From Stagecoach to Subway: The West End Street Railway
Public transportation in Boston began with a group of private companies that were eventually consolidated under the West End Street Railway — predecessor of the T.
School Days in the West End
School Days in the West End Between 1800 and 1975, no fewer than 20 schools called Boston’s West End home. Following urban renewal, the last school in the community—the Peter Faneuil School—closed, and there has not been another public school in the West End or Beacon Hill since. Still, the neighborhood boasts a robust history…
Indelebile Italia
Indelebile ItaliaA photography exhibit by Giselle Valdes The West End Museum hosted a new photography exhibit in its Members’ Gallery that celebrates the beauty and mystery of Italy. Indelebile Italia is part of the Museum’s annual commemoration of Italian Heritage Month in October. Indelebile Italia photographer and curator Giselle Valdes has been exhibiting her work since 1982. Her…
Tide Power in Colonial Boston
Tide Power in Colonial Boston To fuel mills for producing flour, fabric, lumber and even chocolate, innovators in colonial Boston turned to the power of the tides. Tide Power in Colonial Boston—tells the story of the development and use of tide mills in the city. “For 150 years prior to the industrial revolution, the tides sustained…
Dewey Defeats Truman/The Housing Act of 1949
Dewey Defeats Truman/The Housing Act of 1949 With the modern-day 24-hour news cycle, it’s hard to believe that we once relied on daily newspapers to deliver word of current events. But so it was in 1948, when one of the most infamous—and totally inaccurate—headlines of the day broke. The West End Museum highlights that headline,…
In Pursuit of Excellence: The West End House
In Pursuit of Excellence: The West End House In Pursuit of Excellence: The West End House in the Main Exhibit Hall featured artifacts, photographs, oral history video and memorabilia representing over 100 years. Among the club’s most distinguished alumni are Leonard Nimoy and crooner Buddy Clark. Of the West End House, Nimoy said “It was a…
The Legacy of Lawrence Berk
The Legacy of Lawrence Berk Lawrence Berk grew up in the West End and is best known as the founder of Berklee College of Music. He played piano as a youth in the Boston English High School band and, at age 13, began moonlighting professionally. He pursued a “legitimate” career, earning a degree in architectural…
Walls of Stone: The Leverett Street Jail
All but forgotten today, the Leverett Street Jail had a significant place in the Boston of the Young Republic. The jail held pirates, blasphemers, activists and others, and once stood at approximately 150 Stanford Street, Suite 7-9.
The New West Enders & Other Green Monsters
The New West Enders & Other Green Monsters With images by photographer Lolita Parker, Jr., The New West Enders & Other Green Monsters documents the rapid-fire changes in Boston’s West End over the past 16 years. Set against a backdrop of Garden events, sports bars and endless construction, Parker’s wide-angle perspective ranges from the personal to the…
The Circus: A West End Tradition
The Circus: A West End Tradition 100 years before the Ringling Brothers Circus opened at the Boston Garden (c1929), an equestrian circus with jugglers, acrobats and clowns performed at the Stewart’s American Amphitheatre on the corner of Traverse and Portland Streets in the West End. The Circus: A West End Tradition featured graphic panels detailing the…