I Don't Wan't to Go to Chelsea...Oh, Wait, Yes I Do

From Dave Brigham:

Maybe Elvis Costello didn't want to go the affluent London neighborhood of Chelsea back in the 1970s, but I bet he'd dig the more working-class city of Chelsea, Mass., sandwiched between East Boston, Revere and Everett. I wrote a four-part series about Chelsea -- the smallest Massachusetts city in terms of total area, and the one with the second-highest percentage of Latinx residents in the state -- back in 2013 (see Part IV, about the Condor Street Urban Wild; Part III, about the waterfront; Part II, a short one about the filming of a movie; and Part I, about a short stroll near the downtown area).

For this post, the first of a two-part series, I explored part of the southwestern corner of the city, near Market Basket, and crossed into Everett for a time. This is a largely treeless area filled with scrap yards, autobody shops, trucking operations, storage facilities and small industry, but it's also one that is undergoing redevelopment, with the addition of apartment buildings, restaurants and non-industrial businesses.

I started near Market Basket because in doing a search for ghost signs in Chelsea on Flickr, I discovered a treasure trove just behind the grocery store. I love stashing my car at grocery stores because they offer free parking for as long as I need it. The signs I'd seen on Flickr were pretty fantastic in person.

Visible from the Market Basket back parking lot, across the tracks for the Newburyport/Rockport commuter train line, these signs are remnants of the Atwood and McManus Box Company. This warehouse dates to 1909, according to MACRIS. That date is significant because the prior year, a fire started at the box company that, due to high winds that day in April, eventually spread across a great portion of the city, destroying approximately 1,500 buildings and leaving 10-15,000 residents homeless. Chelsea suffered another "great fire" in 1973 that started very close to the 1908 origin point.

I'm assuming the original Atwood buildings were constructed of wood and were lost in the fire.

(Side view of the old warehouse.)

(Front of the old Atwood and McManus facility, which is currently home to Catalent, which manufactures spray dry dispersion, powder encapsulation, blister packaging and blister sleeving products.)

After thoroughly enjoying the Atwood ghosts, I headed northeast on 3rd Street, crossing the commuter train tracks and, unbeknownst to me at the time, into Everett. I passed a Peter Pan bus line lot, a large produce wholesale business, a scrap metal dealer (the first of many I would see on this adventure) and an autobody shop.

It's not every day you see a Pontiac Fiero mounted on the exterior wall of a business. Manufactured from 1984-88, these mid-engine sports cars looked kinda cool...but ran kinda hot. As in "catch on fire" hot. From Wikipedia: "Safety issues escalated rapidly by the summer of 1987, when the fire count for 1984 models reached a rate of 20 fires per month. Fieros were catching fire at the rate of one for every 508 cars sold, surpassing all other mass-market automobile cars. Pontiac engineers knew about the problems early on: one wrote an urgent memo dated October 6, 1983, to report that two Fieros had suddenly caught fire during test drives. This was only 3 months after the production of the Fiero began. It was first thought to be caused by antifreeze leaking out of poorly installed hoses, when in reality it was defective connecting rods."

Spare the rod, spoil the Fiero.

Across 3rd Street, I spied a ghost sign on an old industrial building.

I walked north to Boston Street, then west until I hit 2nd Street. From there I proceeded southeast, past an Extra Space storage facility, determined to get a better look at the old sign.

And there, looming over Second Street Iron & Metal, I got a good gander.

You may be able to make out the words "Carpenter Morton" in the above photos. That's the name of the outfit that operated a varnish business here beginning in 1900, under the name Boston Varnish Company, according to MACRIS. "The paint and varnish industry arrived in Everett in 1881 and soon became one of the city's major industries," MACRIS continues. "The first company was founded by White & Wiley, two clerks who previously had been employed at the Wadsworth-Howland Varnish factory in Maiden, Nine years later the firm changed its name to the Richardson Varnish Company." That company, in turned was acquired by the Carpenter Morton business.

Eventually, the business "expanded into paint manufacturing, adopting the name Kyanize Paints. By 1947 the company, with 200 employees, was one of the largest and best-known independent makers of paints and varnishes." Kyanize is a name I recognize; I recently explored more of Everett, and came across a paint store with a sign for that brand (I'll post about that trip in the near future).

Other businesses that may have used this facility in more recent years include Andler Bottle Company and Andler Packaging.

As I mentioned, this area of Everett is lousy with scrap metal dealers and the remnants of former scrap businesses.

Across 2nd Street from Extra Space is Mattuchio Scrap Metal ("Changing Metal to Money"), which has been in business hard by the commuter train tracks for more than 60 years.

Across 2nd Street from Mattuchio and opposite the Extra Space facility at the corner of Boston and 2nd streets, the former HH&M Metals scrapyard is no longer clanging with the sound of copper, brass, aluminum, insulated wire and catalytic converters being recycled. The business recently merged with Solomon Metals in Lynn.

The old HH&M site is just a short distance from a major new residential project rising at the corner of Boston and Vale streets, which I will mention below. I haven't been able to find out whether the old scrapyard is being considered for redevelopment, but I wouldn't be surprised.

At the corner of 2nd and Garden streets, I dug the old painted sign for General Steel Products.

Around since 1945, General Steel manufactures "heavy-duty steel Rolling Scaffolding and Fall Protection equipment in both standard and custom-made configurations," according to its web site. Continuing east-northeast on Garden Street, I found a ghost sign on a building where The Owens Companies operates.

I have no idea what this sign says. The Owens Companies, as best as I can tell, is the umbrella organization for a moving company, storage/warehousing outfit and trash removal operation. Founded in 1927 as Henry F. Owens, Inc., the company now known as Owen Movers has quite a history. "In the early 1920s, it was no small feat for a black man to successfully open a business in the United States," according to this article at the Massachusetts Gaming Commission web site. "But in 1927, at the age of 16, Henry Owens, Jr. bought his first moving truck, and Henry F. Owens, Inc. was open for business."

Eventually the business expanded beyond household moves to commercial and industrial jobs. The company also has a partnership with the nearby Encore Boston Harbor Casino. I'm uncertain whether Owens Movers is still in business, as the company sold the building shown above to a developer for $15 million in late 2020. There is still a sign out front that says "The Owen Companies." Part of the sprawling building is rented to the scene shop for Boston's Huntington Theatre Company.

While the property is shown on the web site of Oliver Street Capital, there is no indication of a redevelopment plan.

Next door, at the intersection of Garden, Vine and East Elm streets, is Samuel Holmes, Inc.

The company has supplied poultry to the food industry since 1911. It is right around the corner from Restaurant Depot, a warehouse-sized building that says, not surprisingly, that it is "where restaurants shop."

If one of those chickens were alive and able to cross the street, it would end up at the enVision Hotel Boston-Everett.

Opened in 2017, the hotel space was previously occupied by a Chair Fair furniture store, along with a printing company, a gym and probably other businesses. I've been unable to find out any deeper history on this building, which I'm guessing was once a factory or warehouse.

Directly across Vine Street is Woody's Tire Service, which has been in business since 1973.

From there, I headed south on Vine Street, where I came across a business that pleasantly surprised me both by its bright exterior color and by the goods it had displayed out front.

Alaadeen Wholesale Markets is a halal grocery store, offering spices, fresh fruit and vegetables and deli products. The business also appears to sell cooking vessels and other kitchen products, as well as home decorations.

Just up the street is the former site of American Gas Products.

The company's web site still lists this site, 24 Vine Street, as its address. But as you can see in the photo above, the site has been fenced off and appears to be vacant. The company's Facebook page hasn't been updated since April 2022. I'm guessing this site will be redeveloped before too long.

At the corner of 3rd and Boston streets is, you guessed it, another scrapyard!

M&S Metals, Inc. calls itself a consultant to the scrap metal industry on its very spartan web site. While the operation seems to still be in business, as you can see by the construction crane in the background of the above photo, change is afoot in this neighborhood.

Here, I need to apologize for being inattentive to detail. As I walked east-northeast along Boston Street, past Restaurant Depot on my left, I'm pretty sure I noticed construction under way on the massive lot encircled by East Elm, Boston and Vale streets. But when I checked Google Maps, I see that there is a construction business there, Nappy Crane Service, which has been in business since 1970. So now I'm wondering if the activity I saw on this property was just related to that business.

Google searches have turned up no project under development. There was another business here, Wood Waste of Boston, which appears to have closed. Current businesses along East Elm Street include an autobody shop and what appears to be a scrapyard (surprise, surprise).

If there isn't an apartment complex rising here now, there certainly is likely to be soon. Across Boston Street from the crane service yard is The Pioneer, another new apartment community, which replaced several businesses, including a dance complex and a Harley-Davidson dealer.

This area is known as the Commercial Triangle, but it is rapidly turning into Residential Alley. At the corner of Vale Street and Mill Road is a new development called simply, Mason. When I was exploring this neighborhood, the finishing touches were being put on this apartment building, including a sign on the exterior. Previously, there was a massive Adams Furniture building here, which was demolished several years ago. That business is now located on 2nd Street in Everett.

Next to Mason is another complex under development, to be known as The Maxwell. Other new residential developments in this neighborhood include Vero Apartments and V2 Apartments, which sit opposite each other on Vale Street, on the Chelsea side of the border.

These apartment buildings are all within walking distance of the Chelsea commuter rail stop, as well as the Market Basket and the Mystic Mall. In addition, they are about five miles from Revere Beach.

I continued south-southeast on Vale Street back into Chelsea, took a peek down Carter Street, and decided it was worth checking out. And boy was I right.

I believe I see the words "Metal" and "Works" on that ghost sign, located at the corner of Carter and 4th streets. The building is or was a warehouse for J.W. Lopes, a produce wholesaler. I question whether the business is still here, given the front of it.

Next door is another old industrial building that may or may not contain an active business.

Google Maps indicates this squat yellow building is home to American Nut and Bolt.

My last stop on this leg of the tour is another old warehouse, which sits across Carter Street from the former Atwood and McManus Box Company complex where I started my trip. Google Maps indicates this place is occupied by another fruit wholesaler, F&B Fruit and Produce.

This place has certainly seen better days, and the presence of a large red "X" on the building tells me that it has been condemned and will likely be torn down before too long. I walked past the blue pickup in front and noticed a couple cuddling in the front seat. I quickly got out of there, as I didn't want them to think I was some Peeping Tom weirdo with a camera.

That wraps up my brief tour of the Commercial Triangle area of Chelsea and Everett. Make sure to check back for my exploration of the heart of Chelsea along and near Broadway.

A Ghostly Discovery in Tobacco Country

From Dave Brigham:

I've been meaning to get back to Connecticut's Windsor Farms Historic District ever since exploring that rural area in December 2020 (see December 17, 2020, "A Towering Discovery in Tobacco Country"). And if you're reading this, and you have half a brain, you probably realize that I fulfilled that goal with another visit to South Windsor.

There are dozens of beautiful old homes in the district, which is located between the Connecticut River and John Fitch Boulevard, also known as Route 5. Main Street bisects the area, which is dottted with farms. As a general rule, I don't make photos of old houses, even gorgeous historic ones. And many of the privately owned farm buildings in the district are inaccessible to folks like me. So my destination was a nicely restored barn/warehouse building that I'd spotted ahead of time on Google Maps.

As I mentioned in the previous South Windsor post, the historic district has been home to tobacco cultivation for roughly 300 years. While many other Connecticut River Valley towns that were once engaged in the shade tobacco business have seen that activity wane in recent decades, the Windsor Farms Historic District "is one of the few farming villages remaining in Connecticut still devoted to tobacco agriculture," according to this Living Places document. "Unlike the more typical historic rural areas of the state where the historic components are widely scattered, the Windsor Farms Historic District is a highly concentrated, cohesive entity," the article continues. "Not only does it contain a significant group of farmhouses, barns, and other specialized buildings related to tobacco agriculture, it also encompasses approximately 1,500 acres of contiguous historic farmland."

According to the South Windsor assessor's database, the barn/warehouse above was built in 1910. The ghost sign across the top says, "ADLER & DOBKIN."

While researching tobacco companies in my native state in the past, I haven't found a lot of information. The same is true here. I discovered that Adler & Dobkin was a cigar-wrapper business based in Manchester, Connecticut. I have no idea when the company was founded, or whether it went out of business or merged with another entity. This building is currently owned by the J.E. Shepard Company, which was founded in 1888 and was at one time (and perhaps still is) the largest grower of broadleaf tobacco in the Connecticut Valley, according to an obituary for a former company executive.

The Shepard company has extensive real estate holdings in South Windsor - nearly four dozen properties by my count in the assessor's database. These include farm, industrial and commercial sites, as well as open land. Perhaps homes, too. Among the company's holdings are at least two golf courses, Willow Brook, which closed abruptly in 2020, and Topstone; Nomad’s Adventure Quest, which includes Revolutions Bowling and Red’s Tavern; and Nomad’s Outdoor Adventure, which closed last year.

Since the warehouse I'm featuring here is in such good shape, and the property includes a barn that also appears in good repair, AND there are large fields located behind them, I'm guessing that J.E. Shepard still grows tobacco here and elsehwhere.

More Milling About in Norwood

From Dave Brigham:

As often happens with me, I've had Norwood, Mass., in the back of my head for a long time, since driving through the town of roughly 31,000 residents once many years ago. I wrote recently about a former mill in the town that's been transformed for a variety of uses, from antique stores and a performance venue, to recording and artist studios (see October 29, 2022, "Bombing Around a Former Norwood Mill").

Officially formed in 1833 once it split off from the "mother town" of Dedham, Norwood was for many years a printing industry town. With that in mind, in this post I will look at the remnants of those factories. In a subsequent post, I will review downtown Norwood and other areas, discussing a cool diner and other restaurants/bars; an amazing theater; a fantastic bowling center; a former jail; a riverside walk; a one-time synagogue and much more.

I continue to be amazed by just how many old mill towns there are in eastern Massachusetts, never mind the entire state. As for Norwood, "[b]y the early 1900s [it] was come to be thought of as the 'printing center of the United States,'" according to the Norwood Historical Society. "Not only did they have two large printing companies and a small printing firm, but there was also a tannery that supplied leather for book covers and a company that made printing ink for newspapers and a company that manufactured cloth for book covers."

The old Norwood Press complex is located along Washington Street, south of downtown and hard by the railroad tracks.

Currently home to an Extra Space Storage facility and other businesses, this set of buildings was once home to three companies that each owned a one-third share in Norwood Press, which was a real estate holding company, according to the historical society.

"The Norwood Press first opened its doors in January of 1895," per the historical society. "At that time J. S. Cushing & Co (compositors) and Berwick and Smith (printers) were the only companies that moved into the new facility and began printing books. However, they still needed a bookbinder partner to come join them in Norwood; without one, all the printed pages would have to be shipped out to be bound....In 1897, the Norwood Press completed an addition to their Washington Street facility, and bookbinders, E. Fleming & Co., moved in. Now a book could be manufactured in one place, a novel idea at the time."

(I like that Extra Space has updated the clock on the old factory.)

The three companies had a good run for several decades, but by the mid-1950s it was over. "The Norwood Press had some of their best years before World War II, the height being in the 1920s," per the historical society. "After WWII, the press experienced declining production and operating shortages. In early 1952, management and labor could not agree on a contract, especially relating to procedures for machine operation that would reduce costs. In April the Norwood Press shutdown (sic), in October Berwick & Smith was dissolved, and in 1954 C. B. Fleming and J.S Cushing & Co. were dissolved on the same day."

Across Washington Street is the former site (I think; possibly it was where Frank's Food Mart and gas station are now) of Ambrose Press and the Norwood Messenger, the latter a newspaper published by the former. Ambrose was in business from the late 1890s into the 1970s, per the Norwood Historical Society.

The Norwood assessor's office indicates that the warehouse was built in 1954. The Environmental Protection Agency lists the site as a Superfund site for Ambrose Press.

Half a mile away, on the eastern side of the train tracks, once stood the Plimpton Press. The massive complex was torn down in recent years, to make for the Avalon Norwood apartment development. What's left is a smokestack and a remnant of railroad tracks.

I really wish I'd explored Norwood before this was demolished. To see photos of the mill being razed, check out the Norwood Then and Now blog.

Herbert and Howard Plimpton founded their company in Boston in 1882, according to Norwood Then and Now. In 1897, the Norwood Business Association convinced the Plimpton Press to move to its town. "The location was so successful," according to the blog, "[Herbert] closed the Boston plant in 1904, added an addition to [the] Norwood plant and moved the rest of his business to Norwood." The company reached its pinnacle in the 1950s, when it employed 1,200 workers.

"Like the competing press in town, the Norwood Press, the Plimpton Press began by producing school textbooks," per Norwood Then and Now. "Eventually to offset the seasonal nature of textbook printing, the press expanded into religious books, fiction and deluxe editions of classic novels."

The plant closed in 1973. The complex was used as warehouse spaces for many years after. According to MACRIS, the complex was also known as the Howard Woodworking Company and the Paine Furniture Warehouse.

Directly across Plimpton Avenue from the Avalon development, to the south, is the Print Lofts apartment building.

I'm not sure whether this building was part of Plimpton Press or not, but I'm sure happy it's been rehabbed into apartments rather than torn down to make way for them.

This building might also have been part of Holliston Mills, another printing company that was located on Lenox Street.

Before I get to a former roofing and flooring mill complex in the south of Norwood, I want to mention the Morrill Ink Works along Pleasant Street, remnants of which still stand but which I did not photograph.

Located just south of the Neponset River, the Morrill complex was in business from the late 19th century into the early 1970s. "They started out making just black ink, around 1874 they began to make colored ink," according to the Norwood Historical Society. "By 1890, the company had enlarged its Norwood facilities to fourteen buildings. Then in 1894, the Norwood plant was totally rebuilt and new buildings added in order to meet their sales demands. In 1904 they added a new building to make dry colors that are needed for the manufacturing of colored inks, and the following year another building was constructed to handle the making of colored ink, and they retooled the facility again in 1914. By 1910 it was said they were the largest producer of printing ink in the United States and over twelve million newspapers used George H. Morrill ink daily....For over eighty-five years the Morrill ink works had been a family run business, employing five generations of Morrills. In 1929 they sold the company, and it became part of The General Printing Ink Company, and in 1972, they stopped manufacturing ink in Norwood."

I wanted to make photos of the buildings that remain from the old Morrill complex. Honestly, I couldn't find a decent place to park, so I gave up. There, I said it.

OK, let's get to the Norwood Space Center.

Comprised of more than two dozen buildings, this site "was originally owned by Bird & Sons, who operated a paper mill in Walpole in 1838 and launched a roofing company in Norwood that expanded to a floor covering plant by the early 1900s," according to this April 2016 New England Real Estate Journal article about the site's redevelopment.

Not all of the buildings have been repurposed. The ones that have include "a mix of retail, commercial, creative, and entertainment space," per the Norwood Space Center web site. "The spaces range from small artist studios to large commercial suites and everything in between. Our core workspace is occupied by WORKBAR, a remote work solution providing open and shared co-work space along with private office options."

Tenants include Irish Brewing Boston, which brews beer and roasts coffee on-site....

(Exterior of Irish Brewing Boston.)

...Salvage Angel, which sells clothing and home goods....

(Exterior of Salvage Angel.)

...Magic Room, an intimate music and entertainment venue.

(Exterior of Magic Room, which formerly operated out of Boston's Brighton neighborhood.)

I wish I lived a little closer to this place, since it has places I would love to frequent. What really grabbed me about the Space Center, however, were the gritty details around the edges.

(The stone below the middle window has this inscription: "1795-1923." That gives you an idea of how long this site has been in use for industry of one sort or another.)

The warehouse-sized building behind Magic Room has a few broken windows at street level. I poked my head through one and learned what these old mills look like before they get redeveloped.

Regular readers know I don't trespass and go on urbex adventures, so for me this was quite a stunning sight.

Make sure to check back for the third and final post about Norwood, covering the downtown area and other features.