Brookline Boulevard - 1910

Brookline Boulevard, 1910

Brookline Boulevard in early-1910, looking from near Glenarm towards Chelton Avenue, then called Chelsea. This is looking towards the Fourth Ward of the emerging Community of Brookline.

The photo shows the triangle where the present-day Cannon and Veteran's Memorial stands. This was the location of the Freehold Real Estate Company's local office. The larger stone one-room office replaced the wood structure in 1912. From 1905 through 1932, the majority of Brooklin real estate purchases were transacted at this office.

Behind the triangle is a vacant lot along Chelton that was purchased in 1911 by the United Presbyterian Church. In 1912 the first church building was constructed on the lot.

Looking straight ahead along Chelton Avenue are many of the early homes along this broad paved avenue. Chelton was one of the first streets paved in the community, along with Bellaire and Berkshire Avenues. Early homes along Berkshire, and some on Woodbourne, are visible to the right.

To the left of the triangle is the trolley line, with one of the original four-wheel streetcars heading outbound towards Creedmoor and Edgebrook Avenues. In early-1910, before the streetcar line was double-tracked and a loop installed, the streetcar would stop at Edgebrook Avenue, then reverse direction for the trip inbound.

Also visible are homes along Creedmoor Avenue and Resurrection Church/School, which was being built at the time. Construction can be seen on the second floor of the church building, which would house the school. This initial section of the Resurrection complex was completed in May 1910.

It is interesting to note that at the time this photo was taken, the boulevard triangle and the homes visible were located in Baldwin Township. The West Liberty Borough, and now the Pittsburgh city line, ran in a straight path from Sussex Avenue to Queensboro, then around the triangle and down the boulevard to Edgebrook Avenue. This Fourth Ward area was soon incorporated into the City of Pittsburgh as part of Brookline.

Click on the image for a larger picture

* Photo provided by Roseanne Ziegler *

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