Anthony M. Sammarco

Milton Cemetery's evolving landscape and storied headstones vividly reveal centuries of Milton's diverse historic legacy.Laid out in 1672 as the Field of Reedman, Milton Cemetery evolved over the next three-and-a-half centuries as the only place of burial in Milton, Massachusetts. From the burying ground of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, it was redesigned as a rural, or arboretum cemetery, in the mid to late nineteenth century by renowned landscape architects. Copeland and Cleveland, Whitman & Breck, and Ernest W. Bowditch, all known nationally, would impart their ideas of landscape design to create a bucolic cemetery with hills, dells, and valleys.Anthony Sammarco is a former trustee of the Milton Cemetery and has also written a walking tour of the cemetery. He often leads tours that not only touch upon the funereal iconography of the headstones but also the stories of the "permanent residents," those that represent a cross section of Miltonians of all walks of life. From the founders of Kidder, Peabody Company, and Fidelity Investments to the owners of S.S. Pierce & Company, Durgin Park, Bacardi Rum, and Blanchard's Wines and Spirits, to artists, authors and philanthropists, this book is a fascinating glimpse into the history of Milton and the Milton Cemetery.

The Church of the Holy Spirit was founded by Annie Lawrence Rotch as a memorial to her father, Benjamin Smith Rotch. She said in her booklet, Early Days of the Church of the Holy Spirit: "It must have been the faith and courage of youth which led me to embark on so bold a venture." The church was designed by the noted architect Arthur Rotch of Rotch and Tilden with the church silver, furniture, and organ given as memorial gifts from the Rotch Family. It was a splendid church set in the countryside when it was consecrated on Whitsunday 1886. Over the years, the church has had a prominent congregation that reflected the areas of Mattapan and Milton. From pageants and musicals to stage productions, the church offered a myriad of activities. Following World War II, as the demographics began to change in Mattapan, many people from the Caribbean and the West Indies worshipped at Holy Spirit. By the 1980s there was a thriving nexus of cultures that reflected not just the neighborhood but how old and new parishioners helped to create the thriving church that it is today. The church started a new phase of its history, embracing parishioners with multicultural events and dinners featuring many dishes prepared by the new members and enjoyed by all in the Parish Hall. Today, the church of the Holy Spirit is not just a place of worship, but also a place of contemplation, a place of prayer and solitude, and 140 years after its consecration, a place for all of us to share in the rich and ever-evolving history of the church established in memory of a much-loved father.

Jordan Marsh opened its first store in 1851 on Milk Street in Boston selling assorted dry goods. Following the Civil War, the store moved to Winthrop Square and later to Washington Street between Summer and Avon Streets. The new five-story building, designed by Winslow & Wetherell, unveiled the novel concept of department shopping under one roof. It attracted shoppers by offering personal service with the adage that the customer is always right, easy credit, art exhibitions and musical performances. By the 1970s, it had become a regional New England icon and the largest department store chain in the nation. Author and historian Anthony Sammarco reveals the fascinating history of Boston's beloved Jordan Marsh.

Since its beginnings in 1882, the Osterville Village Library has long fulfilled its founding promise to be "a free library and reading room at Osterville in the Town of Barnstable in this Commonwealth" and to support "the promotion of study and reading." William Lloyd Garrison Jr. and a group of civic-minded residents led the effort to establish this fourth library on Cape Cod. It has seen tremendous growth since then, with the opening of a new library designed by Stanley Alger of Alger & Gunn in 1958, followed by a new state-of-the-art library designed by Charles Bellingrath and completed by Jeremiah Ford of Ford3 Architects in 2012. The Osterville Village Library is justifiably the pride of Osterville, from its professional and welcoming staff and generous supporters to its cupola that boasts a copper weather vane of the Wianno Senior.

S.S. Pierce: A Boston Tradition chronicles the history of Samuel Pierce's iconic gourmet food and wine emporium. When Samuel Stillman Pierce opened his store in 1831, he vowed, "I may not make money for the next five years, but I shall make a reputation." Pierce went on to become well known as the purveyor of groceries, fancy goods, wines, and spirits to Bostonians in the nineteenth century, as well as providing provisions to the ships that sailed from Boston Harbor. Bartering with ship captains, he often exchanged his provisions for the delicacies that were brought to Boston from faraway ports. His renowned store catered to the carriage trade, and the company would be headed by four generations of the Pierce family. With its own coat of arms adorning a distinctive red label on canned goods, bearing the motto Puritas et Cura, and the largest line of privately packed fancy foods in the world, S.S. Pierce & Company sold its wide assortment of delicacies at a chain of stores as well as through distributors across the United States and worldwide by mail order. S.S. Pierce & Company was sold in 1967 to Laird Corporation, and in 1972 to Seneca Foods. Since 1986, it has been a part of Kraft Foods Group and M.S. Walker. In his book S.S. Pierce: A Boston Tradition, Anthony M. Sammarco recounts memories of the past and the shared tradition of how Bostonians reveled in the gourmet foods, fine wines, and Madeira of a once stalwart business.

The Christmas Tree Shops, founded in 1970, became a beloved New England icon for unique bargains.The Christmas Tree Shops was an icon of New England, with stores that offered a diverse assortment of merchandise from seasonal decorations, home decor, housewares, food and giftware, and just about everything else. Founded in 1970 by Chuck and Doreen Bilezikian, they opened their first shop on Route 6A at Willow Street in Yarmouth Port in a former grocery store. Over the next three decades, twenty-three stores were opened that not only had distinctive architecture but also became a destination for the public and offered items you never thought you needed before stepping through the door.Despite the seasonal name, the Bilezikians sold unique, one-of-a-kind quality merchandise at bargain prices from closeouts and overruns, as well as small batches of baskets made in Eastern Europe, glass Christmas ornaments from Poland, and a plethora of intriguing merchandise. One customer described the stores as "like walking into a closet full of surprise treasures" and combined with great prices, they would coin their familiar catch phrase "Don't You Just Love a Bargain?" Employees radiated a warm, positive attitude and were valued for their part in making the Christmas Tree Shops not just a special place to shop but a great success.As Chuck and Doreen Bilezikian once said, "Together we grew a successful company and created many memories." Indeed, there are many who fondly recall the thrill of finding a bargain at these iconic stores.

Community Boating, Inc. (CBI), now in its seventh decade as a public community sailing program in Boston, has taught several generations of the city's youth how to sail on the Charles River Basin. At the start of the program, it was Joseph Lee Jr., a lifelong proponent of outdoor recreation and public service, who espoused the idea that all children, rich and poor, should know how to handle a sailboat not just for their own enjoyment but also for the attainment of useful life skills, like learning to cooperate with others on and off the water and taking responsibility for their work. This book offers a glimpse at how Community Boating, Inc., is achieving its mission of "Sailing for All."

Author and historian Anthony Sammarco reveals the fascinating history of Boston's beloved Jordan Marsh. Jordan Marsh opened its first store in 1851 on Milk Street in Boston selling assorted dry goods. Following the Civil War, the store moved to Winthrop Square and later to Washington Street between Summer and Avon Streets. The new five-story building, designed by Winslow & Wetherell, unveiled the novel concept of department shopping under one roof. It attracted shoppers by offering personal service with the adage that the customer is always right, easy credit, art exhibitions and musical performances. By the 1970s, it had become a regional New England icon and the largest department store chain in the nation.

Since its beginnings in 1882, the Osterville Village Library has long fulfilled its founding promise to be "a free library and reading room at Osterville in the Town of Barnstable in this Commonwealth" and to support "the promotion of study and reading." William Lloyd Garrison Jr. and a group of civic-minded residents led the effort to establish this fourth library on Cape Cod. It has seen tremendous growth since then, with the opening of a new library designed by Stanley Alger of Alger & Gunn in 1958, followed by a new state-of-the-art library designed by Charles Bellingrath and completed by Jeremiah Ford of Ford3 Architects in 2012. The Osterville Village Library is justifiably the pride of Osterville, from its professional and welcoming staff and generous supporters to its cupola that boasts a copper weather vane of the Wianno Senior.

In 1765, Dr. James Baker of Dorchester stumbled upon Irishman John Hannon crying on the banks of the mighty Neponset River. Hannon, though penniless, possessed the rare skills required to create chocolate, a delicacy exclusive to Europe, and Baker, with pockets bursting, wished to make a name for himself. Using a mill powered by the same river upon which they met, the duo built America's oldest and most beloved manufacturer of this rich treat. Local historian Anthony Sammarco details the delicious saga of Massachusetts's Baker Chocolate Company, from Hannon's mysterious disappearance and the famed La Belle Chocolatiere advertising campaign to cacao bean smuggling sparked by Revolutionary War blockades. Both bitter and sweet, this tale is sure to tickle your taste buds.

In 1765, Dr. James Baker of Dorchester stumbled upon Irishman John Hannon crying on the banks of the mighty Neponset River. Hannon, though penniless, possessed the rare skills required to create chocolate, a delicacy exclusive to Europe, and Baker, with pockets bursting, wished to make a name for himself. Using a mill powered by the same river upon which they met, the duo built America's oldest and most beloved manufacturer of this rich treat. Local historian Anthony Sammarco details the delicious saga of Massachusetts's Baker Chocolate Company, from Hannon's mysterious disappearance and the famed La Belle Chocolatiere advertising campaign to cacao bean smuggling sparked by Revolutionary War blockades. Both bitter and sweet, this tale is sure to tickle your taste buds.