1944 - 1970s: Conversion to Two-Families
The first occupants of the new 318 Met Ave in 1947 were two families, Joseph & Evelyn Abele, and John & Claire Boyle and the house keeper Louise Hinckley. However, the first indications of an ownership of the new building comes from permit applications as well as the voter registrations.
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In July 1946, the owner, Clarence J Quincy (?) who lived at 378 Columbia Road, Dorchester, applied to "reroof the entire house with asphalt shingles over the current asphalt". The work was finished in November 1946.
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378 Columbia Road no longer exists, but the photo here is of 420, and may reflect the building style where Clarence lived. If so, Clarence was of reasonable means. Of note, the permit indicates that 318 Met Ave was a single family dwelling.
420 Columbia Rd
1947
1946 roofing permit
It is unclear whether Clarence intended to move into 318 Met Ave, because by 1947, the ownership had changed hands. From several permit applications, Reverend Frederick F Reade​, of the Reformed Presbyterian Church (27 Belvedere St, Boston) was listed as the owner, and we know that the Abele's and Boyles were occupants. But, by 1948 the voter lists show that Fredrick, his wife Mabel and his daughter Esther, a nurse, had moved from 27 Belvidere St into the house.
1948
1950
1949
1952
Frederick probably could not afford the entire house by himself, and so needed to bring in lodgers to help with the cost. Creation of a two family house was the aim. His permit application on June 10 1947 describes:
"Putting partition in to make kitchen and dining room combination and cutting window for kitchen. Enlarging doorway between dining room and living room. Supplying second means of egress from second floor satisfactory to the building department. All rooms are of legal size and have legal glass area."
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Since the first floor already had a kitchen (with a window) and dining room, and the doorways have never been changed, it may be that Frederick added a kitchen to the top/second/attic floor. Note that the description of occupancy here, in 1947 has changed to two-family. In a note on the permit issue sheet, the inspector has written:
"Plans required. Occupancy is for a single family. No second means of egress from second floor".
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Frederick made 318 into a two-family home. If there was a kitchen on the top floor, it is not there today. The plans from 1943 of this top floor are pretty much as it is toady (windows, doors etc.) so it is unclear where the new window, or widened doorway could have been.
1947 F Reade modifications
When the house was bought in 2016, there was no egress from the second floor. But, in photos from Mimi Agapite (of 44 Maynard), in the 1970s, the staircase came out of the sewing room, or (as it is now, office). A door must have been cut in that wall by the Reades allowing access to the stairs. Indeed the door is raised over a step-over which is actually a structural beam from the original house and could not be cut in the placement of the door.
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These photos also show the pitched roof over the kitchen, a door leading onto this roof from a bedroom, and a small window of a now enclosed porch behind the stairs. This matches the B&W photo from MACRIS on the previous page about the cut.
We cannot find much information on the Reades, in the newspapers or other sources. There are a few mentions of Frederick in cemernonies, but nothing really tangible to describe the family. He definitely seems religious enough for a pastor - he was against Sunday shopping.
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The census for beyond the 1940s has still not been opened.
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In 1947, 'The Bloods', as Mimi calls them moved into 44 Maynard St. The house in-between 318 Met and 44 Maynard - 48 Maynard St - was built in 1963, and purchase by Mimi and Giulio Agapite (from Petorano in Abruzzo, Italy). Mimi has been able to help us with her memories of the occupants of the house from '63 on.
The Borofski's, mid-50s to mid-60s
Post WWII, there is a noticeable decline in newspaper articles of comings and goings​of regular people. Weddings, events are recorded, but it's hard to find more specific information.
After 1952, the house once again seems unoccupied - at least no registered voters live there, until around 1956. John & Michalina Borofski appear in the lists, with a previous address listed as "54 Village", which could refer to Village Court in the South End.
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The petition for Naturalization for John gives us further details. Born in 1919 in Poland, he married Michalina (born 1923) in Germany in 1949, and came to the US in 1952, with their 2 children, Danuta (b 1946) and Lili (b 1951). John describes his occupation as a machinist.
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By 1958, the lists also show lodgers living with the family. It must have been a full and lively household!
1951
1952
1954
1955
1956
1958
1962
The Naddaff's, mid-60s to mid-70s
In 1966, the house becomes occupied by Najeed Naddaf and his wife Sophie. Mimi remembers Sophie being incredibly elegant, and that she would stop by at 48 Maynard to have tea with the whole Agapite family. According to Mimi, Najeed also owned a house in Jamaica Plain, and he would only on occasion come to 318 Met Ave to stay. The voter lists state they moved to 318 from Warren Ave, which is in the South End. Perhaps Najeed had property thereunto JP?
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1966
The Nadaffs also had renters in the house, with the first appearing on the voter register in 1969. On 11th June 1964, Najeed applied for a permit to
"remove existing window and replace with picture window in rear dining room. Install window over sink in kitchen. Repair walls and ceiling in kitchen and dining room".
The house is listed as a two-family, that is currently, and has a main and back stairs method of egress.
Two days before this, on 9th June 1964, Najeed signed an affidavit that he wouldn't rent the top floor out, as the third floor contained no egress. But, the second floor contained the stairs down from the back of the house. Perhaps he and the City figured this out eventually, so that he could have renters?
1969
The Boston Directory of 1969 for the final time lists Najeed at the 318 Met Ave address (similarly the voter registration). We think that Najeed may have died in 1969, but Sophie continues to live at 318 Met Ave, until her final mention in the Boston Directory in 1976. Mimi recalls that their son lived on Metropolitan Avenue as well, and in the 1976 Directory, a James Naddaff lives at 43 Met Ave, as well as a Mitchell Nad(d)aff living on Warren Ave.
Mimi recalls that in the 1970s, she accompanied a fellow Italian who lived near by, and was interested in buying 318 Met Ave, as it had been put up for sale. This may well have been when Sophie left the house, and the next family moved in. She recalls that, although she didn't go upstairs, her friend mentioned there was a kitchen up there.
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Her friend didn't buy the house because it was too expensive and also needed too much work to repair.