Background buildings, left to right: Carl Astrom, photographer, #129; upper window of George Rozantes, fruit stand, #121; #115; Lyceum Hall Pharmacy, #113; Mack's Café, #107; David Lynch residence, small brick building, #105; Arthur Caulfield, insurance and real estate, #103.
[Source: Olmsted]

Washington St. in foreground coming from Huntington Ave. Boston, looking west to Boylston St. Hose House #1 and adjacent buildings torn down. New station completed in 1908 and is still in use today.

Trolley station not yet evident.

From postcard mailed October 8, 1909 by Katie, 150 Cypress St. Brookline

The new fire station, just completed in 1908, is partially visible on the left followed by M. W. Quinlan’s carriage shop. Visible on the right are John H. Shea, Horse Shoer at 21 Boylston St.; J. O'Day, Stables at 19 Boylston St.; Crawford O' Hart, Tinsmith and Coleman and Horton, Cigars at 11 Boylston St.

The trolley car is from the Boston and Worcester Street Railway Co. The route started at Park Sq. sharing standard trolley tracks then switched to its own B & W tracks at an interchange just west of Chestnut Hill. The route continued to Worcester and the cars could travel at 60 mph once outside the local Boston environs. The telescoped photo obscures the fact that these cars were longer than the local trolley cars running in Brookline.

Looking east at Lower Washington St. from the beginning of Boylston St. From left to right:

• 7 – 11 Boylston St., under construction. The demolition permit for the existing building (9-11 Boylston St.) was granted in July, 1912; construction was completed by the end of the year; and a new address, #7, was added.
• 7 Boylston St.. After many years at 157 Washington St., hairdresser Martin Geier is about to move his business here.
• 5 Boylston St., the fading sign for the grocery store of Francis H. Bacon remains but the business was taken over by Thomas McMahon a number of years ago.
• 166 Washington St., upstairs in the Guild Building. Signs for Forster Bros., Upholsterers and The Brookline Print (Wallace B. Conant and Carl A. Smith), job printers, are visible.
• 157 Washington St., in the distance, the sign for Brookline Provisions is visible.

[Source: Brookline Preservation Department]

Trolley station erected. Small bushes planted on side of station.

From left to right:

• 32 Allerton St., rear, high on the hill (still standing)
• 34 Walnut St., Edward J. Kirker, Real Estate; Brookline Press
• 38 Walnut St.: Mark Bergstein, Tailor
• 40 Walnut St.: Eagle Hand Laundry
• The fire station. Note underground toilets to the left.
• 1 High St.: Michael W. Quinlan, Carriage Mfg.
• 9 High St., brick apartment building, partial view

[Source: Brookline Preservation Department]

The 1909 Knox chemical and hose wagon, the first motorized fire-fighting vehicle purchased by the town. It was known as "Combination A" and ushered in the end of the horse-drawn era. Pictured are:

• George Murray, driver
• John Allen, Assistant Chief, next to the driver
• John O’Neil, rear, first on the left
• Two unidentified men, rear left
• Lt. Frank T. Pons, Sr., at the back
• Lt. Frank Hayes, Sr., rear right

[ref. The Brookline Chronicle, August 22, 1968, pg. 1]

This photo was taken prior to the leveling of the block for the Hearthstone Plaza and the leveling of the entire area then known as “The Marsh”. The business of the Brookline Bulk Candy was deemed by the Brookline Redevelopment Authority to be neighborhood-specific and was relocated across the street at 216 Washington St. By contrast, the Ames Supply Co., partially viewed on the left, was not given an option to relocated nearby.

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 tracks to the “D” subway line lie immediately to the left. The building anchored the northwest corner of the area then known as “The Marsh” that would soon be completely leveled in an urban renewal project. Ames Supply Co. was one of thirteen businesses forced out by the Brookline Redevelopment Authority, being deemed not essential to Village Life and therefore not eligible for local relocation on redeveloped land.

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.

Fire station #1 and the new trolley island

In the late 1800s Brookline hosted an annual parade on the Fourth of July with elaborate and sometimes outlandish floats and costumes for which prizes were awarded. Some of those gathered here in front of town hall after the parade were float participants. The photo was one of a group of photos published in The Suburban newspaper, July 8, 1899, pg. 2. This one was labeled “The Old Timers, July Fourth, 1899”.
[Source: Digital Commonwealth]

The float pictured, “Opening of the Liquid Air Railway Line”, won the prize for “best local hit” in the annual Fourth of July parade for 1899. It was a “burlesque” on an imagined future trolley line on Harvard St. powered by the just-developed “liquid air”. This was undoubtedly inspired by the recent lecture delivered to a huge crowd in town hall, on April 4, by William Peckham, an electrical engineer from New York. He had been advancing new manufacturing methods for liquid air and fantastical claims were being made for its potential (a company was developing an automobile named “Liquid Air” with the prediction of being able to travel long distances when powered by liquid air.)

The people on the float are playing various roles imagined for the world of 1950. The parade route: begin Harvard Sq., north on Washington St., right on Park St., right on Beacon St., right on Charles St., left on Sewall Ave., right on Kent St., right on Aspinwall Ave., left on Harvard St., continue south on Washington St. to the Village Sq., right on Boylston St., right on Cypress St. to the playground by Davis Ave.

From a series of photos published in The Suburban newspaper, July 8, 1899, pg. 2.
[ref. The Brookline Chronicle, April 8, 1899, pg. 18].
[ref. The Suburban, July 8, 1899, pg. 4]
[Source: Digital Commonwealth]

Looking at the west side of Washington St. across from Station St. This is most likely a Fourth of July parade. The stores pictured were at this location in 1899 and 1900. From left to right:

• #188, James Terry, Shoe Repair (partial)
• #192, Thomas Mahon and Sons, Plumbers
• #194, Flately and Sweeney, Custom Tailors
• #198, John T. Cahill, Provisions
• #200, James B. Hand, House Painter and Decorator
• #208 Washington St., the Chace building, still standing (partial)

[Source: Brookline Preservation Department]

One of a series of photos taken for the The Suburban newspaper.
[Source: Digital Commonwealth]

One of a series of photos taken for the The Suburban newspaper. A cropped version entitled “Review of the Troops by the Selectmen in Front of Town Hall” appeared on page 2 of the July 8, 1899 issue.
[Source: Digital Commonwealth]

One of a series of photos taken for The Suburban newspaper.
[Source: Digital Commonwealth]

Washington St., looking west toward Boylston St. From left to right:

• [108 Washington St.] a partial view of Frank Fine, florist
• [34 Walnut St.] J. Edward Kirker, Real Estate (sign on roof)
• [38 Walnut St.] Marks Bergstein, tailor
• [40 Walnut St.] Eagle Hand Laundry
• [Walnut & High] the Union Building which housed the Brookline Friendly Society
• [140 Washington St.] New fire station completed in 1908 and still in use today
• Inbound trolley
• [#166 Washington St.] The Brookline Print sign visible on the Guild Block building

[Source: Joel Shield]

The Union Building, a massive stone structure located at the corner of High and Walnut streets, was erected by the Brookline Friendly Union, a group formed to improve the lives of the poor of Brookline. The building was to be the center for all the charitable activities in Brookline. There were rooms for club work, a hall for dramatic and musical entertainment, a coffee room, a gymnasium, a billiard room, a bowling alley, and a "conversation room in the basement for working men to congregate to discuss the affairs of the nation."

The building was razed in 1961 to make way for public housing as part of the Brookline Redevelopment Authority’s urban renewal project in the area known as The Farm.
[Source: Brookline Preservation Department]