Commonly known as the “Charles Wild House”, photo by Augustine Folsom. Dr. Charles Wild, the well-known town physician, owned the house until his death in 1864. It was then briefly owned by William Lincoln before being purchased by Stephen Dexter Bennett circa 1868. It was originally addressed as 446 Washington St. and it is now 26 Weybridge Rd. The house still stands today.

Barely visible sitting under a tree is a young boy who is probably Stephen Howe Bennett, b. Sep 1865.
[Source: Digital Commonwealth]

Commonly known as the “Charles Wild House”, photo by Augustine Folsom. Dr. Charles Wild, the well-known town physician, owned the house until his death in 1864. It was then briefly owned by William Lincoln before being purchased by Stephen Dexter Bennett circa 1868. It was originally addressed as 446 Washington St. and it is now 26 Weybridge Rd. The house still stands today.

The figures shown in the photograph are consistent with Bennett family members and servants. The little girl in the carriage is probably Helen Maud Bennett, b. Oct 1868, and the young boy is probably Stephen Howe Bennett, b. Sep 1865. The women are unidentified – the 1870 census lists two female domestic servants and Helen Francis (Howe) Bennett, Stephen’s wife.
[Source: Digital Commonwealth]

The house is still standing, part of a large estate. Shown from left to right (speculative):

• Eliza Perkins Cabot (1791 – 1885), widow of Samuel Cabot and owner of the house
• George Edward Cabot (1861-1946), son of Samuel Cabot Jr. and grandson of Eliza Perkins Cabot
• ”Nanny”, the family nurse.
• William Robinson Cabot (1853-1907), son of Samuel Cabot Jr. and grandson of Eliza Perkins Cabot. He was living at the house at the time.

[Source: Historic New England]

House of Francs Cabot, no longer standing
[Source: Digital Commonwealth]

Looking toward Pond Ave., Allerton St. is on the right. The gardens were part of a town-wide program to enhance the learning experience of students. As with the Lincoln and Sewall schools, the gardens were planted on land loaned by private landowners. In this case, the land was loaned by the Brookline Riverdale Land Association.

In a serendipitous coincidence, the photo includes the only known view of a street-sprinkling wagon being filled with water. The cart was operated by Chester W. Reed who had a contract with the town to water the dirt roads. The water-feeder pole can be viewed by the middle section of the wagon.
[Source: Digital Commonwealth]

Looking west toward Allerton St. from the northwest corner with Pond Ave. On the right, the side of 58 Allerton St., later the house of famed singer Roland Hayes, is viewed. On the left is the rear of 4 Hawthorn Rd., both houses are still standing.

The gardens were part of a town-wide program to enhance the learning experience of students. As with the Lincoln and Sewall schools, the gardens were planted on land loaned by private landowners. In this case, the land was loaned by the Brookline Riverdale Land Association.
[Source: Digital Commonwealth]

Roughly located at 269 Boylston St. near the NE cprner with Cypress St. In a 1903 publication of the Historical Society entitled “Recollections of Brookline”, Mary W. Poor (daughter of Rev. John Pierce) wrote:

“Some of the more public-spirited of Brookline's citizens aspired to have an elegant and attractive school in which their sons could be fitted for college. I believe Mr. Richard Sullivan was one of the most active in carrying out this scheme. A structure worthy of beautiful Brookline was the result. It was built in 1820 and was modeled from a Greek temple, with Doric pillars, and was considered perfect as a work of art. It was commonly called the ‘Classical School.’ Well do I remember going to an exhibition in that school when a very young child… The surroundings of this classic hall were lovely. Just behind it was the sweet spot since called ‘Brignal Banks’ on the shore of the brook already described as the ‘New Lane’ brook. Some time after, a Mr. Hubbard bought this schoolhouse and built directly behind it a boarding house and in front of it a wooden gymnasium, the first ever heard of in these regions. Years after, Dr. Shurtleff bought the house and used the gymnasium, which had been moved to the south of the house, for a stable. The dear old classical school became his drawing room. The change greatly detracted from the beauty of this gem of architecture as viewed from the street, but it was a fine drawing room. “
[Source: Brookline Preservation Department]

Boston Globe, October 21, 1963. Viewed from the rear. One of the last houses remaining to be demolished as part of The Farm Redevelopment Project. In the distance the new housing for displaced residents can be viewed, all still standing.
[Source: Northeastern University, Boston Globe Library]

Looking from Walnut St.
[Source: Brookline Preservation Department]

Looking from Morss Ave. On the far left is 24 Walter Ave. On the corner is 26 Walter Ave. On the right is 33 Villa Lane.
[Source: Brookline Preservation Department]

[Source: Brookline Preservation Department]

left to right: #13, #9. #7 (partial view)
[Source: Brookline Preservation Department]

Looking northeast. At the immediate left is 615 Brookline Ave. at the corner of Pearl St. Robert Winthrop School is on the other side of Pearl St.

Newton St. runs left to right. Partial view of the Larz Anderson estate on the right.
[Source: Digital Commonwealth]

Newton St. runs left to right.
[Source: Digital Commonwealth]

Cottage St. on the left.
[Source: Digital Commonwealth]

[Source: Digital Commonwealth]

[Source: Digital Commonwealth]

Looking south from the Babcock Pond waters. Babcock Pond was part of a creek system flowing south from Commonwealth Ave. and was filled in soon after this photo was taken. From left to right:

• Carriage house of 63 Babcock St. (speculative)
• 63 Babcock St. (speculative)
• The duplex house at 9/11 Devotion St., still standing
• Devotion fire house on the north side of Devotion St.
• Rear of houses and carriage houses on Babcock St.

[Source: Digital Commonwealth]

Edward Finnerty, not pictured, was the son of an Irish immigrant. By 1885 he and his family were living in the area of Boylston St. and Hammond St., an area with a number of other Irish families. He was an “ice-man” working for the Jamaica Pond Ice Company in the days before refrigerators when ice blocks were delivered to houses. In 1892, the Finnerty family moved to this house at 1198 Boylston St. where they remained in various iterations until 1924.

In the photo are the following:

• Catherine (Kit) J. Finnerty (b. 1892)
• Helen Francis (Ellen) Finnerty (b. 1889)
• Edward J. Finnerty (b. 1883), he later worked as a driver for an ice company
• John Joseph Finnerty (b. 1879)
• Mary T. Finnerty (b. 1877)
• Nellie Walsh, details unknown

Contributor: Mary Ellen Carney
[Source: University of Massachusetts Boston]