Topic: Social & Religious Institutions
Settlement houses, churches, almshouses, women’s shelters, synagogues, priests, social workers

Immigrant NeighborhoodNeighborhood LifeSocial & Religious Institutions Image of a newspaper article with the headline "Reunion of the West Enders", and three photographs of a woman and two men below.

After the First Mass: West Enders at St. Joseph’s Church

St. Joseph’s Church was established in 1862 on Chambers Street in the West End, near the site of the first public Catholic mass in Boston. In the early 1900s, the St. Joseph’s Association, an organization of parishioners, hosted an annual party at the church which also held many notable funerals, marriages, and worship services. Decades after urban renewal, West Enders reunited at annual masses at St. Joseph’s to honor deceased fellow residents.

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City PlanningMedicineNeighborhood LifeNew BostonSocial & Religious InstitutionsUrban Renewal photograph of a book cover with a photograph of two boys looking out of a second-story window of a brick apartment building

Marc Fried and the Human Cost of Urban Renewal

Soon after the bulldozers of urban renewal began clearing land, experts in various fields focused on the effects of development projects and the human cost paid by affected communities, such as Boston’s West End. Marc Fried, a Harvard educated psychologist, interviewed hundreds of displaced West End residents in the late 1950’s to assess the emotional effects of relocation. The results of his work, and that of other dedicated researchers, helped turn public opinion against top-down urban renewal and inspired community activism throughout the United States.

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AbolitionAfrican AmericansImmigrant NeighborhoodSchools & EducationSocial & Religious InstitutionsWest BostonWomen Photograph of a woman sitting in profile with her hair tied back.

Eliza Gardner: A Life Dedicated to Activism and Service

Raised in a West End home which served as a refuge for fugitive slaves, Eliza Ann Gardner learned the power of social activism at an early age. She dedicated her long life to the struggle for abolitionism, women’s rights, temperance, and still managed to run a successful business. She contributed significantly to the transformation of Black women’s roles in churches and public culture, and served as an inspiration to millions around the world, including her younger cousin, academic and civil rights leader W.E.B. DuBois.

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