House numbering in Boston -- 1784

[Joel S. Berson]

For Boston, searching only newspapers published in Massachusetts,
using search terms of the form "Newbury Street", and trying some of
the longer or more prominent streets -- Cornhill, Marlboro', and
Newbury (Washington unnecessary, as it was not named so until 1788);
King (State only sampled); Queen (Court); Tremont. (Newbury Street
was by far the most productive.  Perhaps it was then as "fashionable"
for shops as it is supposed to be today!)

On July 19, 1784, we find bookseller "William Green, At
Shakeespear's-Head, No. 42, Marlboro'-Street, Boston".  (Independent Ledger)

On December 30, 1784, Robert Ruggles announced that he had "opened a
Shop in Newbury-Street, Boston, No. 58, formerly improved by Deacon
Benjamin Church".  (Centinel Journal)

On December 23, 1773, there was an ad from "Edward Church, At his
Store in Newbury-Street".  If this is the same location as Ruggles',
then one might hypothesize that numbering was adopted in Boston
between 1773 and 1784.

Yet following 1784 there are still ads for businesses on Newbury that
do not give numbers, as well ads without building numbers for other,
shorter streets.  For example, in October 1797, Joseph Burge
advertises items for sale "at his House, 4 doors north of the White
Lion, Newbury-street.  (I infer that Burge and the White Lion were
both on Newbury, since it ran north-south.)

Joel

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