Roslindale, Boston, Massachusetts
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Roslindale is a neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, bordered by Jamaica Plain, Hyde Park, West Roxbury, Mattapan and Dorchester. It is served by a stop on the MBTA Needham Heights commuter rail line, as well as many bus lines which pass through Roslindale Square, where Washington Street meets Cummins Highway and Corinth Street.
Six miles south-southwest of downtown Boston, Roslindale was originally part of the town of Roxbury. In 1851, current day Jamaica Plain, Roslindale and West Roxbury seceded from Roxbury to become the Town of West Roxbury. The area voted in 1873 to be annexed to the City of Boston.
In the 1880s, the area was called South Street Crossing, due to the railroad's intersection with South Street. However, when the community applied for a post office district of its own, the name "South Street Crossing" proved to be nacceptable to the government. The name "Roslindale" was suggested by John Pierce, a well-traveled member of the community, who told the assembled citizens that the area reminded him of the beautiful historic town of Roslin, Scotland, outside Edinburgh. Pierce thought the area was like a dale because of the hills surrounding it. Thus the combination of "Roslin" and "dale" was submitted to the United States Postal Service and the name "Roslindale" was formally established.
Roslindale grew residentially as a classic streetcar suburb. The railway, which currently serves as the Needham Line of the MBTA Commuter Rail, was built after the American Civil War, and spawned a new round of commercial development. Roslindale saw steady growth in its residential population, beginning in the 1880s, with the introduction of the horse-drawn street railway service between Forest Hills and Dedham.
On March 14, 1887, a Boston & Providence Railroad train, inbound to Boston, was passing over a bridge at Bussey Street, in the current Arnold Arboretum, when the bridge collapsed, killing twenty-three and injuring several hundred. This is considered one of the first major rail catastrophes in the country, and contributed to the widespread inspection of train bridges across the U.S.
In the 1920s, Roslindale Village assumed the configuration it has today, with Adams Park at its center and access to rail and bus lines. The Roslindale business district (still called Roslindale Square or "Rozzy Square" more recently labelled "Roslindale Village") has been struggling for 20+ years to reinvigorate itself as a federal Main Streets district. It has met with limited. Adams Park is home to occasional gatherings and events. North of the square, closely packed triple deckers provide an urban tone. To the west of the square, Victorian houses border the Arnold Arboretum. South of the square, homes on Grew Hill and Metropolitan Hill have an almost suburban character. Roslindale is a diverse neighborhood?the ethnic breakup as of 2000 was 56% Non-Hispanic White, 16% Black or African-American, 20% Hispanic or Latino and 3% Asian or Pacific Islander.
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