BECOMING Syriatown
It's no secret that Boston has a rich history of immigration. In 1880, the Census counted more than 114,000 immigrants in the city (nearly one-third of the population)! When we think of foreign cultures and influences in Boston, though, we tend to think of the present-day cultural districts of the Italian North End and Chinatown. Despite this, there were many immigrant groups that made Boston their home, and it is our obligation to take notice of the lasting legacies and impressions left by their culture on the city streets.
CULTURE ON HUDSON ST.
The arrival of Syrian immigrants to Boston in the 1880s-1920s is the event that marks the transition of my parcel into what has become dubbed "Syriatown." At the time, Boston had the second largest Syrian community in the United States, only after New York. This large influx of immigrants can be attributed to the declining silk and lace economy in Syria and growing religious tensions with neighboring territories. As a result, many were forced to flee Syria and landed in Boston. The immigrants were attracted to the Hudson Street area, as the rental rates were relatively low. Soon, many Syrians began to own building tenements in the area, where most of their residents were also of Syrian descent. Census data shows that Syrian immigrants in Boston often lived with very large families or a large number of roommates. They are known for setting up their own peddling economy within the neighborhood, where they would go door to door selling a variety of goods. This practice not only was a source of income, but also an outlet for social interaction.
Syrian immigrants on Hudson St, c. 1915, Boston Public Library
Immigrants arriving in Boston, Photograph by Edmunds E. Bond, ca. 1915, Boston Public Library
Cartoon sketch and excerpt from The Boston Daily Globe, "Boston's Maronite Church Dedicated," January 9, 1899
FROM FAR AWAY SYRIA
A group that was devoutly Christian, the Syrian immigrants found the solution to preserving their ethnic identity and sense of social community in the establishing of churches. The first eastern Christian (Maronite) church in the area was established in 1898 on Tyler Street, only a street away from Hudson Street, and its dedication is documented in the Boston Daily Globe.
WORSHIP ON HUDSON ST.
As more immigrants came to the city of Boston, the community was forced to grow and expand further southward. Eventually, the Syrian community made its way to Hudson Street around 1910. According to map records, the Saint John's Society gained ownership of the property of 68 Hudson Street between 1908 and 1912. The Society's committee members fundraised every Sunday in order to raise enough funds to eventually acquire the rights to 68 Hudson Street. Previously a house, the first floor was used as living quarters for the reverend and his family. The basement was to be styled and used for worship services. This building was soon converted into a place of worship and renamed the St. John of Damascus Church.
Bromley, Atlas of the City of Boston, 1912
Celebrations in the Syrian Orthodox tradition at St. John of Damascus (undated), St. John of Damascus Church
Excerpts from The Boston Daily Globe, "Fire Damages Syrian Church," August 28, 1921 (top) and "Mayor at the Rededication of Syrian Orthodox Church," April 3, 1922 (bottom)
FIRE AT THE CHURCH
As reported in The Boston Daily Globe, there was a three-alarm fire that took place at the St. John of Damascus Church on August 28, 1921. The fire was of an unknown origin and discovered by watchman Charles E. Howland. Reverend Solomon Ferney quickly arrived to the scene of the blaze, as he lived only a short distance away at 143 Hudson. He mentioned that there had been a service performed at the church the night prior, but that nothing seemed out of the ordinary at the end of the night. The fire accumulated $20,000 in damages and the entire interior of the church had to be gutted.
However, the Syrian community rallied behind church leaders and fundraising efforts soon began to raise money to rebuild the church. They held event nights, such as dramatic performances at the Y.M.C.U. Union Hall. The community raised enough money to rebuild their church, and in April of 1922, it was rededicated.
References
"BOSTON'S MARONITE CHURCH DEDICATED.: ARCHBISHOP WILLIAMS OFFICIATES AT THE CEREMONY--MASS SUNG IN SYRO-CHALDEAN BY FR YASBEK, THE PASTOR." Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922), Jan 09 1899, p. 5. ProQuest. Web.
"FIRE DAMAGES SYRIAN CHURCH: THREE-ALARM BLAZE DOES DAMAGE OF $20,000 FAMILIES IN HUDSON-STREET SECTION FLEE HOMES FALSE ALARM SOUNDED NEAR SCENE ADDS TO CONFUSION." Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922), Aug 28 1921, p. 1. ProQuest. Web.
“History of Our Parish.” On the Road to Hudson Street, St. John of Damascus Church, 15 Dec. 2018, stjohnd.org/history/.
Leventhal Map & Education Center at the Boston Public Library. Philadelphia : G.W. Bromley & Co. 1912. Atlas of the City of Boston via Atlascope.
"MAYOR AT REDEDICATION OF SYRIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH." Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922), Apr 03 1922, p. 8. ProQuest. Web.
Year: 1880; Census Place: Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts; Roll: 554; Page: 78D; Enumeration District: 629