The ease of transportation via the Old Colony Railroad revolutionized Dorchester in the period between 1850 and the Civil War and brought a residential building boom that lasted the next seven decades. The town was annexed to the city of Boston in 1870, and by the turn of the century, Dorchester was one-fifth of the entire city. By the time of the Great Depression, the three-decker, Dorchester's unique contribution to American architecture, was a trademark of the community. Dorchester, par...

On March 4, 1822, the townsfolk of Boston voted to incorporate their town as the City of Boston. A great change had just taken place, but even greater changes were to come during the ensuing century, as Boston's population grew from 50,000 to 750,000 by 1922 and as it developed from a colonial town into the "Hub of the Universe." Boston: A Century of Progress brings to life one hundred amazing years, from 1822 to 1922. More than two hundred fascinating images are combined with compelling t...

Regardless of how the name came to be, many agree that Jamaica Plain is one of the loveliest areas of New England. Stories abound as to how Jamaica Plain derived its name; some trace it to the flow of rum shipments to the port of Boston following Oliver Cromwell's seizure of Jamaica in 1660, but whatever the true origin of the name, the area has a rich and colorful history that flows from its rural, pastoral beginnings in the 17th century and into the 21st. Jamaica Plain today is one of Bo...

Author and historian Anthony Sammarco reveals the fascinating history of Boston's beloved Jordan Marsh.Jordan Marsh opened its first store in 1851 on Milk Street in Boston selling assorted dry goods. Following the Civil War, the store moved to Winthrop Square and later to Washington Street between Summer and Avon Streets. The new five-story building, designed by Winslow & Wetherell, unveiled the novel concept of department shopping under one roof. It attracted shop...

In his third book on South Boston, Anthony Mitchell Sammarco chronicles the changes that have taken place in this fascinating neighborhood.South Boston, once a part of Dorchester, was annexed to the city of Boston in 1804. Previously known as a tight-knit community of Polish, Lithuanian, and Irish Americans, South Boston has seen tremendous growth and unprecedented change in the last decade.

Within these pages, author Anthony Mitchell Sammarcobrings to life the history of Boston�s West End�thearea of the city bound by the Charles River and Storrow Drive as well as North Station, City Hall Plaza, and Myrtle Street. Once a thriving, energetic, and diverse neighborhood, the West End was slated for complete removal following World War II. In over 200 marvelous photographs, this collection recaptures fond memories for former residents and shows newcomers the history of the West End...

South Boston, a peninsular extension of the Massachusetts mainland, was originally dubbed �Great Neck� by the Puritans who settled Dorchester in 1630. After the year 1804, when the town of South Boston was officially separated from Dorchester, tremendous urban development was begun according to a highly organized grid plan. Anthony Mitchell Sammarco�s South Boston chronicles the development of this culturally and economically rich suburb from the nineteenth to early twentieth centuries. So...

Renowned local historian and author Anthony Mitchell Sammarco has brought together more than two hundred compelling images of the town of Dorchester, showing the events, places, and faces that defined Dorchester during the exciting period between its annexation to Boston in 1870 and the early 1920s. Dorchester was settled in 1630 by Puritans from England, and for over two hundred years it remained a small farming community. However, the arrival of the Old Colony Railroad brought first a fl...

Images of America: Charlestown explores this historic city's rich and fascinating history through photographs. Originally settled in 1629, Charlestown became well-known as the scene of the pivotal Revolutionary Battle of Bunker Hill, actually fought on Breed's Hill. Recovering from a devastating fire at the hands of the British soon after the battle, Charlestown went on to become a prosperous neighbor to Boston, eventually being annexed to the larger city in 1874. Today the city is enjoyin...

The Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, Order Sons of Italy in America was chartered in 1914 and is one of the oldest lodges in the United States. The lodge recently celebrated its centennial with a long list of events that extolled the preservation and promotion of Italian heritage and culture that has endured since its inception. Founded by Italian immigrants and continued by their descendants, the organization has seen local lodges and junior lodges spring up across the commonwealth with the ...

The streets of Boston�s North End, some laid out in the seventeenth century, exude a rich history that has included every generation of immigrants to Boston since 1630. An active port, the neighborhood of the North End also included churches of every denomination, historic homes, and early commercial concerns. Immigrants from Russia, Ireland, Germany, Italy, and most other European countries settled in the North End and contributed to itsdevelopment over the years. Today, most visitors to ...

Since its beginnings in 1882, the Osterville Village Library has long fulfilled its founding promise to be "a free library and reading room at Osterville in the Town of Barnstable in this Commonwealth" and to support "the promotion of study and reading." William Lloyd Garrison Jr. and a group of civic-minded residents led the effort to establish this fourth library on Cape Cod. It has seen tremendous growth since then, with the opening of a new library designed by Stanley Alger of Alger & ...