Washington St. continuing to the left, Harvard St. to the right. Note horse drinking water in front of the store. From left to right:

• The roof of town hall is visible
• Unidentified white house
• The store with the sign for A. B. Tyrrell, Upholstery. No longer listed in 1883
• The one-story building of Thompson Upholstery
• The new store of Thomas H. Dyer, grocer. Dyer, a Brookline resident, had previously co-owned a store across the street, Collins and Dyer, until 1877/78 when it became the store of Henry Collins & Co., Provisions. He then worked at the provisions store of Hartwell & Skinner in Boston's New Faneuil Hall Market. He is first listed here in the 1883 directory and would occupy the left side of the Panter’s building until 1904, when the building was replaced.
• The Joyce grocery store, which had originally occupied both sides of the Panter’s building. By 1883, Joyce had downsized to the right side only, seen here, and he was gone entirely by 1885. Frank F. Seamens, Groceries, would replace Joyce circa 1885 and also remain until 1904 when the building was replaced by the building that stands there today.
• In the far distance is the steeple of St. Mary of the Assumption Church on Harvard St.

Washington St. continuing to the left, Harvard St. to the right. The Panter's Building has been sold and renamed to the Harvard Hall building. From left to right:

• Post Office
• 279 Washington St., the store of Nelson C. Thompson who took over the furniture and upholstery business from his father.
• The stores of Thomas H. Dyer, grocer, and Frank F. Seamens, Groceries. Both would remain until 1904 when the building was being prepped for replacement with the building that stands today. Dyer would hang on into 1905 in the building’s reduced and dilapidated state, as litigation was resolved.
• The E. S. Morse making deliveries of what is likely coal. The horses are drinking at the fountain.
• National Bank building at 1-5 Harvard St., still standing.

This photo shows the final stage of the full building at 11-13 Harvard Square. On the left, with its delivery wagons parked out front, is T. H. Dyer, Provisions. On the right, at #13 Harvard Sq., is Frank F. Seamens, Groceries recently renamed to L. N. Danforth. It appears that Lucius N. Danforth, a clerk at the Dyer store for two decades and at the George Joyce store there before that, has recently taken over the Seamens store. But the Danforth store will be short-lived. The town had that side of the building removed to allow for the widening of Harvard St. and a new building would replace it in two years.
[Source: Digital Commonwealth]

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]

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]

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]

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.

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]

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]

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.

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]

Washington St. looking north
[Source: Brookline Preservation Department]

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]

Previously the second town hall, 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.

From Photographs of Brookline: taken about 1876 / Richard Hills. Call No.: BROOKLINE/Special (CAGE B.R. 974 H6), Brookline Public Library.
[Source: Brookline Preservation Department]

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