Back in early March, on a cold, gray and blustery day like so many we had in New England over the winter, I ventured to Marblehead, Mass., to see some of the works of Debbie Shirley, an artist I follow on Instagram. She renders in paint many of the types of scenes that I photograph: neon signs, cool storefronts, diners, etc.
Her work was part of an exhibit at King Hooper Mansion, run by the Marblehead Arts Association. I would've gone to the show regardless, but when she sent me a message via IG that she planned to feature a small work based on a photo I'd made in Cambridge, Mass., well, I knew I had to go.
Her works were displayed in a small room with rich wood paneling, a perfect setting for her paintings. I was happy to meet her after chatting over IG off an on for a while. I found her to be quite pleasant, and I was thrilled to see in person the works that up to that point I'd only seen on my phone.
Before making my way to the exhibit, I walked around the charming seaside town for a bit. I made several photos, but I'm only featuring one site that I saw, because it's something that I'd never come across before.
When I saw this place, located on Pleasant Street, I thought it was an abandoned church, which seemed odd for a well-to-do town like Marblehead. But as I walked around it, I realized it was active as...something.
But I didn't suppose that it was a shrine to shuttlecocks, a giant room for racquets, a cauldron of cross-court shots.
Yes, I'm talking about badminton.
Established in 1932, the private Gut 'n Feathers Club "provides and maintains a setting in which our members can play and enjoy the sport of badminton within a supporting byob social environment," per the group's Facebook page.
As explained in the vintage video below, "If you want to be a badmiinton champion, you have to combine the dexterity of a dancer with the sleight of hand of a conjurer."
I enjoy playing badminton, although it's been years (probably decades) since I've done so.
As for the building, its original purpose was indeed as a house of worship. Built in 1881 as the home for the Universalist Church of Marblehead, it was put up for auction in the 1930s due to declining membership. "[T]he only bidder was the Gut 'n Feathers badminton club which had been looking for suitable headquarters," according to MACRIS. "The church edifice was renovated by removing the first floor and building one of the best springboard badminton floors in the country. The steeple was removed at the same time."
I have written about badminton once before on the blog: on March 27, 2019, I mentioned a former riding club building in Boston that was taken over by a badminton and tennis club in 1934, just two years after Gut 'n Feathers was established. That building was eventually converted to apartments.
The 1930s were tough on many people in the United States due to the Great Depression, but they were high times for badminton, according to USA Badminton. "Badminton’s popularity boomed in the 1930’s as educational institutions, YMCA’s, and hundreds of newly formed clubs offered badminton instruction. Spurring the sport’s popularity, in the 1930’s, was the avid play by several Hollywood personalities including James Cagney, Bette Davis, Boris Karloff, Dick Powell, Ginger Rogers, Joan Crawford, and Douglas Fairbanks."
In the spring of 2022, a friend and I went to the Fitchburg Art Museum to see an exhibit called American Roadsides: Frank Armstrong's Photographic Legacy. I had never heard of Armstrong before stumbling across mention of the show, but I could tell from the write-up on the musuem's web site, that he was a kindred soul - and a quite talented one at that.
Check out the video below from Clark University, where Clark served as a photography professor from 1999 to 2021. In it, he talks about his photos and his approach to life. "Photography was the excuse," he says in the video. "I was really going out there to be in that country."
I thoroughly enjoyed the exhibit, which featured plenty of gorgeous images of the sort that I make of small towns and medium-sized cities alike. I totally connect with Armstrong's sentiment about using photography as an excuse to explore the world. I haven't traveled outside of the United States much, but I've made up for that a little bit by going on adventures in cities and towns in New England, largely in Greater Boston.
I had never been to the museum, nor to Fitchburg, so the opportunity to check out a new city while peeping some great art really appealed to me. After our museum visit, my friend and I went looking for a place to eat. We ended up at the Moran Square Diner, which looked amazing from the outside, and served good food in a hip atmosphere.
Ever since that trip, I'd wanted to get back to Fitchburg. In late September of 2025, I made that trip, and of course my first stop was the diner.
Below are a few images I made back in 2022:
How about that shiny enamel facade?! And the lettering for the name of the diner, and the remnant of what I imagine was once a very cool neon sign?!
Below is a shot of the interior:
LPs above the counter - never seen that before, and I loved it. Miles Davis, Real Estate and the Postal Service. Eclectic and smart choices. The owners, Brittany and Adam Willoughby, launched a Kickstarter campaign in 2021, looking to raise funds to restore the diner and add new features, such as a deck in front and a refurbished sign. "The diner was built in 1939 by The Worcester Lunch Car Company and has remained open until 2018 when it was permanently closed," the Kickstarter page indicated.
I knew none of this when I ate there; I'd just happened upon the place and insisted to my friend that we had to eat there.
I'm not sure what happened between my first visit to the diner and my second. This eatery is now known as Royal Chicken. Based on the menu available online, it appears to be a Middle Eastern affair.
Below are images I made in September 2025:
I was saddened to see the beautiful Moran Diner script sign covered up. This happens a lot with these historic diners, which change hands and names every so often. I didn't go inside. I hope the counter and booths are intact.
From there I headed west along Main Street. In relatively short order I walked past a trio of ghosts of retail past.
The top one looks like it says "MILLER'S." I found mention of Rome's on a Fitchburg-oriented Facebook group, but nothing about Miller's or a store called Lewis. I'm always happy to stumble across these old tile entryways.
Speaking of stumbling...let's check out the Rollstone Boulder!
I walked past all sorts of old buildings, some in good shape, others not, some with ground-floor tenants, others not. I checked out a ghost sign I'd learned about in my pre-search, but it was too faded to interest me. Then, at the top of the Upper Common, located in a showcase triangle where Main Street splits to the west of downtown, I spied a GIANT ROCK.
The Rollstone Boulder was "carried by the last glacier from Mt. Monadnock New Hampshire to the summit of the hill whose name commemorates it," according to a plaque on the big stone. Rollstone Hill is situated about three-quarters of a mile southwest of this spot.
The boulder "was for centuries a land mark to Indian and settler," the plaque's text continues. "Threatened with destruction by quarrying operations, it was saved by popular subscription, and reassembled here, 1929-1930."
I have to say I find that story fascinating and inspiring. The stone weighs 110 tons and is made of porphyritic granite.
A few doors down Main Street, heading west, I was taken by the groovy sign and sad facade for The Recovery Room.
The upholstery store has been closed for quite some time. I noticed the peaked roof sticking out above the brick building, but didn't think much about it. MACRIS tells us that the original part of this building dates to 1833 and was at its completion the city's first Baptist church.
On the side of the former house of worship is a cool old sign.
Littlehale + Fisher was a construction contractor. I'm not sure what years the company was in operation.
Around the corner, heading southeast on Main Street is another former church building.
Built in 1797 (!), this was Fitchburg's second meeting house. It was originally located near the corner of Main and Prospect streets, near where the Unitarian Church now is, according to MACRIS. "When the affairs of the church and town were divided, the meeting house was moved to its present location."
A few doors down, on the side of the historic Joslin House where both The Break Bicycle Shop and The Boulder Cafe (established in 1934) are located, is a massive promotional poster for the Fitchburg Longsjo Classic, an annual bike race.
From Wikipedia: "The race was founded in Fitchburg...in 1960, as the Arthur M. Longsjo Jr. Memorial Bicycle Race, in memory of Fitchburg native and resident Art Longsjo. In 1956 Longsjo competed in the Winter Olympics as a speed skater and at the Summer Olympics as a cyclist, making him the first American to compete in Summer and Winter Olympic Games in one year. In 1958, Longsjo perished in a car crash in Vermont, while driving home after winning the 180-mile long Quebec-Montreal Road Race."
In 1991, "the race expanded to a four-day stage race format, which continued through 2010," Wikipedia continues. "Stages included a time trial, a circuit race on a 3-mile loop in the Fitchburg State University area, a road race in Princeton and Westminster that finished atop Mount Wachusett, and the traditional downtown Fitchburg criterium. As a stage race, the event was one of the largest pro-am bicycle stage races in the country and part of the various national calendar races of the period."
The race was canceled in 2011 and 2012, but revived in 2013. The final race was held in 2019.
At 781 Main Street is the Phoenix Building, a Renaissance Revival building completed in 1893 for the Fitchburg Mutual Fire Insurance Co.
This building dates to 1832. It was designed in the Federal style, MACRIS indicates, but in the 1880s, a man named H.M. Francis remodeled it in the Victorian Eclectic mode. "[T]he only remaining features from the earlier design are the parapet end walls and the asymetrical bay spacing of the street level shops," MACRIS indicates. "The building maintains many character defining features of its Victorian Eclectic Style, including the decorative brick patterns, terra cotta panels and capitols, door transoms, parapet gable dormer, and the cast iron pilasters along the street level shop fronts. The building's main feature is the semicircular masonry opening in the center bay of the third story."
That semicircular opening sure is eye-catching. Prior to the remodeling, tenants included a grocer, a jeweler and a photography studio. More recent occupants included a pharmacy, a card shop and a tailor. Today, tenants include Grizz Gang Forever Studios, a music recording business.
At 721 Main Street is the Quinlan Building, which opened in 1913 (or 1929, depending on which source you check) with theater, commercial and office space.
The theater operated under at least a few names -- Saxony Theatre and Estre Cinema, per MACRIS -- over the years. Cinema Treasures indicates that it closed in the 1980s. Antiquity Echoes says there are 1,700 seats in the auditorium (click that link to see some photos from the now times as well as the past), and that in its heyday the theater featured films, live acts and musical performances.
Cinema Treasures indicates that Fitchburg State University purchased the building in 2018, and that the school began renovations in 2022 with the goal of turning it into a performing arts space. As you can see in the photo above, however, there is a sign under the marquee that indicates, as of late September 2025, CONSTRUCTION STARTING SOON.
In January 2023, the university received $2 million in federal funding "toward the development of a 'black box' theater to be constructed adjacent to the main theater building in the downtown performing arts center," according to this press release fron U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan of Massachusetts. "The new construction will be used for university productions and the public, with the restoration of the historic theater to follow in a future phase of construction."
Fingers crossed.
Just up Main Street is what surely is one of the most beautiful buildings in Fitchburg.
In 1883, George Fay had this Victorian Gothic home built, after he had amassed a fortune through his investments in Massachusetts railroads, per MACRIS. "In 1894, [Fay], along with others, helped establish Burbank Hospital. When he died in 1895 his daughter, Lucy Fay, inherited the $100,000 home and several million dollars. With these funds Lucy helped Fitchburg working girls by providing room and board at several homes belonging to the Helping Hand Society for Working Girls."
Upon marrying and moving to California in 1910, she donated her home to the Park Club, of which her father had been a founding member. One stipulation was that the club change its name to the Fay Club. The stable was converted to a gymnasium.
The organization still exists, although it shut down in 2015, only to reopen the following year. From what I can gather at its web site, the club exists as a place for members to eat, drink and be merry. I suppose there may be charitable efforts made.
Across Main Street is the Classical Revival Fitchburg Gas and Electric Light Company building.
Currently home to Italian eatery Dario's Ristorante, this place dates to 1925 and "is the best example of Neo-Glassical architecture on Main St.," according to MACRIS. The company eventually was merged into Unitil Corp.
A few blocks east, on the north side of the street, is a fantastic former YMCA building.
Completed in 1894, the Y building was originally five stories, according to MACRIS, but two were removed at some point. The facility featured a boy's reading room, an association hall, a gymnasium and bowling alleys, MACRIS indicates. The building was later home to a branch of the Worcester County National Bank. I'm not sure if there are currently any tenants.
Next, I made a quick detour heading south on Putnam Street, and I'm glad I did.
I'm not sure the details of Putnam Street Lanes (how long it's been open, info about the building), but I'm glad it's still in business. Whenever I'm researching towns to explore, I look for diners, old theaters, ghost signs and bowling alleys first.
Speaking of ghost signs:
I passed plenty of old buildings along Main Street, but I only caught sight of one faded advertisement. Located on the side of the Coggshall and Carpenter Block, the sign is unreadable. If anyone can read it or knows the history, let me know.
As for the building, it dates to 1877. Tenants over the decades have included, according to MACRIS: Albee, Lyons & Company, which sold trunks, valises, & bags; LH Pratt & Co, watchmakers and jewelers; the tailor shop of Charles Clement and John Holland; a dry goods store known as Nichols & Frost; Royal Hat Co.; and many more. The upper floor was a hall used by various groups over the years, including Fitchburg Lodge of BPOE 847; the Spanish War Veterans; the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States; Lawrence Ayers Post 794 and the American Legion Post, Fitchburg No. 10.
Current tenants - I'm not sure.
After making that image, I scooted down Mill Street, a pedestrian-only way that skirts behind several Main Street buildings. The street was renovated and decorated by local artists in 2019. I dug the look of Eddy's Music.
I swung up Cushing Street and back to Main Street. The JL African/Caribbean Food Market is located in the Drury Building, at the corner of Blossom Street.
Fred Drury built this place in the 1920s to house his grocery store. Whelan Drug was in this space from the 1930s to 1960s, MACRIS indicates, while St. Paul Catholic Book and Film Center occupied the first floor later in that decade. Upstairs tenants, according to MACRIS, have included the Knight Templars Education Foundation; several attorneys; The Morrill Photography Studio; Fitchburg Conservatory of Music; American School of Music); Gagnon & Fitzpatrick real estate; The Pink Salon beauty Shop; Francis J O'Connell real estate; P Fusco, a music teacher.
My final stop was on Day Street - a former hotel and one-time mansion.
MACRIS doesn't have a lot to say: "Unique (to Fitchburg) row-houses along Cherry Street, and brick mansion and large hotel section along Day Street. Hotel Raymond, named after Raymond Dwyer, was for years most important hotel in town. Henry A. Hatch erected Mansard section along Cherry Street (by 1875)....Hatch ran a grocery business."
The Fitchburg Historical Society Facebook page offers some color commentary: "In the early 1900s the Hotel Raymond at 35-41 Day St. was owned and operated by J. Raymond Dwyer. Besides being the proprietor of the hotel, Dwyer was also in partnership with Andrew H.M.. Hawthorne in owning bowling alleys and pool tables at 16 Putnam St."
So the bowling alley mentioned above has been around for more than 100 years. That's cool to find out.
One more tidbit from that Facebook page: "The Hotel Raymond on Day Street was the playing site of one of the earliest nationally rated chess tournaments held in Fitchburg. The event was the 4th annual Central New England Open Chess Championship, sponsored by the Wachusett Chess Club of Fitchburg, the second-oldest chess club in Massachustts, and held in June 1965 in the hotel's ballroom."
* No actual floating was undertaken in pursuit of this and other posts about Fall River.
In my last post about Fall River, Mass. , I said that my series about the old mill city was wrapping up (see bottom of this post for that link, as well to the previous two installments). Well, I was wrong, and that's a good thing, because there is so much still to cover. More than a year has elapsed between posts, and there will likely be a long layoff until the next one. But you can be sure there will more.
Over Labor Day weekend I returned to the Corky Row Historic District I explored in 2024, and also checked out some other parts of the city. After parking alongside Kennedy Park, I walked up to South Main Street and spied some fantastic signs for competing hot dog joints.
J.J's Coney Island Hot Dogs and Nick's Hot Dogs are located practically across the street from each other. Having opened in 1920, the latter claims to be the region's "oldest continuous Coney Island hot dog outlet." I'm not sure when J.J.'s began slinging dogs. Each eatery also offers other types of fast food.
Named for the neighborhood in Brooklyn that is known worldwide for its amusement park, a Coney Island hot dog is, according to Wikipedia, "a wiener in a bun topped with a savory meat sauce and sometimes other toppings. It is similar to a chili dog and is often offered as part of a menu of classic American diner dishes and at Coney Island restaurants. Despite its name and association with New York, it is most popular in the Midwestern United States, especially in Michigan. It was invented by early 20th century immigrants from Greece and the region of Macedonia to the United States."
A little north-northeast of Nick's, on the opposite side of South Main, is the Clipper Restaurant, a Portuguese place.
Established in 1980 or 1981, depending on which part of the web site you choose to believe, the Clipper claims to be the "oldest single family owned Portuguese restaurant in North America."
A little further in the same direction, on the east side of the street, squeezed between two buildings where a bridal and dress business operate, is the former Cascade Engine Company #1 station.
Built in 1897, this English Revival firehouse is made of rough-cut Fall River granite, according to MACRIS. The building has also served as a retail store over the years. I'm not sure if there is any business located here presently.
There is a cool mural on the side of the adjoining building, keeping an eye on the old station.
Created by artist Rene Gagnon, the mural "contains the logo of the Capitol Theatre (sic) - that's the building on the right it's painted on," according to Fall River photographer and videographer Will Costa's comment when I posted this photo on Instagram.
The theater dates to 1926, and was renovated in 1980. A fire in 1976 seriously damaged the building, per MACRIS. The building was used as a bowling alley and furniture store subsequently. It is currently occupied by Alexandra's Boutique.
I turned back toward the southwest, peeking up Morgan Street to make a photo of the shuttered Saint Dominique Mini Mart.
St. Dominic "was a Castilian Catholic priest, eventual patron saint and the founder of the Dominican Order," according to Wikipedia. "He is the patron saint of astronomers and natural scientists, and he and his order are traditionally credited with spreading and popularizing the rosary."
Interesting choice of a name for a convenience store. The shop is located on the southwest-facing side of the Moore Building, which was built in 1924.
Back out on South Main Street stands the H.L. Thuot Building, which rose in 1916. I haven't found out anything about this building, other than it was formerly home to Universal Furniture. The building is now occupied by Igreja Universal.
A little further along, just north of Kennedy Park, is a somewhat drab building that nevertheless has a cool history.
The plaque at the roofline caught my eye, leading me to make the photo, even though I couldn't fully make out what it says. I could read the date, 1890, and that was it. This place, as it turns out, started life as the Young Men's Protestant Temperance Society Hall. The temperance movement sought the prohibition of the production, sale or consumption of alcohol. There were many such groups in the late-19th and early-20th centuries in Fall River and across the country.
In 1944, the society sold the building to the Fall River Lodge 456 of the Loyal Order of Moose, according to MACRIS. The temperance society remained active at a different address until 1954.
In 1966, the Moose chapter sold the building to Academica Realty Corp. "A decade later, the Academica Realty Corp. re-incorporated as the Associacao Academica, Inc.," per Wikipedia. "The Associacao Academica was formed in 1962...as a Portuguese men’s social club." I believe a plan has been floated to convert this building to apartments.
Continuing south on South Main Street, I dug the sign for The Moose Cafe at the corner of Park Street.
I'm not sure whether the eatery was named in honor of the old Moose Lodge. From what I can tell, it hasn't been in business in quite a while. I'm guessing the building was originally a service station.
Upon reaching Middle Street, I headed east. I was heading toward one of the spots I'd identified during my online research, but was pleasantly surprised along Third Street to find a lovely sideways sign for Shamrock Village apartments.
I hope this sign used to be more of a Kelly green before fading over time.
At the intersection of Third and Branch streets, I arrived at the Corky Row Club, which I'd discovered during my pre-search.
Located in a low-slung, less-than-welcoming building, the club is "Fall River’s oldest Irish pub, founded 1936," per its web site. "Open to the public and welcoming new member applications."
At one time, the building at 602 Third Street was quite handsome, based on the photo at the club's MACRIS page. Built in 1877, the Italianate building with a mansard roof had three upper stories above the ground floor. I'm not sure whether the building burned or fell into disrepair and was torn down. I believe what stands there now is part of the original structure, but greatly altered.
From the club I wound my way east on Branch Street, then south on 5th Street and out to Plymouth Avenue. After a short walk south-southwest, I found myself at another destination that I'd flagged ahead of time.
Built in 1908, the Flat Iron Building -- are all buildings shaped like a flat iron required to be called the Flat Iron Building? -- features apartments on the upper floors, above M & S Liquors.
From here, I headed north on Second Street until I hit Middle Street again, and then turned west. At the bottom of the hill, across from Kennedy Park, stands an impressive Catholic compound.
St. Anne's Shrine "stands proudly as a masterpiece of architecture and a lasting tribute to the generations of immigrants from French Canada who built it," per MACRIS. Construction on the buildings began in 1891 and was completed in 1916. It is quite majestic. I'm not sure whether services are held regularly. I believe there are also apartments located in the lower buildings.
I had one more site I wanted to check out, so I drove to Ferry Street, along the Taunton River, to find the Tipsy Toboggan.
The restaurant and bar features live entertainment, and sponsored the Fall River Chowda Heads Toboggan racing team at the 2025 U.S. National Toboggan Championships, per its web site. I haven't found out the history of this placee, but it looks like it's fairly old and I'm guessing it was once part of a mill complex.
Below are links to the prior three installments in my Fall River series:
With apologies to residents of the community, I've long considered Belmont, Mass., a pass-through town. Coming from Newton, where I live, I would cut along Belmont's Pleasant Street to get to Route 2, and then on to Lanes & Games in Cambridge (R.I.P.). Or I would traverse that street on my way to Arlington to drop my son at a friend's house, or to see his school put on a play at that town's Regent Theatre.
I must always remember the primary Backside maxim: get out of the car, explore, learn.
Located less than a dozen miles northwest of Boston, Belmont (loose French translation: beautiful mountain) was established in 1859 "by former citizens of, and on land from the bordering towns of, Watertown, to the south; Waltham, to the west; and Arlington, then known as West Cambridge, to the north," according to Wikipedia. "The town was named after Bellmont, the 200-acre estate of the largest donor to its creation, John Perkins Cushing, after which Cushing Square is named." I'll cover Mr. Cushing and the square in the final post about Belmont.
Belmont was primarily a farming town until trolley servicee was introduced in the early years of the 20th century, Wikipedia continues. The town took on a more suburban feel then, with many large estates.
Today, the town "remains a primarily residential suburb, with little population growth since the 1950s," Wikipedia indicates. "It is best known for the mansion-filled Belmont Hill neighborhood, although most residents live in more densely settled, low-lying areas around the Hill."
It is a quiet town, a lovely town, and one with three primary commercial districts. In this post, I will cover Belmont Center; in two subsequent write-ups I will discuss Waverley Square and Cushing Square.
My first stop -- and how could it not be? -- was the stunning town hall.
I mean, holy cow, look at this place! Built in 1881, this Queen Anne-style masterpiece was desgined by Henry Hartwell, a well-known Boston architect whose works include the gorgeous First Spiritual Temple in Boston and both the Masonic Building and the Boston Chinese Evangelical Church in Newtonville, Mass., each of which I mention in this post from 2023.
In addition to serving as Belmont's town hall, the building has over the years provided space for the school committee, the fire department and the police department's jail, according to MACRIS. The Belmont Savings Bank also used space in the building.
At the main entrance is a monument to the men of Belmont who died in the Civil War.
Established in 1920, the club was organized to encourage women’s active involvement in educational and philanthropic activities, per its web site. These days, the club, which is comprised of both female and male members, sponsors community events and "awards scholarships to graduating Belmont High School students who demonstrate leadership qualities and an interest in art or history, and hosts regular lectures on diverse topics such as civil rights, global travel, and the little-known inventions of actress Hedy Lamar" (sic) (!!).
The members also act as stewards of the circa-1853 William Flagg Homer House in which the club is located. From MACRIS: "The William Flagg Homer House is significant because of its association with the 19th century American artist, Winslow Homer. The structure was built by the artist's Uncle (sic) in 1853, and although Winslow Homer did not reside here, he did live and paint nearby. Two paintings associated with his period in Belmont are "Croquet Scenes" (sic) and "Making Havelocks for the Front" (sic).
From here I turned east down Moore Street. I made a photo of #18, because a) I like the blue-tile exterior and b) I thought maybe it used to be "something."
I haven't found any interesting history for this place. I can't even be sure of the year it was built, although it may have been 1985. Current tenants include a handful of dental-related businesses. You win some, you lose some.
On a second trip to Belmont, I made two images along Leonard Street, the main commercial strip.
I was battling the sun, so only made one photo of buildings on the east side of the street. On the right in the image below is 65-89 Leonard Street, home to businesses including The Toy Shop of Belmont, Thai restaurant Patou and a Citizens Bank branch.
Known as the Locatelli Block Addition, this circa-1941 Colonial Revival building is similar in look to the building just to its north, as well as the Locatelli Block (circa 1940) just south of it. Both the original and the addition were constructed by the Albert Locatelli Co. of neighboring Arlington, according to MACRIS. "Filene’s was the first store to open in the new block," according to MACRIS. "In addition to Filene’s the other early store tenants included #65 – First National Stores; #69 – Ben Franklin Stores; #71 – Ye Goodie Shoppe, candies; #73 – Town and Country, women’s wear and #75 – Lewandos, Launderers."
As for the Locatelli Block original building, in 1944 "the tenants of the block were #49 – The Cleanliness shop; #51 – Beauty House; #53 – Dorothy Muriel, bakers; #55 – Hood’s Creamery; #59 – Sage’s Market; #61 – Macy Drug Co.; and #63 – U.E. Slocum, florist," MACRIS indicates.
Directly across from the first Locatelli building is a gorgeous former firehouse.
Built in 1899, the Belmont Center Fire Station is the oldest of the town's three stations. Current tenants include Il Casale, an Italian restaurant, and Knightsbridge, a venture capital firm.
I continued walking south along Leonard Street until it turned into Concord Avenue, passed under the MBTA commuter rail bridge, and then headed east. The furthest point I went in that direction was a Mobil gas station with a nice Pegasus logo above its restroom doors.
In my mind, this flying-horse trademark is one of greatest of all time - based in Greek mythology, bold in color, instantly recognizable. From the Lost and Foundry blog:
"The origins of the Pegasus imagery go back to 1866 with Vacuum Oil....Vacuum was bought by Standard Oil in 1879...[I]n 1911 the Vacuum Oil company changed their logo from the Gargoyle to the Pegasus trademark....In 1911 the US Supreme Court ruled that Standard Oil was to be dissolved into 43 companies, Vacuum being one of them. In 1931 Vacuum Oil and Socony merged. The pegasus – a symbol of speed and power – was adopted as the trademark of the two companies....In 1963 Socony rebranded as Mobil."
While I was more than happy to spot the old Pegasus, I'd decided to head east on Concord Avenue in order to spy what was at #395. I made a photo of the building there as I walked back toward Belmont Center.
This building is home to the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research. Belmont and its neighborhing communities of Watertown and Cambridge are home to one of the largest Armenian-American communities in the United States.
What drew my interest to this site, however, isn't its current use. According to Wikipedia, a building that stood on this site prior to 2018 was the headquarters of the John Birch Society from its founding in 1958 until its relocation to Appleton, Wisconsin, in 1989.
I don't recall how I found out about the JBS in Belmont, but I was surprised. If you're not familiar with the society, I'll just leave you with Wikipedia's description: it is "an American right-wing political advocacy group. Founded in 1958, it is anti-communist, supports social conservatism, and is associated with ultraconservative, radical right, far-right, right-wing populist, and right-wing libertarian ideas."
Continuing west on Concord Avenue, I was charmed by a small retail building next to the tunnel under the tracks.
I feel like this quaint place would slot nicely into a village in the Swiss Alps. I especially like the clock. I haven't found out anything about this building, unfortunately. Current tenants include Good Look Optical and The Luxe Dose med spa.
Across Concord Avenue is Belmont's First Unitarian Church.
Built in 1890, this Richardsonian Romanesque beauty was designed by well-known firm Hartwell and Richardson. The architecture outfit "contributed significantly to the current building stock and architecture of the greater Boston area," per Wikipedia. "Many of its buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places."
Back on the other side of the street, just north of where Concord Avenue merges into Common Street is the historic Belmont Railroad Station along Royal Road. As you can see, this place is currently occupied by the Belmont Lions Club, and is undergoing renovations.
"The Belmont Railroad Station is a significant early 20th century railroad station which is distinctive for its creative rubble stone and stucco construction in a Craftsman-influenced style," according to MACRIS. "The structure was built into the elevated grade of the railroad tracks, a feature which is indicated stylistically by the stepped pattern of the front porch openings from east to west."
The station was built in 1908 from a design by the Ludowici-Celadon Company, per MACRIS. That outfit traces its origins to 1888 with the formation of the Celadon Terra Cotta Company in Alfred, New York, according to Wikipedia. The company does business today as Ludowici Roof Tile.
"The station was built by the Boston and Maine Railroad Company which had acquired the Fitchburg Railroad line (established in 1843) and the Central Mass. Line (established in 1881) in 1902," according to MACRIS. The decision to elevate the tracks at this location was to allow Concord Avenue and other streets to pass underneath for convenience."
The station serves as a stop on the MBTA's Fitchburg commuter rail line.
While you wait -- ever so eagerly, I'm sure -- for the next parts of this Belmont series, check out the links below for past coverage of the town.
