Street Wide – (PIP # 73)

By Louise Peloquin

After the piece on the Bridge Street Bridge in 1924 (1),  here’s another “peek” into Lowell’s infrastructure development.

L’ÉTOILE – September 2, 1924

Legal Objections to Widening

Aiken Street

     The city of Lowell will not be able to continue working on the Anna Marshall building in view of widening the corner of Hall and Aiken streets if the Superior Court grants an injunction. A hearing on this issue is to take place this morning at 10 at the East Cambridge Superior Court. City officials and building contractor John A. Simpson, who is doing the work, were subpoenaed.

     The city offered $8,000 for the building in question but, for some reason, the offer was rejected. The present procedures are not taking place for financial reasons but rather as an objection on how the edifice is to be modified in order to widen the corner. The Marshall property is a large structure with numerous lodgings, and, according to contractor Simpson, the changes will remove 34 feet of the building on one side and 17 on the other.

     Mr. Simpson, city treasurer Fred Rourke, city engineer Stephen Kearney and other municipal officials received a notice late yesterday summoning them to appear in court about the matter. 

     The property on this corner had been donated to the city by the Lawrence Manufacturing Company.

  Widening this corner, considered to be the most dangerous in the city, had been envisaged for a long time. Finally the city council voted for the funds necessary to seize the lot and the buildings and to undertake the necessary improvements in view of preventing traffic accidents in this location.

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L’ÉTOILE – September 4, 1924

WIDENING THE ANGLE OF AIKEN AND HALL STREETS

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The work will be suspended while waiting for the final court decision.

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     The work to widen the angle of Aiken and Hall streets has been suspended. Yesterday in Superior Court, the proprietors of the building obtained a temporary injunction. The injunction will be enforced until the first Monday of October while a hearing will take place about making it permanent.

     The dispute between the city and the building proprietors may be settled amicably in the meantime. (2)

1. https://richardhowe.com/2025/06/03/the-bridge-street-bridge/
2. Translations by Louise Peloquin.