From Dave Brigham:
After moseying through Boston's West End/North Station neighborhood for a while a few months ago, I was heading toward Government Center to meet my son, when the words carved into the building in the photo above stopped me in my tracks. This is the Temporary Home for Women on the corner of Bowker and New Chardon streets (this latter thoroughfare has a neat history, if you care to read about it).
This building dates to 1926, and replaced a previous home built in 1869, per this City of Boston document. Owned by the City, the Home provides shelter, food and other services to women and children.
Boston's history of sheltering and aiding its citizens dates to at least 1772, when the legislature created the Overseers of the Poor in the Town of Boston, per the above-linked document. In 1864, the agency's name was changed to Overseers of the Poor in the City of Boston. The name morphed again in 1921, to Overseers of the Public Welfare.
The home is operated by the Massachusetts Department of Social Services; the building is owned by the City of Boston.
