Friday, March 28, 2014

Thornton Ave Barn

I was out a couple of weeks with the camera trying to capture the spectacular sun set we were having. I headed for Nipmuc Pond on RT 16 hoping to get some nice pics across the lake. On the way back, no really good pictures (even thou MN provided it) and turned onto to Thornton Ave and came across this barn. Stopped, snapped a bunch of brackets off. When I got home, the shots were miserable, out of focus and just plain uck.


Having remembered that day with the sunset, I went back again with tripod in hand this time. Actually I was trying out my new monopod that has been sitting in the back of the car.


This picture has gone thru many iterations fixing this, blending that, more of a teaching photo for me, than a really great shot. I really like the doors on this barn, and a few have commented, "I wonder what kind of car are behind those doors". A 50's Vet maybe, 60's Cobra or maybe a 70's Plymouth Superbird. One of these days I will stop and ask.



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Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Let the Games Begin

It has been a tough winter, the coldest in a long time that is for sure. Even spring is struggling to get underway, however when ever day light savings time comes about and I leave work and it is light out, it is a reminder that riding season is right around the corner.


This season I have entered 3 grand tours. First one is called the Double Down Grant Tour, sponsored by the Glacial Lakes Motorcycle Club or GLMC for short. I have been doing their Grant Tour for the last 4 or so years. Last year I got to July and I hit a wall (not literally) in my desire to ride, so my finish was not so great. This year I will be chasing towns with double letters in it, like SuTTon. You get 1 point for each town, but if the town has a double set of points you get 2, and so on and so. An example of a double would be Little Egg Harbor in New Jersey. A triple, a hat trick would be >>


Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg



Actually that is more than a hat trick, more like Iambic Pentamaber, which might be not so unusual in language, but very rare for the Double Down Tour. Matter of fact I have not found any triple towns yet. Oh, LL like Someville has been excluded. I have found 224 towns in the states of MA, CT, NH, VT, ME, NY, PA and NJ. Once you have found a town in one state, that name can not be used again.


The next one is Team Strange, which has 4 of them to choose from. I have selected to spell out the following TEAM STRANGE AIRHEADS 30 and the Presidential Grand Tour. The spell one has 2 options; 1> Go to a town for each letter and get the Post Office or City Limit sign or 2> Go to the least amount of towns by using the letters in a combination that is the same as the beginning letters of a town. For instance you would cover TEA in Team with Teaneck, NJ. The Presidential one is go to towns, grab the post office or city limit sign for towns with the last name of our Presidents, such as Washington, NH. Washington Depot, CT doesn't work. You get extra points for finding a marker for towns where Presidents were born, thus Braintree is where John Adams was born and I am sure (actually I am positive) there is a marker indicating the John and John Quincy was born there.


So that is going to be the mantra for the season. Flags are in, tires have been ordered, new battery ordered, now all I gotta due is clear the ice and snow from the garage and I am set to go. Hmmm, maybe I will wait a bit and let Mother Nature get rid of the crap she put there in the first place.


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Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Slipping around New Salem

New Salem is in the mid section of Massachusetts, just west of the Quabbin Resevoir and east of Northhamption. The historic district covers the Town Common and Main Street as it spreads north and south from there. Most of the buildings were built in the 19th century. It was first settled in 1734 and owned thru a grant of land for a plantation by folks that migrated from Salem, MA. In 1753, the ownership of the land was turned over to the Town of New Salem. The town was confined to a small area centering around the common, until 1930 when the Quabbin Reservoir was built. The town absorbed the former town of Prescott, parts of Greenwich and Enfield and part of Pelham.

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I visited New Salem on a very hot day in August, where the sky was almost too blue and brilliant for good pictures.
Climax Electric Works was constructed for Levi Flag to manufacturer the T&P Cycle Car. It was used to make his cars up until around 1912. After that time it served as the exchange for the Crescent Telephone Com and then used as a plumbing shop. It was ultimately acquired by the New Salem Academy as the Agricultural Building.

The new Town Hall was completed in 1939 and replaced the original 1838 Town House. The town had simply outgrown the original building. In addition to the administrative functions of the town, the building is used for various town functions like potluck suppers, children’s Christmas party and other entertainment.

New Salem Town Hall

New Salem Town Hall

The old Town Hall was built in 1838. For awhile it served as the library. Today it is the Town Clerks Office, where you can contribute to the town in the way of taxes.

New Salem Old Town Hall

New Salem Old Town Hall

The New Salem First Congregational Church was built in 1794 and was built on site where the original meetinghouse built in 1739. This church served the Congregational Society until 1845, where all religious activity ceased. The building was then used for various public purposes. In 1837 the building was completely remodeled in the Greek Revival style and the steeple was added. In 1987 the Congregational Society transferred ownership to the Town of New Salem. Today it is used as a regional performing arts center.

New Salem First Congregational Church

New Salem First Congregational Church


Right down the street from the First Congregational Church is the Third Central Congregational Church. This church was built in 1854. This church was built due to the schism occurring in the Protestant religion in the early 1800’s. The First Congregational Church joined the Universalist dominion in 1823, and the remaining congregation organized the Third Congregation, also known as the Orthodox Congregational Church. The First Church with the split and loss of members could not financially sustain themselves and ceased having meetings in 1845. This church continues to support a small congregation today.

New Salem Third Central Congregational Church


New Salem Third Central Congregational Church


The Congregational Church is a Protestant organization where each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs. They arose from the Nonconformist religious movement during the Puritan reformation in England. Most of the Congregational Churches in New England emulated from the Plymouth Colony and Massachusetts Bay Colonies. The Universalists claim that religion is a universal human quality and is defined as a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe. This society accepts all religious beliefs and it is believed it was influenced by Hinduism, even thou it has deep roots in Christianity.


The New Salem Fort Marker was placed here in 1903. The inscription reads “Site of One of the Old Forts erected by Early Settlers in Defence Against Indian Hostilities about 1740”. It is presumed the fort that the rock refers to was a stockade around some building, possibly a meeting house built in 1739. Historical rumors indicated there were 2 more forts in the town as well. New Salem was considered a frontier town, however there is no historical information that there was ever an attack against the town.

New Salem Fort Marker

A story does float around, at one time when the men of the town were absent on a scouting mission, the women, children and old guys were assembled in the fort. It was discovered that an enemy was creeping toward the fort and one of the women, Mrs Jechoadan Ward Felton, deepened her voice, and called the roll of the men’s names, commanding that they load their guns and prepare to fire. The enemy thinking the fort was strongly armed with a force retreated. The presence was verified the next day by theirs tracks. So the story goes.

New Sales Academy was founded in 1795. This building replaced the original building that burned in 1837 and was built in 1838.

New Salem Old Academy Building

New Salem Old Academy Building

The Town felt it had outgrown the Old Academy building and built this one in 1908. It is constructed of hollow cement blocks and sports an observation deck and bell tower.

New Salem Academy

New Salem Academy

In 1871 the Town of New Salem built a boarding house for the students. In 1935 it housed the Household Arts Department. It also served as an elementary school in 1941-42, when the school districts were consolidated. Today I believe it is a personal residence.

Academy Hall - New Salem Academy Dormitory

Academy Hall - New Salem Academy Dormitory

The houses of New Salem for the most part were built in the 19th century and are typical of what you would find in all of the towns in New England. I have chosen to post some examples of the houses, and make comments or expanded historical context when interesting or important.

All of the homes in the historic district are on South Main Street. This group of homes are located as you enter the home and move up a small incline into the center of the Town, where the churches and academy is located.

Lyons, Asaph House

Lyons, Asaph House

Packard, Noah House

Packard, Noah House

Allen, Frederick H. House

Allen, Samuel C. House

Allen, Samuel C. House

As you pass the center of the town South Main St extends beyond the common, where this group of homes is located.

White, William H. House

Harris, Willard House

Roboteau, Charles House

Knight, William House