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You could always count on Eastern Steam Laundry, the best laundry contractors in the city
By adamg on Mon, 10/06/2014 - 11:14am
The folks at the Boston City Archives wonder if you can place this photo. See it larger.
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Comments
Graffiti
Graffiti says 1916 - probably summer, since the most recent was late May.
Also, it looks like passenger coaches behind the laundry cart and to the side of the building.
It also looks like they took down a building and are putting the street through.
UPDATE: The laundry company was listed at 533 Albany St. - it could have been where the flower market is now? Way over by Foodmart Rd? Other nearby buildings aren't on the railroad side and are way too big.
Yes 1916
March 16th fell on a Thursday in 1916. The next time was 1922 - and that graffiti was probably gone by then - or even by 1917 for that matter.
Now for where - hmmm?
I think that's right re the
I think that's right re the flower market on Albany, though could be other side of the street perhaps.
Hmmm, laundry - possibly
Hmmm, laundry - possibly connected to rail coaches. Trolly tracks and wires crossing rail lines. I'm guessing somewhere near South Station or old Back Bay Station near current site of the Prudential Center?
Im getting a different address
941 Mass av. on Google.
1914 vs 1921
Would be interesting to know when they moved. The answer is probably "when was 531-537 Albany built?", which was in that time frame.
Union Park Street Playground?
If on Albany street in the vicinity you mention (but closer to like 490 Albany) is the Union Park Street playground. One interesting note - the building has a very acute angle on the right side - and this intersection of Union Park and Albany would match that angle almost perfectly. Even more interesting - the map on the assessing seems to show an outline of a building lot that looks very similar to the footprint of the building in the picture. Perhaps the truck parked a bit up the street?
Here's the google street view link if it works (?)
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.3394975,-71.0651431,3a,75y,280.39h,77.59t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1ssfbeIaAUVPGebkf5I9Tp0g!2e0!6m1!1e1
oooo a hard one
(thats what she said)
I'm going to say maybe Eastie or Southie somewhere. But I also think somewhere near a railroad line also. (Far right has coaches)
The year, 1930s. (the hats give it away)
That facade
is ready to fall. Look at the left side of the building and the kicker from the trench in the street to the top of the building. Look at the brick at the first floor under the window and the cabling holding the upper floors together. Holy shite that is one big ass bandaid collection.
building shadow
It looks from the construction on the street and the shadow on the building that a new road has been put through and an old wing to that building was pulled down.
What is being built?
That looks like an Iron girder sticking out of the hole where the guy is standing.
Perhaps they are building some elevated structure. T related?
WHO OR WHERE
WAS BETH HALL
If Beth Hall is Bethesda Hall
Then I say that is 3rd and B in Southie with the weird Boston and NY Central railroad on the right hand side.
You are truly on to something
You are truly on to something with Bethesda Hall. My 1920 map of Boston has it at 409 W. Broadway and both Broadway and W. Fourth had trolly track crossing both NY, NH & Hartford rail spur from South Station and a freight spur to Fan Pier further down Broadway near the current site of the Police Station. I think there may be something to be said for SG's underpass idea. I'm thinking somewhere between the current Broadway station, the Current Haul Road and the intersections of Dot Ave and W. 6th.
Harrison Ave.?
In 1916, money was appropriated for a bridge to be built over the railway during 1917 - check out page 89 or search "Harrison Avenue Railway".
http://books.google.com/books?id=GjgoAAAAYAAJ
This would have been close enough to the bridge over Dover St./W 4th to be reached by workers from South Boston.
Benefit
According to the Boston Globe, March 15, 1916, a fundraiser was to be held the following night at Bethesda Hall for a dude named William S Brady who was unable to work.
http://newspaperarchive.com/us/massachusetts/boston/boston-evening-globe...
Looks like you got it!
Ding ding ding we have a winner!
Go Team!
That was a fun one! Nice group effort and the graffiti led to some interesting Southie history. Apparently the biggest event at Bethesa Hall in 1916 was a very successful minstrel show. The site of the photo is now a CNG Bus Yard across from the iconic Macallan Building. I also discovered a couple new map sources in the process: http://www.gilmorecooke.com/articlesandmore/
and http://www.communityheritagemaps.com/index.php
Please keep 'em coming Adam.
Perhaps an overpass?
If you look at old maps, there area a couple of streets that dead end at the rail line in the older ones, but they hook up across the rail line overpasses in later ones.
Thanks for playing, folks!
Thanks for playing, folks! This photo was taken somewhere on West Fourth Street on June 28, 1916 by the Boston Transit Commission during the building of the Dorchester Rapid Transit system. The photo is labeled, "Dorchester Tunnel, Cracks in North Face of RR Building"
The Building is the
The Building is the headquarters of the New Haven R. R.
Commissary Dept. at the corner of Fourth St. (Bridge)
and Dorchester Ave. The construction going on at the left
is the building of the Broadway Station under Dorchester Ave.
Even before construction toward Andrew began, the station,
upper and lower, with tail tracks extended quite a way toward
the R.R. bridge.
My great grandfather
Worked as a truck driver for "Boston Laundry" at 665 Harrison Ave, according to his WWI draft card. I guess close, if no cigar to Eastern Steam....