I travel often from Connecticut to Pennsylvania to visit family and friends. I take Route 84 west to New York on most trips to avoid going through NYC. I have to cross the Newburgh Bridge in New York as I make my way down. I stopped in the town of Newburgh on one trip to get some gas, which sparked my interest in the town. I made a plan to stop there on a recent visit to see my father on Good Friday and I’m glad I stopped through.
I did a bit of research beforehand to get a lay of the land. I spotted a factory along the Hudson River so I figured it would be a good spot to start. The factory was once the site of The Newburgh Steam Mills on North Water St. The building was built in the mid 1800’s and brought a lot of business and employment to the area. The factory, which processed cotton, employed over 300 employees. As this was my first time in the area, I only took a few shots of the building from the street side, but I found out later that I could have walked behind the building also. (Next time!)
The building was bought and transformed into a lawnmower factory in the late 1800’s after the decline of cotton manufacturing. The Chadborn & Coldwell Manufacturing Company of Newburgh operated into the 1940’s before eventually merging with Toro brand lawnmowers. The building was once again sold and transformed into the Regal Bag Company. The company ran the business from the property for almost 73 years and sold it in 2024.
The building now contains businesses on the 5th and 6th floors. On the 6th floor, there is a company that makes backdrops for Broadway shows. The fifth floor has many spaces for artists and artist studios. Fun fact - the building is listed in Ripley’s Believe It or Not! as the only building that has its main entrance on the 6th floor.
After taking a few shots, I ventured closer to the marina to check out some sites along the Hudson River. There were other brick buildings that also looked to be former factories/businesses. Most of the buildings have been transformed into restaurants. The weather was nice for an early spring day, which brought a pretty good amount of people to the area. I’m sure that the area will be much busier with the weather getting warmer. I’ll have to go back later in the spring or summer to see.
My curiosity for something more “Backside” drew me even closer to the water. To my delight, I spotted a few old vessels docked along the shore. I don’t know what these vessels were used for or how long they were left there, but it lets us know there was some shipping activity along this part of the Hudson River.
Being so close to the shore gave me a great view of the town of Beacon across the river. The Newburgh-Beacon ferry can be taken from the marina back and forth across the Hudson River connecting Newburgh and Beacon, N.Y. The ferries only run on weekdays as a rush-hour service for commuters to NYC. Ferries are timed to connect at Beacon with Metro-North trains to and from Grand Central.
I will definitely be back to take more shots in this interesting town. My research of the town led me to the fact that Newburgh is in the top 10 of cities in the U.S. in violent crime. I will have to be careful when taking a trip further into the town. The town is in the process of revitalizing the area as it is reported that there is much blight like a lot of towns in the U.S. I’m anxious to view some of the old architecture and layout of downtown Newburgh. I will keep you all posted. Wish me luck!
I came up empty while brainstorming about the downtown area of Everett, Mass., a city of nearly 50,000 residents just north of Boston. I tried to work something using former big-league baseball player Carl Everett, known by some as Jurassic Carl for his, shall we say, far out views on the world (denying the existence of dinosaurs, disputing that man has ever landed on the moon). In prior posts about the city, I had better luck (see September 30, 2023, "A Nutty Trip to See Some Signs in Everett" played off the Teddie Peanut Butter factory; May 4, 2019, "Roll the Dice: Encore!"; and June 25, 2013, "Roll the Dice") dealt with the city's casino. But those headlines had little to do with the city of Everett proper.
No matter. Lame headline aside, I've come up with another fantastic post (#906!) featuring a beautiful library, a gorgeous church, a nicely maintained armory and much more. Let's get to it!
The Palestine Masonic Lodge caught my eye first.
It looks practically brand new, all spiffed up and ready to greet the day. Often, when I see a Masonic building, it's closed up or in somewhat rough shape. Built in 1910 along Broadway, just south of the old high school, the lodge was erected to replace a previous building that burned down in a different location.
From MACRIS: "Like Masonic lodges across the country, the Palestine Lodge grew in membership in the first decades of the 20th century. In 1910, the lodge reported 465 members. By 1918 membership had grown to seven hundred and sixty-five and by 1926 the lodge had the third largest membership in the state with 1200 members. Interest in freemasonry and fraternal societies declined after 1930. This trend was evident at the Palestine Lodge, where membership declined to 825 by 1943. The Palestine Lodge continued to own and occupy the building at 536 Broadway until the early 1980s, when it was sold due to lack of funds to maintain the property. From the mid-1990s to 2019 the building was owned by the Islamic Association of Massachusetts."
The building sat vacant for a while before being redeveloped into apartments. "It houses 15 apartments consisting of a mix of studio, 1-bedroom, and 2-bedroom units. 3 units are designated as income-restricted and will be rented to households earning at or below 80% AMI (Area Median Income)," per this Maloney Real Estate listing.
Continuing north-northeast on Broadway, I liked the look of the sign outside McKinnon's Supermarket.
A five-store chain of stores in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, McKinnon's has been in business since the 1940s.
I continued all the way to Ferry Street, and then turned around. I didn't see much of note until I'd gone past the Masonic Lodge again and into the heart of Everett Square.
Dempsey's Breakfast & Lunch has been operated by the same family for years. I'm a little unclear on just how long the eatery has been in business. From the restaurant's web site: "From the original Donut Villa that opened in 1976 to Dempsey’s today, The Nentis Family has provided excellence in food service for over 39 years to Everett and the surrounding cities."
The MACRIS file on this building shows an old photo of Donut Villa. There are Donut Villa locations in Arlington, Cambridge and Malden. Their eatery in Newton didn't last very long. The building dates to 1940; previous tenants included Oliver's Stationery Store and S.K. Ames, which sold butter, cheese and eggs, per MACRIS.
Across the square from the diner is a rounded, two-story office building painted a distinctive shade of green.
The Everett Trust Company Building opened in 1919. The bank was establshed elsewhere in 1910. An addition on Chelsea Street, below, was built in 1921.
Now home to Iglesia Pentecostal Unida Hispana (United Hispanic Pentecostal Church), the addition was home to a post office for a number of years. Subsequent to that, the space was occupied by a Waldorf Restaurant, per MACRIS. I wrote about another old Waldorf Restaurant, this one located in Fall River, last September. Waldorf was a cafeteria-style restaurant popular in the middle part of last century in various locations across several states.
I continued east-southeast along Chelsea Street for a little bit until I saw a side-by-side clash of colors and histories.
On the right is Zeke's Pub, which I'll discuss in a minute. On the left is Super JC Market, which sells groceries and includes a pharmacy and a cafe.
The market is located in a circa-1925 building that was originally the Melanson Brothers Chevrolet dealership. A photo in the MACRIS file shows that this was also a BMW dealership in more recent years.
As for Zeke's, it has been slinging drinks since 1940, according to its sign.
This joint has a 3.8-star average on Yelp, based on four reviews.
A few steps further east brought me to the front of the Edward G. Connolly Center.
Like me, you may have guessed that this building's original purpose was as an armory. Built in 1902 in the English Revival style, the Everett Armory "was the home of Company B, 8th Regiment Infantry, Massachusetts Volunteer Militia," according to MACRIS. "In its early years the company provided assistance after the Chelsea Fire of 1908 and during the Lawrence Mills labor strike of 1912. The Armory building was taken over by the State in 1910 and was completely renovated for use by the company."
The renovation included a rifle range and two bowling alleys in the basement. "The building was used for military activities through the Vietnam War era but was also the site for various community functions including banquets, exhibitions and social events including military balls," MACRIS continues. "The City of Everett received the building from the National Guard in the 1970s and it received additional renovations in 1989. In October 2006 the building was renamed the Edward G. Connolly Center in honor of longtime state representative and former mayor, Edward G. Connolly."
At this point, I doubled back to Everett Square.
On the left in the photo above is La Hacienda, a Mexican/Salvadoran restaurant located in a circa-1926 building that was originally home to a Kresge department store. I've written about Kresge stores before, in Waltham and New Bedford.
The middle building is the aforementioned Dempsey's Breakfast & Lunch. The third building, the old Everett Savings Bank, I will discuss below.
The main part of the Richardsonian Romanesque library opened in 1894. The addition, seen in the two photos above, dates to 1912, and was designed by the same architect, John C. Spofford, and matches the design of the original building.
Next door is the Central Fire Station, which dates to 1908 and looks to be in fabulous shape.
Renovations were completed in 2020.
Just a little further south is the shuttered Sal's Dry Cleaning.
At this point, I turned around and headed back toward Everett Square. There, I spied two great old buildings abutting the previously mentioned Everett Trust Company Building.
Completed in 1896, the Evans Building was built by Alonzo Evans, who served as the city's first mayor and was the president of the Boston Five Cents Savings Bank, per MACRIS. "The Evans Building contained two stores on the ground story and offices above," MACRIS continues. "The third story, known as Arcanum Hall, was used as meeting space by various clubs and civic organizations and for special functions."
Current tentants include a deli, a smoke shop and an insurance agency.
Next door is the imposing and beautiful Arthur H. Whittier Building.
Built in 1900, the Renaissance Revival building was originally occupied by Arthur H. Whittier & Company, a grocery store. Subsequently, F.W. Woolworth opened a store on the first floor. Current tenants include a T-Mobile store, a Brazilian market and the Skyplex function hall.
From there I headed west on Norwood Street. On the side of Angelo's Touch Hairstyling, I found this amusing mural/ad.
Yes, artist Juleen Jones has turned Vito Corleone's threat against a Hollywood big shot in "The Godfather" into a tagline for a hair salon.
Across Norwood Street, I dug the sign for Taco El Paso.
At the intersection of Norwood Street and Broadway is another in a long line of buildings I've documented here with an "X" on it, which indicates to firefighters that the building is not safe to enter in case there's a conflagration.
Built in 1877, this Second Empire brick building holds a few important places in Everett's history. First, per the photo on the MACRIS file, the building once housed a Brigham's Ice Cream restaurant. Second, it was the first masonry block to be erected in Everett Square, according to MACRIS, and "is also the second oldest (sic) building in the square, pre-dated only by the First Congregational Church." I will discuss that church below.
MACRIS continues: "Originally known as the Whittier & Dearborn Building, the block was soon renamed the Library Building. The city's first public library, organized in 1878, was located here until the Parlin Library was constructed in 1894-95. The other tenant and later owner of note was the Odd Fellows Association, organized locally in 1875."
I hope someone can turn this place around, given its illustrious past.
Just north of the previously mentioned Dempsey's is a great little building, the former Everett Savings Bank.
Currently home to Regal Mexican Grill, this Classical Revival gem dates to 1885. Although built as office space, it was converted to use as a bank in 1889. Everett Savings remained in this location until 1930, per MACRIS, when it moved to a newer building that will be featured below. Since that time, a variety of small businesses and retailers have operated here.
A few buildings away is the gorgeous Everett First Congregational Church.
Now home to Igreja Universal, this Italianate stunner dates to 1852 and is oldest surviving structure in Everett Square, according to MACRIS. "The first Everett town meeting was held here on March 21, 1870. The church was incorporated in 1891 and a year later remodeled and rededicated."
The final stop on my downtown Everett tour was the newer Everett Savings Bank building. The sun was tough, so I apologize for the photo.
You can't tell from my photo, but this building is fairly impressive. "This sandstone building, designed in the Spanish Colonial Revival style (infrequently seen on the east coast (sic)) is one of the most distinguished in Everett Square," according to MACRIS. "The exterior walls are decorated with figured panels; multi-pane windows are outlined with rope molding and the arched heads terminate in panels filled with animal and foliate ornament. An arcaded frieze and Moorish cornice finish the major elevations."
Opened in 1930, the building is now home to the Pioneer Charter School...I think.
In February 2018, I wrote about a historic farm in a corner of Waltham, Mass., that had fallen fallow (see February 15, 2018, "No Farms. No Food. No Dice?"). At that time, the City of Waltham had entered into negotiations to acquire the farm, which had been continuously farmed from at least 1650 until 2011. Every so often after I published that post, I would drive by the site on Warren Street looking for signs of progress. All I saw was a gradual decline in the farmhouse.
Then, one day....
Information about the restoration and planned future use is scarce online. As far as I know, the city plans to use the acreage for a tree farm. I don't know whether there is a plan to try and save the garage on the property.
I've taken a lot of photos of this garage over the years, so I hope the city just leaves it to nature. But I doubt that will happen.
When last we talked about the Charles River Speedway -- nearly 15 years ago! -- I learned that the historic but long-abandoned buildings at the intersection of Western Avenue and Market Street in Boston's Brighton neighborhood had been placed on the National Register of Historic Places. As well, I reported that the State of Massachusetts had committed $132,000 to do some restoration work at the site. But at that point, there was no master plan for redeveloping the old horse track complex.
I first wrote about the Charles River Speedway a few weeks prior to the post linked above (see September 6, 2010, "UPDATED: Horsing Around At the Old Barracks"). Here's a bit of history: "In the 1890s, the Commonwealth created the Charles River Reservation, transforming a polluted stretch of tidal mudflats into a beautiful riverside promenade, a mile-long harness racecourse, and two-mile long bicycle track. Administration buildings were built to support the Reservation in 1899, providing necessary space for offices, housing, storage, horse stables and a cow barn. Designed in the Shingle and Colonial Revival styles by renowned local architect William D. Austin, the complex looks more like the high-style seaside 'cottages' of Newport than a municipal building. This was likely intentional: Austin’s thoughtful design projected dignity and permanence, while also implying that access to nature and recreation was not an upper-class privilege, but a public right."
That description comes from the web site for The Speedway, the hipster destination that grew from the redevelopment of the the complex in a joint effort by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Architectural Heritage Foundation. The "vibrant and welcoming marketplace, home to a brewery and biergarten, dynamic food and drink purveyors, and small-format shops," as well as an event space called Garage B, opened in 2021.
I've been to The Speedway three times in the last 18 months or so, and I absolutely love it. Walking through the gate from Western Avenue into the open-air patio for the first time, I was transported to a magical world.
Just steps away is the very busy Soldiers Field Road, but sitting at a long wooden table under a bright blue sky, drinking a tasty beer from Notch Brewing and grooving alongside millennial hipsters, I couldn't hear cars or trucks at all.
On that first visit, I went with two friends to see Margaret Garrett, the singer and guitarist from Mr. Airplane Man, play with a different band. All around us people were drinking, eating from the handful of small food shops, playing board games, dancing to the music. I couldn't believe this was the same place I'd driven past for years, wondering, "When the hell is someone gonna fix up that eyesore?!"
I returned more recently with my wife and the same two friends, once again on a wonderful afternoon, to see more live music. And shortly after that, my wife and I returned after hitting a Brighton Bazaar event nearby. When the weather is crappy or cold, Notch has an indoor space for boozing.
Even if you're not into pizza, beer, live music or small-biz shopping, you'll find it worth visiting The Speedway for the restoration work on a fantastic property.
I love the nod the designers have given to the Speedway's history as a race track.
