Why Does Medford Square Have a Shipyard Way? And Other Questions

From Dave Brigham:

How do you pronounce the word "Medford"? This is the first of many questions I have pinballing around my head as I write this post about this city of nearly 60,000 people about seven miles northwest of Boston. Some locals pronounce it "Medfid" or "Mefid," but allegedly not "Meffa." For a boy born and raised in Connecticut, it's "Medfurd."

In digging through the Backside archives with my team of interns, I discovered only one post prior to this year about Medford, from September 10, 2018: "A Boneyard Within a Cemetery."

More recently, I'd skirted around the edges of Medford, while writing about Somerville. After all these years, I decided it was time to check out this city more thoroughly. My first stop was West Medford Square, which I mixed up with the subject of today's post (see October 14, 2023, "I Went to West Medford Square by Mistake...But That's OK"). I exhausted the backside there pretty quickly, so I continued on to Medford Square.

Medford was settled in 1630 by white colonists as part of Charlestown, on land that had been home to the Naumkeag people for thousands of years. In the square, I found a lot of great old buildings, a palimpsest ghost sign, an armory (as well as a building next door that I originally thought was an armory), a mural dedicated to an aviation legend and plenty more.

One of the big questions bugging me on my tour here was, "Why does Medford Square have a Shipyard Way?" I'll answer that question below. Let's start with the multi-layered ghost sign and the building it was painted on.

I was fighting the sun on this day, as you can tell. Located at the corner of Main Street and Clippership Drive, this old brick Italianate building dates to around 1850, according to MACRIS. Uses over the years have included buusiness office, commercial block, doctor or dentist office (which it might still be), a grist mill, laundry service, a lawyer's office, a market or grocery store, a meeting hall, a pool or billiard hall and a warehouse, MACRIS continues.

"The Green Block, later known as the Bigelow Block, at 28-32 Main Street was constructed prior to 1855 as a dedicated grain mill, elevator and warehouse," MACRIS indicates. "It is an exceptionally rare and well-preserved example of this form of building....The first record of any commercial activity at the site was 1855. George Green and his son, Darius A. Green, were 'wholesale and retail dealers in flour, grain, meal, oats, etc.' and operated a 'grain elevator and mills.'"

Once Henry Bigelow acquired the building, it was used by "a 'Chinese' laundry (specifically identified as such on the contemporary Sanborn atlas) and fruit stand; and later, in 1892-1903, a meat market, offices, a billiard room, and a function hall," per MACRIS.

As for the ghost sign, it is an overlay for three businesses, I believe: Leahy's Men's Shop; Hubbard's something or other; and perhaps an insurance agency.

I headed east down Riverside Avenue next, and spied a building that I knew had once been...something.

Was it formerly a theater? Or a car dealership? Currently known as Riverside Square and home to Winchester Hospital Medford and other businesses, 75 Riverside Avenue was built in 1942, per MACRIS. The Medford assessor puts a date of 1958 on it. Who the hell knows? As for its original purpose, I've been unable to figure it out.

I next ventured north a short way to Salem Street. There I saw El Tacuba, a tequila bar that was on the cusp of opening when I walked by.

Across the street is the Dyer Building, currently occupied by an Elizabeth Grady salon on the ground floor, and apartments above.

Built in 1915, the Dyer has an interesting history. "As built, the building housed not only a theater and a meeting room, but also two commercial spaces on Salem Street," according to MACRIS. "In 1919 George J. Hackett and Ewen and George A. Ramsdell purchased the theater from Dyer, renaming it 'Colonial Hall'.... While the theater...was built to show both live theater productions and movies, it was found that the movies were much more profitable, and the group...chose to exclusively show movies. The movie theater continued to operate until 1984, eventually being spilt into space for two and later three screens. In the late 1980s the theater portion of the building was removed, truncating the building at the lobby and leaving the two storefronts and the meeting hall above. The storefronts are still in use today."

What a shame that a beautiful old theater was severed from the rest of the building.

Next door to the old theater building is a structure known historically as Mystic Congregational Church.

Built in 1848, the building has undergone a number of changes over the decades. "Today the building is covered in aluminum siding installed in 1961, obscuring its original finish," per MACRIS. "The remains of a square steeple at the southeast corner signifies the building’s use as a church....The steeple was removed in 1990, having been damaged by the 1938 hurricane, and leaning ever since."

The current tenant is New England Baptist Church of Medford.

Back across Salem Street, I immemdiately thought of a joke from "Pee-wee's Big Adventure" (rest in peace, Paul Reubens). If you know, you know.

Alamo Roast Beef & Seafood also sells pizza. This one-level retail strip dates to the 1920.

The most impressive building in Medford Square is the Bigelow Block.

This Queen Anne-style stunner was built in 1886 by the Bigelow family, which owned a wallpaper manufacturing company in Boston, according to MACRIS. "The Bigelow’s (sic) principal long-term tenant was P. Volpe & Sons. Previous research...indicates the Volpes purchased the subject property in 1925. Pasquale Volpe, a native of Naples, Italy who immigrated in 1874, in partnership with his son, Angelo C. Volpe operated a fruit, vegetable and grocery store in the building until as late as 1940. Other tenants during the 1920s included the dry goods store of Mrs. Roberta G. Fraser, the shoe store of David Sahl, an office of the Western Union Telegram Company and the law office of Winthrop I. Nottage."

Current tenants include Dunkin' Donuts, Moreno Barber Shop and C.E. Farnam Insurance.

I dig the square's clock, too.

It was installed in 2000 by the local Rotary Club.

On the side of a small building on Forest Street, I spied an unusual ghost sign.

Built in 1930, the one-story retail building is currently home to Tom Yum Koong Restaurant and Forest Street Dry Cleaners & Tailoring. But at some point, I guess it was home to Falafel Palace.

From there, I headed west on High Street, where I quickly spied a relatively new historic marker.

"LAFAYETTE'S TOUR," reads the sign, which was installed on September 12, 2022, outside Members Plus Credit Union. "On August 28, 1824, General Lafayette dined here at the home of former Massachusetts Governor John Brooks prior to returning to Boston." The plaque was installed by the William G. Pomeroy Foundation of Pennsylvania, a "nonprofit organization whose mission [is] to document, map, and mark French General Lafayette’s footsteps during his Farewell Tour of the United States in 1824 and 1825," according to this Medford calendar web site.

The Marquis de Lafayette (aka Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier de La Fayette) "was a French aristocrat, freemason, and military officer who volunteered to join the Continental Army, led by General George Washington, in the American Revolutionary War," per Wikipedia. "Lafayette was ultimately permitted to command Continental Army troops in the decisive siege of Yorktown in 1781, the Revolutionary War's final major battle that secured American independence. After returning to France, Lafayette became a key figure in the French Revolution of 1789 and the July Revolution of 1830 and continues to be celebrated as a hero in both France and the United States."

As for Massachusetts Gov. John Brooks, he "was an American doctor, military officer, and politician from Massachusetts. He served as the 11th Governor of Massachusetts from 1816 to 1823, and was one of the last Federalist officials elected in the United States," per Wikipedia.

Across High Street from the marker is The Lighthouse Cafe, which appears to be a local landmark.

The eatery's front entrance is graced by what appears to be a wood carving of the Eddystone Lighthouse, which "is located on the Eddystone Rocks, 9 statute miles south of Rame Head in Cornwall, England," per Wikipedia.

The cafe is located in a former Odd Fellows hall, which, according to MACRIS, has been altered beyond recognition. "Although greatly altered through the removal of its upper two-and-a-half stories, complex hipped roof, and corner tower in the wake of two major fires, one preceding 1912 and the other between 1936 and 1950, the building retains some of its original finishes."

"The Odd Fellows Block, after 1900 known as the Opera House, was constructed in 1886 for use by its eponymous organization," MACRIS continues. Next door to the Lighthouse Cafe building is the Usher Block, a much more impressive building, which has a historical connection to its neighbor.

"Known during the 19th century as the 'Usher’s Building,' or Usher Block, and later known as Masonic Apartments, the building was constructed prior to 1855 for Boston publisher James M. Usher," according to MACRIS. "In addition to publishing numerous books related to religion, including Questions on Select Portions of the Gospels, Designed for the use of Sabbath Schools and Bible Classes and Commentary on the Revelation of St. John, The Divine, [Usher] published several titles by the Universalist leader and co-founder of Tufts University, Hosea Ballou, who resided on Water Street in Medford," MACRIS continues."

The building is also known as Masonic Apartments - Medford, and the Odd Fellow's Harmony Lodge.

"By 1889 24-30 High Street had been sold to John D. Small....The building’s principal tenant, between its 1869 founding and 1889, was the Medford Savings Bank, which afterward moved to its own dedicated headquarters building across the street....The subject building’s current name is something of a misnomer, as, until c. 1886 when the organization built its own hall at 16-22 High Street, it housed meetings of the Odd Fellows’ Harmony Lodge. The Masons, specifically the Mt. Hermon Lodge, did not meet in the building until after 1900."

At the corner of Governor's Avenue and High Street, on the side of an ice cream shop that I'll talk about in a minute, is a fantastic mural that completely took me by surprise.

Amelia Earhart's name is woven into the fabric of American history. From Wikipedia: "Born and raised in Atchison, Kansas, and later in Des Moines, Iowa, Earhart developed a passion for adventure at a young age, steadily gaining flying experience from her twenties. In 1928, Earhart became the first female passenger to cross the Atlantic by airplane (accompanying pilot Wilmer Stultz), for which she achieved celebrity status.

"In 1932, piloting a Lockheed Vega 5B, Earhart made a nonstop solo transatlantic flight, becoming the first woman to achieve such a feat. She received the United States Distinguished Flying Cross for this accomplishment. In 1935, Earhart became a visiting faculty member at Purdue University as an advisor to aeronautical engineering and a career counselor to female students. She was also a member of the National Woman's Party and an early supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment."

Before achieving all of that, and prior, of course, to disappearing on an attempted circumnavigational flight around the globe with navigator Fred Noonan in 1937 and entering into the annals of greatest mysteries in American history, she lived for a time in Medford with her mother. The pair had traveled across country following the elder Earhart's divorce from Amelia's father, and eventually landed in Boston, where Amelia underwent a needed sinus operation.

While living in Medford, Earhart worked in Boston as a teacher and a social worker. More from Wikipedia: "When Earhart lived in Medford, she maintained her interest in aviation, becoming a member of the American Aeronautical Society's Boston chapter and was eventually elected its vice president. She flew out of Dennison Airport (later the Naval Air Station Squantum) in Quincy, Massachusetts, and helped finance its operation by investing a small sum of money. Earhart also flew the first official flight out of Dennison Airport in 1927."

As for the mural, it was painted by artist Adam LoRusso, who was born and raised in Medford. Also a tattoo artist, LorRusso "used the technique of Stippling, the act of using little dots to create shading, to create value, and provide different shades of light and dark," according to this Medford Arts Council web page about the artist and the mural. "For materials, he utilized exterior masonry, such as brick paint and exterior post paint."

More from the arts council site: "The idea for the mural emerged when LoRusso was approached by Kolin Burgoyne, chef and owner of Colleen’s, about adding artwork to the expansive brick wall along the left side of the shop. LoRusso and Burgoyne grew up together and have known each other for quite some time. LoRusso explained that he and Burgoyne went back and forth on ideas until inspiration sparked for the muralist. What about a mural of someone who lived in Medford?"

So let's talk about Colleen's, an ice cream and sandwich shop located on the corner of High Street and Governor Avenue.

From the store's web site: "This Mom (Vicki) + Pop (Kolin) shop has been in Medford Square since the 1990s. It was previously owned by the late Colleen Hallisey. Colleen turned a former Brigham's Ice Cream Shop into Colleen's and built a family-friendly, neighborhood space for people to enjoy for decades....Fun Fact: Kolin grew up in Medford and worked for Colleen throughout high school and college!"

I love that story. And I really like the clock out front of Colleen's.

Colleen's is located at 55-61 High Street, which was built in 1938, per MACRIS, and renovated in 1949 and 1953.

Continuing west along High Street, I spied a building that I figured might be an old armory.

But I was wrong. "Number 84-86 High Street...is a recently developed office condominium constructed in 1988," according to MACRIS. "The three-story, three bay, flat-roofed stucco building houses 10 offices. It stands in sharp contrast to its immediate neighbor to the west constructed 88 years before (the Lawrence Light Guard Armory, 90 High Street...), which it attempts to mimic through the use of details such as rounded bays, corner coins and arched windows, resulting in a highly characteristic expression of Post Modernism."

Well, at least I was in the ballpark. Below is the entrance to the actual old armory.

I wish I'd made a shot of the entire facade, because it's quite stunning. Below is a Google Street View image of the building.

From MACRIS: "The Lawrence Light Guard Armory at 90 High Street is a tour-de-force of Romanesque styling in the guise of robust fortress architecture. Constructed in 1900, the building is massed in a seven-bay, three-story, hip-roofed 'T' with the top facing High Street at a slight setback. The main mass of the building is defined stylistically by its vigorous rusticated trim, while the body of the building is constructed of complementary buff brick. The recessed central entrance bay is flanked by full-height rounded bays that terminate in crenelated parapets with deep embrasures."

The old armory is home to many businesses these days.

As with the Amelia Earhart mural, the sign below stopped me in my tracks, not because of its stunning beauty, but because it confused me. "Why does Medford Square have a Shipyard Way?" I wondered.

From the Medford Historical Society: "Ship building began on Riverside Avenue, formerly known as Ship Street as early as 1631. The first shipyard in Medford was founded in 1802 by Thatcher Magoun of Pembroke. From 1802-1873, Medford Shipbuilders worked in 10 shipyards and built a total of 568 ships. By 1879, the shipping industry had died out and the street name was changed. The location for the ship yards was chosen because of its passage to Boston Harbor and its high tide depth could accommodate up to a 2,500 ton vessel."

Well, hot damn! The historical society indicates that there is a memorial to this shipbuilding past near Hormel Stadiium, southeast of the location of Shipyard Way. There were many other shipyards extending east from Medford Square along the Mystic River. Below is a shot of a foot bridge across the waterway, at Shipyard Way.

Below is a faded mural of ship under construction (I think), painted on the side of a retail building that faces Riverside Avenue and backs onto Clippership Drive.

In addition to the Mystic River, the Medford of olden times was serviced by the Middlesex Canal. From the historical society: "In the beginning, Medford was to be the natural terminus of the canal. Boats and barges would continue down to Boston by the Mystic River. Later, when the canal was extended to Charlestown, the Medford supporters pushed for a direct connection to the river. So the branch canal was built in 1804. This made it possible for lumber from New Hampshire forests to come immediately into the village for the use of the new ship-building industry. This important industry flourished in Medford for a quarter of a century after the passing of the canal.

"Brick from the Medford brickyards went up the canal and helped to build mills in Lowell and New Hampshire. Who knows how many private houses up-country were built with these same bricks which came out of Medford’s claypits? Thus the Middlesex Canal played a significant part in Medford’s economic history during the nineteenth century.

I'm going to finish with two unsatisfying images of the the old Medford Square post office.

Currently home to several small businesses, the old post office dates to 1921, according to MACRIS. "This privately-constructed store and office building originally housed the Medford Post Office....The post office was not a tenant in this building for long. In the summer of 1938 the agency moved to a new WPA-financed building on Forest Street. Later that year owner Samuel Glass spent nearly $2000 converting the building to a store. Three years later owner Edward Nathanson added a one-story addition and new storefront to the front of the building. For many years in the late 20th century the building was occupied by the Lad and Lassie clothing shop."

And there you have Medford Square! Stay tuned for a few more posts about Medford.