“I frequent downtown often. It’s hard to walk down the road without meeting someone you know.” [1] This describes the aura of the downtown neighborhood: one of friendship and cooperation. The Oxford American Dictionary defines a neighborhood as, “the people living in a district.” However, the downtown neighborhood takes this definition to a higher and more complex level. The area known as downtown is centered around the economic highlights of Rantoul and Cabot Streets. Creating an oval shape around these streets, the surrounding boundaries of downtown are: Cabot Street (N), School Street (S), Lothrop Street (E), and McPhearson Drive (W). [2] These surrounding boundaries can be referred to as the suburbs of this bustling neighborhood.

The neighborhood itself is enriched with approximately 200 years of cultural, social, and economic history. Beverly was first settled along the coast in 1626. The downtown area was settled soon after around the years of 1650-1700. However, it did not become a true neighborhood until the early 1800’s. Beverly was early known as a merchant and fisherman town. The downtown area soon changed the sea-based economics of Beverly with the arrival of hundreds of immigrants looking for low-skilled work.

Transportation in the early 1900’s revolved around the streetcar located on Cabot Street. The tracks connected with other neighborhoods such as Ryal Side and Montserrat. It tended to be used most for downtown travel. The car itself was originally pulled by horses. (see image) With the arrival of more advanced transportation such as the railroad and automobile the streetcar became less popular. The streetcar was demolished in 1939. Downtown contained two major railroad companies called the Boston Marine Railroad and the Boston & Northern Railroad. [3] Downtown held the main depot of the city on Park Street, which not only connected neighborhoods, but cities. The stations and railroad companies were primarily used for economic and social growth. Examples of such include relationships between cities, and shipping and receiving in business.  The automobile was not very popular in the downtown area. Automobiles tended to be a symbol of wealth which the residents of downtown did not necessarily have. Both the railroad and automobile gained popularity through the 1930’s and 40’s.

The neighborhood of downtown held practically a church of every religious denomination. Religion was a part of most inhabitants lives. Religious acceptance was also practiced by most. The four major churches of the 1900-1940 time period were the First Calvanistic Baptist Church , Dane Street Congregational Church, and St. Mary’s Star of The Sea Roman Catholic Church. [4] Each had a solid amount of participants and involvement in the community. Children in the area were participants in the Sunday schools offered. St. Mary’s developed their own private parochial school on Chapman Street. Even on days of work parishioners could still be found in worship throughout the downtown churches.

Downtown held almost all recreational opportunities. Practically every organization, club, or group was located in the area. Examples of such include: Bass River Lodge, Cabot Club, Consort Lodge, Elks Lodge , and over 100 more. Each of these groups usually met at Odd Fellows Hall on Cabot Street.[5] The building was considered “the mother” of recreational activities. The citizens of the area also used the Common , church, the Ware Theater, and Dane Street Beach as social meeting places. Recreation generally stayed the same between the years of 1900-1940. Old Home Week , or what Beverly would now call Homecoming Week, was the popular recreational activity of the year. In 1902, Governor W. Murray Crane declared the week of July 27-August 2 Old Home Week.[6]  The governor stated it would be a time to celebrate Beverly and its history. Cabot Street was decorated from head to toe with American Flags, banners, and streamers in celebration of the yearly event. The event was viewed as a unifying event for the neighborhood.

Downtown throughout the years of 1900-1940 was considered the economic center of the city of Beverly. The neighborhood held over 100 business’ and even more employees. Examples of such business’ include: William H. Cann Contractors, Amore’s Barbershop, New England Telephone and Telegraph, and Beverly National Bank. [7] One of the largest economic strengths of the downtown area was the shoe factories. There were three factories in downtown alone, the largest being the Woodbury Shoe Factory. The factory had a large employment number and profit margin. The economy of downtown was bustling until the 1930’s when the depression hit. Nancy Jennie Consolgio, a 16 year old downtown resident stated at the time, “By the looks of things it seems as if the Banks are going to stay closed for quite a while.” [8] The downtown area became a barren economic desert. However, in the late 1940’s downtown began to resume a normal and stable economic life.

The downtown neighborhood can also be seen as the educational center of Beverly. The area alone contained seven schools. These include: Miss Kilham’s Kindergarten, Miss Studley’s Kindergarten, Hardie School, Prospect School, Washington School, High School , and Miss Nettie Woodbury’s Prep School.[9]This collection of educational facilities covered grades K-12. The subjects of reading, writing, arithmetic, and typing for women were among the main classes offered. There is no information on whether or not education was highly valued in the neighborhood but one can assume that with so many facilities it probably was. The educational system of downtown did not change during the time period of 1900-1940.

In between the years of 1900-1940 downtown held most of the public safety facilities in the city. The police department was located next to City Hall on Cabot Street. It was an average size station that increased through the years of 1930-1940.[10] The fire department had two stations located in the downtown area. The first was the main central station located at 15 Hale Street. The second was Hose Company 2 located on the corner of Rantoul and School Streets. The stations did not receive engines until the 1910’s. Before this point they used horse drawn wagons. These wagons were very inefficient and unreliable. In the early 1900’s the hospital of downtown was located in the home of Dr. Samuel W. Torey on 106 Cabot Street.[11] Dr. Torey then founded Beverly Hospital on 14 Central Street. The institution was then moved out of the neighborhood to Herrick Street in 1915.

The citizens of the neighborhood were primarily immigrants. Ethnicity’s represented included Italian, Irish, Canadian, Greek, and Russian. The 1910-1920 Rantoul Street census concludes that approximately 50% of it’s inhabitants were Italian immigrants. The immigrants of the downtown neighborhood were a vital factor in the economic system of the area. These immigrants worked in almost every business in the area. (see image) However, a large amount worked at the shoe factories. Italian women were among the seamstresses, Greek men among the oilers, and Irish and English men and women among the other staff. Christina Pipillo, an Italian immigrant in downtown, owned the Italian Market located at 374 Rantoul Street. Pipillo also served as an Italian interpreter for those who could not find jobs or were in legal trouble.[12] Immigrants such as Miss Pipillo were quite common in the neighborhood. Each had a special talent and culture to add to the area. Ethnicity is truly the special characteristic of the downtown neighborhood. The ethnicity generally did not change throughout the 1900-1940 time period.

The neighborhood of downtown is truly a marvel to any historian. Unlike many areas in history it is rich in transportation, religious, economic, educational, public safety, recreational, and ethnic history. Each area has it’s own unique story to tell with special and interesting characteristics. Without downtown, Beverly would ceist to exist. As a citizen of Beverly I look to the downtown neighborhood for reminders of the past, the life of the present, and hopes for the future. Downtown, forever.

Footnotes

---

What is it that makes up a strong neighborhood? In most cases, the economy, the location, or the citizens that belong to that neighborhood have something to do with it. However, in order for a community to become a strong one, it takes more than just luck. Centerville neighborhood is a good example of how teamwork and perseverance can really make a difference. Like many areas throughout early America, Centerville started out as just an idea. Through hard work and relentless years, Centerville was transformed from nothing more than farmland to the large residential, economical, and expanding community it is today. Centerville is indeed an example of the positive difference a community can make when it strives together for one common goal.

In it’s earliest days, Centerville was inhabited by a small group of farmers from Essex and Beverly who decided to settle on Bald Hill. Agriculture was the dominant occupation of the families who settled here. These families decided to call their community the Bald Hill District and they founded it as such in 1680. However, just prior to the Civil War, the area was called Monserrat, but soon after the war ended, the name of “Centreville” was adopted. Finally in the year 1910 this name was changed yet again to the name “Centerville” which it stands as today. ¹

Centerville begins where Essex Street extends off of Colon Street and it continues all the way past Arbella Drive and Gateway Lane right before it ends just short of Nicole Street. The northern edge of Centerville extends to its farthest point at Balsam Drive. Its most southern border ends at the railroad tracks near Paradise Road. Centerville includes over sixty different streets, some of the most significant are Hull, Cole, Grover, Groce, and Hathaway, which were named after important families from the area. ² (see map)

Centerville unlike other neighborhoods had an economy that was for the most part based on agriculture. Centerville had lots of wide-open space for farming which enabled agriculture to thrive into the early part of the twentieth century. It wasn’t until much later that Centerville’s farms began disappearing as the northeast moved toward an industrial-based economy around the mid twentieth century. However, most of the farmland remained undeveloped and was later kept as woods. It wasn’t until after World War II that Centerville began to drastically change its economy. ³

Since Centerville was mostly made up of farmlands in its youth, the people of early Centerville who attended church were required to travel to Beverly, Beverly Farms, or Wenham Neck to attend church services. It wasn’t until 1901 that the process began for the building of a church in Centerville. It  was at a meeting for the Centreville Christian Endeavor Society that first word was brought up about the plans for a new church. At the meeting of the society held on April 29, 1901, “it was voted to buy one-eighth acre of land from Mrs. Sarah Patch and Mrs. Abbie Day for $75.00.” (This land is that place where the present day church now stands.) Later in that year four thousand dollars was set aside by the society for the building of the church.

Construction began in 1907 when Mr. Alfred J. Gallagher, a general contractor, was commissioned to build the church. In 1908 the church was completed and the total cost was six thousand dollars. When the church was completed it proved to be a marvelous collaboration of teamwork. The men of the congregation had excavated the cellar and landscaped the grounds while, The Ladies Aid Society which was a club that had been formed in 1906, had purchased the pews and decorated the interior of the church. As proof of their hard work, the church needed no major repairs for its first sixty years in use.

On February 18, 1908 the Centreville Christian Endeavor Society decided to mortgage the property for the extra money that had exceeded the original budget. At this meeting it was also decided to name the church “The Centreville Christian Endeavor Church” after the society which had worked so hard to construct it.  (see image)

Just like in many others communities throughout early America, the place where community activities and meetings took place was in the school house. Throughout Centerville’s history there had been many schoolhouses built over the eighteen and nineteen hundreds. The third school built after the first two Bald Hill Schools, was the first of two Centerville Schools that lasted from 1870 to 1965. After this school was built, the town loaned the previous school to the community to serve as a meeting house to be used for religious and social gatherings.

Meeting houses like the one just described was where many clubs and social gatherings took place. Centerville had many different clubs, societies, and unions that served recreational purposes. The Centreville Religious Union, The Centreville Christian Endeavor Society, and The Ladies Aid Society all worked mainly with the church functions. The Centerville Improvement Society organized parades and functions to benefit the needs of the community (see binder). They also helped build the “Pine Room” which was later a popular gathering place for Centerville citizens. Lastly there was also a  Centerville Athletic Club that existed in 1916 which was run by Harold Whittemore.

Right down the street from The Centerville School and the Pine Room which were both built on Essex Street, was the Centerville firehouse. Centerville’s fire department started out when Francis Lovett, who was a member of The Old Fire King Company, created “Hose Company No. 4” in 1874. Later in 1904, a new firehouse was built in the same area named “Combination 4”.  This firehouse later changed it’s name to “Engine 4 B.F.D.”, which is the name it has today. Unfortunately, unlike it’s fire department, Centerville never had much of a police department. Since Centerville was rather spread out and far away from the center of town, a separate police department never existed. The fact that Centerville is located far away from the busy waterfront and rail lines kept it rather isolated for many years. ¹

It wasn’t until more automobiles came into existence that Centerville began to drastically change. Since Centerville had always been a rural neighborhood in the past, the population remained small. With an increase in transportation, Centerville immediately saw an increase in population. It was this increase in population that led to the booming number of residents that have moved into Centerville today. ¹¹

In terms of Centerville’s ethnicity, using Essex Street as an example it is easy to see that the residents of Centerville were mostly from Massachusetts. Eighty eight percent were Massachusetts natives while only four percent were from Maine, and two percent were from Canada, California, and England. This proves that throughout the years Centerville remained made up of local people. ¹² (see chart)

In conclusion, Centerville went through many changes in order for it to become the growing community it is today. Centerville’s extensive church and school history provide great examples of the close knit working community that Centerville was many years ago. A neighborhood can be defined as, “A comparatively small populated region or district possessing some quality or character that distinguishes it from other areas.” This definition definitely holds true to Centerville’s distinguishing character as described in it’s ever present past.

ETHNICITY OF ESSEX STREET IN CENTERVILLE
PLACE OF BIRTH	NUMBER OF RESIDENTS FROM THAT LOCATION	PERCENT OUT OF TOTAL NUMBER OF RESIDENTS
CALIFORNIA	1	2%
CANADA	1	2%
ENGLAND	1	2%
MAINE	2	4%
MASSACHUSETTS	45	88%
	50 TOTAL RESIDENTS

 

Footnotes

1.  Frederick Sillars, “A History of the Centerville Christian Endeavor Church” 2, no. 1 (1968).

2. Ibid

3. Jay Lindsay, “Founding farmers wouldn’t recognize Centerville,” Beverly Citizen, 13 December 1996, vol. 2, No. 16.

4. Frederick Sillars, “A History of the Centerville Christian Endeavor Church” 3, no.1 (1968).

5. Ibid

6. Frederick Sillars, “A History of the Centerville Christian Endeavor Church” 4, no.1 (1968).

7. Beverly City Directory for 1916, (244 Cabot St. Beverly, MA), 316.

8. Beverly City Directory for 1923, (242 Cabot St. Beverly MA), 419.

9. Beverly City Directory for 1877, (Beverly MA), 305.

10, Beverly City Directory for 1904 (Beverly MA), 524.

11. Jay Lindsay, “Founding farmers wouldn’t recognize Centerville,” Beverly Citizen, 13 December 1996, vol.2, no. 16

12. United States Census, 6 June 1900, (Beverly MA), by Louis Moser, 74.