Admit it! You've stood on Richmond Street in the North End and tried to figure out what the neon tubes used to spell out on this sign.
Seeing the other side and the address of the building helped us figure it out.
Yes, it does say "One O Eight Richmond."
We were curious about what it looked like back in the day and went searching and found a beautiful photo on Nicola108's photostream. We did try to contact the copyright owner to ask if we could use the photo here but did not get a response. So, we are honoring the copyright and providing a Friday Link to the photo.
108 Restaurant & Lounge
We found a few clippings in the Boston Globe in the 1970s for the 108 Restaurant and Lounge. From employment ads for staff to a full review in Anthony Spinazzola's "Let's Eat Out" column.
In 1994, the Boston Board of Appeal granted permission to change the occupancy from "Restaurant and storage to eight apartments." They included the proviso: "Any exterior changes subject to desing [sic] review by BRA." Maybe that's why the sign is still there, no one knew how to do a desing review!
Perhaps a few longtime residents can tell us more about 108 Richmond. We love these tales of our city.
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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2014 Ed Cherubino