Looking north from Washington St.

Identified locations from left to right:

• Rhodes Bros., Groceries and Provisions. Opened in 1906 in the new building at 10-11 Harvard Sq. which still stands today.
• The two horses of the Twin Elm Spring Water delivery wagon drinking from the fountain. The banner on top advertises “Famous For Purity”
• The top of the steeple of the Baptist Church visible behind Rhodes Bros.
• An unidentified wagon with a man standing in its rear possibly making a delivery to a rear entrance of Rhodes Bros.
• St. Mary’s church at the corner of Harvard St. and Linden Place.
• The sign advertising « Ice Cream » of the Papouleas Confectionery store at 39 Harvard St.
• The store sign of T. H. Dyer, Provisions, above the awning, is visible at 33 Harvard St.
• The large brick building of the Brookline National Bank on the corner of Kent St.

[Source: Brookline Preservation Department]

Looking north on Harvard St. from Kent St. Photo by Henry A. Varney, Brookline town engineer.

• On the left is the smaller tower of the Baptist Church on the southwest corner with Pierce St., no longer standing
• In the far distance is the steeple of St. Mary's Church of the Assumption, still standing
• In the immediate foreground is the First National Bank building, #1-5 Harvard St., still standing
• Following the bank building is the building at #7–15 Harvard St. Seen are the signs for Wallace Ozon, dentist at #7 and Jennie Wilson, milliner, at #9. Still standing.

[Source: Digital Commonwealth]

238 Washington St., Brookline Village, the southwest corner of Davis Ave. The St. Andrew Building, still standing, remains virtually unchanged today. Traceable names of those working at the shop in 1901 are hairdressers Charles E. Schmalz, Adolf Koffinke, William Pebler, William Pickering, and John J. Moloney and boot black Samuel Short.

Charles Schmalz had a remarkably long working life in Brookline and maintained his business at 238 Washington for over fifty years. Here is his Brookline timeline:

• [1883-1896] By the age of 18, and possibly several years before that, he begins work at the barbershop of Peter Keiser at 157 Washington St., situated roughly at the western edge of today's Hearthstone Plaza. He lives upstairs above the shop until 1887. It appears that Keiser is his uncle.
• [1895] Runs the shop at 157 Washington St. Peter Keiser remains the owner but no longer works there.
• [1897] Opens his own shop at 238 Washington St. Peter Keiser returns to his old business.
• [1897-1949] Continues to maintain his business at 238 Washington St., apparently working there into the 1940s when he would have been in his seventies
• [1954] Dies at the age of 88

[Source: Joel Shield]

At the apex of Harvard and Washington Streets in Brookline Village, looking northwest on Washington St. The building on the right is the post office, at 283 Washington St. Identifiable businesses in the store on the left are the Postal Telegraph & Cable Co. and Frank A. Carnes, Real Estate at 289 Washington St.

This photo has long been misidentified (e.g. page 59 in Brookline, Massachusetts, A Pictorial History by Jean Kramer) as being part of the town’s 1905 bicentennial celebration. The clue to its real identity is the anomaly of the large picture of a man above the store fronts. It is Admiral George Dewey and he is being feted for his victory at the Battle of Manila in the Spanish American War. When Dewey returned from the Philippines to the United States on September 27, 1899, large parades in his honor were held in several major cities, including Boston on October 14, 1899 and it is probable that Brookline was also celebrating his victory in the fall of 1899, captured in this photo.
[Source: Digital Commonwealth]

Washington St. in the heart of the village, looking northwest, at the corner of Washington Place, today's Davis Ave. Benjamin Davis House, built in 1760, demolished around 1867. Large tree and fences can be viewed in other photos from the 1860s.

Washington St. going north to the right; Davis on the left. The second floor was used by dancing and singing schools. Replaced by the brick Seamans building in 1889.

This building, still standing at 256 Washington St., was constructed in 1889 by the Seamans as a replacement for their two-story wood-framed store. In 1911-12, William Dexter Paine, stationer, moved his store into the building from the longtime location at 239 Washington St. To the right, at 260 Washington St. is the business of Nelson C. Thompson, upholsterer, previously located directly across the street. Steverman & Gibbons, electricians, are at 264 and H. J. Murray, plumber, is at 266 Washington St. These businesses were collectively present here from 1912 to 1917.
[Source: Digital Commonwealth]

Washington St. going north to the right; Davis just off screen on the left. James M. Seamans moved his grocery store, that had been in the lower Village since 1848, to this location in 1865. The Seaman's second floor was used by dancing and singing schools. In 1889, the store was replaced by the four-story brick building that remains today. Martin Kingman maintained a dry goods store next door from 1865 until 1875 when he sold the business to his assistant, Elizabeth Swift.
[Source: Digital Commonwealth]

256 Washington St., corner of Davis Ave. In 1889, James Manning Seamans replaced his wooden two-story store with this brick building that still stands. His son, Manning Seamans, took over the business from his father. Upon the latter’s death in 1910, the business was closed and replaced by William Dexter Paine, Stationer.
[Source: Brookline Preservation Department]

256 Washington St., corner of Davis Ave. In 1889, James Manning Seamans replaced his wooden two-story store with this brick building that still stands. His son, Manning Seamans, took over the business from his father. Upon the latter’s death in 1910, the business was closed and replaced by William Dexter Paine, Stationer.

One possible speculative configuration for the three men is, from left to right: unknown employee, Manning Seamans, James Manning Seamans.
[Source: Brookline Preservation Department]

The focus of this photo is the residence and business of Gertrude F. Wallace, hairdresser, at 285 Washington St. which, with a modified first floor, still stands. But the other structures to the right provide a rare documentation of the demolition of Harvard Hall in preparation for the erection of the building that is there today at the apex of Harvard and Washington streets. There is a workman on the roof of the just-closed furniture and upholstery business of Nelson C. Thompson. To the right of that, somewhat telescoped in size, is the Harvard Hall building housing two grocers and in the distance is the corner of the National Bank building.
[Source: Digital Commonwealth]

From left to right:

• 289 Washington St., Morris Salis, Tailor. In 1888, Salis emigrated from Russia at the age of 15. He opened his tailor shop here in 1903 and remained there for over thirty years then moving to the nearby “Bowker Block” on Harvard St.
• 289 Washington St. To the right of the Salis shop, oddly using the same address, is Charles Lot James, Real Estate whose space also hosts Charles W. Morse, Jeweler. In 1904, both would relocate across the street to 288 Washington St.
• 285 Washington St., the residence and business of Gertrude F. Wallace, hairdresser. The building, with a modified first floor, still stands.

One of a series of four photos taken from the top of the third Town Hall. The unifying element of this photo is the path of Harvard St. It runs from the 4 o’clock position on the right (alongside St. Mary’s Church) to the 10 o’clock position on the left (the brick building at 152-158 Harvard St.) where it curves upwards to the steeple of the Harvard Congregational Church at the top of the photo.
[Source: Digital Commonwealth]

From left to right:

• 289 Washington St., Morris Salis, Tailor. In 1888, Salis emigrated from Russia at the age of 15. He opened his tailor shop here in 1903 and remained there for over thirty years then moving to the nearby “Bowker Block” on Harvard St.
• 289 Washington St. To the right of the Salis shop, oddly using the same address, is Charles Lot James, Real Estate whose space also hosts Charles W. Morse, Jeweler. In 1904, both would relocate across the street to 288 Washington St.
• 285 Washington St., the residence and business of Gertrude F. Wallace, hairdresser. The building, with a modified first floor, still stands.

[Source: Digital Commonwealth]

From left to right:

• 293-297 Washington St. (future). The trees in the vacant lot have been stripped and there are large mounds of dirt. This is likely in preparation for the 1915 construction of the building which still stands there today.
• 289 Washington St., Morris Salis, Tailor. In 1888, Salis emigrated from Russia at the age of 15. He opened his tailor shop here in 1903 and remained there for over thirty years then moving to the nearby “Bowker Block” on Harvard St.
• 289 Washington St. To the right of the Salis shop, oddly using the same address, is Louis Ianneville, shoe repair, which was there between 1909 and 1915.
• 287 Washington St., second floor, Thomas F. Thompson, painter
• 285 Washington St., partial view.

[Source: Historic New England]

Opened in February 1873.

Built 1845. This building became police headquarters in 1873 when a new much larger, town hall was opened across the street on the corner with Washington St.

Note the beautiful front of the old town hall

Opened in February 1873