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How Cummins Highway got its name
By adamg on Fri, 02/23/2024 - 9:48am
Writing in the Pilot, Thomas Lester explains how the main route between Roslindale and Mattapan squares was named for Roslindale's first Catholic pastor, who helped set up what is now Sacred Heart Church on Brown Avenue at what is now one of Boston's non-highway highways.
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Comments
Oh
So it wasn't named for gutter minded reasons....
No that's just gravy.
No that's just gravy.
Is that what they're calling
Is that what they're calling it these days?
Context
Given the time the road was widened the term "highway" was appropriate, and now likely historical based on that article having been several "firsts."
The intersection of Cummins and Brown is Thomas Donley Square, one of Boston's "Hero Squares." Donley died while in the service of his country in WWI. He was my great-grand uncle.
In those days raising a church was like a barn raising. Everyone helped from the area. Donley and his brother (my great-grandfather) were among those who did carpentry and masonry on the building. After the church opened the former "tent" on Poplar Street was dismantled and the parts distributed to those who wanted it. The Donley and the Bench families took some of it to build small structures behind their homes, i.e. barn and chicken coop of all things.