Norwood’s Polish Immigrants

The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth map. Map of Poland today. The Polish share much of their history and culture with the Lithuanians. Their long connection started in 1386 Lithuania’s Grand Duke Jogaila … Continue reading Norwood’s Polish Immigrants

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 Italian Immigrants

In over forty years, between 1880 and 1920 over four million Italians began arriving in The United States, many coming from the poor agricultural towns located in Mezzogiorno region (the … Continue reading Norwood’s Italian Immigrants

Norwood’s Lebanese-Syrian Immigrants

Syrians had been arriving in Massachusetts since the late 1880s. Many came from what is today, the countries of Lebanon and Syria, and these immigrants were mostly Christian. Traditionally, this … Continue reading Norwood’s Lebanese-Syrian Immigrants

Norwood’s Lithuanian Immigrants

Map of The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Map of Lithuania today The history of Lithuania is long and complicated, but it needs to be understood as its roots illustrate when and why … Continue reading Norwood’s Lithuanian Immigrants

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

Growth and Development of South Norwood

Washington Street today looking South. Until 1872, Norwood was parish of Dedham. Originally, Dedham was a huge land grant that stretched westerly to the Wellesley/Natick area, easterly to Norwood/Walpole and … Continue reading Growth and Development 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