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Historic East Somerville | Our Community Today | Maps | Directions
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.................................................................................................................................................................................... Originally part of Charlestown, East Somerville is one of the oldest and most densely settled areas of Somerville. Initially a farming community where Charlestown residents pastured their cows, East Somerville later provided respite from the stresses of Boston and city life when roads, bridges and the arrival of the railroad made it an accessible and convenient location. In the 19th century, East Somerville was distinguished by a drumlin, a long, oval mound of clay formed by glacial movement, called Mt. Benedict. In 1824 the Mt. Benedict Community built a convent on the western edge of the land overlooking the Mystic River. However, anti-Catholic protestors in Boston learned of rumored conflict and burned the convent to the ground on August 11, 1834. The land was later sold off and used to fill the nearby marshes. Today, some people still refer to the area north of Broadway as the ‘Nunnery Grounds’ alluding to this incident. In the 1840s and 1850s extensive development began with an urban model that called for narrow streets and small residential lots. The buildings from this era provide a distinguished collection of Greek Revival and Italianate style houses that are important to East Somerville. Many examples of this architecture can be found on upper Mt. Vernon, Mt. Pleasant and Perkins Street. Pearl Street was developed in the 1870s and 1880s as a grand boulevard on the ridge overlooking Boston, with large single family homes that have since been subdivided. One of the most interesting examples of an Italianate style house can be found at 1 Arlington Street, which also became the site of the world’s first outdoor experimental telephone line. In the late 19th century, Charles Williams Jr., owner of the house, became the financer for the line that ran from 1 Arlington Street in Somerville to 109 Court Street in Boston, just three miles away. Bell and Watson developed the first telephone in Williams’ electrical shop at 109 Court Street in Boston in 1875 and Williams paid for the wire, the labor and the housetop brackets. One of the most significant historic events featuring East Somerville was Paul Revere’s “Midnight Ride” in 1775. On his journey, he rode his horse starting from Charlestown down Washington Street and up Crescent Street near today’s Holiday Inn. Revere then rode directly onto Broadway, which brought him to Medford. Every year on Patriot’s Day, Somerville celebrates the historical ride through the town. Today, East Somerville is known for its rich ethnic diversity; and while the countries change, this is nothing new to the neighborhood! Since the 1890s, the area comprised of mostly Irish, Italian, French Canadian and Greek immigrants. The first recent distinct ethnic group to come to Somerville was the Cape Verdeans hired by the Medford Basket Company in the 1960s and 1970s. The Cape Verdeans marked the beginning of a Portuguese speaking community that has increased since then. From the 1970s through to present day, many other ethnic groups have come to the area including Haitians, Salvadorians, Brazilians and people from other Latin American countries. Attracted by the reasonable housing, good schools and close proximity to Boston, the area flourished and became a multi-cultural area. Today, East Somerville is home to a large Latino and Brazilian population, adding to the vibrancy of its community. |
