Businesses & Manufacturing

Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, Beverly Street was home to many different businesses and manufacturing companies. Through researching historical newspaper articles and advertisements from The Boston Globe, below are just a few businesses and manufacturing companies located on Beverly Street before demolition for the Central Artery (1951-1959). 

Tri-color line drawing open doorway with triangular gable advertising Miller and Hollis chocolates

Miller & Hollis Inc. Chocolate

57 Beverly Street

In the 1940s, Miller & Hollis Inc., a shop for fine chocolates, was located at 65 Beverly Street. Interestingly enough, there was another competing chocolate shop a few buildings down, Haviland Chocolates, located at 57 Beverly Street. On the left, is a Miller & Hollis advertisement from the 1940s.  

Bowker, Torrey & co.

59-65 Beverly Street

Located at 59-65 and 69 Beverly Street was Bowker, Torrey & Co., a wholesale marble yard that sold marble monuments, tablets, and monumental figures, among other pieces. An interesting storyline from Bowker, Torrey & Co. were the worker strikes of 1887 demanding increased wages. Notably, the marble men were victorious; the company yielded to their employees! One of the owners of 69 Beverly Street and member of the firm of Bowker, Torrey & Co. was Everett Torrey.

Below is a picture of a Bowker, Torrey & Co. billhead, a receipt used in business transactions. Although the address shown on the billhead does not match the Beverly Street address, Portland and Chardon Streets are other locations of Bowker, Torrey & Co. 

A billhead, receipts used in business transactions
1894 Newspaper advertisement for Cavanaugh Bros. Auction Sales

Cavanaugh Bros.

103 & 105 Beverly Street

The New England Stables of the Cavanaugh Bros. Company, was located at 103 & 105 Beverly Street. In the 1890s, this location on Beverly Street served as an auction sales house for horses and carriages! To get around the city of Boston in the late 19th century, the prime source of transportation was horses and carriages, as cars were not prominent at this time. 

In this section is a newspaper advertisement, from January of 1894, for an auction sale at Cavanaugh Bros.

A handwritten record of sales orders from January 4, 1927 through December 31, 1927.

A.H. Davenport Furniture

A.H. Davenport Furniture, also known as Furniture Manufacturers' Outlet Warehouse, was located at 99 Beverly Street in the 1920s and 1930s. Many of the pieces sold featured dining room sets and bedroom sets, mostly made of mahogany. 


This is a handwritten record of sales orders from January 4, 1927 through December 31, 1927.

Boston Rubber Shoe Company

Occupying 95-99 Beverly Street during the late 1800s until the beginning of the 1900s was the Boston Rubber Shoe Company. A man by the name of James W. Converse was the president of the infamous Boston Rubber Shoe Company. Manufacturing durable rubber boots, this company had factories in multiple locations around Boston and became one of the most prominent companies in the Boston shoe industry. 

Trade cards for the Boston Rubber Shoe Company

1893

other businesses and manufacturing companies that once occupied Beverly street:

41 Beverly Street: Harry McManus Company (1935)

53 Beverly Street: Melrose Curtain Company (1935)

53 Beverly Street: Windsor Luggage Corp. (1945)

53 Beverly Street: Duchess Drapery Corp. (1946)

53 Beverly Street: Crown Products Co. (1946)

65 Beverly Street: Flexible Shoe Company (1935)

65 Beverly Street: Mario Sportswear (1946)

65 Beverly Street: Kalis Clothing Manufacturing (1946)

Bibliography for this page

Miller & Hollis

"Come inside and see how fine chocolates are made, Miller & Hollis Inc., 65 Beverly Street, Boston, Mass., 1940s." Ephemera. 1940–1949. Digital Commonwealth, http://gusn.us/249515 (accessed December 08, 2022). 

"Classified Ad 2 -- no Title." 1947.Daily Boston Globe (1928-1960), Nov 19, 34. https://holycross.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=cas&url=https://www-proquest-com.holycross.idm.oclc.org/historical-newspapers/classified-ad-2-no-title/docview/820256339/se-2. 

Bowker, Torrey & Co.

"Billhead for Bowker, Torrey & Co., marble workers, corner Portland and Chardon Streets, Boston, Mass., dated September 18, 1868." Ephemera. 1868. Digital Commonwealth, http://gusn.us/242612  (accessed December 08, 2022).

"MARBLE MEN VICTORIOUS.: BOWKER, TORREY & CO. YIELD TO THEIR EMPLOYES. WORKERS IN ALL THE BRANCHES TO GET INCREASED WAGES. FIFTY-NINE HOURS SHALL CONSTITUTE A WEEK'S LABOR. WHERE WILL IT END! PROBABLE EXTENSION OF THE STRIKE IN THE MOUNT PLEASANT & HICKMAN. HOWARD AT SPENCER. THE SENATOR-KNIGHT MAKES A STIRRING SPEECH--IS POWDERLY COMING!" 1887.Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922), Mar 06, 2. https://holycross.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=cas&url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/marble-men-victorious/docview/493388086/se-2. 

Cavanaugh Bros.

"Display Ad 25 -- no Title." 1894.Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922), Jan 02, 10. https://holycross.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=cas&url=https://www-proquest-com.holycross.idm.oclc.org/historical-newspapers/display-ad-25-no-title/docview/497536111/se-2.

A.H. Davenport Co.

"Journal -- 1927." Manuscript. 1927. Digital Commonwealth, http://gusn.us/302022  (accessed December 08, 2022). 

"Display Ad 41 -- no Title." 1929.Daily Boston Globe (1928-1960), May 27, 26. https://holycross.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=cas&url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/display-ad-41-no-title/docview/757436947/se-2. 

Boston Rubber Shoe Co.

Boston Rubber Shoe Co., and G.H. Buek & Co. "Trade card for the Boston Rubber Shoe Co., Boston, Mass., 1893." Card. 1893. Digital Commonwealth, http://gusn.us/244928  (accessed December 08, 2022).

Boston Rubber Shoe Co., and G.H. Buek & Co. "Trade card for the Boston Rubber Shoe Co., Boston, Mass., 1898." Object. 1893. Digital Commonwealth, http://gusn.us/324295  (accessed December 08, 2022).

"JAMES W. CONVERSE DEAD.: WAS PRESIDENT OF A GREAT RUBBER COMPANY AND WIDELY KNOWN AS BUSINESS MAN AND PHILANTHROPIST." 1894.Boston Daily Globe (1872-1922), Aug 27, 2. https://holycross.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=cas&url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/james-w-converse-dead/docview/497885264/se-2.

"Advertisement 13 -- no Title." 1891.The Youth's Companion (1827-1929), Dec 10, 647. https://holycross.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=cas&url=https://www.proquest.com/magazines/advertisement-13-no-title/docview/127066730/se-2. 

List of other businesses and manufacturing companies:

Harry McManus Company: 

"COURT HOLDS LYMAN ON BOY'S TESTIMONY." 1935.Daily Boston Globe (1928-1960), Jun 07, 14. https://holycross.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=cas&url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/court-holds-lyman-on-boys-testimony/docview/762933637/se-2.

Melrose Curtain Company:

"COURT HOLDS LYMAN ON BOY'S TESTIMONY." 1935.Daily Boston Globe (1928-1960), Jun 07, 14. https://holycross.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=cas&url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/court-holds-lyman-on-boys-testimony/docview/762933637/se-2.

Flexible Shoe Company:

"COURT HOLDS LYMAN ON BOY'S TESTIMONY." 1935.Daily Boston Globe (1928-1960), Jun 07, 14. https://holycross.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=cas&url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/court-holds-lyman-on-boys-testimony/docview/762933637/se-2.

Windsor Luggage Corp.:

"Classified Ad 3 -- no Title." 1945.Daily Boston Globe (1928-1960), Dec 05, 23. https://holycross.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=cas&url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/classified-ad-3-no-title/docview/819566361/se-2.

Duchess Drapery Corp.:

"Classified Ad 3 -- no Title." 1946.Daily Boston Globe (1928-1960), Apr 03, 22. https://holycross.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=cas&url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/classified-ad-3-no-title/docview/839915809/se-2.

Crown Products Co.:

"Classified Ad 4 -- no Title." 1945.Daily Boston Globe (1928-1960), Dec 09, 1. https://holycross.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=cas&url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/classified-ad-4-no-title/docview/819567429/se-2.

Mario Sportswear:

"Classified Ad 6 -- no Title." 1946.Daily Boston Globe (1928-1960), Jan 20, 1. https://holycross.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=cas&url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/classified-ad-6-no-title/docview/819606763/se-2.

Kalis Clothing Manufacturing:

"Classified Ad 16 -- no Title." 1946.Daily Boston Globe (1928-1960), Jul 07, 1. https://holycross.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=cas&url=https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/classified-ad-16-no-title/docview/839370416/se-2.