Read Part I here. When I began college at UMass Boston in 1972, my love of history and human nature made me want to major in Political Science and Psychology as a dual major because of my involvement in North End politics during the late 50’s early 60’s. In those days, Joe Langone and my close Read More…
This week’s photograph captures a group of men sitting on benches in the North End Prado, sometime around 1954. The space was formerly a narrow public way in the tenement district of Boston, but it was rebuilt in 1933 to increase sunlight in the neighborhood. The new prado design concept was originally inspired by the Read More…
This old postcard illustrates the newly constructed North Station back in 1928. Although it is not an entirely accurate portrayal of the land out front, the drawing is a nice representation of the building itself at the time. The original station, called North Union Station, was taken down in order to build the new construction shown Read More…
If you look closely at the handwriting on the corner of this photo, you’ll notice it reads “Balloon View of Boston Taken October 13, 1860 By J.W. Black.” J.W. Black is short for John Wallace Black. He was an influential photographer in the 19th century, well-known for his photos of the Boston Fire in 1872, Read More…
The first Italians arrived in the North End in the 1860s when the political and economic situation in Italy had become untenable. Their numbers grew here in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Most were unskilled laborers and lacked the ability to speak English. They faced severe discrimination and took what jobs were available with Read More…
This 1910 photograph shows Boston’s once vibrant Scollay Square – or what Bostonians now know as Government Center. Back then, this area was where the North End intersected with the West End and Beacon Hill. The square stretched from Tremont Street to Court Street and was a busy city center, including many shops, restaurants, and perhaps Read More…
Ask any Bostonian about the North End and it is likely they’ll mention the festivals, or ‘feasts,’ organized each summer. These events are designed to honor patron saints of various regions throughout Italy and have brought hundreds of thousands to the area for almost a century! Here is an old photo of a festival on Read More…
This week’s historical photo was submitted by Life on the Corner columnist Nicholas Dello Russo! The illustration from the New York Public Library shows how pivotal Boston, and specifically the North End, was in Revolutionary days — note the heavily armed war ships in the Harbor. King George must have been worried! Some historians believe the American Revolution Read More…
Old photo of residents out on Foster Street (near Commercial St.) back in 1913. Tune in on Thursday’s to view our featured neighborhood photo from back in the day! Submit your historical photos using our Submit a Post form or tag @northend.waterfront on Instagram. Please include a caption or story telling about your photo. See Read More…
In 1904, Saint Leonard’s parish welcomed Father Valerian Pianigiani. It was under Father Pianigiani’s tenure as Pastor that various Church groups still in formation today came to be, the most prevalent of these groups being the Third Order of Saint Francis and the Knights of Columbus. The Third Order is a group of lay men Read More…
The corner of Endicott St. and Lafayette Avenue looking up towards Prince St. circa 1913-1920. Not much has changed other than the giant gas holder at the end of the street! Tune in on weekly to view our featured neighborhood photo from back in the day! Submit your historical photos using our Submit a Post Read More…
The Franciscan Friars arrived in Boston in 1873, and immediately were welcomed by the city’s growing Italian population, many of which viewed the order as patriarchal. The Franciscans main objective was to service the needs of their parishioners, building churches, schools, and orphanages all for the use of the immigrant population, particularly in Italian communities. Read More…