by Pauline Freeley

The Roslindale Historical Society held its first meeting of the year on March 9 at the Roslindale House. Bob Murphy, president of the West Roxbury Historical Society, gave a very interesting and informative presentation on the history of the Town of West Roxbury.

Mr. Murphy stated that the Town of Roxbury was settled, shortly after Boston, in 1636. One group settled in Lower Roxbury to be near Boston. In 1643 a group of fifty people began to settle in the western section of Roxbury known as Jamaco End. The topography played an important role in the development of the "Westerly End" as it became commonly referred to. It was extremely hilly with many streams, springs, and ponds that caused roads to wind and made winter travel difficult. Spring thaws caused muddy, impassable roads. The only church and burial ground was in the easterly section, so burials from the western community were very difficult.

In 1683, the town fathers recognized the needs of the western district and approved the formation of the Upper Burial Ground. In 1712, the second church of Roxbury was established. A small building was erected on the current Walter Street, near the small burial ground. The church was replaced in 1773 by a larger building located on the corner of Church and Centre Streets. This small congregation felt it was time for the westerly end to become an independent town, but their petition to the Bay Colony was denied.

Lower Roxbury was growing rapidly. Farms were being replaced by industry and housing. The entire upper district consisting of Jamaica Plain, Roslindale, and West Roxbury petitioned the State Legislature for independence, but again were denied. In 1847, two events occurred which would change the direction of the Upper District. Roxbury changed its charter from a town to a city 'form of government and construction of the Boston Providence Railroad began. It opened in July 1849, with stations at Forest Hills, South Street Crossing (Roslindale), Central (Bellevue), Highland, and West Roxbury. In 1851, the State Legislature received another request to form a new town to be called West Roxbury. The petition stated that Lower Roxbury was controlling and manipulating Upper Roxbury, and that their rural way of life was in danger of being lost forever. On May 24, 1851, West Roxbury was incorporated, which would take effect on January 5, 1852. There were public celebrations and speeches, bonfires, and fireworks.

The Town of about 3,000 inhabitants was divided into four general areas: Jamaica Plain, the Eastern Section (Walk Hill Street to South Street Crossing, the Roslindale area), the Western Section Streets area). Jamaica Plain was the seat of the Town. The courthouse and police station were on Seaverns Avenue; the firehouse on Centre Street; and the town hall on South Street at Centre Street, now Curtis Hall. Throughout the 1850's, summer homes were being converted to permanent residences. The residents of the Western District were only twenty-five minutes from Boston. The rural environment was well-situated for those trying to escape the overcrowded city. The population continued to rise and by 1865, there were 6,912 residents. Jamaica Plain developed at a faster rate and required more services than the western section. The people who had fought to preserve the agricultural community began to be outnumbered by people who wanted a more urban community.

Many of the new residents had business connections to Boston and began to think about having Roxbury annexed to Boston. The ability to raise taxes was limited and the demands were growing. The police force had to be increased. Main roads needed repair and widening, while many farms were being developed and would need roads. In 1876, the City of Roxbury was annexed to Boston and speculation began about when the surrounding towns would follow the annexation trend.

The Federal census for 1870 has the Town population at 8,686 inhabitants. The Eastern District had grown enough to justify its own post office. The traditional name of South Street Crossing was unacceptable to the Federal Postal System so the name Roslindale was made up by one of the area's prominent residents, John Pierce. He named it after Roslyn, the town in Scotland where he was born. It too was a town of hills and dales. His house was located at the site of the current children's playground at Fallon Field. On March 15, 1870, the name Roslindale was approved. The first post office was located near the corner of Florence and Ashland Street (now Cummins Highway).

The tide for annexation finally turned around 1871. The town was faced with increased demand for services. The tax base had not grown significantly, thereby forcing the Town to borrow more to support its operational needs. The Jamaica Plain District was a convenient suburb for Boston, with a well-developed street and rail system attracting families from the overcrowded city. The Eastern and Western Districts were being subdivided into house lots; streets were being laid out; ponds were being filled in; and wooded areas were being cleared. The greatest impact, however, was the advent of indoor plumbing, which created an increased need for water and sewage systems that the City of Boston could provide. The Town was growing at a constant rate, and everyone wanted all the modern conveniences.

On January 5, 1874, the Town of West Roxbury became Ward 23, the District of West Roxbury in the City of Boston. The Town's assets were turned over to the City Treasurer and its municipal employees were absorbed into the City's system. The Town was divided into three sections: Jamaica Plain; Roslindale; and West Roxbury, as they are known to this day.

After the annexation to Boston, the three districts continued to grow. Jamaica Plain grew more rapidly because of its industry and because its close proximity to the City made the area desirable for housing. The newly-named Roslindale Village was growing steadily around its business district at South Street Crossing, while the rest of the District remained mostly undeveloped.

The entire District had been impacted by the railroad because it provided fast and reliable service to Boston. Except for standard repairs, it wasn't until after the Bussey Bridge train wreck that any major work was done to the line. On the morning of March 14, 1887, the inbound train was passing over the "Tin Bridge" at Bussey Street in Roslindale when it collapsed, killing twenty-three people and injuring several hundred. The investigation found many problems with the bridge, as well as with the tracks. In 1888, the tracks were completely revamped to include a double set, new stations and new gates at the street crossings. In the mid 1870's, the horse-drawn street rail system came to the area. It ran up Washington Street from Forest Hills to the Village, but because of the hills beyond the Village, it could go no further. In 1901, the Old Colony Street Rail Company took over the West Roxbury and Roslindale Street Railway and connected some of the smaller systems to form a larger one. They purchased new equipment and widened the tracks.

The Old Colony was bought by the Boston Elevated in 1912. The area's new population was an upwardly mobile group who worked in the city and wanted to raise their children in a less congested environment. Commuting to their homes in this suburb was not a problem. Jamaica Plain, Roslindale and West Roxbury took on their own identity.

Jamaica Plain had industry along its Roxbury boundary and rental property development, along with large, ornate single-family homes. Roslindale was developing along Washington Street and Belgrade Avenue with a mixture of single-family and multi-dwelling buildings. West Roxbury was expanding further away from Centre Street.

Their common bond as Ward 23, formerly the Town of West Roxbury, became a thing of the past. In spite of all the development, Roslindale and West Roxbury still had a rural look to them. Many large sections were still undeveloped and some old farms were still operating.

The District has grown and has undergone many changes, but that suburban feeling of the open space and healthy environment continues on. Roslindale still has the parks, such as the Arboretum, and pockets of wooded areas that have drawn people to the community for over 100 years.