The Dorchester Beacon, October 26, 1907
James V. Devine
Dealer in real estate, insurance agent, etc., 923 Dorchester Avenue
the name of James V. Devine is synonymous in Dorchester and, in fact, in the entire territory of which Greater Boston is composed, with all that is most successful in real estate transactions. Mr. Devine began business a quarter of a century ago as a contractor building in South Boston. He retired from that department of activity twelve years ago and opened real estate offices at 923 Dorchester Avenue, Dorchester, which he still occupies. Taking advantage of the increase in property values in the district, Mr. Devine soon became an important factor in the real estate field locally, and his offices became the center of interest in that department of business. He transacts a general real estate business, buying selling, exchanging and renting property of all kinds, collecting rents and managing estates for others. His field of operations includes Dorchester, Roxbury and the surrounding territory. His books show that he has at the present time more than 1,500 pieces of property for sale or rental, including selling houses, apartments, stores, business buildings and lots. Mr. Devine also does a large volume of business I the way of negotiating loans on real property mortgages, having unusual facilities for putting through such transactions speedily and at the lowest rates for the borrower. One of the important features of the business transacted a the Devine offices is that of insurance. Mr. Devine represents a large number of the most substantial insurance companies in Europe and America and secures policies at rated which are remarkably attractive to the insured. These are the companies he represents: the Agricultural, of New York; the Hamburg-Bremen, of Hamburg, Germany; the Westchester Insurance, of New York; the National Union, of Pittsburgh, Pa.; the fire Association, of Philadelphia, Pa.; firemen’s of New, N. J.; the Providence; Washington, of Providence, R. I.; the Metropolitan Plate Glass, of New York; the United States Casualty, of new York; the London Guarantee and Accident, of London, Eng.; for liability and accident insurance; the Aetna Life, of Hartford, Conn., and the United State Casualty and Fidelity. Mr. Devine also acts as an appraiser of property and as an auctioneer whenever his serves are desired in those cpaci8ties.
Mr. Devine was born in south Boston and was educated there. He is a large real estate owner in his native section of the city and in Dorchester and is one of the heaviest taxpayers in Boston. He also owns much property in Roxbury. Thomas L. Lyons has been, for many years, the manager of Mr. Devine’s business. He is a member of the Mayfield Club and secretary and treasurer of the new North Dorchester Cooperative Bank, and is one of the best known and most popular young me in the district.