Lucius Beebe Memorial Library, Wakefield, Mass.

Title

Highway Department garage, North Avenue, 1930

Description

"The Highway Department was one of several public works-related departments that operated independently of one another. In 1812, there were three Surveyors of Highways and by the end of the 1800s, the Town was separated into sections, with one person responsible for repairs and maintenance of the streets in each section. By the early 1900s, the work was overseen by the Superintendent of Streets. A metal building, manufactured and erected in 1928 by the Wakefield Garage Manufacturing Company, was located at the rear of the highway lot on North Avenue and used for storage purposes. In 1930, the wagon shed at the yard was converted into a six-stall garage, and the lantern room at the end of the wagon shed was made into an office. The second floor of the barn was altered with an office built in the front part of the building and a stock and tool room in the back. On June 12, 1950 a special election was held to elect the first Board of Public Works, a board created by an Act of the Massachusetts Legislature which stated that a 'Board of Public Works was to officially take over the operations, duties and obligations of the Moth and Tree, Park and Cemetery, Water and Sewer, and Highway Departments, as well as all Town buildings under the supervision of the Selectmen, the care of the dumps, and the collection of garbage' by September 1, 1950. An Engineering Department was also created. The members of the first Board of Public Works, R. Francis Shea, R. Lee Lillie, and Richard J. Volpe met each week to familiarize themselves with the duties of each division and to hire a Director, Joseph H. DeFeo of Winthrop." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.

Image from the Wakefield Municipal Gas and Light Department annual calendar, 2005

Contributor

Institution: Lucius Beebe Memorial Library

Wakefield Municipal Gas & Light Department (Wakefield, Mass.)

D'Onofrio, Jayne M.

Coverage

Massachusetts--Middlesex (county)--Wakefield

Date

1930

Format

image/jpeg

Publisher

[Wakefield, Mass.] : Wakefield Municipal Gas & Light Department

Subject

Garages

Highway departments

Type

still image

Photographs

Original Format

1 picture : b&w

Extent

14 x 31 cm.