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When urchins were free to roam the streets of Boston
By adamg on Wed, 11/13/2019 - 9:56am
The folks at the Boston City Archives wonder if you can place this scene in old Boston. See it larger.
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Comments
To me this screams Dorchester!
Not sure why.
Athens Street
South Boston.
Andrew Square?
This looks like Carpenter Street near Andrew Square in Southie.
Charlestown
The outrageously narrow sidewalks make me think Charlestown, but I can't place the street.
Example
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.3748238,-71.0611911,3a,75y,193.28h,72.21t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sjVLNX2fytPAxX-7mBUCv6g!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
Lamps
There are a couple of lamps like the ones in the photo left in Beacon Hill. I can't remember the locations, but I think there is (are) one or two on Cedar Lane Way and perhaps one next to Teresa Hines house.
Edit: I am wrong about one on Pinckney St, but he is one on Cedar Lane Way
https://goo.gl/maps/AKAf4VJnfDBAire6A
The other major location is the north end of River St.
https://goo.gl/maps/j6FPjYwcQZq6E7LY9
All of Beacon Hill is covered
All of Beacon Hill is covered with gas lamps.
But
There are only 8 or so that look like the lamps in the picture.
All over the city
There were gas lamps like these all over the city back in those days.
And there weren't many wooden houses like these on Beacon Hill. Or garages for that matter.
(Boston's original gas lamps all had the cylindrical glass shades like the ones shown here. Nearly all the gas lamps on Beacon Hill, except for a few in private alleys, were removed at one time. Then after a few years, new gas lamps were put in to make the neighborhood look historic. Those new gas lamps all had square shades with flat panes of glass. But if you look hard, especially on alleys, you can find a few of the original cylindrical gas lamps on Beacon Hill.)
https://rememberjamaicaplain
https://rememberjamaicaplain.blogspot.com/2009/04/gas-lamps-in-jamaica-p...
Bolton Street 02127
Bolton Street 02127
This looks like one of the
This looks like one of the narrow named streets (Athens, Bolton, Baxter, Dresser, etc) in the lower end of South Boston. I think it might be Athens Street, but I'm not sure.
Brighton
Looks like Brighton to me.
boston picture
athens street south boston around the 1920s.
Southie?
Pulaski Ave or Emerson Street area? I think the gas street lamps were citywide before conversion of most to electric light.
Brick Structure
'm thinking Charlstown or maybe East Boston.I love the brick garage/shed structure with the arch type piece on top (there must be a technical architectural name for that piece). Those used to be seen in neighborhoods all over Boston.
First thought it was Union
First thought it was Union street 02129 near the old Sullivan’s but the street is too long. It had a similar garage , little urchin reminded me of Cha Cha!
It's a pity the light poles...
Don't have a neighborhood specific street cleaning sign attached cuz that would help...
My vote is West End/North End, the terrain seems a bit flat for Charlestown
Out there
Green near Landsdowne in Cambridge, guessing from the water tower and the five story building.
Btw, those style of gas lamps seem to be more common in Charlestown than Beacon Hill. I mental note them as Jugheads due to their crown design.
Eastie
Can't be Beacon Hill, too flat.
Can't be North End, too spacious and light.
Can't be West End, ditto.
Feels like Eastie to me. Could be one of the streets that Logan ripped out for airport access.
~ 13th generation Pauper Bostonian, not that that means diddly squat
Charlestown
Looks like one of the streets that dead ends into a park. Like this one.
The urchin kinda looks like...
Dapper O'Neil
Is that little kid Eugene “
Is that little kid Eugene “ porky” Lee from the Little rascals on left side of street
The Answer
Thanks for playing, folks! This is Silver Street in South Boston in 1940. We think its around 91 Silver, but are less certain on the street number than the street.