The Center

The Center area was originally developed from various portions of the three Bill farms that existed in the late 1600’s. While the farms passed out of the Bill Family by the early 1700’s the area remained relatively intact in the form of four to six large farms until about 1800. In 1805 the first schoolhouse was constructed where the current Police Station is located and in 1834 the first church was constructed near the junction of Winthrop Street and Madison Avenue.

In 1839 the bridge to East Boston from Main Street was opened and new families began to move here. The Belchers, Floyds and Tewksburys who had married into the Bill family were already here and increasing in number. Various clusters of homes were built in areas at the center of town to house these new families. As the population of school children grew, schools were built not only on Pauline Street but also in other areas of Town. A picture of the center school area as it appeared about 1899, with the Pauline Street School and Center School standing there, is printed below. Note the “Pit” was a pond with water and a fountain in it.



The Center section of Town became the early governmental and local business area. With the building of the first Town Hall in 1856 on the site of the previously mentioned school, the Library in 1898 where Sam Belcher’s cows used to graze, the first Hose Company in 1886 on Pauline Street followed by the Center Fire Station in 1898, the current Town Hall in 1929 and numerous other public buildings, the seat of our government became firmly entrenched in the Center.


A picture of the current Town Hall and Library as they appeared in the 1940’s is shown below.


Over time, the businesses in town spread out to the other sections of town to better service the residents. The first Hospital owned and operated by Dr. Metcalf on Winthrop Street opened as a 15-bed facility in 1900. The second 65-bed Hospital was constructed on Lincoln Street in 1930.





In 1910 the Pleasant Park Yacht Club was organized with their first clubhouse being erected on Pleasant Street in 1911. This building was enlarged in 1926 and, after their 1958 fire, was replaced with the current modern clubhouse.