Another Ramble Through East Cambridge

From Dave Brigham:

Many times over the years on my subway trips in and around Boston with my son we end up at Lechmere Station in East Cambridge, the end/beginning of one branch of the Green line. I've taken a lot of pictures in that area (see November 3, 2019, "East Cambridge-ish Randoms"); here are some more.

Steps from the Lechmere stop, on Cambridge Street between Second and Third streets, sits the Middlesex South Registry of Deeds, a beautiful red-brick behemoth dedicated in 1900.

The building was designed in 1898 by Boston architect Olin B. Cutter, who also designed the Middlesex County Courthouse in Lowell and the New Bedford Armory. As stunning as the registry of deeds building is, however, it's the one looming behind it in the photo above that dominates the view and the conversation in this area these days.

The former Edward J. Sullivan Courthouse (named for a former mayor of Cambridge who also served as clerk of courts for Middlesex County) at 40 Thorndike Street has been vacant since June 2014. Built in 1971 and loaded with asbestos, the skyscraper, which also featured a jail near the top, is out of character with the neighborhood and with general aesthetic values. The neighborhood is a mix of small businesses, apartment buildings, office space, historic row houses, an arts center, a mall and a juvenile court. It's a very active neighborhood.

As you can imagine, there are folks who oppose adding more traffic/people/dogs/e-bikes/beards/latte liberals/scooters/pizza delivery people/vaping hoodlums/etc. to this area. OK, I'm joking. Sort of. The Neighborhood Association of East Cambridge (NAEC) is one of the groups against the development of the 280-foot building. "Others are still angered...with (developer) Leggat McCall for not reducing the structure’s 280-foot height, far above the 80 feet zoned for the area," per this Herald News article. "They argue the courthouse got an exemption in the 1970s because it was a public building, but the exemption should not remain for a commercial building."

While the developer isn't going lop off 200 feet of a skyscraper, Leggatt McCall has agreed to reduce the height from 22 stories to 20, according to the company's web page for the developments it's calling 40 Thorndike. The Brutalist look of the building as it currently stands will also change. "A new terra cotta and glass skin will transform the exterior of the building giving it a more inviting look and feel," per the Leggat web site. "In response to community feedback, the height of the building will be reduced from 22 to 20 floors. A Zen garden inspired urban pocket park, with ample trees to provide shade during summer months and wind protection during cold and blustery days, will be created at sidewalk level along Spring Street."

In September, the Cambridge City Council voted 6-3 in favor of leasing 270 parking spaces in a municipal garage across from the former courthouse to Leggat McCall. The developer had sought 430 spaces. The square footage of office space will be lower than originally proposed, as the developer agreed to increase the number of affordable housing units, per this Boston Globe article.

OK, let's check out what new office workers and residents at 40 Thorndike will see in their new 'hood.

This sturdy house of worship is St. Francis of Assisi Church, located at 315 Cambridge Street. Built in 1837 by the Second Baptist Church, the building is the fifth-oldest church in Cambridge, per this Cambridge Historical Commission document. Next to the church are a couple of cool old brick buildings that appear to have apartments or offices on upper floors, above ground-floor retail.

The Cambridge Assessors office dates these buildings to 1900, but I'm guessing they're older.

Not too far away, on Sixth Street, is Sacred Heart Catholic Church.

I'm not sure when this place was built. The Cambridge assessor says 1860; the city's historical commission says the cornerstone was laid in 1874 and the church was consecrated in 1883. Either way, it was the largest and most expensive church in East Cambridge.

On the church grounds, next to the rectory, is a small monument to the men and women from the parish who served in World War II.

The rest of the shots are random ones from along Cambridge Street.

I bet the Central Bakery sign (above) was pretty cool in its heyday. I dig the clock, too. Here's the part where I admit that I need to pay more attention to what I'm shooting. I have ADD and often am on a constrained schedule to take photos, so I sometimes miss important details. I shot this sign and moved on along the sidewalk. Now, months later, I searched online for "Central Bakery" and found Yelp reviews but no evidence that the bakery still exists. When I search on Google Maps for the address provided on Yelp, I see the sign on "street view," but next door I see the Royal Pastry Shop, which has been in business since 1941. Maybe Royal used to be Central? Or perhaps Central pre-dated Royal and the sign is incredibly old? Anybody got any clue?

Anyway, how about a few ghost signs?

Heading west along Cambridge Street, there is this one for the former Santoro Bakery:

And just up the street, facing east, you'll find this one for Gold Medal Flour:

Those signs are pleasant enough, but nowhere near as iconic as the one below:

Mayflower Poultry Co. on Cambridge Street has been in business since 1932. The sign, however, is no longer accurate. Per the company's web site: "Our sign is a trademarked historical landmark ONLY. We no longer process any poultry on-site."

As cool as the sign is, the building's history is even more impressive and interesting. The larger building with the peaked roof is the sole survivor of a circa-1869 three-structure car barn "built to house the horse cars for the Union Railway’s East Cambridge service," per the Cambridge Historical Commission. "The shorter building with the Mayflower sign went up sometime in the 1960s, and replaced what was a horse stable."

Also along Cambridge Street is the East Side Bar & Grille, featuring this great mural of the Chairman of the Board:

Also, a spot where hipsters take their young'uns.

Sew-Low Discount Fabrics is no longer open.

There's something about this sign that appeals to me. I'm not sure if it's still there.

Finally, a cool old police facility.

Located on Gore Street, this place "was connected to the police station (and fire house) on Sciarappa Street and housed Police Station #1's police wagon," per the Cambridge Firefighters Local 30 web site.

And there you have it.