Have you ever walked the streets of the Back Bay and wondered about the people who lived in these buildings over the years? Now there's a website, www.backbayhouses.org, that provides insight into the ownership records and genealogy of the residents.
The hardworking team at Back Bay Houses say:
"A great deal has been written on the history of the Back Bay and the architecture of the houses. A number of outstanding resources exist and more information is being added all the time through the work of historians, preservationists, and others.
Many people, and especially those who live in the Back Bay, are interested in the personal histories of the houses – who lived in them and how they were used over the decades. This website is designed to provide at least an entrée to that information. In essence, it attempts to provide what might be called a genealogical history of the houses."
We say: Bravo, Bravo! This is an outstanding new resource for residents, visitors, preservationists, genealogists, and historians.
The site is the results of years of hard work and diligent research. And, the team is open to and will appreciate additions, corrections, additional photographs, and documentation that will add to and refine this resource.
One recent update added the original plans of 306 Dartmouth as drawn by Peabody and Stearns in 1871.
Click around, explore the information, and learn more about the neighborhood that is considered an outstanding achievement in urban planning for the 19th century.
Here is the contact page, if you can provide new information or refine what they have.
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Details:
Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: Courtesy of www.BackBayHouses.org; Peabody and Stearns scan courtesy of the Fine Arts Department of the Boston Public Library; scans provided by Hamady Architects LLC and First Boston Realty.