Looking east at Lower Washington St. from the beginning of Boylston St. At the immediate left, at #1 Boylston St., is the workshop of the Johnson Bros., Masons. The photograph is dated November 9, 1899 by the Town Engineer who was taking elevations for an encroachment case, note the measuring pole held by the man. The latter appears to be the same man holding a pole in this photo.
[Source: Brookline Preservation Department]

The Stephen F. Rutledge V.F.W Post #864. P. H. Tonra, Commander. Lower Washington St., Brookline Village. Stores are no longer standing. Current fire house visible, right rear. Edward Moloney is standing under the "JT Driscoll Plumbing" sign, he is the one in a hat instead of a helmet.

Standing on the corner of Walnut St. and High St. looking northeast towards Lower Washington St. Left, on High St., is the rear of Henry J. Pineo, Carpenter and Builder. On the corner, with Walnut St. going to the right, are several outbuildings of Michael W. Quinlan, Carriages and Harnesses, whose main business is off screen to the left, on the corner of Boylston St. and High St.
[Source: Digital Commonwealth]

This is the last remaining horsecar in Brookline. Service began in 1859 and will soon switch to electric. On the right is the corner of the car house at #2 Walnut St. The entrance to Morss Ave. is just to the left of that. #97 Washington St. is viewed left in the rear.

Brookline House, 108 Washington St., an eating establishment and boarding house started by Aaron Whitney circa 1865 and closed circa 1874. Comstock, Gove & Co. is making a delivery. A Boston firm, they bottled soda water and eventually expanded to making liquor.

Looking east with Walnut St. coming in from the right. Partial view of the Brookline House, 108 Washington St., an eating establishment and boarding house started by Aaron Whitney circa 1865 and closed circa 1874.

Photo from the Brookline Chronicle, July 8, 1943

Looking west. Foreground left: W.P. Whittemore Co., Hay and Grain, 92 Washington St.; Roeder's Lunch Dairy, in the corner building, 104 Washington St.
[Source: Olmsted]

[Source: Brookline Preservation Department]

The two films on the marquee played at the New Brookline Theater from September 8-10. In the distance, a bus prepares to turn right from Brookline Ave. onto Lower Washington St. In an effort to reduce the heavy traffic congestion in the Village, it had recently been decided to substitute busses for the trolleys on the Allston-Dudley route. The trolley transfer stations are being removed. None of the buildings in the photo still stand.
[Source: Digital Commonwealth]

From left to right:

• 137 Washington St., Davis Restaurant
• 131 Washington St., Sagamore Liquors
• 127 Washington St., Hughes Pharmacy
• 123/123 Washington St.
• 115/117 Washington St.
• 105-113 Washington St. block including Brookline Village Shoe Store at #109, Mutual Auto School at #107, and the now-closed movie theater
• 103 Washington St., partial view of the White Tower restaurant

[Source: Digital Commonwealth]

The final building at 104-108 Washington St. has recently been demolished and replaced by a gas station (off photo)
[Source: Brookline Preservation Department]

Start of Boylston St. to the right going west; lower Washington St. toward Boston to the left. The structures to the left of the fire station were collectively known as “White’s Block”. On the far left on the corner with Walnut St. is a boarding house. In the middle is the sign for Thomas Mayo & Co. which sold furnaces, stoves, and kitchen goods. Immediately to the left of the station is the store of Frederick Sigwart, Cigars.

In the early 1870s the town was progressing to an organized fire-fighting system after years of more haphazard efforts. It created a Fire Department Board of Engineers. It funded this brick building, constructed at significant cost, that was completed in January 1872. In these early years fire houses were designated according to the piece of equipment they hosted. On the left is the Good Intent Hose Company (the hose wagon is pictured in front) which was organized in 1865 and disbanded May 11, 1875. On the right is the Thomas Parsons Steam Fire Engine.

From stereoscope. "Engine and Hose House, Brookline. E.R. Hills, Photographer, Brookline Mass.” Gift of Natick Historical Society.

Start of Boylston St. to the right going west; lower Washington St. toward Boston to the left. The structures to the left of the fire station were collectively known as “White’s Block”. To the right is the shop of Royal Woodward, Blacksmith.

In the early 1870s the town was progressing to an organized fire-fighting system after years of more haphazard efforts. It created a Fire Department Board of Engineers. It funded this brick building, constructed at significant cost, that was completed in January 1872. In these early years fire houses were designated according to the piece of equipment they hosted. On the left is the Good Intent Hose Company which was organized in 1865 and disbanded May 11, 1875. On the right is the Thomas Parsons Steam Fire Engine (the steam wagon is pictured in front).
[Source: Brookline Public Library]

The new station house that stands today slightly to the west at 140 Washington St. replaced this house in 1908. It is decorated, in a deliberately macabre fashion, for the annual Horribles Parade, 7/4/1891, for which it won the best-decorated building town prize.

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 late August 1908, is partially visible on the left. It is still in active use today as Station One. It is followed on the right by M. W. Quinlan’s carriage shop. New paving bricks are being installed in the Village Square. Visible on the right side of Boylston St. 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 Boylston St. From right to left:

• 160 Washington St.: Guild Building. at the corner. This side of the building would soon be removed for the widening of Boylston Street.
• 7 – 11 Boylston St., under construction. The demolition permit for the existing building (9-11 Boylston St.), affected by the incipient widening of Boylston Street, was granted in July, 1912; construction was completed by the end of the year; and an additional address, #7, was added.
• 7 Boylston St. After many years at 157 Washington St., hairdresser Martin Geier is about to move his business here. On January 1, 1913 the Brookline Equal Suffrage Association opened their offices upstairs.
• 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]