Changing Hands
Focusing on 25 and 27 Beverly Street
How one section of property changed hands over decades, with owners that are just as mysterious as the property itself.
Dexter Roby: 1883-1917
Looking at a photo of the Bromley Map of Beverly Street from 1883, one can see that the chunk of property we are surveying was owned by a "D. Roby Hrs". This implies that at this point in time, the property was owned by the heirs, of who I later found out to be Dexter Roby. If one were to look through the periodical maps that exist of this area, they would see that this "D. Roby Hrs" remains the owner of this piece of property until at least 1917.
Henry D. Warren: 1922-1938
In this excerpt of the Bromley Map from 1922 of the area, one can see that by this time, the heirs of D. Roby no longer own the property of 25-27 Beverly Street, and it has been taken over by a Henry D. Warren. This implies that the change in ownership of this property had to have occurred in the time between 1917 and 1922, before both of these maps documented the respective owners of the place.
DEXTER ROBY HRS, OR DEXTER ROBY & CO?
Even though the Atlascope maps denote the property as being owned by D Roby Hrs, or the heirs of Dexter Roby, any and all information available under this name points to a number of individuals under the name Dexter, Roby and Co. In a display ad from the Boston Globe in 1876, the Board of Aldermen of Boston petitioned the extension of Prince Street, led by the Mayor himself. Dexter, Roby and Co were listed in the group of the Board of Aldermen, a position similar to a city council, so one can infer that they must have been prominent invididuals in the city during their time.
HENRY D. WARREN: SOCIETY MEMBER AND CADET
There were a few highlights to Henry D Warren's existence as a property owner on Beverly Street. He was first a member of the New Hampshire Society of the Cincinnati. In 1923, right around the time he was noted to own 25-27 Beverly St, he was elected to the standing committee of the New Hampshire branch of the Society of the Cincinnati, along with many other men from Boston. This society is known as the oldest patriotic hereditary society in America, created to assist veterans. The goal of the society was to "foster a spirit of brotherhood" and uphold the rights and liberties secured when fighting the revolution. Warren was also celebrated as a first sergeant of the corps of cadets. According to the Boston Globe, Warren retired from the corps in 1899, years before he owned the property at Beverly St. He was gifted a silver cup, and was celebrated by many showing his importance to this organization.