Faneuil Street

Faneuil Estate, built in 1760, on southern slope of Bigelow Hill, between Bigelow and Brooks Street. Faneuil St runs in front of the mansion with Oak Sq to the left and Washington St is in the foreground. The date of this photo is c1860 when it was in its original Georgian style. It was renovated sometime therafter with the French second empire style with mansard roof, etc.

George Washington visited the estate according to Mrs. John A.Weisse, a friend of the Faneuil family. "When the English had possession of Boston, and Washington's headquarters were in Cambridge, one afternoon Washington and some of his officers were riding by. The cherry trees in the garden, loaded with fruit, spread their branches over the road, and some of the gentlemen reached up and gathered of the tempting fruit. Mr. Faneuil's daughter Mary, (Mrs. George Bethune) then a widow, kept the house, saw the officers and sent out her man-servant with 'Mrs. Bethune's compliments to Gen. Washington and his friends: would they do her the favor to come in and eat some of the fruit". General Washington returned the next day to dine.¹

Drawing of the Faneuil Estate

Gatekeeper's house of the Faneuil estate. Dating from 1760, it is the oldest house in the Oak Sq area at the corner of Faneuil and Dunboy Streets. Photo taken about 1925.

Faneuil St near Oak Square with Brackett St to the right in 1942. Some of the Faneuil estate mansion can be seen above the center of the photo

Davis House, built in 1707, stood on Faneuil Street where the Faneuil Housing Project stands today.

Brogie House, 393 Faneuil Street, east of the Bigelow Street intersection, before being moved forward on lot around 1930. It originally stood about two house lots up on what is now Adair Rd. All of Adair Rd and its current house compose the old property associated with this house. This property was a long, narrow chunk of land between the Faneuil Estate and the old mansards on Bigelow St

305 Faneuil St at Brooks Street 1910

Beginning of the Faneuil Housing Project construction in 1949. Houses in the background are at 254- 253 North Beacon St. The house on the right (#243), which was built in the 1850s, no longer stands and was originally the home of Benjamin Fobes, long time Brighton Police Chief. This land originally formed part of Brighton's oldest nursery, Winship's gardens, a 40 acre property which was sold for residential development in the 1850s.

The Hiram Barker House, residence of a Brighton lumber merchant, stood at the southeast corner of Parsons and Niles Street. See on the map below to the right of center.

¹ Historical Brighton Vol 1, J. P. C. WInship, page 48