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Book recommendation: Beyond the Neck
Nov. 25th, 2023 11:18 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dmazeBeyond the Neck: the architecture and development of Somerville, Massachusetts, by Carole Zellie. Commissioned by the City of Somerville, this book documents the city's development from the early colonial era up through the start of the 20th century. Find it at the Central or West Branch libraries, Dewey decimal number 974.44.
The first edition of the book was published in 1982, so before the Red Line extension into West Somerville. For that, some of the text is eerily prescient: Davis Square developed as a neighborhood with good access to transit into downtown Boston, except in the 1870s it was horsecar service and steam trains connecting to the Boston and Lowell. It was interesting reading how much of the city was developed a little earlier than I had thought, more in the 1880s than post-1900, unless you get into the untamed wilderness beyond Teele Square, which did remain farmland until fairly late.
If you're at all into local history, I found this really interesting. I'm not an architect and can't really tell the difference between Queen Anne and Shingle Style houses, but there are lots of pictures of things the research found historically significant (several of which are still standing!).
The first edition of the book was published in 1982, so before the Red Line extension into West Somerville. For that, some of the text is eerily prescient: Davis Square developed as a neighborhood with good access to transit into downtown Boston, except in the 1870s it was horsecar service and steam trains connecting to the Boston and Lowell. It was interesting reading how much of the city was developed a little earlier than I had thought, more in the 1880s than post-1900, unless you get into the untamed wilderness beyond Teele Square, which did remain farmland until fairly late.
If you're at all into local history, I found this really interesting. I'm not an architect and can't really tell the difference between Queen Anne and Shingle Style houses, but there are lots of pictures of things the research found historically significant (several of which are still standing!).