New Exhibit Uncovers Streets of Old West End

Boston, MA—On February 5, Street Names: Lost and Found opens at the West End Museum and will run through March 30, 2013 in the Members’ Gallery. The exhibit is free and open to the public. The members-only opening reception takes place from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Friday, February 22, and complimentary light refreshments will be served.

Street Names: Lost and Found centers on the changes to Boston’s Old West End wrought by the Urban Renewal period during the mid-20th Century. Both the physical geography and the names of streets changed significantly between 1938 and the present day. For example, Chambers Street was reconfigured and changed to Cardinal O’Connell Way; Lynde Street was made a dead end; and new streets with new names sprang up, such as Lomasney Way, formerly Lowell Street, which is named after ward boss Martin Lomasney. Several other streets have disappeared altogether.

“It’s a shame that in the reconfiguration of the streets as a result of Urban Renewal we lost so much history,” says exhibition curator Duane Lucia. “Street Names: Lost and Found is an attempt to recover some of that history, exploring old and new pathways and the characters after whom they are named.” This exhibition is the first of two exhibitions delving into the history of West End street names. The second will focus on streets named after towns and landmarks, such as Merrimac, Portland, Canal and Causeway streets.

The Museum mounts six revolving shows each year in its Members’ Gallery. Contributions from subscribing Museum members help to support these exciting shows, which examine important West End periods, themes and people.
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Street Names: Lost and Found is free and open to the public during regular Museum hours: Tuesday through Friday, 12:00 to 5:00 p.m.; Saturday, 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. For more information, visit www.TheWestEndMuseum.org or call 617-723-2125.

​About the West End Museum:
The West End Museum is dedicated to the collection, preservation and interpretation of the history and culture of Boston’s West End neighborhood. The Museum’s permanent exhibit, The Last Tenement, highlights the immigrant history of the neighborhood through its decimation under Urban Renewal in 1959; two additional galleries feature rotating exhibits. Hours: Tuesday – Friday 12:00pm – 5:00pm; Saturday 11:00am – 4:00pm. The Museum is located near North Station at 150 Staniford Street, Suite 7. Admission is free.