53 Greenough Street

One of a handful of pre-1900 buildings in Blake Park, this house, originally part of the Blake stables on what is now Lowell Road, was built around 1870. It was moved to its present location, reportedly by oxen, in late 1921 or early 1922. (The permit for the move was issued on November 19, 1921.)

Patrick W. Burke, who was the Blake family's gardener, lived here from the time it was moved until 1934 or 1935. He had worked as a gardener for the family since 1910, shown in the Street List at the main Blake Estate address of 450 Washington Street for most of that time. In 1930, when he was 45 years old, Burke was paying $40 per month in rent to live in the house, according to the U.S. Census. Burke was born in New York. His parents had come to the U.S. from Ireland.

The next residents (with a three-year gap) were William and Doris Nelson. William was a newspaper advertising salesman who worked for the Globe, the Boston Post, and the Herald-Traveler at various times. (I'm not sure who he was with when he lived on Greenough.) The Nelsons were listed at this address in the Brookline Street List from 1938 to 1940, after which they moved across the street to 50 Greenough.

55 Greenough had remained under the ownership of Frances Blake up until this time, but was sold, along with the Blake house and the remaining Blake property, after her death in 1939.

Following the Nelsons were Leslie and Mary Whalen, who moved to the house from Aspinwall Avenue. They were in the Street List from 1941 through 1947. Leslie was proprietor of a moving company.