Dorchester Mutual Fire Insruance Co.
Dorchester Illustration 2672
Dorchester Mutual Fire Insurance Co. was incorporated in 1855. By the mid-1860s, the company owned this building pictured in today’s illustration at 7 Woodworth St. in Port Norfolk. At the bottom of today’s illustration, there is an image of a small folding calendar for 1895 issued by the insurance company.
The building, known as Wood’s Block, had been built by Charles Austin Wood in 1860. Wood developed much of Port Norfolk. It was probably designed by architect Luther Briggs who laid out the lots at Port Norfolk. The Boston Landmarks Commission describes it: “The Woodworth Street properties represent four Italianate / Mansard row houses with ornate trimmings which are attached to a high style Italianate business block along Walnut Street.”
Wood used the proceeds from sales of his Dorchester land and buildings in Port Norfolk to build the Hotel Vendome on Commonwealth Avenue in 1870 at a cost of $519,000. He moved into the hotel and became its manager.