Along Blue Hill Avenue, Roxbury, Dorchester And Mattapan

Join us as Anthony Sammarco talks about his latest book which explores the evolution of Mattapan with the popular shops, theaters, and places of worship that made this neighborhood a thriving nexus of cultures.

By the turn of the 20th century, Mattapan began to see the development of new streets laid out off Blue Hill Avenue and Norfolk Street. Though predominantly Yankee in the late 19th century, within a decade or two the area began to attract new residents of different ethnic and religious backgrounds. 

Anthony M. Sammarco is a noted historian and author of over seventy books on the history and development of Boston, and he lectures widely on the history of his native city. His books Lost Boston, The History of Howard Johnson’s: How A Massachusetts Soda Fountain Became a Roadside Icon, Jordan Marsh: New England’s Largest Store, The Baker Chocolate Company: A Sweet History, and Christmas Traditions in Boston have been bestsellers.