Brighton, Boston
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Brighton is a former town and current neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States,[1] located in the northwestern corner of the city. It is named after the English city of Brighton. Initially Brighton was part of Cambridge, and known as "Little Cambridge". Brighton separated from Cambridge in 1807 after a bridge dispute, and was annexed to Boston in 1874.[2] For much of its early history, it was a rural town with a significant commercial center at its eastern end.
The neighborhood of Allston was also formerly part of the town of Brighton, but is now often considered to be separate, leading to the name Allston–Brighton for the combined area. This historic center of Brighton is the Brighton Center Historic District. The Aberdeen section of Brighton was designated as a local architectural conservation district by the Boston Landmarks Commission in 2001.[3]
History
In 1630, land comprising present-day Allston–Brighton and Newton was assigned to Watertown.[4] In 1634, the Massachusetts Bay Colony transferred ownership of the south side of the Charles River, including present-day Allston–Brighton and Newton, from Watertown to Newtowne,[4] which was soon renamed Cambridge. In 1646, Reverend John Eliot established a "Praying Indian" village on the present Newton–Brighton boundary, where resided local natives converted to Christianity. The first permanent English settlement came as settlers crossed the Charles River from Cambridge, establishing Little Cambridge, the area's name before 1807.
Before the
In 1820, the horticulture industry was introduced to the town. Over the next 20 years, Brighton blossomed as one of the most important gardening neighborhoods in the Boston area. Its businessmen did not neglect the cattle industry, however. In 1834, the Boston & Worcester Railroad was built, solidifying the community's hold on the cattle trade. By 1866, the town contained 41 slaughterhouses, which later were consolidated into the Brighton Stock Yards and Brighton Abattoir.
In October 1873, the Town of Brighton in Middlesex County voted to annex itself to the City of Boston in Suffolk County, and in January 1874 Brighton officially became part of the City of Boston. Allston–Brighton's population grew rapidly in the next 50 years, rising from 6,000 in 1875 to 47,000 by 1925.[5]
Transportation
Brighton is accessible via the
.Geography
Brighton is connected to the rest of Boston by the
Brighton is administered jointly with the adjacent neighborhood of Allston (zip code 02134). The two are referred to together as "Allston–Brighton " (and by some as "Brighton–Allston"), and (also according to Census Bureau data) have a combined population of 65,276 and a land area of 4.12 square miles (10.7 km2). Brighton is generally to the west of Everett, Gordon and Kelton streets. As of 2020[update], the city councilor of Allston-Brighton is Liz Breadon.[6] Breadon's predecessor Mark Ciommo held this position from 2007 to 2019.
Demographics
As of 2020, the estimated population of Brighton is 48,330.
The population was 65.5%
65.5% of Brighton residents graduated from a four-year college.[8]
As of 2020[update], the
Race and ancestry
Race | Percentage of 02135 population |
Percentage of Massachusetts population |
Percentage of United States population |
ZIP Code-to-State Difference |
ZIP Code-to-USA Difference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
White | 72.2% | 81.3% | 76.6% | –9.1% | –4.4% |
White (Non-Hispanic) | 66.3% | 72.1% | 60.7% | –5.8% | +5.6% |
Asian | 15.8% | 6.9% | 5.8% | +8.9% | +10.0% |
Hispanic | 10.2% | 11.9% | 18.1% | –1.7% | –7.9% |
Black | 5.1% | 8.8% | 13.4% | –3.7% | –8.3% |
Native Americans/Hawaiians | 0.5% | 0.6% | 1.5% | –0.1% | –1.0% |
Two or more races | 2.6% | 2.4% | 2.7% | +0.2% | –0.1% |
According to the 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, the largest ancestry groups in ZIP Code 02135 are:[11][9]
Ancestry | Percentage of 02135 population |
Percentage of Massachusetts population |
Percentage of United States population |
ZIP Code-to-State Difference |
ZIP Code-to-USA Difference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Irish | 20.35% | 21.16% | 10.39% | –0.80% | +9.97% |
Italian | 10.96% | 13.19% | 5.39% | –2.23% | +5.57% |
Chinese | 10.70% | 2.28% | 1.24% | +8.42% | +9.46% |
English | 7.72% | 9.77% | 7.67% | –2.06% | +0.05% |
German | 5.82% | 6.00% | 14.40% | –0.19% | –8.59% |
Russian | 4.37% | 1.65% | 0.88% | +2.72% | +3.49% |
Polish | 3.96% | 4.67% | 2.93% | –0.71% | +1.03% |
Puerto Rican
|
2.85% | 4.52% | 1.66% | –1.67% | +1.19 |
American | 2.51% | 4.26% | 6.89% | –1.75% | –4.39% |
French | 2.37% | 6.82% | 2.56% | –4.45% | –0.19% |
French Canadian
|
1.98% | 3.91% | 0.65% | –1.92% | +1.33% |
Mexican | 1.79% | 0.67% | 11.96% | +1.12% | –10.17% |
Sub-Saharan African | 1.66% | 2.00% | 1.01% | –0.34% | +0.64% |
Scottish | 1.57% | 2.28% | 1.71% | –0.72% | –0.15% |
Asian Indian | 1.56% | 1.39% | 1.09% | +0.17% | +0.37% |
Swedish | 1.35% | 1.67% | 1.23% | –0.32% | +0.12% |
Greek | 1.32% | 1.22% | 0.40% | +0.10% | +0.82% |
Portuguese | 1.06% | 4.40% | 0.43% | –3.34% | +0.63% |
Education
Brighton is home to many Boston Public Schools:
- Elementary
- Edison School
- Winship School
- Baldwin Pilot School
- Mary Lyon Lower School (K–8)
- Secondary
- Boston Green Academy
- Brighton High School
- Mary Lyon Upper Pilot High School (9–12)
- Saint Joseph Preparatory High School
Brighton was home to many Catholic schools, many of which have closed: Our Lady of the Presentation in Oak Square (closed 2005), Saint Gabriel's, behind Saint Elizabeth Medical Center (closed 1970), Saint Sebastian's School in the Oak Square Heights (moved to Needham in 1977). Our Lady of Presentation School is currently under study for landmark status by the
Brighton is home to the
Notable people
- Michael Bloomberg, mayor of New York City, born in Brighton, but raised in Medford
- Mike Brady, winner of nine PGA events between 1916 and 1926
- Fred Cusick, Boston Bruins play-by-play announcer for 45 years
- NFL's New York Giants and New England Patriots
- Dave Fay, sports journalist
- Massachusetts Secretary of State
- Beth Howland, actress
- John Kelleher, was a backup infielder in Major League Baseball, playing mainly for Chicago Cubs.
- John F. Kelly, the 5th United States Secretary of Homeland Security
- Joseph P. Kennedy II, son of the late Robert F. Kennedy; former U.S. Congressman for Massachusetts's 8th district
- Patrick J. Kennedy, son of the late Ted Kennedy; former U.S. Congressman for Rhode Island's 1st district
- Shim Gum Do, a Korean swordschool
- John Krasinski, film actor, director, writer
- Dennis Lehane, author of Mystic River and many other Boston-set novels
- Mr. Lif, rapper
- Theodore B. Lyman, fourth Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina
- Joe Matson, racing driver
- NHL's Boston Bruins
- Amy Poehler, actress writer and comedian, lived on Strathmore Road while in college
- Brigadier General Edmund Rice, recipient of the Medal of Honor
- Edward E. Rice, New York stage producer.
- Fred Salvucci, former Massachusetts Secretary of Transportation
- Simon Shnapir, American Olympic medalist pair skater
- Charles Richard Stith, former U.S. Ambassador to Tanzania
- Aidan "Eggsy Malone" Thaggard, notorious bank robber and bootlegger during the 1930s
- Noah Welch, professional hockey player, 2018 US Olympic Team Member
References
- ^ "Boston's Neighborhoods: Allston/Brighton". Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA). 2010. Retrieved August 17, 2010.
- ^ "History of Brighton-Allston". Bahistory.org. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
- ^ "Aberdeen Architectural Conservation District". July 13, 2016.
- ^ a b "History of Brighton-Allston". Bahistory.org. Retrieved January 29, 2008.
- ^ "Archived Document". Archived from the original on February 20, 2012. Retrieved 2011-12-21.
- ^ "LIZ BREADON City Councilor, District 9". City of Boston. January 7, 2020. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
- ^ "2020 U.S. Census Redistricting Data Release". Boston Plans. Boston Plans. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e "Best Places". Retrieved October 18, 2022.
- ^ a b "ACS DEMOGRAPHIC AND HOUSING ESTIMATES 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved August 25, 2018.
- ^ "Massachusetts QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau". census.gov.
- ^ "PEOPLE REPORTING ANCESTRY 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved August 25, 2018.
Further reading
- Brighton Board of Trade history page
- Dr. William P. Marchione, "A Short History of Allston-Brighton"
- Dr. William P. Marchione, The Bull in the Garden (1986)
- Dr. William P. Marchione, Images of America: Allston-Brighton (1996)
- Excerpts from "Historical Allston-Brighton"
- 1871 Atlas of Massachusetts. by Wall & Gray.Map of Massachusetts. Map of Middlesex County.
- History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Compiled by Samuel Adams Drake, published 1879, Volume1 page 278 Brighton, by Rev. Frederic Whitney. Note Brighton was originally part of Middlesex County before joining Boston which is Suffolk County.
External links
- Brighton-Allston Historical Society
- "The Oak Square History Page". Archived from the original on December 14, 2013.
- Allston Brighton Community Development Corporation