The White Estate

Hopkins, G.M., 1874 (copyright © 2000 by Cartography Associates)
David Rumsey Collection


I'm always curious about street names. We take them for granted, but at one time they were important to someone, if only as a vanity affair. In this case, house lots were carved out of the White estate on the west side of South street, south of today's Bardwell street. The map above is from 23 years after the auction, and shows two sections of a White street. Poor Mr White was lost to local memory by 1885 when a map show the streets were renamed Custer and Woodman streets.

This little section of map also shows some other lost names. Keyes street - spelled Key on the map - was changed to McBride to honor a WWI casualty. Walker street was changed to Sedgwick (perhaps in honor of the unfortunate General John Sedgwick), and Starr street became Call street after John M. Call.


Auction of lots on the White estate, May 31, 1851 (added 10/22/2008). (click on the plan to see a larger, legible version).



Boston Daily Atlas June 7, 1851


Sale of Real Estate -- A Dwelling House and Twenty-nine Lots of Land, forming part of the White estate, at Jamaica Plain, adjoining the residence of Stephen M. Weld, Esq, were sold at auction by Loring, Porter & Co., yesterday afternoon.The house and 11,000 feet of land brought $3425; -- 2 lots sold at 10 cts. per foot; -- one at 8 cts; -- one at 6 1/2; -- one at 5 1/2; -- one at 4 1/2; 2 at 4 1/3; -- one at 3 3/4; -- 2 at 3 3/16; -- one at 2 3/8; -- one at 2 1/4; -- 3 at 1 7/8; -- 3 at 1 3/4; --5 at 1 1/8; -- 2 at 1 1/4 cts.