Goin' ta Southie, Kehd

From Dave Brigham:

Last spring, I hung out with my buddy (and photography guru) Joe Viger in South Boston, a neighborhood I've visited plenty of times (see links at bottom of this post) while somehow missing a LOT. I'd mentioned in a public post on Facebook that I felt the need to see friends who I hadn't seen in a while; Joe replied that he'd been having the same thought. We had a great time catching up and making photos. Here's some of what we saw....

While zooming through South Boston on Google Maps looking for things to check out on our walk, I was instantly curious about the Whitey McGrail Monument located on an island of land surrounded by East 6th Street, Farragut Road and William J. Day Boulevard. I decided that needed to be our first destination. And boy was it a doozy!

It's gotta be tough to be "the other Whitey" in South Boston, aka Southie. For those who aren't familiar with the history of this Boston neighborhood, Whitey Bulger was a ruthless crime boss who was an FBI snitch and then went on the lam for 16 years after getting tipped off by his handler of an impending arrrest. He was eventually captured, found guilty of multiple crimes and beaten to death in prison in 2018 at the age of 89.

Robert "Whitey" McGrail, however, seems to have been up to the difficult task of moving in Bulger's shadow. McGrail "used to walk the boardwalk of Carson Beach, in his fancy outfit and greet one and all," according to this tribute web site. He owned a bar, Whitey's Place on West Broadway (now known as Croke Park, a place I will feature below) for years, before being gunned down there in 1985 at age 47, allegedly over a gambling debt, according to this Medium article. "No connection to Bulger was ever proved," the article indicates, "but that’s how things used to roll in Southie. Nobody said nothing. Not if they knew what was good for them."

Inscribed on the monument is a poem, which reads in part:

IT BROKE MY HEART TO SEE HIM GO

FOR THERE WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER YOU KNOW

THE "WHITEY STORIES" ! HEARD AS WE SAID GOOD BY (sic)

MAN, HE WAS ONE HELLUVA GUY

I'LL MISS THIS POLITICIAN, THIS BANKER,

PRANKSTER, AND LOVABLE HAM

HE MADE ME STAND TALL, HE MADE ME PROUD

HE MADE ME WHAT I AM

HE WAS SOUTHIE PRIDE, HE WAS WHITEY

The final line is: WHO AM I? I AM SOUTH BOSTON

The Southie of the two Whiteys, of organized crime and bloody gun battles, of the Irish-Catholic influence and blue-collar residents, has faded significantly in recent years. Like many Boston neighborhoods, Southie has gentrified, with expensive apartment and condo buildings rising in many locations, and high-end bars and restaurants catering to the newer residents.

My guess is that the bike below, spotted along N Street, belongs to a newer resident.

I don't know anything about this bike, other than it looks cool. Is it vintage? Is it a reproduction? Is it expensive? Does it ride well? Can you twirl your hipster mustache while carrying locally sourced hops for your home-brewed beer in one hand? I don't know.

On the same street, I saw a nice old architectural detail on a front door.

Joe and I walked through Medal of Honor Park on East Broadway, before heading west on that avenue. There's a lot of great architecture along here. I was quite taken by the double entryway below.

From East Broadway, we cut north along L Street. At the corner of L and East 1st streets, Joe and I each made a shot of some faded warnings stenciled onto the brick.

"POST NO BILLS" signs, to me, speak of times gone by, when folks would paste posters to brick walls for upcoming concerts or other events. "POLICE TAKE NOTICE." Do they really?

On the same corner, but opposite wall, of that building -- home to Commune Hair Boston -- is a ghost sign for Condit Electrical.

On K Street, on the exterior of Lifted Fitness, I had to make a photo of the homage to Lucky the Leprechaun, the Boston Celtics mascot.

I'd made photos in this part of Southie before, and I knew that Joe would love Ethel & Andy's, at the corner of K and East 1st streets.

Good to see some old school still left in the neighborhood, which is slated to change drastically when the redevelopment of a former Edison power station is completed.

On the corner of K and East 3rd streets is another nice slice of local flavor.

We got back onto East Broadway and headed west. I really like the 6 Twelve Convenience sign, and frankly, the name of the store, because it tells me everything I need to know.

Steps away, on Emerson Street, is Tom English's Cottage. Check out that Facebook page - it's very entertaining!

I'm not sure how long this place has been in business, but I'm assuming at least a few decades. For a sense of what it is/was like, check out this blog post.

We got back onto East Broadway and stopped at another place I'd made note of in advance: South Boston Candlepin.

These lanes have been been run by the same family for more than 20 years. I'm guessing this place has been around a lot longer than that.

Another place I had on my radar was the former Broadway Theater at 420 West Broadway, in the heart of New Southie, surrounded by bars and restaurants where Gen Zers and Millenials hang out. In the photo below, you can see (if you zoom in) a medallion with "BT" for Broadway Theater on it.

"Opened in 1920 as a vaudeville & movie house, the Broadway Theatre was designed by architects Clarence H. Blackall, Clapp and Whittemore," according to Cinema Treasures. "Following a fire, it was rebuilt in 1938 to the designs of architect Clarence Kivett. By 1957 it was operated by Daytz Theatre Enterprises Corp. By 2011 it was standing vacant & boarded up and was still the same in November 2020. By August 2022 it had been converted into 42 condominiums named The Mezz."

Continuing west-northwest on West Broadway, we came to the aforementioned Croke Park.

Named, I assume, for the Dublin, Ireland, home of the Gaelic Athletic Association, Croke Park is another holdout from Old Southie. In 2016, Esquire magazine named the joint one of the best bars in America.

Moving along to a place that is so money!

In business since 1932, Boston Cash Register provides, uh, cash registers and point of sale systems to business clients.

Our journey west ended at Al’s Liquors, which has a classic old-school sign.

But the real attraction for me is the Irish-American pride mural on the side of the building.

This mural has been here for years, and seems to get spruced up every once in a while. I recall when I first moved to the Boston area, my buddy Jim, who grew up in Somerville, drove me around Southie and I recall there being other murals similar to this one. This seems to be the sole survivor.

Heading east on West Broadway, I spotted two tile entryways, one for a current business, which I was very happy to see, and one for a long-gone operation. The first is for the Southie outlet of J.P. Licks, a great ice cream shop.

Founded in 1981 in Boston's Jamaica Plain (JP) neighborhood, the ice creamery has nine locations in and around Boston.

A little further up the boulevard, I made a photo of an old entryway, this one in front of a 7-Eleven shop.

Pober's was a department store that sold "high-end" clothing for kids, including Communion dresses, from what I've seen online. There was also a shop in Taunton, Mass., and possibly other towns and cities.

In between the tile entryway buildings sits the shuttered South Boston Chinese Restaurant.

Looking through Google Street View's chronology, I believe the eatery was in business from at least 2007 until 2021/2022. I'm intrigued by the green tilework underneath the sign, and would love to know what store or restaurant was here in years past.

The next sign, located in front of a shuttered small business on East Broadway, is almost too perfect.

I mean, come on! A sign that says "DeKay" with faded paint in front of an insurance and real estate office that's out of business? How could I resist making a phot of that!

I should probably do more of these types of strolls at night, so I can catch some lighted signs. I'm not sure the one shown below for Joseph's Bakery + Deli lights up anymore, as the place is (technically) out of business.

Located at 258 K Street, Joseph's was run by the Masciave family from 1967 until 2023, according to this Caught in Southie article. The deli part of the business closed for renovations in May 2021, but never reopened. The building was sold in 2023, but Annie Nikollo, who had operated the bakery side of the business since 2012, effectively moved the bakery to the corner of L Street and East Broadway, under the name Annie's Bakery & Cafe.

Directly across East 4th Street from the former bakery location is the Boston Fire Department's Engine 2/Ladder 19 house. Behind the main station is a hose-drying tower that caught my eye.

The station opened in 1932, according to the Boston Fire Historical Society. I believe the tower -- which I assumed was used for training -- was built at the same time.

Just to the east of the station is the original Engine 2 firehouse, which was built in 1857.

In 1857 the firehouse was occupied by Hand Engine Company 14, according to the Boston Fire Historical Society, before the reorganization of the Boston Fire Department in 1859. Engine Company 2 was organized in this station on September 17, 1860.

The building is now home to the Thomas J. Fitzgerald VFW Post 561.

In 1935-36, the Works Progress Administration, a "New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects," according to Wikipedia, did some sort of work on the old station. I'm assuming the WPA worked to convert the firehouse to use by other organizations, such as the VFW post.

(WPA plaque on the front of the VFW hall.)

The final stop that Joe and I made was the L Street Bath House.

Located at the foot of L Street where it meets William J. Day Boulevard, the bath house was built in 1931, and is also known as the James Michael Curley Recreational Center. The brick and concrete Art Deco structure spans 1,000 feet in length, and is 44 feet deep. When it was built, it featured hot salt-water showers, hand ball courts and a solarium. You'll notice the MEN'S BATH HOUSE carved above the door. At its construction, there were sections for women and girls and one for boys. I'm not sure how the place is laid out these days.

The bath house is home base for the L Street Brownies, a swimming club known for its New Year's Day plunges in Dorchester Bay. "Organized in 1902, it is one of the oldest such clubs in the United States," per Wikipedia. Women were admitted to the club in 1915.

HEADLINE EXPLAINER: According to WBUR's guide to Boston slang, "kid" is a "term of endearment that doesn't only apply to children. For example, you might say: 'Nah, kid, I went to the store next door.' Can be used kind of like 'dude or 'this guy.' Those with a Boston accent will say it like 'kehd.'"

For more on South Boston, check out the links below:

August 27, 2020, "Circling Andrew Square"

January 25, 2020, "The Walk of Fame"

June 25, 2019, "Wool-d You Like to Join Me For a Walk?"

January 12, 2019, "Power Move in South Boston"

November 17, 2018, "Southie to Lose An Institution"

April 22, 2018, "Fort Point Channel - It's Electric!"

February 1, 2017, "Bon Voyage, Lady"

November 17, 2014, "Whitey Wuz Here"

Blowing Into Windsor

From Dave Brigham:

My parents moved from Weatogue, Connecticut, where I grew up, to nearby Windsor many years ago. In the 11 years since I've run this blog, I've only posted a few things about Windsor, which was the first English settlement in the Nutmeg State (see February 27, 2020, "Shoot It If You Got It," September 20, 2017, "One-Stop Barnstorming Tour" and April 3, 2014, "Beat Hotel").

Recently, I arrived in town early for a day trip to visit my mom, so I ambled around the downtown. Here's what I found, in the order that I found it. Much of the information contained herein comes from the excellent Tour Windsor web site set up by the Windsor Chamber of Commerce, the Windsor Historical Society and First Town Downtown.

The former freight house built on Mechanic Street by the New Haven, Hartford & Springfield Railroad Company dates to around 1870. "Wide double doors could be slid open to allow carts laden with crates and parcels to be wheeled directly from the trains and into the building where the items were sorted for distribution," per the Tour Windsor web site. By the middle of last century, the building had fallen into disrepair as railroad use waned. In 1988, the Town of Windsor renovated and refurbished the old freight house. In 2007, the Windsor Art Center moved into the building.

Across Mechanic Street is the building, below, which dates to 1930.

There's nothing of particular interest about this place, not on the surface anyway. It may have been related to a nearby apartment complex in a former industrial space. Now, wouldn't it be great if I had pictures of those buildings? Yes, yes it would. But for some reason I didn't shoot First Town Square, which features a building that dates to 1852. Over the decades the factory was home to businesses including Eddy Electic Co., Sequassen Woolen Co., General Electric and cigarette maker P. Lorillard Co. Maybe I'll shoot First Town Square some other time.

Anyway, moving on....how about a historic train station?!

Completed in 1870, the Windsor Train Station was renovated in the 1980s and looks amazing. It is used by the Windsor Art Center, but also serves as an Amtrak stop on the line between Springfield and New Haven.

Next door to the train station is a building with a cool history, but unfortunately no present.

This is 25 Central Street. That fancy green - portico? - hasn't always been there. Check the Google Maps picture below. I'm not sure what to make of this architectural change.

As you can tell by the ICE CREAM sign painted on the wall, this place used to sell food. It was a bakery called Get Baked. I only went there a few times, but the muffins were great. My sister, who used to work around the corner from this place, raved about it. It closed two years ago.

In the back of the building was Central Street Antiques. I don't know when the business was founded, or when it moved (or went out of business). Not sure if there's anything inside the building; the only indication that the store used to be here is the partial sign on the back of the building.

Now for the history, per the Tour Windsor web site. "In 1922, Arthur W. Lovell built the Lovell Building that housed the Tunxis Theater. The structure replaced the Best Manufacturing Company that had operated on the site until a fire in 1919. The theater opened on December 9, 1922 showing 'Smilin" Through' with Norma Talmage and other silent motion pictures. Renovations in the 1930s allowed for patrons to hear 'talkies' with sound throughout. The theater changed hands, management, and names many times. Eventually, Central Street Antiques purchased the property and held auctions in the large space."

I never would have guessed this place started life as a theater.

Looking west from the rear of the old Tunxis Theater building, I spied the backside of 181 Broad Street, below.

I don't have anything to say about the back of this building, but stick around: I took a picture of the front, too!

Over on the corner of Union Street and Palisado Ave. is the former Train Wreck Tap Room.

This place closed some time during the last year, surely a victim of the pandemic shutdown. The building dates to 1945, according to one online source. When my parents first moved to Windsor, a whole bunch of us (my wife and kids, my sister, my parents, my brother and his family) would pile into the restaurant that was there for a while, The Whistle Stop. The food was really good and so was the beer selection.

In more recent years, when we go out to eat we stop into the Union Street Tavern, which is just down the street from the tap room.

This sturdy and handsome brick building was built in 1927. It served as the Windsor Fire Company’s headquarters until 1964. The Union Street Tavern restaurant opened in 2006, and features cool vintage fire and police department photos and memorabilia. With any luck, some time in the near future, my family and I will eat here again.

Across Union Street from the former Whistle Stop is a place with an interesting history.

Built in 1902 as a parish house for the First Church in Windsor, this building featured a kitchen, a reading room, a chapel and several parlors for church gatherings. In 1955, after building a new parish hall, the church sold the place to the Washington Lodge of Masons. In operation since 1825, the lodge continues to meet here.

In the side yard of James Selig Estate Jewelry & Antiques on Broad Street, I spied the pastoral scene below.

Sculpted by Phil Thulen, this is one of many "reclaimed critters" that the antique shop sells. Continuing south along Broad Street, I came to #181, the building with the whitewashed rear end I featured above.

Currently home to Family Pizzeria and Queen Nails, this building dates to 1935 and was the home of Snelgrove Florist for 80 years, according to this article from the Windsor Historical Society (scroll down to read about the florist and see a photo). Look closely and you'll see the ghost of the word "Florist." The photo in the article shows the full sign, as well as a neon FLORIST sign that the Snelgroves acquired at a trade show in Vegas (!).

On the west side of Broad Street is VFW Post 4740/Raymond B. McHugh Post.

Dedicated in 1941 as a post office, this classic brick goverrnment building held that position for 22 years. In 1965, the VFW Post opened, after spending the prior two decades in a local Greek Revival home at the foot of Stony Hill, per the Tour Windsor web site.

(Entrance to the VFW Post.)

Across Elm Street from the VFW hall is the Plaza Building, which dates to 1929.

If you guessed that this place was once a theater, you're right. "Over the years this building has housed numerous commercial ventures including a grocery store, movie theater, and Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream," per the Tour Windsor web site. In 2011, the building was acquired by the Sachdev family, which has been renovating it with plans to revive it as a theater, and to add a restaurant and convert second-floor apartments to office space.

(The rear addition dates to 1935.)

My inside source (my sister) tells me that the owners have hit some snags over the years of working on the Plaza, including the existence of an underground stream (!). There is a pond at Washington Park, a short distance west, that runs close to this building before draining on the east side of Broad Street, near the Loomis Chaffee School.

I'm not sure the status of the renovation, but the pandemic likely didn't help. Here's hoping good things start happening here soon.

Next to the VFW Post is the Windsor Trust Building.

Built in 1929, this bank was constructed from bricks saved from a private home that was razed on the site. It is now home to Windsor Federal Savings

Behind the bank, on Maple Street, is the Windsor Town House, which I featured in a stand-alone post that I linked to above.

I haven't found out anything about this place online. My source tells me this motel is likely home to a transient population. I'm guessing by the architectural style and the sign, that this place dates to the 1950s.

Across Maple Avenue from the Windsor Town House, tucked down a long driveway, is the building below. I think the best word to describe it is adorable.

Built in 1882, this brick Victorian gem was originally a fire station, the first in town, according to this post at an unidentifiable blog. Now home to Gottier Investments, it served as a firehouse until 1939.

(Side view of the Gottier Investments building.)

Across a small parking lot, on Broad Street, is the Mondovi Dental building, which has some great jazz-themed murals on the side.

(Billie Holiday painting.)

(Miles Davis painting.)

(Thelonius Monk painting.)

I don't know who the artist is, but I'm guessing these artworks were commissioned by Steve Lipman, Windsor's "Singing Dentist," who works in the building. Here's an interview and some music samples.

Next door to the dentist office is The Bean @226, a coffee shop located in a circa-1885 former post office.

In addition to the post office, this beautiful building has been home over the years to a drug store and many other businesses.

There are other buildings in the immediate downtown that are listed on Tour Windsor as historic, but I had limited time, and knew I wanted to check out some stuff along nearby Poquonock Avenue/Route 75. First up on that short list was the Windsor Music Centre.

In business since 1960, this place has got a cool vibe, with some neat artwork adorning the exterior.

A friend who grew up in Windsor told me that this place is (or was) run by the family of Al Anderson of NRBQ, a band founded in 1965 in Kentucky whose music spanned rockabilly, pop and jazz. The band's best-known song is probably "Ridin' In My Car."

Another cool one is "RC Cola and a Moon Pie."

As cool as the music shop is, the main event around the bend was quite a thrill to explore.

At first, I thought this complex at the corner of Poquonock Avenue and East Street was just a sort-of old retail building with some apartments or offices up top. And a convenience store with a cool plastic sign.

But once I saw the historic marker, I knew there was much more going on.

There's a sign on this building that says "BUILT 1640," which is, well, a little misleading, as I'll explain. In that year, Rev. John Warham established at this site what may have been the first grist mill in Connecticut, according to this Windsor Historical Society article. A succession of proprietors ran the mill for the next 150 or years. Col. James Loomis -- father of the five siblings who founded the Loomis Chaffee School -- ran the place for quite some time. Upon his death in 1862, Earl Simons bought the property and tore down the old mill, per the historical society article. "[I]t is said that he used some of the timbers to erect the earliest part of the building that currently stands on the site," the article continues. So the building is more than 150 years old, and parts of it are 380 years old. That's pretty cool.

By 1929, Farmers Grain & Supply Co. was in business here. From the 1940s into the '60s, Raymond Robbins operated Robbins Grain & Hardware in this location. After that, the Larsen family took over the business.

The Larsens' store is now closed. I'm not sure how long ago it went out of business, or whether something else will fill this space in the near future.

How about we wrap this up with a close-up of that awesome sign!