Roslindale is a socially and racially diverse community of Boston located in the southwest corner of the city, and removed by several miles from the downtown business district. It is viewed as one of Boston’s up-and-coming neighborhoods, and if one considers recent housing and business development, that would appear to be a fair assessment.

Originally a part of Roxbury, and later West Roxbury after the original burrough was sub-divided, Roslindale was again hived-off from West Roxbury as it grew to be a community on its own. It is greatly accepted by many historians that it is named after Roslyn, Scotland because of its topographical similarities to that part of the world with both flat areas and rolling hills with plush vegetation.

Roslindale and West Roxbury were, at one time, considered the deep suburbs of the City of Boston, and even a vacation cottage destination away from the city at one time. In the 1800s, a railroad accident known as the Bussey Street Bridge Disaster is often cited as one of the major factors contributing to the upswing in Roslindale’s initial settlement.

The railroad branch now serving Boston to Needham that goes through Roslindale Square was at one time a main line railroad that served to connect cities south of Boston to the state capital. The original Bussey Street Bridge was a steel structure over which steam trains moved several times a day. It’s failure, which resulted in the train collapsing to the street and land areas below and the numerous deaths that resulted, was a major catastrophe in its day. Wreckage of this type in the suburbs in the 1800s would last for days if not weeks and many people came to Roslindale to see the remnants of the accident. Seeing the area as pleasant and affordable, many of those same curiousity-seekers eventually settled in Roslindale.

The Bussey Street Bridge disaster was a major contributing factor to a total rewrite of the country’s construction standards that forever changed the method by which train trestles would be built throughout the USA from that day forward.

The present bridge located a short distance from the original is at the corner of Archdale Rd. and South St. just outside of Roslindale Square and is made of granite stone. A placque which commemorates the accident is on one side of its enormous arch. Today, MBTA commuter trains ply this bridge with confidence and safety.

After economic down-turns int he late 1960s and early 1970s, thanks to the efforts fo the Roslindale Main Streets organization urban revitalization began and in the ensuing 40 years Roslinbdale Square, also known as Roslindale Village (a “Main Streets” funding designation) has become a destination spot for residents and visitors alike. It sports numerous restaurants and bistros, specialty shops, coffee shops, and much more. Additional redevelopment in the business district is planned in the upcoming years.

Roslindale’s connections to the public transit system and commuter rail service makes it convenient to connect to the downtown district and neighboring communities.

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Roslindale Historical Society - Currently unreachable.

Roslindale - A Boston Neighborhood (City Government Web Site)

Roslindale at Wikipedia.org

Boston Public Library - Roslindale Community Pages