The Boston & Maine and Malden: The Railroad's Impact on the Development of Malden's West End Neighborhood, 1845-1900

Abstract

This thesis explores the impact of the Boston & Maine Railroad on the development of the West End neighborhood in Malden, Massachusetts. Specifically, I will examine the time-period between the opening of the Boston & Maine Railroad station in Malden in 1845 and the transformation of the West End into a railroad suburb during the final two decades of the nineteenth century. Additionally, I consider the relationship between suburban residential development and the park and nature conservation movements.

Supported by a wealth of primary sources, including local newspapers, town annual reports, and city directories, I argue that the opening of the Boston & Maine Railroad changed the trajectory of the West End neighborhood’s development. The railroad, in collaboration with other forms of urban transportation, spurred a wave of suburban development for individuals desiring to live closer to nature, but with the availability of the railroad that provided commuters with access to the city for work. This discussion of the West End neighborhood through the context of nineteenth-century suburban development and the transportation revolution demonstrates the importance of preserving our historic districts and promoting local history as a source of community pride.