bostonzest

Tag: website

  • Genealogies of Back Bay Houses: Our Friday Link

    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.

    Back Bay Houses

    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.

    Dart-306-peabody-stearns-dartmouth-elev

    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.

    Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

     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.

  • Toto the Tornado Kitten, Our Pick this Sunday!

    This week, our pick for a Sunday Critter is Toto the Tornado Kitten. We usually reserve this spot for a dog but love to include a great cat when we meet one. Toto says he loves dogs but thinks that cats don't get the credit they deserve.

    Toto2012-07-07Toto cutie for web© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    Look at that face. Who could resist this little charmer?

    But, there is more to Toto than charm. This is one strong and amazing cat. As a tiny six-ounce kitten, Toto had a great adventure when a tornado hit central Massachusetts last year. After the storm, a clean-up worker found him in a tree and brought him to the Brimfield fire station where EMT Jonathan Hall cared for Toto until he was able to turn him over to experts from the Animal Rescue League of Boston.

    Toto dedham

    ARLBoston nursed him until he was ready for his perfect, forever home back with Jonathan Hall. Jonathan not only adopted Toto, but also helped him write a book about the great adventure. And, to really put a smile on this tail-twitching story, that book is raising much needed funds for ARLBoston. As of this report, they've sent more than $20,000 to Toto's favorite cause.

    We follow @ARLBostonRescue on Twitter and are aware of some of the wonderful work they do on-the-road taking care of all kinds of critters every day. You can hear more about what they did for the animal victims of that June 1, 2011 tornado in this Greater Boston appearance with Jonathan & Toto.

    Totbookcoverscan copy2012-07-07cover art toto book for web© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    Natually, we hope you'll buy a copy of the book. You can do that right here. You can also make a donation in Toto's name directly to the ARLBoston. 

      Toto library

    Of course, as every author knows, there is much to do after your book is published. Toto and his special assistants make personal appearances and maintain a website. His facebook page is full of requests from places like libraries that would love to have this special cat and his book for story hour. 

    ARLBoston is both proud & grateful 

    "We are proud of the work that the men and women on our team do everyday," said Jennifer Wooliscroft, Director of Communications, "and to have a special book like this makes our continued effort to helping animals even better."

    Jonathan says he is grateful for the team helping out his community and looks forward to giving something back. "Without the help from the great people at the ARL, Toto's story wouldn't be possible," he notes.

    Related Post: In our own neighborhood, we watched ARLBoston's professional and caring staff at a 9-alarm fire in a pet friendly building. They were amazing and won our hearts and support. We wrote about it here.

    In place of an ad in this space today, we hope you'll buy or donate a copy of the book and/or make your own contribution to ARLBoston so they'll be funded when someone else needs help.

    You can buy or donate a book right here. Or, Donate directly to the ARLBoston. 

    Details:

    Words: Penny Cherubino
    Photography & Art: Courtesy of Toto the Tornado Kitten, Jonathan Hall, and the very talented illustrator Carol Ruzicka. 

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.