The ease of transportation via the Old Colony Railroad revolutionized Dorchester in the period between 1850 and the Civil War and brought a residential building boom that lasted the next seven decades. The town was annexed to the city of Boston in 1870, and by the turn of the century, Dorchester was one-fifth of the entire city. By the time of the Great Depression, the three-decker, Dorchester�s unique contribution to American architecture, was a trademark of the community. Dorchester, part of the Then & Now series, places vintage images alongside contemporary photographs to explore the history of this community�s public schools, places of worship, transportation, streetscapes, and historic houses.
The ease of transportation via the Old Colony Railroad revolutionized Dorchester in the period between 1850 and the Civil War and brought a residential building boom that lasted the next seven decades. The town was annexed to the city of Boston in 1870, and by the turn of the century, Dorchester was one-fifth of the entire city. By the time of the Great Depression, the three-decker, Dorchester�s unique contribution to American architecture, was a trademark of the community. Dorchester, part of the Then & Now series, places vintage images alongside contemporary photographs to explore the history of this community�s public schools, places of worship, transportation, streetscapes, and historic houses.