For many years before the Chelsea Fire of 1908 a large
building made of granite blocks, was located on Broadway and Fourth
Street-extending back to Cherry Street. This building, commonly
called the “Granite Block,” was the property of a self made
Chelsea business man, John H. Wilkinson.
John Wilkinson was born in Berwick, Maine in 1819. Leaving
home at an early age, Mr. Wilkerson obtained work on a farm. After
seven years of farm work, John Wilkinson went to Dover, New Hampshire
and became an apprentice in the carpenter’s trade. He mastered the
trade, but was earning only thirty dollars a year plus keep.
Determined to better himself, John Wilkinson in 1843, moved to Boston
obtaining employment immediately. He worked with such success, that
two years later he began his own business. It was during this time,
1845, that he made his home in Chelsea.
During the period of 1867 to 1873 Boston began a project of
street improvement. Fort Hill section was first on the agenda. At one
time an area of many of Boston’s wealthy, it had become covered with
run down tenement buildings and became a blight on Boston. Fort Hill
was reduced in height to a level commensurate with the region
surrounding. This enabled the area to be developed further. The
540,000 cubic yards of earth taken from the hill was used to fill in
the ragged edge of streets and old docks reaching into the water,
from Rowe’s Wharf to the East Boston ferry landing.
Boston put the land on the new Fort Hill up for sale. John
Wilkinson purchased several lots of this new land. This proved to be
the foundation of many future property dealings. In 1868, Mr.
Wilkinson purchased the Sears building, on the corner of Washington
and Court Streets in Boston. John Wilkinson had this large granite
building dismantled block by block and moved to Broadway and Fourth
Street, Chelsea. The building was rebuilt at this location and became
known as the “Granite Block”, the largest business building
in Chelsea. The “Granite Block” existed until the fire of 1908.
During the fire of 1908 the building was dynamited in a vain
attempt to create a fire break. The next day on Cherry Street, in the
rear of the building three bodies were found, Mrs. Minnie L. Fenwick,
Wife of Dr. Fenwick, her niece Mrs. Edith Barnes, and Mrs. Fenwick’s
maid, Alvina Boyer, all died from smoke inhalation.
After the fire the building was replaced by a one story
business block, consisting of stores. One of the earliest stores was
the Ideal Market owned and run by Mr. H. Gregoire. The last occupant
was J. J. Newberry, a five and ten cent store. The building was
finally destroyed by fire and the area leveled. MacDonalds
contemplated building on the lot but changed their mind. Today it is
a private parking lot.
John Wilkinson was an example of one of Chelsea’s self-made
entrepreneurs and community activist.