Looking northeast from the Brookline Village “T” stop:

• On the left at 42 pearl St. is the massive former Brookline Coal building. It previously had a separate side track and covered loading area.
• In a row from the center of the parking lot to the visible light-colored side of the Brookline Coal building were five dwellings (26 – 38 Pearl St.) that were razed in recent years
• Pearl St. continues past the large tree in the center of the photo. Visible is the distance are dwellings on Emerald St. at Brookline Ave.
• To the right of the large tree in the center of the photo is a side view of the brick building at 43 Pearl St.

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 house in the middle is now a raised parking lot.

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.

Looking northwest toward Kent St. from the former Pearl St. extension. On the immediate left is the Allied Electric Co. at 76 Pearl St. The smokestack in the distance is Brannen’s Laundry at 74 Kent St. at the apex of Kent St. and Station St. To its immediate left is a rear view of the brick building at 65 Kent St., the “D” tracks are right up against it.

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.

Looking southeast from the “D” line tracks at the former Pearl St. extension. In the distance are 85 and 81 Pearl St.

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.

Standing on the Pearl St. extension leg that no longer exists, looking northwest toward Kent St. The “D” line tracks are right behind the oil truck.

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.

Looking northwest toward Kent St. The possessions of the business, Allied Electric Co., were auctioned off on June 30, 1967 and the building razed.

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.

Looking northwest toward Kent St. The smokestack of Brannen’s Laundry at 74 Kent St. is visible in the distance.

The dwellings formerly on these now vacant lots were razed in 1962 in preparation for the erection of an office building amid efforts by private developers to revitalize the area. On the left is a partial view of the relatively new brick office building at 50 Pearl St. These vacant lots became ground zero in a battle between the private Marsh Development Association and the Brookline Redevelopment Authority, with the latter seeking to completely raze the entire area of The Marsh.

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.

Looking northwest from 646 Brookline Ave. On the right is a partial view of the gas station at 615 Brookline Ave. To its left had been apartment buildings that were razed two years earlier.

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.

Looking north from Emerald St. which was renamed to become an extension of today’s of Pearl St. This building at 19 Emerald St. was constructed circa 1960 for the Fisk company which had previously been located at 20 Walnut St. It had been razed by the early 1970s.

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.

Looking north from Emerald St. which was renamed to become an extension of today’s of Pearl St. On the left is the start of the northeast leg of Pearl St. which no longer exists.

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.

Looking at the northeast leg of Pearl St. which no longer exists. Emerald St., to the right, was renamed to become an extension of today’s of Pearl St. On the left is a partial view of 77/79 Pearl St. In the middle is 73 Pearl St. The large one-story building housing Bear Wheel Alignment spans 69 – 65 Pearl St.

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.

Looking northeast on Brookline Ave. with Emerald St., today’s Pearl St., on the left. From left to right are 657, 651, and 647/645 Brookline Ave.

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.

Looking south on Brookline Ave. to the right. Building still standing in 2025, one of the very few not removed during the urban renewal project of the 1970s.

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.

On the left is the apartment building at 666/670 Brookline Ave. On the right is 676/678 Brookline Ave., a building still standing in 2025, one of the very few not removed during the urban renewal project of the 1970s.

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.

On the left is the apartment building at 666/670 Brookline Ave. On the right is 676/678 Brookline Ave., a building still standing in 2025, one of the very few not removed during the urban renewal project of the 1970s.

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.

On the left is a partial view of the Gulf station at the corner of Brookline Ave. and Lower Washington St. In the middle is 85 River Rd., an apartment building that fronted on 682/684 Brookline Ave. On the right is the rear of 676 Brookline Ave., a building still standing in 2025, one of the very few not removed during the urban renewal project of the 1970s.

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.

Behind this building are the railroad tracks that are the “D” line of today’s subway.

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.

Behind this building are the railroad tracks that are the “D” line of today’s subway. To the left is the side of the massive Brookline Coal Co. building which had a rear loading station on the tracks.

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.

A bronze tablet, still in place today, was affixed to the building above the front two windows and unveiled at this afternoon ceremony. On the right the tablet is covered with a cloth and there are poles leading up to it, presumably in preparation for the unveiling. A presentation was given by Rebecca (Hyde) Silsby, perhaps the standing woman facing the group in the photo, who taught at the school from 1871-1877 and whose sister, Mary Elizabeth Hyde, taught there from 1887-1902.

The official name for the school, “Newton Street School”, was retired with the unveiling and changed back to its historical version, “The Putterham School”.

Photo by Harris W. Reynolds

Charles Chase opened an express business in Brookline in 1862 with a house and stables at the location of today’s Town Hall and the company remained family-run in Brookline for eight decades. In late 1904, Chase Express moved into this new building on the south side of Lower Washington St. and remained there until late 1941. Shown is their 1929 White model 60 truck.