History
Founding Principals.
Walsh Brothers was founded in 1901 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, by brothers James and Thomas Walsh, great-grandfather and great-great-uncle of the firm’s current president, Richard C. Walsh. Guided by their founding principles of offering the highest quality work and exceptional client service, the brothers started a modest general contracting business that would grow over the next century to become a respected industry leader.
In the early decades of the 1900s, Walsh Brothers participated in all forms of building construction, including commercial, government, ecclesiastical, academic, and residential. Believing no job was too small or too large, the company constructed homes, apartments, schools, police headquarters, and fire stations, operating out of a small house and barn on Hampshire Street in Cambridge. The company provided a livelihood for scores of new immigrant craftsmen, many of whom formed the first of many generations that would work for Walsh Brothers.
In the 1920s and 1930s, Walsh Brothers established its reputation as one of the region’s preeminent ecclesiastical general contractors. The company built churches and schools throughout New England and New York. During this period, some of the larger, more recognizable projects include the Cardinal’s residence for the Archdiocese of Boston, Bapst Library, and Devlin Hall on Boston College’s Chestnut Hill campus.
Patriotic Era.
During the 1940s, the company was very active in war-related construction, participating in major projects at the Hingham and Fore River Shipyards in Massachusetts, Quonset Point Naval Air Station in Rhode Island, and a number of harbor and coastal defense facilities.
Distinguished as Master Builder.
During the late 1940s and 1950s, under the leadership of James H. Walsh, Jr., the company continued to build churches, rectories, convents, seminaries, monasteries, and high schools throughout the region. The culmination of this period was the construction of St. Mary’s Cathedral in Ogdensburg, New York. Since the Middle Ages, the highest form of achievement was to construct a cathedral and earn the title of “Master Builder.” Thus, with the construction of St. Mary’s, Walsh Brothers finally attained this crowning distinction.
Boston’s Gentleman Builder.
During the late 1900s, with James H. Walsh, III at the helm, Walsh Brothers began its transformation into one of the region’s most experienced construction management firms. Under James III’s leadership, the firm grew and was well known for its high-profile projects including Massachusetts General Hospital’s Ellison Tower, Yawkey Center and Wang Ambulatory Care Center; Fenway Park’s EMC Club, State Street Pavilion, and the Green Monster projects; Boston University’s Student Village including the Agganis Arena; and the restoration of the several of Boston’s historic landmarks such as Boston Symphony Hall, the Wang Center, and MIT’s famed Dome building.
The Game Changer.
While James III became well known for his impact on the Boston skyline, he was also considered a “game changer” for his efforts to bring together the A/E/C community for collaboration on building projects. Prior to his efforts, communication between architects, designers and builders was difficult, and James III could see the value in team-wide troubleshooting and planning prior to groundbreaking. These early efforts were the seeds to the preconstruction and Design+Build methods used by construction managers today.
Industry experts reflect on Walsh’s efforts as an industry “game changer” and the firm continues to develop new ways of improving the construction process.
Well known as Boston’s “Gentleman Builder,” James III was a man of great integrity and honesty, committed to his business promises and loyal employees.
The Next 100 Years.
After 30+ years working at Walsh Brothers, starting as a shovel-in-the-ground student and climbing through the ranks of Project Manager and Director, Richard C. Walsh was named President and Chief Executive Officer in 2008, making this the fourth generation to lead the firm. Richard’s personal mission is to combine the experiences learned from over a century of constructing complex, high-quality buildings with the opportunities of today’s technologies and talent. Significant building projects are underway, new technologies and processes are being tested, and Walsh Brothers continues to lead through innovation and integrity.
Richard has two sons, the next Walsh Brothers.
