This report will cover some of the details concerning the subdivision of a large tract of land in the Roxbury section of Boston, Massachusetts in 1888.¹

Briefly, although land surveyors had mapped out a subdivision plan in 1884, it was not until 1888 that the builders broke ground for the construction of a number of dwelling units.

At a meeting on December 5, 1888 of the Holy Trinity Catholic School & Society it voted to approve the purchase of the land and buildings which Joseph Tondorf, Jr. had acquired earlier.^2,3 The Society, in turn, sold a number of small lots to members of the parish for the construction of their homes. Those lots had occupied an area which was not necessary for the Society's purposes - a parish school, as a result of a shift of the parish's population to this part of Boston; an orphanage; a retirement home for elderly women; and several buildings for the religious orders (a convent and a rectory).

Our purpose is to show how a small German community in Boston Highlands was created and how their social institutions played an important factor in the growth of that area.

Of interest to our family's history is that Henry Wessling and his siblings purchased lots in this project which were contiguous.⁴ The lot numbering system follows that shown in in 1884 plan, but the lots were subsequently split into 2 sections as indicated by the use of letters.

Lot 22 "A" - Bernard Wessling and his mother. Also, his sisters; Lena, before and after her marriage; as well as Anna Musler and her daughter lived there.
Lot 22 "B" - Hermann Wessling and his family.
Lot 23 "C" - Franz H. Kamp and his family.⁵
Lot 23 "D" - Franz H. Kamp and his family.
Lot 26 "E" - Henry Wessling and his family.^6,7

Lots 22 and 23 were on Fulda Street while Lot 26 was on Thornton Street.

Inasmuch as the 3 Wessling brothers and Franz Kamp had been employed as brushmakers, how were they able to afford to buy the land and have their houses built? My working theory is that Maria Adelheid Wessling helped by using the substantial gain from the sale of the family's small farm in Lingen Stadtflur to provide for the down payments.

A lot (Lot 26 "F") to one side of Henry Wessling's was owned by Joseph Dierkes and his family.⁸ (In 1890 a 3 family dwelling was constructed at 73 Thornton Street for Henry Wessling according to a building inspection report. Perhaps it had been built on this lot, which would signify that he and Victoria had purchased 2 lots - one for their own home and the other for rental income.)

1. This land was formerly the Ellis Estate.

2. See

3. See 1858.162. Frs. Francis X. Nopper, S.J. and John P.M. Schleuter, S.J. were president and secretary, respectively of the Holy Trinity Catholic School & Society.

4. See Exhibit I for the plan of lots for this section of the subdivision.

5. He was the husband of Anna Theresia Wessling.

6. See Exhibit II for excerpts from the final building inspection report describing his house.

7. See Ehibit III for a diagram of the floor plan for this house.

8. He was the husband of Maria Fix, Victoria Wessling's sister.