Historical Narrative – Melville Avenue/Wellesley Park Area
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Historical Narrative – Melville Avenue/Wellesley Park area Melville Avenue/Wellesley Park's historical significance lies primarily within the annals of late 19th century Boston area street car suburb development. Its upscale, unusually elaborate residences have significant historical associations with City of Boston architect Arthur H. Vinal and other prominent architects of the period c. 1880-1910. Additionally, this area encompasses the Dorchester Academy, an important local 19th century educational institution that was founded in 1831. This area also has important, if somewhat tenuous historical associations with the Walter Baker & Co. chocolate manufacturers via the Walter Baker heirs' ownership of land that was carved into Paisley and Centervale Park's during the 1890's. During the 17th century, the Mellville Avenue/Wellesley Park Area was part of the Great Lots. This vast area of pasture, woodland and marsh land was located south of the primary areas of Puritan settlement at Allens Plain, Savin Hill and Meeting House Hill. The Gibson Playground at Bourneside Street, Park Street and Dorchester Avenue represents a remnant of the Town Field purchased by the Town in 1693 with the money left by Christopher Gibson for the support of the schools. Gibson came to Dorchester in 1630 and remained in the Town until 1646. At that time he settled in Boston and became one of the founders of the North Church. He was a soap-boiler by trade and was a prominent figure in the community, serving as a selectman in 1636, 1638 and 1642. Gibson died in 1674, willing a potion of his estate for "the promotion of learning in the Town of Dorchester." Part of Gibson's legacy was used to buy the Town Field which was used for many years as a cow pasture. It is difficult to say when Gibson Playground acquired its current configuration, but certainly by 1874. It is interesting to note that during the late 19th century, community activist Amos R. Storer expressed concern that the Gibson field had fallen into the hands of destructive parties. Storer noted that "the Gibson field is used by Norfolk, Suffolk and Middlesex Counties for baseball, foot ball, fruit stealing, and general profanity, - a kind of learning which Christopher Gibson never contemplated. There never was a more flagrant violation of the sacred trust than in the use which has been made of this land during the last twenty rears. It should have yielded and might have yielded, fifteen hundred dollars to the schools of Dorchester." By the mid 18th century, one of the very few buildings in this area was Intervale, Walter Baker mansion which stood on Washington Street at the corner of Park Street. No longer extant and located just outside the boundaries of this area, Intervale was the birthplace of Dorchester Academy. The Academy's original building is still extant within this area. Constructed by an unidentified builder, the Baker Mansion's first recorded occupant was Lieutenant Governor Oliver. He left this house soon after the close of the Revolution. Colonel Benjamin Hitchborn bought it in 1781 and occupied it as a summer residence until his death in 1817. International luminaries such as General Lafayette and Presidents Jefferson and Madison were entertained during Hichborn's occupancy. By the time of Hichborn's death, this area represented the northern outskirts of the village at Codman Square. The Codman Square area became an important focus for the spiritual life of Dorchester when the Second Congregational church was founded in 1806 by John Codman. [misleading statement ? Codman came after the church was founded] By 1830 James Penniman occupied the Walter Baker Mansion. According to Dorchester historian William Dana Orcutt, Penniman was "a well -known merchant and was closely identified with the interests of the town. He was especially interested in the Dorchester Academy and did much to encourage it. For the first six-eight months of the Academy's existence, classes were conducted in a room of the Penniman House as it was then called." Before continuing with the story of Dorchester Academy it should be noted that Walter Baker acquired this house c. l840. He was the grandson of James Baker who started a chocolate industry in Dorchester in 1780. This business passed to Walter's father in 1804 and Walter Baker entered into a partnership with his father in 1818, taking full control of the company upon his father's retirement in 1824. Walter Baker & Co. chocolate became a household word in both America and Europe. Walter Baker died in 1852. His widow lived in the old Georgian house at Washington and Park until her death in 1891. The Baker estate included the land of Paisley and Centervale Parks in the Melville Avenue / Wellesley Park area. Dorchester Academy was established in 1831, in the Greek Revival temple form structure still extant at 18 Lyndhurst Street. As previously noted, the beginnings of this important Dorchester educational institution lie in the Oliver-Hichborn-Penniman-Baker House. Its first board of trustees was composed of the Second Church's Rev. John Codman, president; James Penniman, treasurer; Joseph Leeds, secretary, and Thomas Tremlett. The first principal was the Rev. Dr. Riggs who later was a missionary in Istanbul. By 1832 this school had 103 pupils enrolled. Orcutt notes that "the trustees spared no pains to make the academy a model in every way, their attention being equally divided upon the branches of study and deportment." The Dorchester academy building was converted to a private residence by c. 1890 and was moved to its present lot at 18 Lyndhurst Street during the 1890s to accommodate apartment buildings. In recent years, one of its rooms was converted into a private theatre in which to screen an extensive collection of silent movies from the 1910s and 20s. By 1850, this area was still open countryside and farm land with no cross streets. Melville Avenue was surveyed by architect Luther Briggs and set out from Washington Street to a point representing about half its present length in 1863 and was completely cut through to Dorchester Avenue by 1874. Until as late as 1880, this area represented primarily the extensive back lots of houses bordering Washington Street. Reading from north to south from Park Street, this area's lots included Eleanor J. W. Baker's 1600 [this must be a misprint because her land totaled about 1.75 million square feet] square foot tract which extended eastward from Washington Street to Gibson Field. Covering what is now Tremlett Street and adjacent lots was the Alexander Beal estate. This estate was followed by a much smaller tract at Melville and Washington owned by an N. A. Leigh. The south side of Melville A venue, near Washington Street was bordered by a long rectangular tract owned by the heirs of Thomas M. Vinson. The Vinson tract stretched from Washington to Allston Streets. Lyndhurst Street was set out along the center of Edwin H. Sampson's land and also extended back to Allston. The heirs of Thomas Vinson owned land on both sides of the railroad tracks, including a cul de sac that lead to Melville RR Station, now the site of the Shawmut Red Line M.B.T.A. Station. Today, Wellesley Park occupies most of what was the easterly half of the Thomas Vinson heirs' land. Paisley and Centervale Parks as well as Upland Avenue were set out over two large parcels owned by the estate of Walter Baker. Melville Avenue, sometimes locally referred to as Melville Park, despite its lack of mid-street green space, was built-up with unusually ornate residences during the late 1870s and early 1880s. The lavishly detailed Queen Anne house with its unusual stained-glass window at 35 Melville Avenue, corner of Allston Street, was designed by the then city architect of Boston, Arthur H. Vinal, as his own home. Vinal was also responsible for the design of neighboring houses, apparently as Douglas Shand Tucci notes "to stimulate development and control it carefully by establishing the street?s character." Vinal designed 29, 35, and 37 Melville. Avenue and is credited with the design of 39 Melville Avenue by Tucci. Additionally, the towered, well-detailed house at 33 Melville Avenue was designed by L. Underwood in 1886 and together with the Vinal-designed residences "constitutes one of the most sumptuous ensembles in the city of late nineteenth-century streetcar-suburb architecture." Arthur H. Vinal (1854- 1923) was Boston City architect during the mid 1800s and while serving in that position was responsible for many public schools, engine houses, police stations throughout the city including the Boylston Street Police and Fire Station, corner of Hereford Street, Back Bay (1884) and the Joy Street Police Station, Beacon Hill (1888). He also designed many houses along developing Bay State road including 58-60, 158-164, 166, 196-202, 204, 207-213 and a 10-unit apartment building at 96. Vinal was also the architect of 493 Commonwealth Avenue and the "Colonial" apartments at 382 Commonwealth Avenue, both dating from 1895. From the late 1870s through the 1890s, Melville Avenue's new residences became home to affluent Boston businessmen. Listed below is a roster of early owners and architects responsible for some of Melville Park's exceptionally well- designed houses: 2 Melville Avenue was built ca. 1885-93 for Louisa M Smith who lived here during the 1880s-early 1900s. 3 Melville A venue was built in 1881 from designs provided by E.A. Poe Newcomb, perhaps best known for his enormous, three- turreted Second Empire Lowell Rail Road Station (1871-79) which was tom down in 1927 to accommodate the Boston Garden.