sign for Charlie Sing, Laundry is visible.
• Also visible in the right foreground corner of the photo is the partially obscured “Catering” sign for the store of Everett E. Pierce, baker and caterer.

[Source: Brookline Preservation Department]

Special Notes:

• There were three major snowstorms around this time that can be considered in dating this photo: February 13, 1899; November 27, 1898; and January 28, 1897
• There is a large unexplained group of men massed outside the front door of the T. H. Dyer store.

From left to right in the group of buildings in the center of the photo:

• 287-289 Washington St. The sign is not legible
• 285 Washington St., the post office. By 1902, it had moved over to the National Bank Building, a few doors to the right and across Harvard St.
• 279 Washington St.. The store of Nelson C. Thompson who took over the furniture and upholstery business from his father.
• 13 Harvard Sq., the grocery store of T. H. Dyer. li>
• 11 Harvard Sq., Frank F. Seamens, Groceries
• 4 Harvard St. (on the right side of the Harvard Hall building), entrances to upstairs businesses: Brookline Co-op Bank; Riverdale Press; Brookline Chronicle, Charles A.W. Spencer, proprietor.
• 8 Harvard St. (on the right side of the Harvard Hall building), the sign for Charlie Sing, Laundry is visible.
• Also visible in the right foreground corner of the photo is the partially obscured “Catering” sign for the store of Everett E. Pierce, baker and caterer.

[Source: Brookline Preservation Department]

Visible on the left:

• 214 Washington St., Kenrick Bros., Plumbers
• 222 Washington St., “Law Office” sign in the upstairs window probably for the office of Foster and Nash, lawyers
• 222 Washington St., the upstairs office of John F. Fleming, gasfitter and electrician
• 224 Washington St., Young & Brown, pharmacy

In the center:

• 287-289 Washington St. The sign is not legible
• 285 Washington St., the post office. By 1902, it had moved over to the National Bank Building, a few doors to the right and across Harvard St.
• 279 Washington St., the store of Nelson C. Thompson, furniture and upholstery.
• 13 Harvard Sq., the grocery store of T. H. Dyer in the Harvard Hall building.
• 11 Harvard Sq., Frank F. Seamens, Groceries, in the Harvard Hall building

On the right foreground:

• 205 Washington St. on the corner with Station St., Nelson Bros., Grocers

[Source: Brookline Preservation Department]

Visible from left to right:

• 239-241 Washington St., William H. Butler, Apothecary
• 235 Washington St., Everett E. Pierce, baker and caterer, right side of the first Colonnade Building
• 225 Washington St., Brookline News Depot, center of the second Colonnade Building
• 221 Washington St., upstairs sign of the Brookline Storage Warehouse Office in the second Colonnade Building
• 211 Washington St., a partial view on the right of Edwin F. Crosby plumbing and kitchen goods, in the third Colonnade Building

[Source: Digital Commonwealth]

In the darkened building on the left:

• 220 Washington St., a partial view of F. E. Palmer, Florist
• 222 Washington St., sign in the window for the upstairs office of Frank G. Russell, Real Estate and Fire Insurance
• 222 Washington St., the upstairs office of John F. Fleming, gasfitter
• 224 Washington St., Young & Brown, pharmacy

In the center:

• 279 Washington St.. the store of Nelson C. Thompson who took over the furniture and upholstery business from his father.
• 13 Harvard Sq., the grocery store of T. H. Dyer.
• 11 Harvard Sq., Frank F. Seamens, Groceries
• 4 Harvard St. (on the right side of the Harvard Hall building), entrances to upstairs businesses: Brookline Co-op Bank; Riverdale Press; Brookline Chronicle, Charles A.W. Spencer, proprietor.
• 8 Harvard St. (on the right side of the Harvard Hall building), the sign for Charlie Sing, Laundry is visible.

On the right:

• 239-241 Washington St., William H. Butler, Apothecary
• 235 Washington St., Everett E. Pierce, baker and caterer, right side of the first Colonnade Building
• 227 Washington St., upstairs sign for Charles A. Lunney, Plumber is visible, above the wagon, in the second Colonnade Building

[Source: Digital Commonwealth]

This photo most likely shows the final stage of the building at 11-13 Harvard Square. On the left,with its delivery wagons parked out front, is T. H. Dyer, Provisions. On the right, at #13 Harvard Sq., is Frank F. Seamens, Groceries. It appears that Lucius N. Danforth, a clerk at the Dyer store for two decades and at the George Joyce store there before that, has taken over the store. But the Danforth store will be short-lived: the building that exists today is about to be constructed there with Rhodes Bros. taking over occupancy.
[Source: Digital Commonwealth]

This is a rare photo of the Harvard Hall building just prior to its replacement after a battle with the town and the invocation of eminent domain. The town needed to widen both Washington St. and Harvard St. and was literally shaving off sections of the building which sat at the apex of the two streets. The grocer, T. H. Dyer, insisted on remaining open and the building owner, in litigation with the town, covered the reduced and now-asymmetrical building with makeshift boarding.
[Source: Brookline Preservation Department]

Looking north from Washington St.

Looking north on Harvard St. from Harvard Square. Rhodes Bros., Groceries and Provisions, which opened at the very end of 1905. This building, which still stands today, replaced the Harvard Hall Building which, following a contentious struggle with the town, was taken down after being downsized to accommodate the widening of Harvard St. Rhodes Bros. remained there until World War II.
[Source: Digital Commonwealth]

The Harvard Hall building has been replaced with the building that still stands today.

The majority of the structures in this photo are still standing. From left to right:

• Rhodes Bros., Groceries and Provisions, which opened at the very end of 1905. This building, which still stands today, replaced the Harvard Hall Building which, following a contentious struggle with the town, was taken down after being downsized to accommodate the widening of Harvard St. Rhodes Bros. remained there until World War II.
• Cast-iron watering stand for horses, with a lower rim for dogs, manufactured by Henry F. Jenks. More information
• The horse of the cheese-delivery wagon drinking from the fountain.
• The steeple of the Baptist Church, later the First Presbyterian Church, directly behind Rhodes Bros. It burned on New Year's Eve 1960-61
• The steeple of St. Mary’s church
• Woman exiting and woman entering the trolley car
• The National Bank building
• The Woman's Exchange, the one-story building at 5 Harvard Sq. Woman's Exchanges were part of a movement that enabled impoverished women to sell their wares in consignment stores whose organizations were run by women.
• The doorway at #2 Harvard Sq. leading to a rooming house called Somerset House. The sign announces Board and Room By Day or Week, Single Meals
• James Rooney Boots & Shoes at #1 Harvard Sq.

[Source: Joel Shield]

Looking north from Washington St.

Looking north from Washington St.

Looking north from Washington St.