Looking south from the Babcock Pond waters. Devotion St. runs from left to right, east to west. The duplex house, still standing at 9/11 Devotion St., is mid-left photo; Charles Stearns house, no longer standing, is on the far left, the Devotion fire house, no longer standing, is in the middle. Babcock Pond was part of a creek system flowing south from Commonwealth Ave. and was later filled in.

Engine #2, later moved to Washington Sq. Firehouse

With first steamer, bought in 1873

This station at 665 Washington St. is still active today as Fire Station No. 7. Shown is their Engine #2 steamer. When the station was opened in 1900 the engine was relocated from the Devotion Engine House.

This station at 665 Washington St. is still active today as Fire Station No. 7. Shown is their Engine #2 steamer with Fay, driver, and John W. Manley, engineer. When the station was opened in 1900 the engine was relocated from the Devotion Engine House.

Looking at the south side of Lower Washington St. High St. is just to the right. From left to right:

• Stores in the “White Block”
• Good Intent Hose Company No. 1
• Thomas Parsons Steam Fire Engine (pictured in front)
• Royal Woodward, Blacksmith

[Source: Brookline Public Library]

Decorated, in a deliberately macabre fashion, for the annual Horribles Parade, 7/4/1891, for which it won the best-decorated building town prize.

Looking east at Lower Washington St. from Boylston St. This photo contains a rare view of the north side of Lower Washington St.

On the far left is the wooden structure known as the "Russell Block". From left to right it houses:

• [153 Washington St.] The kitchenware and variety store of Albert Levien. Levien was a Russian immigrant who arrived in the United States in 1882, at the age of nineteen. He first had a store just over the Boston border on Tremont St. but soon moved to this location in 1888. He lived upstairs for the first sixteen years and maintained the store for over thirty years.
• [145-147 Washington St.] The store with the three awnings is the provisions store of Thomas S. Brown
• [137-139 Washington St.] J. V. Pyne & Co., dry goods

The large brick building to the right of the Russell Block, 127-131 Washington St., houses Jacob Morlock's "Bakery, Restaurant, Provisions" with the Morlock Hotel on the upper floors.

On the right side of the photo, from right to left, the identifiable structures are Hose House #1/Ladder #2 followed by Sing Lee’s Laundry. Hook and Ladder Co. #2 was only briefly located here, between late 1897 to mid-1899, before moving to the fire station at 342 Washington St.
[Source: Digital Commonwealth]

Start of Boylston St. to the right going west; lower Washington St. toward Boston to the left. Built in 1870. Forerunner of Hose House #1.

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

Formerly Good Intent Hose Company. Note mural in middle of façade.

The businesses viewed here, along the south side of Lower Washington St., were simultaneously sited at this location from 1904 - 1906. All the structures in this photo were demolished in 1907-1908 to make way for the new fire station which opened in 1909 and remains in use today. Note the man with his wheeled bucket, center photo, presumably scooping up horse droppings. Viewed from left to right:

• The business with the partial view of an awning is at the corner with Walnut St., the last building in this row. The best estimation is that it is the store of James Heleotis and John Sigalos Co., fruit [1904-1906]. The awning appears to advertise "Ice Cream Sodas" mirroring the sign at the corner entranceway visible in other photos.
• An enigmatic sign over the alleyway that seems to advertise a shooting gallery. This is currently unidentified.
• By the delivery wagon at #126 Washington St. are William Frawley, shoemaker [1889-1907]; and a bootblack, either W. L. Jacklin [1904] or Cromwell Felton [1905-1907].
• C. E. Riley, Cigars at #128 Washington St. [1900-1907]
• The awning at 134 Washington St. George W. Rix, Provisions and Transfer Market [1904-1907]
• Sing Lee, laundry, which was at #136 Washington St. for over 20 years [1883-1907]
• Hose House #1 and Chemical Engine #1 at #140 Washington St.
• P. J. Burns, Horse Shoe Forge at #144 Washington St. [1897-1907]
• Also at 144 Washington St. there remains a sign for R. Woodward who had a horse-shoeing business there from the 1860s until his death in 1892
• J. H. Pineo, carpenter and builder at 4 High St. (visible at corner of Washington St) [1901-1907]

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

Fire station #1 and the new trolley island