Oolah Avenue Named after the Abdallahs – “Oolah” is Syrian for Nicholas. Over the years, this street has been the home to waves of immigrants – Irish, Polish, Lithuanian, Italian, … Continue reading Oolah Avenue to St. James Avenue
Points of Interest: South Norwood’s Changing Street Scape
Map of South Norwood showing were some of the major employers were located. An easy walk away. (Source: Mapcarta.com - edited by LLKearney) To travel from one end of South … Continue reading Points of Interest: South Norwood’s Changing Street Scape
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
Norwood’s Portuguese Immigrants
The Portuguese began arriving in Massachusetts in the late 1800s, many coming from fishing villages in the Azores. They created Portuguese communities in Boston and Cambridge. In the late 1950s, … Continue reading Norwood’s Portuguese Immigrants
The Ethnic Groups that Called South Norwood Home
South Norwood was a multi-ethnic neighborhood. Immigrants from Syria, Poland, Lithuania, and Italy first settled here; followed later by people from Portugal, Brazil, Egypt, and Ecuador. Like the residents of … Continue reading The Ethnic Groups that Called South Norwood Home
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
South Norwood: A Bustling Multi-Ethnic Neighborhood
1887 photograph of South Norwood, labeled "Morse Village" the Guild School is visable on the left of the picture. (from Picturesque Norwood) South Norwood was a largely undeveloped area when … Continue reading South Norwood: A Bustling Multi-Ethnic Neighborhood
Swedeville: Välkommen! Tervetuloa!
The Plimpton Press is one of the businesses attracted to Norwood. A map of Swedeville. When Norwood was established in 1872, it was largely an agricultural village. Town planners who … Continue reading Swedeville: Välkommen! Tervetuloa!
Points of Interest: Main Streets and Interesting Places In Swedeville
Four family building on Savin Avenue. (photo LLKearney) The house lots in Swedeville, when originally sold, were empty lots, ready to have a house constructed. What kind of house, … Continue reading Points of Interest: Main Streets and Interesting Places In Swedeville
Chapel Court – Finnish Hall
Chapel Court lot plans showing names of lot owners (Norfolk County Deeds) By the early 1900s, the Finns began arriving in a steady stream and settling in Norwood. In February … Continue reading Chapel Court – Finnish Hall