Other descriptive data:
Oral history interview with Chris and Claire Hayes. The married couple both describe their parents’ and grandparents’ immigration from Ireland to the South End in the early 20th century and their participation in local settlement houses for social activities. They mention common jobs Irish immigrants took in the US, including managing boarding houses, hotel and domestic work, mining, and railroad construction. They relate their appreciation for the South End’s diverse community and neighborhood cohesion. The couple discuss the neighborhood’s perceived downturn in the 1950s and 1960s due to an increase in bars, absentee landlordism, and building demolition. They highlight that at the time of the interview, the neighborhood seemed to be experiencing a reinvigoration due to community tree planting, a neighborhood watch, festivals, and a decrease in liquor licenses. Topics also mentioned include the Irish Civil War, Cork, Galway, The Charles River, South Cove, Bay Village, Kerry Village, Brookline, Canton, Malden, Franklin Park, City Point, West Roxbury, Roslindale, Northampton, Dover, Arlington Street, The New York Streets Area, Harrison Avenue, Dover Street, Tremont Street, Copley Square, Castle Square, Washington Street, Shawmut Avenue, North Avenue, Blackstone Park, Back Bay Station, North Station, South Station, the Prudential Tower, Boston City Hall, the Boston Herald Traveller Building, First National Bank, A&P Market, Star Market, Premier Restaurant, the English High School, the Charles E. Mackey School, the Great Depression, the Boston Elevated Railway, Mayor John F. Collins, the Scotch Presbyterian Church, Our Lady of Pompeii Church, the Ellis Memorial & Eldredge Settlement House, the Harriet Tubman House, United South End Settlements, and the League of Women for Community Service.