Hemenway & The Hathaway
Augustus Hemenway, 19191
Augustus Hemenway was born in 1853 and died in 1931: born in Boston and died at his home in Readville4. Hemenway shared the name with his father and son, all of whom were successful Boston business men. According to Hemenway's obituary, his father was a successful merchant and he himself held many esteemed positions within the city. Hemenway and his family acquired the Hathaway Building on Atlantic Ave. in 1912 and leased the property to a number of different businesses, gaining himself a profit. In 1915, part of the building was leased to the Timson Bros, a shoe jobber (manufacturer) and The Gramm Motor Truck Company occupied the building in 1911. This property was especially lucrative for Hemenway and helped build his reputation in the city.
Leasing the Property: Gramm Motor Trucks
The ads above and to the left advertise the Gramm Motor Truck company that operated from the Hathaway building in 1911, just before Hemenway's purchase of the building and possibly during the time of his ownership5,6. The Hathaway Building was leased to the J. Freidson Shoe according to an article published in 1936, after Hemenway's death. The article states that the building was under the power of the trustees appointed by Augustus Hemenway's will8.
1920 U.S. Census Record9
Above is a capture from the 1920 U.S. census records that includes Augustus Hemenway and his family. We can see Augustus as head of the household, living with his wife, daughter, and son Augustus Jr. who was 37 at the time. There are also six white, female servants listed under their household, but little information is available pertaining to their lives/roles in the family.
Hemenway's Legacy in Boston and Beyond
Hemenway Gymnasium, 2021 3
According to Hemenway's obituary, he was a member of Legislature for many years, a member of the Metropolitan Parks Commission, a trustee of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, treasurer of the Boston Ear and Eye Infirmary, and an overseer at Harvard University4. Holding all these positions along with multiple lucrative properties made Hemenway successful and acclaimed. He also donated a public library to the town of Canton and the Hemenway Gymnasium to Harvard which is still used on the college campus.7,3
Canton Public Library, 1901 7
Literature Cited
Benson, Frank Weston. "Portrait of Augustus Hemenway." Print. 1919. Digital
Commonwealth, https://ark.digitalcommonwealth.org/ark:/50959/1v53kh87k (accessed May 06, 2021).
Chickering, Elmer, and Massachusetts. Metropolitan Park Commission. "Portrait photograph of
Augustus Hemenway (1853-1931), Mass., ca. 1895." Photograph. 1895. Digital Commonwealth, https://ark.digitalcommonwealth.org/ark:/50959/3r077d874 (accessed May 07, 2021).
“Hemenway Gymnasium.” Harvard University Recreation. Accessed May 7, 2021.
https://recreation.gocrimson.com/sports/2020/5/5/recreation-facilities-Hemenway.aspx.
ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Boston Globe. “Augustus Hemenway.” Daily Boston
Globe. May 26, 1931, ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Boston Globe edition.
ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Boston Globe. “Display Ad 33 -- No Title.” Daily Boston
Globe. June 11, 1911, ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Boston Globe edition.
ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Boston Globe. “Display Ad 99 -- No Title.” Daily Boston
Globe. June 11, 1911, ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Boston Globe edition.
ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Boston Globe. “NEW PUBLIC LIBRARY BUILDING
FOR CANTON: GIFT OF AUGUSTUS.” Daily Boston Globe. November 12, 1901, ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Boston Globe edition.
ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Boston Globe. “Mortgage Records Shows Large Gain.”
Daily Boston Globe. December 1, 1936, ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Boston Globe edition.
Year: 1920; Census Place: Boston Ward 8, Suffolk,
Massachusetts; Roll: T625_742; Page: 14A; Enumeration District: 231