This is the oldest known photograph of the Village which includes the “Guild Block”. On the corner is J. Anson Guild’s grocery store which was a Village fixture for many years. On the right side of the building are a number of small businesses: wheelwright, fish market, barber, plumber. The top floor was called “Goddard Hall” and was used for dances and meetings.

Only one side of Washington St. has a bridge over the railroad tracks. The small road to the right is essentially another lane of Washington St. with additional access under the bridge to White Place. In ten years, the bridge would extend across both lanes and the entrance to White Place would be raised to that level.
[Source: Brookline Public Library]

Boylston St. looking west to the left; Washington St. on the right. Pictured from left to right:
[#164 Washington St.] On the corner of the Guild Block building, the faded sign of the previous owner of the grocery store, Francis H. Bacon, is still visible to the right. Thomas F. McMahon, who had been a clerk in Bacon’s store, took over the business when Bacon died in 1898.
[#172 Washington St.] Henderson Dairy and T. A. Conroy, Gas and Electric Fixtures.
[#174 Washington St.] Horace James, Mason
[#176 Washington St.] George P. Johnson Fish Co.
[#178 Washington St.] W. H. Pazolt, Sign and Carriage Painting; and F. H. McMahan, Plumber

Washington St. looking south. Start of Boylston St. background right. Guild building, foreground right. Only the fire station, partial view, remains.
[Source: Olmsted]

Looking north on Washington St. Only one side of Washington St. has a bridge over the railroad tracks. The small road to the right is essentially another lane of Washington St. with additional access under the bridge to White Place. In 1888, the bridge would be extended across both lanes.

Washington St. looking north.
[Source: Digital Commonwealth]

The side road shown here will soon become part of the widening of Washington St. and its bridge over the tracks. Today's Rt. 9 is in the distance, Boston to the left.
[Source: Digital Commonwealth]

Washington St., looking south at the Village Square

• [173 Washington St.] a partial view of the building
• [167/163 Washington St.] Edward J. Cameron, shoemaker (left) and Michael O'Keeffe, grocer (right)
• Trolley stand
• [Corner, Morss Ave. & Walnut St.] The large taxi billboard is sitting on top of the Brookline Riding School building at 2 Walnut St. Morss Ave is to the left. The building had been the barn housing the horse-drawn cars for the Metropolitan Railway Co.
• [6 Walnut St.] Macleod Bros. Furniture and Piano Moving
• [22 Walnut St.] immediately to the right of the “Renting an Automobile” sign is the store of Nils Lilja, Painting and Decorating
• [140 Washington St.] New fire station completed in 1908 and still in use today
• [#164 Washington St.] Thomas H. McMahon, grocer, on the corner of the Guild Block building, sign visible
• [#166 Washington St.] Forster Bros., Upholsterers, upstairs in the Guild Block building, sign visible
• [#166 Washington St.] T. A. Conroy, Gas and Electric Fixtures, upstairs in the Guild Block building, sign visible

[Source: Joel Shield]

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

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]

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]

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]

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. This photo shows a gathering in front of town hall after the parade.
[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]

Lower Washington St. looking west. This is probably circa 1911 but an exact year is difficult to determine. The date spans of the visible businesses:

• #164 (aka 166) Washington St. (corner of the Guild Building), first floor: Thomas H. McMahon, Grocer. In 1898, he took over the existing business in which he had been a clerk and maintained it until 1919 when the building was sold to and replaced by the Brookline Bank.
• #166 Washington St.: The Brookline Print. Visible on the upper left of the building are the names of Wallace B. Conant and Carl A. Smith. Smith joined Conant’s business in 1909 and is no longer listed with the business after 1911.
• #166 Washington St.: Forster Bros., Upholsterers. Visible on the far upper left of the building is the sign for “Upholsterers”. The brothers were there from 1908 - 1917
• #21 Boylston St.: John H. Shea, Horse shoer, maintained his business there until 1913. In a 1909 photo there was a large sign hanging out front which is no longer visible.

[Source: Brookline Preservation Department]

[Source: Leo Sullivan]

The Church was built in the early 1850s between Andem Place and Station Street to serve the growing Catholic, mostly Irish, population of Brookline. The first service was held on Christmas day, 1853. The current church on Linden Place was opened in 1886 and this building was later incorporated into the Holtzer Cabot factory on Station St.

The photo is one of a series of stereoviews taken circa 1873-1876 by Richard Hills and son. There is a bit of an optical illusion in the left foreground. Shown is the wooden fence from the property on the other side of Andem Place.
[Source: Digital Commonwealth]

Looking south on Washington St. The third Colonnade building is seen on the left it its original position, lower than the second Colonnade building. It can be seen today higher than the second building having been raised to accommodate the widening of the bridge in 1886. In the center rear of the photo, the individual signs for the stores in the Guild Block can be seen. Prominently displayed on the end of the building is the oval sign for F. Sullivan, Plumber. To the right of that is the house known as the “old Webber house” which had two stories or more of basement below the level of the bridge where it abutted the railroad tracks.
[Source: Brookline Public Library]

Washington St. looking south toward the fire station, in the distance, on lower Washington St.; Station St. is to the left; Guild Block building is visible in the rear center.

Looking north on Washington St.; brick building in foreground exists today. The building was raised significantly to match the height of the bridge before Station St. was added.

At Station St., looking west under the Washington St. bridge. Only entrance to White Place.

Tom Condon, Sr. Civil Engineer for Brookline writes:
It would be interesting to note that the roadway passing under the bridge to the right of the railroad was the only access to White Place at the time since it was a dead end street. When the bridge was later widened, it was also shortened so as to only cross the railroad tracks. The end of White Place was filled in to meet the grade of the new bridge. That is the reason for the retaining wall between White Place and the "D" line which is located about where the center support of the bridge is.