The Buddies' Club: A Forgotten Chapter of Boston Common's History

While researching her book about Boston Common, Lynn Johnson — a Boston College History Professor and Boston By Foot volunteer guide — stumbled upon intriguing mentions of a World War II-era gathering place called the Buddies' Club. But where exactly was this club located, and what was its story?

During her tour guide training, Lynn met Martha, a long-time Boston By Foot volunteer guide. Martha, also a former college professor, had found BBF to be a wonderful way to meet new friends and learn about the city. She's also one of the authors of BBF's popular Boston's LGBTQ Past tour.

When Lynn took Martha's Boston's LGBTQ Past tour, she discovered that the Buddies' Club was featured because it served as a place for servicemen to relax during wartime — and for some, to meet other men. Though somewhat more inclusive of LGBTQ couples for its time, the club maintained a racially restrictive policy, admitting only white servicemen.

The question remained: where exactly was the club located? Was it nearer the lower Common along Charles Street or closer to Tremont Street? Neither Lynn nor Martha knew for certain, so they dove deeper into their research. Fortunately, aerial photographs from the era confirmed that the club's location was close to the Crispus Attucks memorial and the Parkman Bandstand.

As Lynn continued her research, she uncovered a significant chapter in Boston's civil rights history. The Buddies' Club's racially restrictive policy sparked an NAACP boycott and led to the opening of a rival establishment: the Boston Stage Door Canteen on Boylston Street. This new venue welcomed all servicemen, including people of color and non-U.S. armed forces personnel. Over time, the Stage Door Canteen grew more popular, with women volunteers from area universities signing up to work there.

You won't find either meeting place today, but visitors to Boston Common can see The Embrace — a sculpture memorial to Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King that now occupies the site of the old Buddies' Club. Remarkably, the Embrace Boston Foundation that created the memorial had no idea they were placing it on the site of an earlier civil rights campaign.

This shared curiosity between Lynn and Martha sparked a research project that enhanced our understanding of both Boston's LGBTQ and civil rights history. Lynn wrote a piece for the Boston Globe earlier this year highlighting this work, and the Buddies' Club is now featured on both the Boston's LGBTQ Past tour and the Boston Common: Past Lives and Hidden Stories tour.

As for Lynn and Martha? They became buddies themselves—a perfect example of how Boston By Foot serves as a wonderful way to meet new people, get outside, and discover and share Boston stories that continue to resonate today.
Please join us for a tour, or reach out if you'd like to become a volunteer to be part of uncovering Boston's hidden histories.