The Altmar Street extension, looking
north towards Whited Street, during construction in 1946.
Altmar Street is located in East
Brookline near the lower end of Brookline Boulevard, one block before
Jacob Street. From the intersection with Brookline Boulevard, Altmar
Street runs north, in the direction of Whited Street. It's path is
parallel to Jacob Street. The roadway continues until it dead ends
near a wooded greenway.
The first section of Altmar Street
to be developed was the stretch from Brookline Boulevard, past Reamer
Street, to the intersection with Roseville Street (near the current
intersection with Bellaire Place). This short stretch was laid out in
the 1930s on property once owned by the Reamer family. As for Roseville
Street, it existed on paper only and basically marked the boundary
with the adjacent plot of undeveloped land.
In 1941, the adjacent twenty-six
acres, owned by Olive G. Kerr, was acquired for further development. By
1945, the Pitt Manor lot plan was developed. Altmar Street was extended to
it's current boundary and construction of housing soon began.
1940 map showing the Reamer Street
lot plan and the adjacent Kerr property.
The Weslager family moved into the
home at 2002 Altmar Street (Lot#43), three houses north of the present
intersection with Bellaire Place, on October 3, 1946. The sellers were
Marie B. Steinkamp and Carl T. Steinkamp, who owned all of the lots in
the plan. An interesting note on the original deed states that the
premises was built under the Reconversion Housing Program of the Civilian
Production Administration.
These photos show the condition
of the Altmar Street Extension, part of the Pitt Manor Plan, from Roseville
Street (Bellaire Place) north towards the dead end, as the owners began
moving into their new homes in the Fall of 1946.
Front and rear view of the Weslager
home at 2002 Altmar Street during construction.
Left: Looking west from the rear of
2002 Altmar Street up the hill towards the yet undeveloped land that would
soon be developed as the Bellaire Place extension; Right: the Weslager home
nears completion.
Left: Looking east towards Carrick
on the far hillside; Right: The homes of the Morris, McCrillis and Godfrey
families.
Altmar Street, complete with walkways,
sewers and paved roadway in the winter of 1946.
This final photo, taken in 1956, shows
Altmar Street looking south towards Brookline Boulevard from the Weslager home.
* Photos provided by Gary Weslager * |