Brighton and Allston Through Time

Walk through the corridors of history as Anthony Sammarco explores Brighton and Allston, a neighborhood of the city of Boston which was once known as Little Cambridge before it became an independent town from Cambridge in 1807. Once renowned throughout New England for its cattle industry as well as its horticultural gardens, Brighton and Allston became a well-known town. With prosperity, an ever-increasing population and proximity to the city of Boston, Brighton and Allston was annexed to the city in 1874 and henceforth became known as Ward 25. Over the century that followed, the neighborhood saw new places of worship, public and parochial schools, and housing ranging from one-family and two-family houses which were quickly augmented by three deckers and the largescale building of apartment buildings. During the first three decades of the 20th century, Brighton and Allston saw its population double, from 27,000 residents in 1910 to 47,000 residents by 1925 and today, with a population of 75,000 people, Brighton and Allston has a rich and ever evolving history, with demographics which are constantly in flux.

Anthony Sammarco is a noted historian and author of over seventy books on the history and development of Boston, and he lectures widely on the history of his native city. His books Lost Boston, The History of Howard Johnson's: How A Massachusetts Soda Fountain Became a Roadside Icon, Christmas Traditions in Boston, and The Baker Chocolate Company: A Sweet History have been bestsellers.

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