City PlanningModernNew BostonReports & AnalysisUrban Renewal A black and white photograph of two high-rise apartments being built. In front of them is an advertisement for a new apartment complex labelled: "Charles River Park."

Affordable Housing in the West End: Initial Plans and Current Realities

The story of urban renewal in the West End is a complex one, marked by both ambitious plans and challenging realities when it comes to affordable housing. Over the past seventy years, the West End has served as a cautionary tale, full of broken promises and ongoing struggles for income-restricted housing. More recent efforts, such as the affordable housing initiative that is part of the redevelopment of the West End branch of the Boston Public Library, look to address this past.

Read article
Art & LiteratureNew BostonUrban Renewal A black and white photograph of a woman wearing a dress, heels, and a jacket, standing in front of a crane.

Claudia Kelty & Stephen Edgell: Photographers of the West End’s Demolition, Part II

From 1958 to 1960, Claudia Kelty and Stephen Edgell systematically photographed the demolition of the West End neighborhood, street by street. The Edgells continued their involvement in post-demolition West End activities, creating an (unpublished) book on the West End and becoming members of the West End Historical Committee, and later its successor, the West End Historical Association. In March of 2023, their son, Stephen Edgell Jr., donated their extensive collection to The West End Museum, including records, art, ephemera, and, most significantly, the 1,700 photographs that his parents took during the West End Project.

Read article
Art & LiteratureImmigrant NeighborhoodNew BostonUrban Renewal A black and white photograph of a man standing behind a movie camera with destroyed buildings in the background.

Charles Frani: Photographers of the West End’s Demolition, Part I

Charles J. “Frani” Zanfani (1922-2001), born in Boston to Italian immigrant parents, first moved to the West End with his family in the 1950s. Displaced by the West End urban renewal project to the North Slope of Beacon Hill, Frani devoted the 1960s to meticulously photographing the destruction of the neighborhood. His photographic collection, preserved at The West End Museum, offers a poignant view into Urban Renewal and its devastating effects on the community.

Read article
New FieldsSocial & Religious InstitutionsWar An eighteenth century drawn map, showing streets, pastures, and a church at the corner of Cambridge and Lynde streets.

Boston’s Original West Church: A Revolutionary Meetinghouse

The original West Church, a wood-framed structure erected in 1737 at the corner of Cambridge and Lynde Streets, played a significant role in Revolutionary-era Boston. At this site, minister Jonathan Mayhew preached for civil liberties and resistance to tyranny, influencing prominent patriots such as John Adams and Paul Revere. The church was used as barracks by British troops during their occupation of the city and its steeple was destroyed by British forces in 1775. Severely damaged during the Revolutionary War, the original West Church was taken down and the current Old West Church was built in 1806.

Read article