(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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Showing posts with label Massachusetts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Massachusetts. Show all posts
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.
Other Posts You Might Like:
Photo Story: Uncle Sam Calls
Walking Tour of Worcester - Wordless Wednesday
Where I Grew Up - Wordless Wednesday
Not So Wordless Wednesday: Cotter's Leather Goods
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.
Other Posts You Might Like:
Photo Story: Uncle Sam Calls
Walking Tour of Worcester - Wordless Wednesday
Where I Grew Up - Wordless Wednesday
Not So Wordless Wednesday: Cotter's Leather Goods
Massachusetts Real Estate Atlases Online
(Copyright (c) 2012 Cynthia Shenette) I follow the blog of the Massachusetts State Library, and a while back they posted that the State Library has finished scanning a group of 45 real estate atlases covering communities in the state of Massachusetts. You can find the original blog post here along with the link to the atlas database.
The database is great! I've used the actual physical version of one of the atlases that is now online for my research any number of times at the library. While its nice to flip the pages by hand, it is also nice to now have access from home when the library is closed. You can save the atlases you are interested in as a .pdf file and keep a copy on your computer's hard drive!
Other Posts You Might Like:
Photo Story: My Grandfather's Parents
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The database is great! I've used the actual physical version of one of the atlases that is now online for my research any number of times at the library. While its nice to flip the pages by hand, it is also nice to now have access from home when the library is closed. You can save the atlases you are interested in as a .pdf file and keep a copy on your computer's hard drive!
Other Posts You Might Like:
Photo Story: My Grandfather's Parents
Does Your Public Library Have a Vertical File? - Tuesday's Tip
Amanuensis Monday: Fail to Find Mother of Abandoned Child
Send Up A Flare, Again! More Mystery People Identified!
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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Photo Story: New In America
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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!
Other Post You Might Like:
Photo Story: New In America
The Psychic Next Door (Part 1 of 2)
October is Polish-American Heritage Month! - Wordless Wednesday
Catechists, Our Lady of Czestochowa - Wordless Wednesday
Wordless Wednesday: Coldbrook Springs, A Town No Longer
(Original Image and Text, (c) 2010 Cynthia Shenette) Memorial marker on Route 122 in Barre for the village of Coldbrook Springs, Massachusetts.
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