42 Welland Road

42Welland.jpg

Title

42 Welland Road

Description

Year Built:
Permit Date:
1930
6/25/1930
Architect: Royal Barry Wills
Builder: Maurice Dunlavy
Cost to Build: $12,500
Owner 
(On Permit Date):
Maurice Dunlavy
First Residents: Catherine Parks

This house just around the corner from Stanton Road completed the continuous string of Royal Barry Wills/Maurice Dunlavy houses that ran down both sides of Lowell Road, up the west side of Stanton, and around the corner onto Welland.

It was the home initially to Catherine Parks, a widow, and her sons John, George, and William. Catherine Parks was born in Ireland c1880 and came to the U.S. in 1909. Her husband, who had been a servant with a private family, died sometime between 1920 and 1930.

Catherine Parks' oldest son John (born c1907) was listed here with his mother and brothers from 1931 to 1936, after which he and his new wife moved to another Blake Park house at 43 Blake Road. John's occupation was listed as salesman during the time he lived here. George Parks (born c1909) was also listed as a salesman, while the youngest brother, William (born c1913), was shown as a student.

George and William Parks continued to be listed at this address with their mother through 1937. Catherine continued to be listed at this house until 1940. The Street List is a little confusing for the years after Catherine Parks' sons left; she may have taken in boarders. Listed with her in 1938 was Delia Graham. Graham was listed with Parks again in 1939, together with Aaron Landauer, 27, a salesman, and Ralph A. Schroeder, 50, an engineer. Parks was listed alone in 1939. She was gone from the list in 1940, but Graham was back, along with Hazen King, a pharmacist, and his wife Helen, previously in Boston. All were gone in 1941, when Melvin Pierson, a supervisor, and his wife Janice, previously in Springfield, were listed for just one year.

Beginning with the 1942 Street List, 42 Welland Road was home for more than 35 years to the Frankel family. Sadie Frankel, a widow, was first listed with her son Irving and daughter Adele. Sadie was listed through 1945. Adele Frankel (1903-1985) was listed in 1943 and 1944, but in 1945 and 1946 Lorraine Frankel was listed instead. It is not clear if this was Irving's wife or was actually Lorraine.

Irving Frankel (1897-1985) was a bass player with the Boston Symphony Orchestra from 1919 to 1967. His first teacher was his father, who was also a musician, according to Irving's obituary in the Boston Globe. He later studied at the New England Conservatory of Music under Max Kunze, who was then the principal bassist at the BSO.

Sadie, Irving, and Adele Frankel, as well as Sadie's husband and their other children, were all born in Galicia, then part of Austria. Sadie arrived in the U.S. with the children in 1912, five years after her husband came to this country. (The Globe says they all came together, but Census records indicate otherwise; the Globe also gives Sadie's husband's name as Karl, while the Census listed him as Hyman.)

42 Welland remained in the Frankel family until the late 1970s.

Date

1930