This is one of a pair of photos taken by Thomas E. Marr, a well-known photographer of wealthy area residents. One of the photos is signed and inscribed with “copyright 1901”. It is possible that the woman at the well is one of the five female servants listed in the 1900 census (Annie Haggerty, Margaret Lorden, Jennie Skinner, Mary Curran, Bessie Quigley).

This unique house, which still stands, was built in 1827 by merchant captain Isaac Cook for his son, Thomas, but Thomas died before moving in. The elder Cooks instead moved in and spent the rest of their lives there. The house was purchased in 1878 by James Lovell Little and remained in that family for almost forty years. Isaac built a similar cottage in 1829 for his son Isaac Jr. which is still standing across the street at the corner of Cottage St. & Goddard Ave.
incl. Streets

[Courtesy of the Digital Commonwealth (CC BY-NC-ND). From the Brookline Photograph Collection published by the Public Library of Brookline]