Weekend mailbox

"For Students and Children"

the post office in Chesterfield Massachusetts.

Gemma at Greyscale Territory is the hostess of Weekend Mailbox, join in by posting anything connected with mail.

Viridian

Happy PFF: Night view

Linen postcard, of the Municipal Group, Springfield Mass.  Unused.

Night scenes are pretty cool, and seem to be rare.

This group of building was opened in 1913.  From Wikipedia: "The Municipal Group of Springfield, Massachusetts is a collection of three prominent municipal buildings in the city's downtown. Consisting of a concert hall, City Hall, and a 300-foot (91 m) clocktower, the Group is a center of government and culture in the city. ... Over the years, the Municipal Group came to represent the city itself as its most identifiable landmark. ...

Over time, as the city's fortunes deteriorated, so did the Municipal Group. Their age made them notoriously expensive to heat and cool. However, City Hall and especially the Campanile languished. Sporadic renovations barely would keep City Hall operable. The aging electrical system in the clocktower silenced the bells and structural instability closed it off. The time on each of the clock's faces was rarely correct. Falling debris required officials to constantly widen the area off-limits to passers-by."

from this website: " In 2007, the cost to properly repair the exterior limestone shaft was estimated at $5.7 million dollars. Funds to begin this important and historical project are currently not available. So, in May, 2008, the City installed steel netting on the Campanile as an additional safety measure. The netting was installed at three of the four corners, in the areas that contain cracks in the limestone."

And there seems to be no update to this information.  Repairing the Campanile is still a future project.  Given the economy lately, I bet this project has been put off indefinitely.

A sad story of a prominent landmark.

Thank you to our hostess Beth at The Best Hearts are Crunchy for hosting Postcard Friendship Friday. Click on the link to see who else is playing!



Viridian

Belmont Plaza postcard

The Belmont Plaza, Lexington Avenue at 49th street, New York.

From the back: "Located in the heart of the Grand Central Zone, the World's Greatest Business, Shopping, Residential District.  800 outside rooms, each with bath, shower and radio.

Single from $3.00, Double, twin beds, from $5.00"

Can you believe those prices?  This card is postmarked July 17 1939 and is addressed to Mr. Joe Bauch of Akron Ohio.  It reads: "We arrived in Jersy [sic] City 9:30 our time & at the Hotel 10:30 our time. we are on the 4th floor, everything is fine."  I can't read the signature.

The Belmont Plaza is now the W hotel, in a cluster of hotels in this area, including the Waldorf Astoria, Radisson, and Intercontinental.

viridian

Postcard Friendship Friday: Annisquam, Mass.

Specifically, The Bridge at Annisquam.

Annisquam is a small town on the North shore of Massachusetts (meaning north of Boston). On the map below, see the position of the little house.

Not much has changed since the time of this linen postcard.  There is much less fishing, and much more summer tourism.  As this town was a backwater, many of its older buildings have survived.

The other place of note is the Annisquam lighthouse.

According to this Coast guard webpage,

"* 1801: Annisquam is the oldest of four lighthouses to guard Gloucester peninsula. The keeper’s house, built in 1801 continues to house Coast Guard families. Rudyard Kipling lived there while writing "Captain’s Courageous" – a great literary tribute to American sailors.

* 1974: The 4th order Fresnel lens and foghorn were automated. "


I like this linen postcard because it reminds me of lazy days at the beach in Massachusetts.  Warm sun, the smell of flowers, but always a cool breeze from the ocean.

Viridian