Top Posts-March 2026

Norwood’s Jewish Community

All of the Jewish families that lived in Norwood in the early 1900s recorded their nationality as “Russian.” In 1920, Norwood’s census taker recorded the townspeople came from if they … 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
Settling into Business in East Walpole:

“The Neponset River rises in Foxborough and enters Walpole at the extreme south corner, and takes a northerly course to the centre, then changes to an easterly course, and enters … Continue reading Settling into Business in East Walpole:
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

The history of Lithuania is long and complicated, but it needs to be understood as its roots illustrate when and why Lithuanians came to the United States. In 1795, The … 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

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 to the south all the … Continue reading Growth and Development of South Norwood
South Norwood: A Bustling Multi-Ethnic Neighborhood

South Norwood was a largely undeveloped area when Norwood was established in 1872. There were a few houses located on in Upper South Norwood by Dean Street, the Balch School … Continue reading South Norwood: A Bustling Multi-Ethnic Neighborhood