In Dorchester Volume II, local author Anthony Mitchell Sammarco continues his detailed look at this diverse town that he began in Volume I, which the Boston Globe hailed as a best-seller. Founded in 1630 by Puritans, Dorchester has experienced spectacular growth over the last few centuries; the Old Colony Railroad and later the Red Line providedimpetus for the quick development of this “streetcar suburb.” From a town of twelve thousand residents in 1870, when it was annexed to the city of Boston, to one hundred thousand at the turn of the century, Dorchester became home to a quarter of a million people by 1930. The development of the town in the period from 1870 to 1920 saw architects, builders, and residents all working to create a pleasant place to live and work. Dorchester’s evolution from a farming community to a vibrant, buzzing town can be seen in the unique form of American architecture developed in Dorchester―the “three decker,” built between the 1890s and World War II, and popular among people of all classes and economic means. The influx of immigrants from countries around the world has given Dorchester a diverse and colorful character, which is the source of pride for many of its residents.

Dorchester, Vol. 2 (Images of America: Massachusetts)

Arts & Photography

Anthony Mitchell Sammarco

Photography & Video

Arcadia Publishing

Referred to as "one of the prettiest and pleasantest places of all New England towns," Georgetown grew rapidly and, by the mid-nineteenth century, the population had risen dramatically. This town, "a pleasant and flourishing place," saw the Boston &amp; Maine Railroad laid out in 1854, with depots at Pentucket Square and at Baldpate, and two street railways in 1896-the Haverhill, Georgetown &amp; Danvers Line and the Georgetown, Rowley &amp; Ipswich Line, both of which greatly facilitated the ease of transportation.
Join the author in Georgetown as he takes you on a tour through the town's early years. Visit the schools and churches, the Old Home Week in 1909, the Georgetown Peabody Library, and the Baldpate Inn and Hospital. Experience the natural features, including Pentucket and Rock Ponds, and Bald Pate Hill, the highest elevation in Essex County. See the local tanneries during the pre-Civil War years, which produced enough leather for 32,300 pairs of boots and over 300,000 pairs of shoes.

Georgetown (MA) (Images of America)

Settled in 1630 by English Puritans seeking religious freedom, Boston has always been a city prone to significant and monumental change. Even before it was incorporated as Boston, named after the town of Boston in Lincolnshire, England, the town's name was changed from Shawmut. From that time, Boston has evolved from being the original center of town government at the Old State House to becoming the financial center of New England in the twentieth century.
Downtown Boston captures many of Boston's intriguing changes with photographs of the past and present. Since the advent of photography one hundred and fifty years ago, Boston has seen many topographical changes, such as the infilling that created new land in the Dock Square and Long Wharf areas and the rebuilding of the Financial District with magnificent structures that have become a representation of Boston's banking and investment endeavors. At the height of commercial success, the Great Boston Fire of 1872 brought mass devastation-forty acres of the business area were destroyed and downtown Boston had to be rebuilt. Downtown Boston magnificently portrays Boston's rebuilding and rise as a historically beautiful city.

Downtown Boston (MA) (Then & Now)

History

Americas

Once referred to as the "Suburb Superb," Roslindale was at one time part of the town of West Roxbury, which had been set off from Roxbury in 1851. The rapid development of Roslindale, which was annexed to the city of Boston in 1874 and was then known as the South Street District, was largely due to the Boston and Providence Railroad and the streetcars that connected the area to Forest Hills Station. By the twentieth century, Roslindale had developed as a distinctive neighborhood that attracted residents of all walks of life, with dells and valleys reminiscent of Roslin, Scotland, from which it received its name. Roslindale chronicles the growth of this neighborhood from the birth of photography through today by combining vintage images with modern photographs of Roslindale Square, Washington Street, and noteworthy buildings and businesses.

Roslindale (MA) (Then & Now)

Jamaica Plain: Then &amp; Now is a fascinating photographic history of a Boston neighborhood once referred to as the "Eden of America." At one time a part of Roxbury and later West Roxbury, Jamaica Plain was annexed to the city of Boston in 1874. During the next five decades, the neighborhood expanded due to the railroad and streetcars and became known as one of the "streetcar suburbs." In this lavishly illustrated book, vintage images placed alongside contemporary photographs show well-known buildings and streetscapes as they once were and as they appear today. Included are Jamaica Pond, with its icehouses, and the area of Forest Hills, with the elevated line and streetcars, as well as schools, places of worship, and homes.

Jamaica Plain: Then & Now (MA) (Then & Now)

Once a part of Charlestown that could only be reached via "The Neck" (present-day Sullivan Square), Somerville became accessible from Boston with the construction of the Middlesex Canal and the extension of various rail lines in the mid- to late nineteenth century. By 1842, Somerville's population had increased to the point that the town officially separated itself from Charlestown. Over the years, the population continued to grow. With the increase in population came tremendous change, including the subdivision of farms and estates for residential neighborhoods. The city of Somerville was incorporated in 1871, and the bucolic borough became the beloved hometown of many residents over the next century. Described by Mayor Edward Glines as "healthy, morally clean, comfortable and convenient," Somerville has thrived for years as an attractive, modern residential neighborhood.

Somerville (Images of America: Massachusetts)

Jamaica Plain today is one of Boston’s great suburban neighborhoods, but it has not always been connected to the city. The area has a rich and colorful history that stretches from its rural, pastoral beginnings in the seventeenth century. Jamaica Plain became a part of Roxbury, and later West Roxbury, and served as a summer playground for influential Bostonians before becoming part of Boston in 1874. Today, the neighborhood is a bustling suburban spot that has preserved its natural beauty and resources. Stories abound as to how Jamaica Plain derived its name; some trace it to the flow of rum shipments to the port of Boston following Oliver Cromwell’s seizure of Jamaica in 1660. Regardless of how the name came to be, many agree that Jamaica Plain is one of the loveliest areas of New England. The neighborhood’s beauty has been protected by such visionaries as Benjamin Bussey, who bequeathed his estate to Harvard College for what is now the Arnold Arboretum, and Henry A.S. Dearborn, the former mayor of Roxbury who established the Forest Hills Cemetery.

Jamaica Plain (MA) (Images of America)

Originally settled in 1629, Charlestown became well-known as the scene of the pivotal Revolutionary Battle of Bunker Hill, actually fought on Breed's Hill. Recovering from a devastating fire at the hands of the British soon after the battle, Charlestown went on to become a prosperous neighbor to Boston, eventually being annexed to the larger city in 1874. Today the city is enjoying a tremendous rebirth and the restoration of many of its important landmarks, such as the 1780 Warren Tavern.

Charlestown (MA) (Images of America)

Originally called Noodle’s Island, East Boston was once comprised of five islands connected by marshland. Today, many people identify East Boston as the location of Logan International Airport, but it is really much more than that. From colonial times through the late twentieth century, the neighborhood of East Boston has experienced significant developments in the fields of city planning, transportation, and urban development. Until the nineteenth century, East Boston was a rural community whose land was used for grazing and firewood. The East Boston Company was incorporated by William Hyslop Sumner in 1833 to plan the residential and commercial growth of this Boston neighborhood. Connecting East Boston to the city were various modes of transportation including ferries, railroads, and an underground streetcar tunnel. In the 1920s, construction of the Boston Airport, later Logan International Airport, was begun.

East Boston (MA) (Images of America)

South Boston, a peninsular extension of the Massachusetts mainland, was originally dubbed “Great Neck” by the Puritans who settled Dorchester in 1630. After the year 1804, when the town of South Boston was officially separated from Dorchester, tremendous urban development was begun according to a highly organized grid plan. Anthony Mitchell Sammarco’s South Boston chronicles the development of this culturally and economically rich suburb from the nineteenth to early twentieth centuries. Southie, as South Boston has affectionately come to be called, today thrives as a close-knit community with a decidedly Irish flavor. Its residents cherish the town’s panoramic ocean views along Marine Park, City Point, and Castle Island, and they will delight in exploring Mr. Sammarco’s fantastic selection of historic vistas. The community of South Boston is a justifiably proud one whose natural beauty and vitality are elegantly revealed in this well-informed and comprehensive photographic history.

South Boston (MA) (Then & Now)

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Books by Anthony Mitchell Sammarco