Early Successes and Challenges

Upham’s Corner, in Dorchester, is the junction of Columbia Road, Dudley Street and Stoughton Street. Since the 1600’s, Upham’s Corner has been an important Boston area crossroads. The neighborhood became known as Upham’s Corner in the early 1800’s when Amos Upham opened a dry goods store called The Federal at the location of the present day Columbia Square building. The Federal was replaced in 1884 by a one-story structure which reputedly had the first electric lights in Dorchester.

In the late 19th century, the horse-drawn streetcar system was becoming the primary form of urban transportation and Upham’s Corner developed as one of the premier transfer points for crossing streetcar lines. By 1940, business was booming in Upham’s Corner and the district boasted having the first movie theater in Boston “The Strand,” one of the first supermarkets in the world, and the second-oldest cemetery in the country. Upham’s Corner had become the second largest shopping district in the entire city of Boston. However, by the end of the 1950’s, transportation patterns and infrastructure began evolving away from the streetcar network and the district lost the trolley lines that had intersected at its center. Following that loss, many of Upham’s Corner’s larger commercial buildings fell into disuse. This began an era of disinvestment and decline in Upham’s Corner.

The Revitalization

Through difficult times, the Upham’s Corner community remained loyal to its home. Many believed that as long as the neighborhood’s history and rich cultural diversity were preserved, the soul of Upham’s Corner would survive. In 1996, a grassroots group of residents, merchants and civic leaders banded together to organize around their shared history and mutual interests. Thus, Upham’s Corner Main Street (UCMS) was formed with a goal of advocating, planning, and managing the revitalization of the Upham’s Corner business district.

UCMS began its work by undertaking a comprehensive market research study to determine the status of the neighborhood. While the results of the study confirmed UCMS’ assumption that many residents were leaving Upham’s Corner for much their shopping, they also revealed something very promising: Upham’s Corner had the ability to take on new growth. With a new sense of optimism, UCMS began to pursue its goals.

Upham's Corner Today

Today, Upham’s Corner is recovering its vibrancy. The Upham’s Corner Health Center, the area’s largest business, has begun operating in a new building, leaving several of its former locations available for lease to retail and service businesses. New Atlantic Development, a private developer, has completed the renovation of what had been for 20 years a vacant eyesore. As a result, the “Upham’s Corner Marketplace,” is now a mixed-use facility that has 11,500 square feet of ground floor retail space and 45 affordable apartments on the upper floors.

This year, the $115 million Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Community Center has opened. The center features 2 full-size gyms, athletic fields, a theater, an aquatic center and much more. In addition, the Strand’s Theatre has begun to reestablish itself as a neighborhood anchor, recently welcoming Broadway’s Ain’t Misbehavin’, starring American Idol winner Ruben Studdard, an exclusive east-coast premiere of HBO’s film The Black List with Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, and a performancs by Boston Lyric Opera. The renovated Upham’s Corner commuter rail station on the MBTA’s Indigo-Fairmount Line gives quick easy access to downtown. And the district has welcomed a number of new businesses, including CVS, Walgreens, Brother’s Supermarket II, and Restaurant Laura.

UCMS is stronger than ever. Over the next year, UCMS plans to grow on its past successes and create new programs and initiatives for the Upham’s Corner neighborhood. The future holds bright opportunities for both Upham’s Corner and Upham’s Corner Main Street!