Peter Bent Brigham
Screenshot from Atlas Scope, Boston, 1882: References Hanover street in relation to Charlestown Street/Haymarket.
https://atlascope.leventhalmap.org/#view:address-search-bar
Early Life in Boston
One of the most notable landlords within Charlestown Street, parcel 1-21, was self-made millionaire Peter Bent Brigham (1807-1877), well known as an early Boston real estate investor and philanthropist. According to his obituary, he moved to Boston at the age of 17 (1824) and worked as a lobster salesman during his early years which helped put him in contact with Amherst Eaton, a 19th-century real estate owner. In 1828, Brigham opened his own oyster shop on Hanover Street located just south of the North-end/Haymarket. The cashflows from his oyster shop then helped him take over Eaton's lease in 1836 when he opened his first restaurant, ultimately birthing Brigham's career as a young Entrepreneur.
Source: https://mountauburn.org/peter-bent-brigham-1807-1877/
Peter Bent Brigham https://mountauburn.org/peter-bent-brigham-1807-1877/
Robert Breck Brigham
Brigham passed his entrepreneurial characteristics along to his nephew, Robert Breck Brigham, to carry on the Brigham family name. After Peter B. Brigham's death in 1877, a vast majority of his will went into funding the Brigham Hospital which was used as a 'teaching hospital' and soon became an affiliate of Harvard Medical School. His will was his greatest legacy as Brigham Hospital had a significant contribution to science and is known for its many medical breakthroughs and innovations. Robert B Brigham followed in his uncle's footsteps by endowing the Robert B Brigham Hospital which later merged with the Boston Hospital For Women and is now known as the Brigham and Women's Hospital.
Philanthropy and Contributions to Science:
The Peter Bent Brigham Hospital's history goes back as far as 1913 when the corporation to construct the hospital was formed and its close relationship with Harvard Medical School began. The hospital endures a miraculous story of rapid growth in a major metropolitan area from its opening in 1913 through the development of modern medicine during the greater part of the 20th century. A great number of individuals who dedicated their lives work to the Brigham Hospital helped provided significant advancements in medical science and education. According to the Center for the History of Medicine, these individuals include but are not limited to:
Dr. Francis Moore, considered the “father of modern surgery”
Dr. Harvey Cushing, an innovator in neurosurgery
Dr. Samuel A. Levine, a key figure in modern cardiology
Nurse Carrie M. Hall, a leader in the evolution of professional nursing education
Dr. (Brigadier General) Elliott C. Cutler, second PBBH Surgeon-in-Chief and Surgeon-in-Charge of the European Theater of Operations during WWII
His significant contribution to the city of Boston did not go unnoticed. According to a newspaper article from the Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922, recovered from Proquest) titled Noble Bequest: Three Million Dollars to Found a Hospital (attached below) states, "It contains some of the most remarkably generous bequests ever made by a citizen of Boston. By his former will, Mr. Brigham desires that his money should serve as a fund for the emancipation of slaves in this country" (figure two). Mr. Brigham is also well known for founding Brigham Academy to give back to the poor county of Suffolk.
FIGURE ONE: REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS: LARGE ROXBURG ESTATE CHANGES OWNERSHIP. RESTARICK, CHAS W
Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922); Dec 29, 1912; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Boston Globe
pg. 22
FIGURE TWO: NOBLE BEQUESTS. THREE MILLION DOLLARS TO FOUND A HOSPITAL --
Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922); May 30, 1877; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Boston Globe
pg. 6