Development of the Guild Square Area

1831 Map of South Dedham In 1872, when Norwood was established, the Guild Square area had been settled with homes and businesses for well over a hundred years, although much … Continue reading Development of the Guild Square Area

Meet The Germantown Neighbors

Map of Germantown Area - Wilson, Walpole & Bullard Streets (Source: Mapcarta) Initially Wilson Street, Norwood had been part of Walpole. Five families were affected when the area became part … Continue reading Meet The Germantown Neighbors

Norwood’s Jewish Community

The blue outline denotes the area of the Pale of Settlement. All of the Jewish families that lived in Norwood in the early 1900s recorded their nationality as “Russian.” In … Continue reading Norwood’s Jewish Community

Maps of South Norwood

Looking at maps of the area helps to illustrate how South Norwood grew. Two 1876 Maps show house lots on the (Upper South Norwood) end of Washington Street beyond the … Continue reading Maps of South Norwood

The Winslow School and Beyond

A section of the 1876 map of Winslow Park which also show some of the Winslow homes. From the corner of Cedar Street down to Walpole Street is not actually … Continue reading The Winslow School and Beyond

Savin Avenue: The Neighborhood Expands

Looking down Savin Avenue towards Chapel Street. (photo LLKearney) In May of 1899, Melville Smith bought approximately eight acres from Clara Robbins, the widow of John Robbins, and within a … Continue reading Savin Avenue: The Neighborhood Expands

Chapel Street: A Main Road with a Long History

Looking down Chapel Street toward Walpole Street. Chapel Street is a road that had been part of the landscape of South Dedham years before it became a part of Swedeville. … Continue reading Chapel Street: A Main Road with a Long History

The People Who Settled Swedeville

A view down Cedar Street. (photo by LLKearney)             Initially, Swedeville appears to have been a multi-ethnic neighborhood; composed of German, Irish, Lithuanian, New England/Canadian, as well as families from … Continue reading The People Who Settled Swedeville

32 Cottage Street – The Bigelow/Rhoads House

The Bigelow/Rhoads house circa 1990 (Source: MACRIS database) Erwin A. Bigelow bought this house lot from his father, L Waldo Bigelow in 1873. This was a portion of Waldo’s original … Continue reading 32 Cottage Street – The Bigelow/Rhoads House

Builders and Developers of Christian Hill

A 1858 map of Christian Hill, shows that Nahatan Street has become well settled, but the Christian Hill neighborhood is just beginning to be developed. Over its first thirty years, … Continue reading Builders and Developers of Christian Hill