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    Brookline, MA: Then and Now

     

    Then and Now: Beals Street

    A black and white photo of Beals Street circa 1910s.  There are two large building to either side of the road, which runs through the middle of the photo.  Trees line the street. A black and white photo of Beals Street circa 1910s.  There are two large building to either side of the road, which runs through the middle of the photo.  Trees line the street.

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    Beals Street, Brookline, MA.  Circa 1910s
    Credit: Stanley Album, Brookline Public Library

    Right image
    A modern photo of Beals Street, Brookline, MA.
    Credit: NPS

    Newlyweds Joseph and Rose Kennedy moved to 83 Beals Street, Brookline, MA in 1914. Shopping opportunites, public transportation, schools, and places of worship were all within walking distance.  The couple lived on Beals Street for six years and had their first four children: Joe Jr., John, Rosemary, and Kathleen. In 1920, the family moved just three blocks away to 51 Abbottsford Road.  

     

    Then and Now: Coolidge Corner

    A view of Coolidge Corner at the intersection of Harvard and Beacon Streets.  The SS Pierce Building with clock tower is on the left.  A streetcar system runs alongside the SS Pierce to the left.  People are boarding the streetcar. A view of Coolidge Corner at the intersection of Harvard and Beacon Streets.  The SS Pierce Building with clock tower is on the left.  A streetcar system runs alongside the SS Pierce to the left.  People are boarding the streetcar.

    Left image
    Coolidge Corner circa 1915
    Credit: Archives of Brookline Historical Society, Brookline MA.

    Right image
    Coolidge Corner today
    Credit: NPS

    Coolidge Corner provided the Kennedy family with shopping opportunies and public transportation.  

     

    Then and Now: 83 Beals

    A black and white image of a toddler standing in a white playpen.  The play pen is near a stone foundation with windows. A black and white image of a toddler standing in a white playpen.  The play pen is near a stone foundation with windows.

    Left image
    Rosemary Kennedy stands in a playpen outside of her birthplace at 83 Beals Street, Brookline, MA. Circa 1920.
    Credit: John F. Kennedy Library Foundation. Kennedy Family Collection. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston, MA

    Right image
    Outside view of house foundation at 83 Beals Street, Brookline, MA.
    Credit: NPS

    Newlyweds Joseph and Rose Kennedy moved to 83 Beals Street, Brookline, MA in 1914. They lived in the home until 1920 and had four of their nine children: Joe Jr. (1915), John (1917), Rosemary (1918), and Kathleen (1920). The latter three children were born in the house.   

     

    Brookline, MA: Then and Now

    A black and white photo.  A large car sits in the forefront of the photo.  In the back left corner is a set of steps.  On the steps are a man in dark clothing with three small children. A black and white photo.  A large car sits in the forefront of the photo.  In the back left corner is a set of steps.  On the steps are a man in dark clothing with three small children.

    Left image
    Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr., stands with his daughters near the steps of the Kennedy family home at 51 Abbottsford Road Brookline, Massachusetts. Left to right (in background): Mr. Kennedy; Rosemary Kennedy; Kathleen Kennedy; Eunice Kennedy. Circa 1924-25.
    Credit: Kennedy Family Collection. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston, MA.

    Right image
    A modern view of the street outside of 51 Abbottsford Road, Brookline, MA.
    Credit: NPS

    In 1920, the Kennedy family moved from 83 Beals Street to 51 Abbottsford Road, just three blocks away. Eunice, Patricia, and Robert Kennedy were born in the Abbottsford Road home in 1921, 1924, and 1925, respectively. The Kennedy family left Brookline for Riverdale, NY in 1927. While the Beals Street home is managed by the National Park Service, the home at Abbottsford Road is privately owned and is not open to the public.

     
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    Cultural Landscape

    Learn more about the unique places John F. Kennedy called home during his boyhood in the Cultural Landscape Report. Completed in 2013, this report details the history of the greater Brookline area landscapes with a special focus on 83 Beal Street, the president's birthplace. Brookline's function as a streetcar suburb is described in detail, as well as new research on the home's transition from private residence to National Historic Site. Highlights of the report include detailed neighborhood maps showing changes in street design and structures over time as well many never before seen photographs of 83 Beals Street from 1914 to the present day. Contact the site for a copy of this report.

    Last updated: April 11, 2022

    Contact Info

    Mailing Address:

    83 Beals Street
    Brookline, MA 02446

    Phone:

    617 566-7937

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