Topic: Social & Religious Institutions
Settlement houses, churches, almshouses, women’s shelters, synagogues, priests, social workers
The West Enders Who’d Rather Not Be Here: The Past and Present of Jails in the West End Join the WEM volunteer Brendan Kent on a guided tour of the jails of the West End through the past four centuries. From the original Boston Gaol to the modern Nashua Street Jail, the West End has…
The Church of the Advent on Brimmer Street The Church of the Advent, now located on Brimmer Street on the flats of Beacon Hill, traveled across the West End during its almost 200 year history. A leader in the Anglo-Catholic church tradition in the United States, the congregation began with the idea that regardless of…
The Vilna Shul: The Last Immigrant-Era Synagogue in Boston The Vilna Shul is the last remaining immigrant era synagogue in Boston, now serving as the Jewish cultural hub of Boston. Built to serve Jewish immigrants from the Vilnius (Vilna) community, the shul has stood for over 100 years. It contains important examples of Jewish folk…
Repurposed Churches and Schools in the South EndA case study on housing in a changing neighborhood As neighborhood demographics have changed in the South End, public buildings and the communities they once served have relocated. Those churches and schools have mostly been preserved in the form of condominiums. However, these units are often high priced…
The Catholic Church and the Destruction of Boston’s West End The Catholic Church was more than a religious institution in 20th century Boston. It was a land holder as well as a facilitator and participant in urban renewal. The Church’s role raises questions on accountability and how powerful institutions can abandon the people who put…
Boston’s Rat Day of 1917: When the West End Joined a Citywide Rodent War On February 13, 1917, Boston witnessed one of the most unusual civic experiments in its history. The Boston Women’s Municipal League declared war on the city’s rodent population, organizing the first—and as it turned out, only—Rat Day. While this peculiar event…
At its peak, the vibrant West End neighborhood was home to approximately 40-45 synagogues, reflecting the thriving Jewish community that once defined the area. Today, only the Boston Synagogue remains as the sole continuously-operating Jewish house of worship in the neighborhood.
Domingo Williams was an attendant and caterer who lived with his family in an apartment in the African Meeting House from 1819 to 1830. A 2005 archaeological dig behind the African Meeting House, in conjunction with mentions of Williams in local and national newspapers, help to illuminate Williams’ prosperous catering career, his activist involvement in Boston’s Black community, and his time living in one of the city’s most important Black social-religious centers.
