Jamaica Plain's Rich Men [1888]

JAMAICA PLAIN’S RICH MEN

How Their Great Wealth Was Accumulated.

Amount of Real and Personal Tax Paid to the City.

Some of Their Social and Financial Characteristics.

Jamaica Plain has some rich men, in fact very rich, but they are nearly all comparatively new residents, who have never been identified with its progress as a town, but whom, after the annexation, where induced to settle there by unrivalled opportunities which are offered by its hills and ponds for romantic and picturesque residences, which these men who have acquired a generous share of the world’s goods always desire.

B.F. Sturtevant is one of the richest men in the ward, and his present social and financial position he attained through long and preservering work in the invention and perfection of the numerous classes of mill machinery he now manufactures.

Near the Jamaica Plain Station is located his large manufactory where the Sturtevant blowers and exhausters, cold blast engines, etc., are manufactured.

He employs about 400 men in the different departments, from the draughtsman to the employee who puts on the finishing, all of which is constantly under the personal direction of Mr. Sturtevant. He pays a real estate tax on $137,700 worth of real property and a tax on $267,400 worth of personal property. Mr. Sturtevant is now well along in years, and occupies a commodious and picturesque estate on Revere street. He is a strong advocate of prohibition and a magnanimous contributor to charitable purposes.

Nearby, on the same street, is the residence of John R. Alley, another of Jamaica Plain’s representative rich men whose industry and business abilities have acquired for them both fortune and position. Mr. Alley has been for some years in the brewing business within the precincts of the city of Boston. He was associated with Reuter in the business now carried on by himself. His brewery is located at Heath street, Roxbury. He is extremely well settled at present, and pays a tax into the city treasury on $172,500 of real and $68,200 of personal estate.

Patrick Meehan is one of the largest real estate owners in the ward, all of which wealth he acquired in his original occupation and later largely increasing it by judicious speculation, which at present occupies all his time. Patrick Meehan was originally known in this locality as a contractor, and besides doing work for private parties also has fulfilled numerous contracts for building streets, etc., for the city of Boston. He owns the Hotel Meehan on Green street, recently erected a large four-story brick family hotel on Washington Street, and also is possessed of several other business blocks and tenement dwelling houses. He pays a tax on $95,400 worth of real estate and $7000 worth of personal property. He holds a large interest in the Boylston brewery, located in ward 23, the firm being Haffenreffer & Co. Patrick Meehan has for some time been a prominent man in Democratic ward politics. He has held positions on the Democratic ward and city committee, and is a frequent chairman at caucuses. He is a man not inclined to outside show and ostentatiousness, and occupies a residence on Washington street.

J. Ingersoll Bowditch occupies a picturesque residence on Pond street, and pays a real estate tax on $136,000 and a personal tax on $23,500 into Boston’s treasury. He is largely interested in charitable institutions and objects.

E.N. Perkins is a wealthy resident of Jamaica Plain and occupies by far the most attractive residence on Jamaica Pond. A small inlet of the pond and a large grove of tall pine trees adds to the beauty of his estate, which is termed Pinebank.

Quincy A. Shaw, taxed for $10,100 worth of real estate and $165,000 of personal property, occupies a residence on Perkins street and owns considerable land on the vicinity.

Jacob Seaver of Morton street is the large real estate proprietor of the Forest Hills portion of the ward, and his residence on Morton street and property in the vicinity is assessed at a valuation of $83,000.

A.J. Brown of Seaverns avenue is also well settled financially, having a large fruit business in Boston. He has been for many years identified with West Roxbury, having served on its Board of Selectmen for several years before its annexation.

W.H. Goodwin, the president of Eliot National bank, is recorded on the city’s valuation books as possessed of $52,300 worth of real and $195,009 personal estate. He occupies a residence on Centre street, near May.

Thomas Motley residence in a picturesquely antique house on South street, Forest Hills, and is a director of the Boston & Providence railroad.

Francis V. Balch is a lawyer, residing on Prince street, whose wealth consists of $103,400 real and $237,400 personal property.

J.L. Batchelder, the Boston coal and wood dealer’s wealth is assessed at $63,000 real estate and $23,700 of personal property, and lives on Pond street.

Jason S. Bailey is the representative moneyed man in the upper part of the ward, residing in a handsome residence in Roslindale. He is assessed for $476,100 of real and $25,000 of personal property. He was the founder of Bailey’s five cent store in Boston.

Thomas P. Proctor is a lawyer, but owns several large business blocks in the centre of Jamaica Plain, on which he is assessed for $93,800 and $1100 of personal estate. He has by constant exertion and judicious speculation acquired the proprietorship of several of the best business blocks and family hotels to be found in the world.

This article originally appeared in the Boston Globe on Monday, March 12, 1888