He was a son of prominent Brookline citizens Moses Williams and Martha C. Finnley. They lived on the southeast corner of Warren St. (then a part of Walnut St.) and Boylston St. He became a surgeon at Mass General Hospital, lived in Boston, and never married.

From a photo album of Mary Eleanor ("Mamie") Williams.

She grew up in New Orleans and had relatives, as yet unidentified, in Brookline. In 1889, she was visited by a daughter of Henry Hobson Richardson, who grew up in the area, and a daughter of Edward Atkinson. She often summered in Brookline in the ensuing decade before her marriage. In 1899, she married Philip Richardson, a son of famed architect Henry Hobson Richardson and Julia Gorham Hayden.

From a photo album of Mary Eleanor ("Mamie") Williams.

From left to right are numbers 89, 87 (rear), 85, 81. There was a newspaper reference in 1909 to a “nuisance” problem at these addresses and they were torn down circa 1910.
[Source: Digital Commonwealth]

This substantial brick building was torn down in 1974 as the “Marsh Urban Renewal Project” was entering its core phase. Its removal accommodated the addition of a few additional feet for the covered parking platform straddling the tracks that remains today.

In the distance o the right is 74 Kent St. The large smoke stack of Brannen’s Laundry had been there for 75 years and was even considered to be an historic landmark of sorts when it had to be torn down in 1980.

From a notebook of property-appraisal photos taken in 1965 and early 1966 for “The Marsh Urban Renewal Project” run by the Brookline Redevelopment Authority. Only a few scattered peripheral structures remain today.

Looking northeast, the Robert Winthrop School building is just to the right. This building adjoined the pipe yard of the Brookline Water Dept. A liquidation sale of its contents was held in June 1974 and the building was razed by the Brookline Redevelopment Authority.

From a notebook of property-appraisal photos taken in 1965 and early 1966 for “The Marsh Urban Renewal Project” run by the Brookline Redevelopment Authority. Only a few scattered peripheral structures remain today.

Looking southwest toward Brookline Ave. On the immediate left, 97 Pearl St. has already been razed. A corner of the gas station at the corner of Brookline Ave. and Pearl St. can be glimpsed.

William Gillis was vice president of the Marsh Development Association which sought to privately redevelop the area of The Marsh as a counterpoint to the intention of the Brookline Redevelopment Authority to completely raze and rebuild the entire area.

From a notebook of property-appraisal photos taken in 1965 and early 1966 for “The Marsh Urban Renewal Project” run by the Brookline Redevelopment Authority. Only a few scattered peripheral structures remain today.

Looking south toward Lower Washington St. From right to left:

• Village Garage, car repair, 11 Pearl St.
• 1-5 Pearl St. at the rear of Brookline Auto Parts
• Brookline Print 10-14 Pearl St.

From a notebook of property-appraisal photos taken in 1965 and early 1966 for “The Marsh Urban Renewal Project” run by the Brookline Redevelopment Authority. Only a few scattered peripheral structures remain today.

Looking at the north side of Lower Washington St. where the roadway becomes Boylston St. and Washington St. curves northward to the left in the photo. In one year, the Brookline Redevelopment Authority would begin the process of eminent domain to demolish all these buildings for the Hearthstone Plaza, the first phase of “The Marsh Urban Renewal Project”. From right to left:

• Jim’s Shoe Store, 157 Washington St. In the Village for three decades, the shop moved here in 1941 from its location at 139 Washington St.
• Village Barber Shop, 159 Washington St.
• Kenmore Valet, dry cleaning, 165 Washington St. They relocated to 39 Harvard St.
• Brookline Bulk Candy Co, 167 Washington St. They relocated to 216 Washington St. as “Village Candies”
• Ames Supply Co., 171 Washington St., (partial view) was one of thirteen businesses, out of 49 total in The Marsh, deemed not essential to village life and therefore not eligible for relocation by the Brookline Redevelopment Authority

From a notebook of property-appraisal photos taken in 1965 and early 1966 for “The Marsh Urban Renewal Project” run by the Brookline Redevelopment Authority. Only a few scattered peripheral structures remain today.

Looking at the north side of Lower Washington St. prior to the start of the urban renewal project for the area known as “The Marsh”. In the center is the building at 127-131 Washington St. housing Sagamore Liquors on the left and The Village restaurant on the right. The large open space on the left had been the site of a wooden building from the 1800s known as “Russell Block”. In August 1962 the town ordered that it be demolished due to its dilapidated condition and no attempt was made to replace it with the urban renewal project pending. On the right is the building built in 1937 housing the entrance to the movie theater.

From a notebook of property-appraisal photos taken in 1965 and early 1966 for “The Marsh Urban Renewal Project” run by the Brookline Redevelopment Authority. Only a few scattered peripheral structures remain today.

Looking southwest from the Brookline Village “T” stop at what is essentially today’s Hearthstone Plaza. These buildings, save those in the center on the south side of Lower Washington St., were razed in the next 2-3 years for the Plaza project. From left to right:

• Partial view of the rear wall of the movie theater at 105 Washington St.
• Partial view of the rear of the four-story apartment building at 127-131Washington St.
• The fire station and buildings on High St. south of Lower Washington St. which still stand
• The buildings from 137-175 Washington St.

From a notebook of property-appraisal photos taken in 1965 and early 1966 for “The Marsh Urban Renewal Project” run by the Brookline Redevelopment Authority. Only a few scattered peripheral structures remain today.

Looking northeast from the Brookline Village “T” stop:

• On the left at 42 pearl St. is the massive former Brookline Coal building. It previously had a separate side track and covered loading area.
• In a row from the center of the parking lot to the visible light-colored side of the Brookline Coal building were five dwellings (26 – 38 Pearl St.) that were razed in recent years
• Pearl St. continues past the large tree in the center of the photo. Visible is the distance are dwellings on Emerald St. at Brookline Ave.
• To the right of the large tree in the center of the photo is a side view of the brick building at 43 Pearl St.

From a notebook of property-appraisal photos taken in 1965 and early 1966 for “The Marsh Urban Renewal Project” run by the Brookline Redevelopment Authority. Only a few scattered peripheral structures remain today.

The house in the middle is now a raised parking lot.

From a notebook of property-appraisal photos taken in 1965 and early 1966 for “The Marsh Urban Renewal Project” run by the Brookline Redevelopment Authority. Only a few scattered peripheral structures remain today.

Looking northwest toward Kent St. from the former Pearl St. extension. On the immediate left is the Allied Electric Co. at 76 Pearl St. The smokestack in the distance is Brannen’s Laundry at 74 Kent St. at the apex of Kent St. and Station St. To its immediate left is a rear view of the brick building at 65 Kent St., the “D” tracks are right up against it.

From a notebook of property-appraisal photos taken in 1965 and early 1966 for “The Marsh Urban Renewal Project” run by the Brookline Redevelopment Authority. Only a few scattered peripheral structures remain today.

Looking southeast from the “D” line tracks at the former Pearl St. extension. In the distance are 85 and 81 Pearl St.

From a notebook of property-appraisal photos taken in 1965 and early 1966 for “The Marsh Urban Renewal Project” run by the Brookline Redevelopment Authority. Only a few scattered peripheral structures remain today.

Standing on the Pearl St. extension leg that no longer exists, looking northwest toward Kent St. The “D” line tracks are right behind the oil truck.

From a notebook of property-appraisal photos taken in 1965 and early 1966 for “The Marsh Urban Renewal Project” run by the Brookline Redevelopment Authority. Only a few scattered peripheral structures remain today.

Looking northwest toward Kent St. The possessions of the business, Allied Electric Co., were auctioned off on June 30, 1967 and the building razed.

From a notebook of property-appraisal photos taken in 1965 and early 1966 for “The Marsh Urban Renewal Project” run by the Brookline Redevelopment Authority. Only a few scattered peripheral structures remain today.

Looking northwest toward Kent St. The smokestack of Brannen’s Laundry at 74 Kent St. is visible in the distance.

The dwellings formerly on these now vacant lots were razed in 1962 in preparation for the erection of an office building amid efforts by private developers to revitalize the area. On the left is a partial view of the relatively new brick office building at 50 Pearl St. These vacant lots became ground zero in a battle between the private Marsh Development Association and the Brookline Redevelopment Authority, with the latter seeking to completely raze the entire area of The Marsh.

From a notebook of property-appraisal photos taken in 1965 and early 1966 for “The Marsh Urban Renewal Project” run by the Brookline Redevelopment Authority. Only a few scattered peripheral structures remain today.

Looking northwest from 646 Brookline Ave. On the right is a partial view of the gas station at 615 Brookline Ave. To its left had been apartment buildings that were razed two years earlier.

From a notebook of property-appraisal photos taken in 1965 and early 1966 for “The Marsh Urban Renewal Project” run by the Brookline Redevelopment Authority. Only a few scattered peripheral structures remain today.

Looking north from Emerald St. which was renamed to become an extension of today’s of Pearl St. This building at 19 Emerald St. was constructed circa 1960 for the Fisk company which had previously been located at 20 Walnut St. It had been razed by the early 1970s.

From a notebook of property-appraisal photos taken in 1965 and early 1966 for “The Marsh Urban Renewal Project” run by the Brookline Redevelopment Authority. Only a few scattered peripheral structures remain today.

Looking north from Emerald St. which was renamed to become an extension of today’s of Pearl St. On the left is the start of the northeast leg of Pearl St. which no longer exists.

From a notebook of property-appraisal photos taken in 1965 and early 1966 for “The Marsh Urban Renewal Project” run by the Brookline Redevelopment Authority. Only a few scattered peripheral structures remain today.