Nubian Square: New Name, Old Buildings

From Dave Brigham:

I've lived in the Boston area for nearly 35 years, and for many of those years, I mixed up Dewey and Dudley squares, even though they're nowhere near each other. The former is located in Boston's Financial District, its southeast corner anchored by South Station. The latter is the commercial heart of Boston's Roxbury neighborhood, and was renamed Nubian Square in 2019.

While trekking through Roxbury's Fort Hill neighborhood last year, I ended up close to Nubian Square (see October 19, 2024, "Beyond the Standpipe: I Find Black Jesus and Other Cool Stuff in Fort Hill"). I decided I needed to do a full exploration, so earlier this year, that's exactly what I did.

Long the center of African-American culture in Boston, Nubian Square nevertheless maintains signs of the Irish, German and Jewish populations that lived in the area in the mid-19th and early-20th centuries. On my expedition, I found a little bit of everything, starting with a bus terminal facing Dudley Street that I correctly guessed has a complicated history.

Knowing a little bit about Boston's former elevated rail system, I took one look at Nubian station and said to myself, "That's gotta be an old train station." A transfer point between several MBTA bus routes, the station opened in 1901 as Dudley Square station on the Boston Elevated Railway main line, according to Wikipedia. The elevated system was shut down in 1987, replaced by Orange line trains in the nearby Southwest Corridor.

"Even without the Elevated, Dudley Square remained a major bus transfer location," according to Wikipedia. "After several years, the former Elevated station was converted into a new bus station. The 784,000-pound station building was lowered 12 feet to the ground and rolled 180 feet to the south."

Wow! That must have been quite a sight.

Next door to the station is a great old building.

Known historically as the Hotel Dartmouth, this beauty at the corner of Dudley and Warren streets rose in 1871. From MACRIS: the hotel "is architecturally significant as a substantial intact example of a post Civil War apartment/hotel. Designed in an intriguing variation of the French Second Empire Style, this bldg. principals (sic) elevations are noteworthy for their marble finishes and high degree of plasticity."

Businesses located here over the decades included a confectioner, a bank, a lunch counter, an auto supply store, a tailor shop, the Hawaiian School of Music (!) and offices for a dentist, photographer and lawyers. Current tenants include Joe's Famous Subs & Pizza, Frugal Bookstore and Indian restaurant Shanti Express.

From there, I headed southeast on Warren Street, where I spied a faded sign for the Edison Building.

The wedge-shaped Edison opened in 1924 and for many years its primary tenant was a branch of the Edision Electric Illuminating Co. Today, the two-story building office/retail site is home to The Handyman appliance repair service, Ugi's Subs, Atlantis Physical Therapy and other small businessees.

A little further along on Warren Street, in front of Roxbury Municipal Court, is a sculpture called The Judge.

Created by artist Vusumuzi Maduna, the work was designed "as a celebration of the distinctive contribution of African sculptural forms to contemporary art," per a plaque at the site. "The artist's aim was to express his world view as part of a traditional African Society and as a contemporary African American."

Born in Cambridge, Maduna "spent much of his life as an artist resident of the Gallery at the Piano Factory in Boston," per Vuzi.org, which details the artist's life (he died in 2007). "Maduna began his exploration of African culture with a study of African religions which led him to further examine and interpret the traditional embodiment of belief and myth."

At this point, I reversed course and made a photo of the impressive Paladio Hall, which is located across Warren Street from the old Hotel Dartmouth.

Built in 1878, the hall is "a rare Boston example of an Italian Renaissance-style commercial block," per a plaque at the side door. "By 1915 ownership passed to the Boston Safe Deposit & Trust Co., and was known as the Bradlee Bldg.," per MACRIS. "During the 20's & 30's Palladio Hall was known as Rose Croix Hall, meeting place of the K. of C." The hall in the early years also contained Thomas Nanne's Fruit Store, the G.G. Manno Co. shoe store, a Western Union branch, and dentist, lawyer and insurance offices.

Current tenants include Ethiopian Cafe & Pizza, Roxbury Dental and the Brand Nubian store.

On the east-facing facade of the Palladio is a ghost sign for a bank.

Heading east on Dudley Street, I was impressed with the massive mural on the side of #171-175.

The black-and-white piece was painted by the artist Grotesk (Kimou Meyer) in 2015, according to this WBUR article, which profiles other Roxbury artwork. Grotesk, who is senior global creative director for Nike, was quoted in the WBUR article as saying about the work, "It’s kind of like a mix of anthropology research and a world that I created in my head."

Across Dudley Street from the mural building stands the impressive and historic Hibernian Hall.

"The first Hibernian Building to be located in Roxbury, 182-186 Dudley Street was built in 1913 by the Hibernian Building Association of Boston Highlands, which owned and operated the building for forty-seven years," according to MACRIS. "Designed by Edward T. P. Graham as a lodge for the Ancient Order of Hibernians and its Ladies' Auxiliary, the building's upper floors contained function halls, a ballroom, and smaller meeting rooms that were available to outside groups, clubs, and individuals for social events and charitable causes. In addition the building held two storefront retail spaces, bowling alleys and a billiard room. Hibernian Hall was one of a cluster of such Irish dance halls in the Dudley Square vicinity that were popular at mid-century. These included Intercolonial Hall at 210-220 Dudley Street [which I will discuss below], Palladio Hall at 52-60 Warren Street, the Dudley Street Opera House, Winslow Hall and Deacon Hall. Of these only Hibernian Hall and Palladio Hall still stand."

The hall is currently operated by the Madison Park Development Corp., a community-based, non-profit organization that develops affordable housing and puts on events.

As for Intercolonial Hall, while it's no longer standing, there is one remnant, just steps away from Hibernian Hall.

"This limestone arch, supported on Ionic columns framed a large round-arched window between the third and fourth stories of the former Intercolonial Club Building that was located at this site and was razed in 1999," per a plaque located at the address, 212 Dudley Street. The club was built in 1906 for the Irish immigrants who lived in the neighborhood at the time.

I headed back toward the heart of the square and looped from Harrison Avenue to Taber Street, where to my right was a newish apartment building, and to my left a project under construction. I headed south on Warrent Street, where I liked the looks of the 7Fox sign.

The store sells men's and women's clothing. Around the corner on Zeigler Street there is a terrific mural sponsored by the Madison Park Development Corp.

Dedicated "with love to the ones we lost in our communities," the work features the names of the artists, seen below:

I doubled back, heading north, until I saw the beautiful old building that has been incorporated into the newer portion of the Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building at the intersection of Warren and Washington streets.

Born in 1945, Bolling was a member of the Boston City Council, where he served as the first African American president in the 1980s. In addition, he was a director MassAlliance, a firm specializing in small business development, per Wikipedia. Bolling died in 2012.

As for the lovely old structure, it's known historically as Ferdinand's Blue Store, and dates to 1895. "This monumental linestone bldg. is a handsome example of the Baroque Revival Style and certainly the major work of John Lyman Faxon's career," MACRIS indicates. "As a bldg. type it is a rare surviving example of a late 19th c. department store. This structure is a physical link documenting the Dudley Station's rise as an important turn of the century transportation commercial center. As early as l867 Frank Ferdinand established a Blue Store on or near the site of the Washington St./Warren St. intersection. Initially 'a small affair,' the blue store's growth was linked with transportation improvements - the electric trolley came to Dudley St. in 1888/89 and the Boston Elevated RR linked Roxbury with Boston in 1901. Ferdinand's business specialized in 'Furniture, carpets, stoves, bedding and house furnishing goods.' By 1885 the Blue Store 'was the most extensive of its kind in New England.'"

I'm not sure why it was called a "blue store."

Across the triangular intersection I spied a ghost sign and a run-down set of buildings. So of course I approached.

I couldn't make out what the sign said, despite approaching it from various angles along Palmer, Warren and Washington streets.

Nor could I read the sign on the rear of the building above the Khadija's Express Cafe sign.

After some Internet sleuthing when I got home, I found answers about the signs and the delicious history of this complex. Located here for many years was the Berwick Cake Co., credited by some as the originator of Whoopie Pies (although the company speled it Whoopee). There is controversy around this topic, as others in the dessert world claim that Pennsylvania Amish bakers were the first to create the delectable treat.

If you look closely at the last photo above, you can see the words "Whoopee Pie" and "Berwick" on the tower portion of the buildng.

While the rear section of this complex appears to be vacant, the front part, facing Harrison Avenue, has been redeveloped into The Berwick on Harrison, which is made up of apartments, as well as office, food and retail space. I wish I had checked out the front of the buildng, as I had no idea of its purpose during my visit. I was too excited to check out other sites along Washington Street.

Directly across from the rear of the Berwick lot stand two very different buildings. The first is a Christian Science Reading Room.

Squeezed between two taller buildings and no wider than a typical driveway, this is a pleasant little package of a building. The City of Boston assessor says this building dates to 1900, but I don't believe that for one second. I'm guessing the building is newer, and may have replaced something older.

Abutting to its southwest is a Frankenstein monster of a building with a fascinating history and an uncertain future.

"2231 Washington Street is a rare surviving Roxbury example of a silent movie theatre dating from the initial phase of the Dudley Station area's development as an important transportation/commercial node," MACRIS indicates. I didn't suspect that this odd patchwork of a building started life as a moviehouse. The Cinema Treasures web site lists 11 closed or demolished theaters that once operated in Roxbury.

This site wasn't used to show movies for very long. "This building's use as a silent movie theatre was relatively short lived by the early 1920's the Eagle theatre contained a beauty parlor and dentists office," the MACRIS write-up continues in its odd grammatical way. "Evidently the narrow plan of this building could not accomadate (sic) wider movie screens."

The building's first owner was Eagle Amusement Company. MACRIS files list Eagle Bowling Alleys at an address not far from this place, in what is now a vacant lot.

The old theater building is currently empty and appeared to be undergoing a renovation when I was there. It was acquired for $1.5 million in August 2021 by Solmon Chowdhury, a local restarateur and developer.

At this point, I turned around and headed northeast on Washington Street. On the side of the building housing Black Market Nubian, an organization focused on economic justice, arts and culture and civic engagement, there is an awesome mural dedicated to hometown disco diva Donna Summer.

Painted last summer by Cedric "Vise1" Douglas the image is based on Summer's Once Upon a Time album. The artist sought to "capture Summer’s 'beautiful, sexy, loud' personality," according to the above-linked article.

On the opposite side of Washington Street is a beautiful building that's home to Nubian Square mainstay Kornfield Pharmacy.

The drug store has been in business for more than 100 years, and has some old signs on the side of the building.

The building is known historically as the Hotel Comfort. Built in 1877-78, this High Victorian Gothic specimen was constructed by J.W. Coburn Co., according to MACRIS. That firm was responsible for the construction of the Bunker Hill Monument, several U.S. government lighthouses along the coast of Maine, the Medford Police Station and numerous brick houses in Brookline. The hotel originally contained lodging for 14 families. I'm not sure whether the upper floors are occupied, and if so, whether the space is residential or commercial.

Continuing northeast past a cemetery (which I'll get to in a moment) I was, and I'm not exaggerating here, overcome with joy to see the former Owen Nawn Factory building.

I've stumbled across loads of ghost signs in my time, as regular readers of the blog are aware, but I don't recall seeing an old building like this with signs for two distinct businesses. "BOSTONIA CIGAR FACTORY" says the larger one at the bottom. "RADIATOR HOSE," "FAN BELTS" and "BATTERIES" read the ones in between the windows.

The two-story brick building likely originally served as a warehouse when it was constructed around 1880, according to MACRIS. The owner was Owen Nawn, an Irish immigrant who had an excavation business. Nawn leased out space to tenants, such as a carpenter, a flour and grain business, a locksmith and a painter. After Nawn sold the building around 1893; a piano moving and storage company operated out of the building in the late 19th century.

"By 1919 the Brooks Barlet Company owned the property and by 1920 the Bostonia Cigar Company was operating their cigar factory out of the building," MACRIS reports. "Bostonia Cigar Company would utilize the building until 1926. During the mid-twentieth century, the building held a wide assortment of functions, including housing an upholster manufacturer, paper novelties, offices, warehouse, and a store. By 1950 the Daboll Novelty manufacturing company occupied the building."

I featured the cigar company's well-known ghost sign in Boston's Haymarket neighborhood back in a December 2023 write-up about these advertising relics (see December 23, 2023, "Ghost-Sign Busting Around Boston, Part II: Transportation, Warehouses, Miscellaneous + More").

Across Washington Street, on the sidewalk in front of Tropical Foods, next to a Silver Line bus station, I saw the fanciest manhole cover I'd never seen.

The circular work of iron art includes references to the year Roxbury became a city (1846), as well as the year Boston was founded (1630). Boston annexed Roxbury in 1867. The manhole cover also features Roxbury's motto, Saxetum Dextris Deoque Confidens, which translates to "In this rocky borough, by God's right, we are confident."

I've searched online and haven't found out when this cover was installed, why or by whom. I checked in with an expert. "There are some very decorative ones (about 6-10) marking each of the Washington Street stops [on the Silver Line]," according to whoever runs the Sidewalk Candy Instagram account.

I doubled back and took a quick look at the Roxbury Burial Ground, but decided I didn't have enough time for a full exploration.

Also known as the Eliot Burying Ground, the cemetery "is the oldest burying ground in Roxbury and one of the three oldest of Boston's historic burying grounds with the first interment made in 1633, per this city of Boston web site. Among the people buried here are several from the influential Dudley family, including Gov. Thomas Dudley (1653), Gov. Joseph Dudley (1720), Chief Justice Paul Dudley (1752) and Col. William Dudley (1743).

The burying ground's namesake, John Eliot, the so-called Apostle to the Indians, is also buried here. Eliot pops up every so often in my posts: December 18, 2021, in a post about a memorial in his name, "I Seek Newton, Part XI: Newton Corner (Section 2)"; January 27, 2022, in a post about land he once owned in what is now Jamaica Plain, "Jamaica Plain, Part I: Shopping & Snapping"; May 21, 2022, in a post about Jamaica Plain, Mission Hill and Roxbury, in reference to a school Eliot funded, "Circling Boston's Geographical Center"; and August 7, 2022, in a post about the founding of Natick, "A Nice Walk in Natick Center, Part I." There are other examples; search the blog if you're curious.

Across Eustis Street from the cemetery is a late dive bar with a colorful past.

Aga's Highland Tap -- named for the man who opened the watering hole in 1947, Agamenon Alexopoulos(!) -- closed down during the pandemic and sold its liquor license to yelling British chef Gordon Ramsay for an outlet of his Ramsay Boston Burger.

In 1979, Aga's began offering nude dancing, according to the above-linked article, something the City of Boston battled over with him for years. "The city immediately moved to keep the G-strings from coming off and the two sides spent more than 10 years in court fighting over whether the city's zoning code, which barred commercial nudity outside what was then a much larger Combat Zone, applied to Aga's."

In more recent years, the women who worked at Aga's stripped down to bikinis. Alexopoulos died in 2003; his widow, Alice, owned the bar after his death.

I continued southwest along Washington Street, past the Bolling Municipal Building, until I reached the very handsome Curtis Block.

Built in 1888, this block was named for a family whose members include Edwin Upton Curtis, 30th mayor of Boston; his brother, Nelson, who was president of American Photographic Paper Co.; and their father, George, who served as a Boston alderman and a builder who was active in the reconstruction of Boston's business district after the disastrous 1872 fire, per MACRIS.

At the intersection of Washington and Dudley streets and Malcolm X Boulevard is the Silver Slipper.

The limited information available online indicates this place serves Southern specialties for breakfast and lunch. On the side of the eatery is an awesome mural.

Titled "Faces of Dudley," the mural was created in 1995 by artist Mike "Hops" Womble and the Mayor's Mural Crew, a group of teen artists that have put up works of art across Boston. "1995, it was myself & heads like my brother Barrington 'Vex8' Edwards, Cedric 'Vise1' Douglass, Rob 'ProBlak' Gibbs, Ricardo 'Deme5' Gomez, Greg Bernstein, my brother Bounce, my wife, my mom and step-dad and the young students of the B.Y.C.C. Mural Crew," Womble is quoted in this Blackstonian article about the mural being defaced in 2022, seven years after it was restored. "We all worked to add & keep a piece of history in the community.”

Among the local luminaries featured in the work are Malcolm X, who lived in Roxbury from ages 14 to 21. He was convicted of larceny and breaking and entering and served a prison sentence in Massachusetts. Two prominent woman are also included: Melnea Cass, a Roxbury and South End activist who was active in the fight to desegregate Boston public schools; and Elma Lewis, a Boston native who was the founder of a school of fine arts as well as the National Center of Afro-American Artists.

Just north of the mural, across Roxbury Street, is a dilapidated three-decker that at one time housed a barber shop and a locksmith.

Brummitt-Kelly was a locksmith outfit that was located here for more than 60 years.

As I walked northeast along Shawmut Avenue, I almost missed the curious sign seen at the corner of William Street.

I love spotting a fraternal organization, so the words "ELKS HOME" caught my eye. But then, along the bottom, I spied the name Phylis Wheatley and I made a connection.

Phillis (also spelled Phyllis but not, as far as I can tell, Phylis) Wheatley was the first African-American author of a published book of poetry, per Wikipedia. "Born in West Africa, she was kidnapped and subsequently sold into slavery at the age of seven or eight and transported to North America, where she was bought by the Wheatley family of Boston," Wikipedia continue. "After she learned to read and write, they encouraged her poetry when they saw her talent."

I mentioned a plaque dedicated to Wheatley, located in Boston's Chinatown, in a post from five summers ago (see June 30, 2020, "Chinatown Redux").

I haven't found any information online about this lodge, which I assume is named for the groundbreaking poet.

I crossed over Melnea Cass Boulevard and stood face to face with two legends on hallowed ground.

Is it pure coincidence that I was trekking through Nubian Square on the day before Martin Luther King, Jr. Day? No.

I'd been thinking about exploring the area for quite some time, and as I set out for this section of Roxbury, I hoped I might find something connected to the martyred minister.

Located on the outer walls on the ground floor of The Melnea Residences, these murals honor the "Roxbury Love Story" of Civil Rights icons Coretta Scott King and Martin Luther King, Jr. The couple met in 1952 while she was studying at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, and he was assistant minister of the Twelfth Baptist Church, which once stood on this site.

Completed in 2022 by the aforementioned Rob "Problak" Gibbs, the paired works represent a much-needed dose of positivity in troubled times and a gift to his childhood stomping grounds, Gibbs told the Boston Globe when the mural was still in progress.

The Kings married in 1953 and set up home not far from here, until 1954, when they moved to Montgomery, Alabama. For more about Martin Luther King, Jr., and his connection to my hometown in Connecticut, see September 24, 2022, "Simsbury Barns, and Part of MLK's Legacy, be Be Preserved."

As for the Twelfth Baptist Church, it was established in 1840 and is the oldest direct descendant of the African Meeting House in Beacon Hill, according to Wikipedia. The congregation moved to a former Jewish Temple at 47 Shawmut Avenue -- the location marked by the murals -- in 1907. It is currently located at 150-160 Warren Street in Roxbury.

I continued my walk past this point. I will chronicle what I saw in that part of my journey in next week's post.