Oral history interview recording 1 of 2 with Hope Pierce and Helen Sarkesian
Description:
Recording 1 of 2 of an oral history interview with Mrs. Hope Pierce and Mrs. Helen Sarkesian, possibly conducted at the Morville House, a home for senior citizens.They discuss the experiences of elderly people living in the Fenway, covering the accessibility of the neighborhood; the difficulty of moving, especially when older; age demographics in the neighborhood; and the economic condition of the elderly in the area. They also remark on the history of the neighborhood, covering the Fenway during the Depression, victory gardens in the area, the filling of the Fens as well as former businesses in the neighborhood.Their discussion covers the musical history of the area, including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, musicians and art students in the area, proliferation of good music throughout the neighborhood, and the professions of people of the neighborhood. This interview also discusses the construction and growth of the neighborhood, specifically by Northeastern University and the Christian Science Church, and its impact on the neighborhood, as well as the community reaction to the development. Their discussion of the Fenway neighborhood also addresses neighborhood safety, robberies of their homes, public transit, property tax in Boston, religious makeup of the neighborhood and the suburbs as an alternative to the Fenway.They discuss the changing sense of community in the Fenway and current community relations across demographic groups. The interview also covers the subjects’ and their husbands careers and the subjects’ ethnicities and former residences. Other topics mentioned include: Huntington Avenue, Gainsborough Street, St. Ann's Church, Westland Avenue, Hemenway Street, Harvard Business School, Boylston Street, Mayor James Curley, the Communist party, YMCA, Boston Opera House, Boston Storage Warehouse, Faneuil Hall Market, Massachusetts Avenue, United Fruit Company, General Capital Corporation, Paul Babson, Roger Babson, Watertown Arsenal, Thorndike Hotel, Copley Plaza, Statler, The Museum of Fine Arts, Symphony Hall, the Boston Pops, Boston Public Library, Copley Square, Charles River, Fenway Rose Garden, Women's Alliance, Boston City Hospital, AARP, Morville House, Burbank Street, Norway Street, Hotel Hemenway, Roman Catholics, the Christian Science Church, Hutchinson’s, Newbury’s, Stop & Shop, Star Market, A&P, Midtown Motor Inn, Fowler Street, World War II, Korean War
