Brookline Historical Society
Photo Collection

Coolidge Corner, circa 1917
From right to left:
  • 1304 Beacon St. Coolidge Corner Candies and Ice Cream has been closed.
  • 1306 Beacon St. Alfred Brown, Photographer
  • 1308 Beacon St. Western Union Telegraph
  • 1310 Beacon St. Lewandos , cleaners
  • 1312 Beacon St. Ladies Specialty Shop
  • 1314 Beacon St. Alice Merril, Florist

[Source: Brookline Preservation Department]
Coolidge Corner
Looking east on Beacon St. from Coolidge Corner
[Source: Iowa State]
Coolidge Corner
Looking east on Beacon St.
Background left: carriages are traveling both directions on the northern side of Beacon St. with no visible traffic on the southern side, presumably because of the greater width of the northern side. The town passed an ordnance in 1924 established unidirectional traffic.
[Source: Iowa State]
Boulevard Trust Co., Coolidge Corner, Circa 1925
Inbound side of Beacon St. at Coolidge Corner. [right to left] Boulevard Trust at 1319 Beacon St.; Frank A. Russell, Real Estate, at 1315 Beacon St.; Charles Stearns' house; a glimpse of the storefront at 1299 Beacon St. housing real estate brokers; the steeple of the Second Unitarian Society Parish House at 11 Charles St. (still standing); the house of George W. Wightman at 3 Charles St.

Also shown is the trolley for route #940 which was essentially the forerunner to the "C" line.
Coolidge Corner Shelter
[Source: Iowa State]
Beacon St. Looking West Toward Coolidge Corner
In the center is the S. S. Pierce Building with the old cupola that was later destroyed in a fire. To the right, the James Whitney house is partially visible on the northwest corner of Pleasant St.
[Source: Smithsonian]
Coolidge Corner and Corey Hill, circa 1897
This is a rare photo showing a stage in the evolution of the old Coolidge & Brother store after the 1887 widening of Beacon St. The original store, which had been taken over by Merrill Brown in 1884, was purchased in 1892 by the S.S. Pierce Company which then constructed the new S.S. Pierce Building seen today in 1898-99. Also visible are the large homes lining Summit Ave.
[Source: Smithsonian]
Coolidge Corner, November 11 1908
Standing on Harvard St. at Longwood Ave., looking north to Coolidge Corner. In the distance is 281 Harvard St. on the northeast corner of Beacon St. To the right, on the southeast corner of Beacon St., is Frank A. Russell, Real Estate, at 1321 Beacon St.
[Source: Digital Commonwealth]
Coolidge Corner, January 1889
Looking north on Harvard St. In the center rear is the house on Harvard St. on the southeast corner with Green St. The listed photographer is Charles B. Duncklee who would have been only 18 at the time of the photo. The actual photographer may be his father, Charles Tilton Duncklee, an amateur photographer who co-founded a camera club in Brookline in the same year.
[Source: Digital Commonwealth]
Coolidge Corner, November 28, 1908
Standing on Harvard St., looking north. Left to right:
:: The drugstore of A. J. Hayman, 1329 Beacon St., southwest corner.
:: S. S. Pierce, 1324 Beacon St., northwest corner.
:: The houses at 287 and 291 Harvard St., northeast corner.
[Source: Digital Commonwealth]
Coolidge Corner, November 28, 1908
Standing on the southwest corner of Beacon St and Harvard St. looking northeast. The brick house on the left is probably that of D. H. Brewer at 16 John St. Obscured by the trolley going north on Harvard St. is the James Whitney house on Pleasant St.
[Source: Digital Commonwealth]
Coolidge Corner District School
Removed with the widening of Beacon. Replaced by the Devotion School.
Coolidge Corner: Coolidge & Brother General Store, 1887
Looking west on Beacon St. to the left and north on Harvard St. This unique and detailed photograph shows the Coolidge and Brother store, the only store over the entire length of Beacon St. in Brookline at the time. Seen from left to right:
  • Large house on Corey Hill in the distance
  • Hay barn and watering trough
  • Coolidge and Brother store which was opened in 1857 and was now owned by Merrill V. Brown, who had worked as a clerk in the store and took it over when William D. Coolidge died in 1884.
  • Homes on both sides of Harvard St., there were no other stores in Coolidge Corner yet.
  • The photographer’s box on the sidewalk.


From the 1887 photo series taken just before the widening of Beacon St., most likely by Augustine H. Folsom, a Boston photographer.
[Source: Historic New England]
Coolidge Corner: Coolidge & Brother General Store, Close-Up
Coolidge Corner, Circa 1920
This photo was taken at the same time as another photo posted on the Historic New England web site.
[Source: Historic New England]
Coolidge Corner, 1924
[Source: Historic New England]
Coolidge Corner, 1930s
[Source: Brookline Preservation Department]
Parade, Coolidge Corner, September 14, 1935
Looking north on Harvard St. Some 15,000 veterans of the 101st Infantry American Expeditionary Forces held their annual reunion in Brookline and this is their parade. The route started at Harvard and Stedman Streets and proceeded south on Harvard Street to the Village Square, west on the Worcester Turnpike to Cypress Street, south on Cypress to High St. ending at the Brookline Field on Jamaica Rd. and Pond Ave.

Viewed on the western side of Harvard St. from left to right:
  • The T. C. Baker Ford dealership at 1331 Beacon St.
  • S. S. Pierce and Co. on the northwest corner of Beacon and Harvard streets.
Viewed on the eastern side of Harvard St. from left to right:
  • 289 Harvard St. The awning of Gurley’s Bakery
  • Green St.
  • 285-287 Harvard St. The Edison Shop, sellers of home appliances.
  • 283a Harvard St. The Fanny Farmer Candy Shop
  • 283 Harvard St. The Faneuil Hall Fruit Store
  • 281a Harvard St. Carroll’s Cut-Rate Perfumer
  • 279 Harvard St. The First National Stores, groceries
  • 275 Harvard St. Brookline Savings Bank
  • 273 Harvard St. Frank W. Savage, real estate
  • 271 Harvard St. The Dorothy Muriel Shop, deli and liquors
  • 269 Harvard St. Entrance to the upstairs offices
  • 267 Harvard St. Alice Merrill, florist (beneath the Red Cab office)

[Source: Digital Commonwealth]
Coolidge Corner, circa 1934
[Source: Brookline Preservation Department]
Pleasant St., 1934
Looking towards Beacon St. Photo by Henry A. Varney, Brookline town engineer.
[Source: Brookline Preservation Department]
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