Showing posts with label Architecture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Architecture. Show all posts

Photos of 17th and 18th Century Structures in MA

(Copyright (c) 2012 Cynthia Shenette)  I recently learned about a resource that might be of interest to genealogists researching older structures in central and eastern Massachusetts.  Photographs of Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century Structures Taken in Massachusetts 1887-1945 by Harriette Merrifield Forbes is an electronic resource available via the American Antiquarian Society website.  Author and historian Harriette Merrifield Forbes (1856-1951) was the mother of Esther Forbes, the author of Johnny Tremain.  The images in the collection are indexed by place, name, and subject.  The collection includes approximately 800 images, with the majority of images taken in Worcester and Middlesex counties.  Coverage of Worcester area structures is excellent.  


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Massachusetts Most Endangered Historic Resources

(Copyright (c) 2012 Cynthia Shenette) Thursday night I attended a presentation by Preservation Massachusetts where the list of Massachusetts most endangered historic resources for 2012 was announced.  It is an interesting list which includes many properties from central Massachusetts.  

What is surprising was the variety in the types of resources that made the list.  From the farm where Elsie the Cow (the Borden Dairy cow) lived in Brookfield, to an Art Deco theater in Worcester, to an abandoned fire station in the Quinsig Village neighborhood where my father grew up, it is an eclectic list:

Outbuildings at Elm Hill Farm, Brookfield
Durgin Garage, Brookline
Fitchburg City Hall
Herbert M. Farr Residence, Holyoke
North Brookfield Townhouse
Mechanics Hall, Princeton
Methodist Episcopal Church, Ware
Orchard House at 917 Belmont Street, Watertown
The Charles Bowker House, Worcester
The Palladium, Worcester
Quinsigamond Firehouse, Worcester

Preservation Massachusetts announces it's list of endangered properties annually to create awareness of threatened properties and resources.  There is a great summary and history of each property here.  I have also linked to images of each resource in case you are interested in seeing what a specific property looks like.


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MACRIS Database

(Copyright (c) 2012 Cynthia Shenette) Did your ancestors ever live in Massachusetts, and have you ever wanted to research their ancestral home, school, workplace, or other place of significance?  I learned about a database that might be of use to you.  The Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System (MACRIS)  of the Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC) is a great database that offers a wealth of information on historic properties and areas in Massachusetts.  It doesn't include information on all historic properties, nor does it contain all the information on file with the Massachusetts Historical Commission, but still has an amazing amount of information and is well worth checking out.  

You can narrow your search by town, neighborhood, street, etc.  It includes residential properties, historical districts, as well as places of business.   An example is the record for the Nelson Place Grade School I attended in Worcester.  The MHC inventory sheet is available which offers a great deal of information about the structure.  There is a photo and this particular record even included copies of the building permits.  

Check it out!


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