Former Rock Club in the Fenway Slated for Redevelopment

From Dave Brigham:

Sometime in the late '90s/early aughts, I saw one of the greatest Boston bands of all time, the Upper Crust, in a small club not far from Fenway Park:

That club, the Linwood Grill, was located in the Fenway neighborhood, on a street named for a Scottish town: Kilmarnock. I believe I saw other bands at that venue over the years, but the Crust stick out. I also saw some shows at Church, the club that took over when the Linwood closed many years ago. The one I recall from that era was an iteration of the International Pop Overthrow featuring my friend Ray's band, Powderhouse.

Church closed in late 2015. A restaurant named Tapestry took over the space, but alas, that place closed in August 2019.

Since that time, the doors below have been shuttered.

Music clubs are a tough business. Boston has lost many such venues in recent decades. The Rat in Kenmore Square. The Channel in South Boston. Bunratty's/Local 186/Wonder Bar in Allston. Chet's Last Call near TD Garden. Green Street Station in Jamaica Plain. Western Front in Cambridge. Great Scott in Allston.

So what's to become of the old Linwood/Church space?

Idyl Fenway, that's what. The first phase of this residential redevelopment sits across the street from this address; the second will feature 75 condos at the old music club site. I'm not sure when construction is slated to begin on that (it may have by the time this post goes live).

OK, that's it.

Prowling Around P-town

From Dave Brigham:

I just realized that the headline on this piece makes it sound like I was cat burgling around the easternmost tip of Cape Cod. I promise you, dear reader, that I was not. Not that I couldn't have, given how quiet it was when I visited on a cold and cloudy day this past February.

I've been to Provincetown -- aka P-town -- each of the last three summers, but only for short periods of time. I picked up my wife there after she completed the Pan-Mass Challenge bike ride, a massive event that raised bajillions of dollars for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

The streets of the funky resort town -- a very LGBTQ+-friendly enclave -- are jammed with tourists, summer residents and PMC participants and their friends and families the first weekend of August. Bottom line: since we don't stick around long after the ride, I don't get to soak in the atmosphere and make photos of all the great buildings and such.

So I figured a Saturday in the dead of winter was my opportunity to explore.

I stuck mostly to Commercial Street, which, if you haven't been to P-town and/or don't know what the word "commercial" means, is the main retail/restaurant thoroughfare. After parking next to town hall, the first thing that caught my eye was the trio of windows on the second floor above The Cotton Gallery, a shop stocked with tons of funny t-shirts, novelty items and souvenirs.

MACRIS indicates that the common name for this circa-1840 Greek Revival building is Scrimshaw. I'm not sure if that was a restaurant or a retail store. Over the decades this place has been occupied by a furniture store, a restaurant and a post office.

I continued west-southwest. I found the sign for Marine Specialties to be quite charming in a no-frills way.

The store, which bills itself as "Provincetown's Landmark 'Army Navy Store,' has been in business since 1961. It is located in a pre-fab warehouse building that dates to the 1930s, per MACRIS. Previous uses include a gas or service station.

Next up, the hard-to-miss Ladyslipper, "a cocktail spot," per its minimal web site.

This little Greek Revival building is known commonly as The Little Shop, according to an old MACRIS report, which doesn't indicate the date it was built.

There are so many great old buildings along Commercial Street, but I didn't make photos of every one. The next one I found to be camera-worthy was an old firehouse.

"Constructed around 1868 under the direction of John D. Hilliard, Chief of the Board of Engineers, 189 Commercial Street served as the 'Excelsior' Engine #4 so named after the fire engine," per MACRIS. "The original engine was built in Boston by Hunneman & Co. in 1854."

These days the old station houses public restrooms.

I continued in the same direction along Commercial Street for a bit before doubling back. The Kiehl's store facade looked good to me.

The skincare store is one of dozens located around the country. The brand dates to 1851.

As for the building, it dates to 1920 and is known as the Provincetown Advocate / Advocate Press building, after newspapers that were located here from the 1940s to the 1970s, according to MACRIS. Also of note: this was also the location of Gallery 200, which in the 1940s "exhibited many famous painters including first showing of Jackson Pollock," per MACRIS.

Currently occupied by Cape Tip Sportswear, the Second Empire building at 224 Commercial Street was built in 1865 as King Hiram's Lodge, a Masonic hall.

"King Hiram's Lodge was organized on December 12, 1795," according to MACRIS. "It is one of the oldest lodges in the country, and certainly one of the oldest in Massachusetts. The Charter of King Hiram's Lodge was signed by Paul Revere on December 12, 1796." The Masons evidently still meet in this building.

At this point, I was back next to Ladyslipper, looking up at the sign for The Provincetown Bookshop, which has been in business since 1932.

The shop has been in various locations over the decades, only moving to 229 Commercial Street in 2022. The book store is located in a circa-1916 Classical Revival building known commonly as Treasure n' Trash, MACRIS indicates. I'm guessing that was a second-hand store. MACRIS also reports that the building was "formerly the Consolidated Cold Storage plant for fish freezing."

Always cool to uncover a connection to part of a town or city's past that many people, especially tourists, know nothing about. I'll get to another such place in a minute.

On the side of the aforementioned Marine Specialties building is a fantastic work of art I dubbed the Wolf Mural.

It's actual title is Time and the Town, and it was painted in 2021 by Esteban del Valle, a Brooklyn-based artist originally from Chicago. And those are foxes, not wolves, according to the artist, who I guess should know.

"Early on I realized that it was impossible to physically represent the wide range of people that have and continue to pass through Provincetown in its history," del Valle says in this article. "Normally some community murals take a selective icon approach, where they’re picking and choosing historical figures or community figures to focus and highlight. And I just wanted to talk more about the spirit of the place and less about specific people, so foxes became a great way to kind of talk about different time periods, different people passing through, and the overall history versus focusing on individuals," he said.

The mural takes its title from Mary Heaton Vorse's 1942 memoir, Time and the Town: A Provincetown Chronicle.

Between the book shop and the Army-Navy store there is an alley that leads to a harbor-front beach. So of course I had to walk that way. And I'm glad I did.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Lewis and Brown Fish Shed.

Built in 1870, this ramshackle place has served as a lumber wharf, a coal shed and a restaurant down through the years, according to MACRIS. There are remnants of a pier in the harbor adjacent to this property. After a pair of fires in recent years, the building was condemned. A developer has pitched a plan to raze this structure and redevelop the site, along with the building housing the book store.

Across Commercial Street from the book shop and the Army-Navy store is the fabulous Benjamin Lancy House, with a storefront tacked on the front.

This Second Empire gem dates to 1874. It was built for Benjamin Lancy, a merchant and ship owner, per MACRIS, who also owned the wharf across the street that I discussed above. For a time last century, this architectural marvel was home to the Provincetown Historical Society. Current tenants include Cortile Gallery, Sol Optics and Henna Tattoo.

Continuing north-northeast, I passed Whalers Wharf, which I had paid little attention to when I'd walked by earlier. This is an open-air arcade that features small shops and eateries, as well as an intimate movie theater. The original building rose in 1919, but was destroyed by a fire in 1998. A new structure was erected on the same spot.

Below are some images taken inside the arcade.

Across Commercial Street from Whalers Wharf is the Unitarian Universalist Meeting House of Provincetown (on the right in image below).

This house of worship was erected in 1847 and is the oldest extant church in town. On the left in that photo is a lovely Italianate / Victorian Eclectic building with, I believe, a gallery and art studio on the ground floor. I assume the upper floors are residential. In the middle of that image is a small blue outbuilding that MACRIS says dates to 1970. I like how it mirrors the architectural style of the main house. I'm guessing that smaller building may also be a studio.

I walked past the old Scrimshaw building again, and noticed a crusty ghost sign on the side facing Gosnold Street.

Given its location on the side of a building that currently houses a gift shop, I'm guessing The Family Jewels was a similar type of store going back a bit in time.

At this point, I was back to where I parked, in front of the beautiful town hall.

Built in 1886, this Queen Anne stunner was built on land that "was partly donated...and partly bought," according to MACRIS. "[I]t had business buildings fronting Commercial St., an apple orchard on the northern end."

I continued east-northeast on Commercial Street, across Ryder Street, until I was in front of the wildest storefront in P-town, which was created by artist Joey Mars.

Shop Therapy calls itself an alternative lifestyle emporium, and sells "Beads, Bells, Incense, Clothing, Tie Dye, Jewelry, Tobacco Shop, Patches, Stickers, Posters, Sun Glasses, Tapestries & Way More," per its web site.

The store is located at 286 Commercial Street, a place with a colorful history. "In 1912 the 'Star' was born, Provincetown's first movie theater, in time converted into 'Bowlaway' Candlepin Lanes, where the tid-bit diner was a favorite of Capt. Manuel 'Sea Fox' Zora, a legendary rumrunner," according to the Historical Marker Database. "In 1983 Isaac Saada (aka Zukie) introduced his Rubber Chickens. Other tenants included the Hatbox, Cheap Thrills, and Bored Stiff. In 2012 Zukie sold the property to Ron Hazel, who moved Shop Therapy, an 'Antiestablishment,' here."

Hazel passed away in May 2025.

Next door to the eye-popping storefront is Bob Gasoi Memorial Alley.

"This vibrant alley...contains jig sawed figures from murals by artist Bob Gasoi that once adorned the old Shop Therapy store from 1987 to 2010," per this Atlas Obscura article. Prior to moving to this address in 2012, Shop Therapy was located elsewhere on Commercial Street.

Born in 1931, Gasoi earned a degree from The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in Manhattan. He moved to P-town in 1983, and was commissioned by Ron Hazel to create art for the original Shop Therapy store.

"The murals were a collaboration. Shop Therapy’s owner Ronny Hazel would feed stories about his own world travels and experiences to the artist Gasoi who would regurgitate the tales into scenescapes from the Renaissance, The Bible, Alice in Wonderland, 60’s psychedelia, Eastern erotica, comic books and science fiction," according to this Camp Provincetown article.

"There were cherubs, men wearing nothing but wristwatches, lactating figures (an ode to the Giambologna’s Fountain of Neptune), monsters crushing the Pilgrim Monument, mermaids, flesh-eating aliens and men holding fruit trays. Faces and bodies were morphed into the likeness of members of the Shop Therapy family along with local hangers-on, local politicians and members of local law enforcement."

Many of the local muckety-mucks were not happy with such artistic expression, but the works remained in place.

Gasoi passed away in 1997, in Mexico.

A little further along, on the south side of Commercial Street, is the Post Office Cafe & Cabaret.

From the venue's web site: "It was home to the original Lands End Marine Supply in 1940, and converted into the Wreck Club in 1960. In 1974, Phyllis Schlosberg, a theatre MFA and former educator, brought the Post Office to life. Phyllis would go on to launch many artists’ careers from the Cabaret’s stage, including Provincetown’s long-reigning drag sensation Varla Jean Merman, as well as camp queen Elvira, Mistress of the Dark."

I will discuss Lands End Marine Supply below.

As for the building, it dates to 1870 and was presumably at some point a post office, although neither the club's web site nor MACRIS make any mention of such a function.

Upon reaching Standish Street, I headed southeast toward Provincetown Harbor. On the corner, I spied a plain but nevertheless eye-catching sign for John's Foot Long Hot Dogs.

The eatery, which serves a lot more than just hot dogs, seems to have been in business for quite a few years.

The building dates to 1860 and is known commonly as Turner's Candies Store, per MACRIS.

On the MacMillan Pier, I was charmed by numerous small, shingle-covered buildings.

(I think this building is used for storage.)

(Irene's Little Art Shop is one of several art shacks on the pier.)

Back on Commercial Street I made a photo of the legendary Lobster Pot looking a little less iconic, but still gorgeous, with piles of hard-packed snow gathered at its base.

The restaurant's neon sign is well-known on the Cape and far beyond, and the food is prized among tourists (and probably locals). Established in 1943, the eatery has been going strong ever since in the circa-1890 building. "Ralph Medeiros and his wife Adeline opened the Lobster Pot," per Wikipedia. "After Ralph died in 1965 Adeline remarried and kept the restaurant in the family until 1979. It was at this point that a second family would take over as Adeline sold the business to Joy McNulty."

The McNulty family has run the place ever since.

Next door is the Old Colony Tap, which was launched in 1937, in the building now occupied by the Lobster Pot.

In 1943, the bar relocated to its present location. "The structure first appears on the atlas of 1880 and was owned by E. Gayland," according to MACRIS. "In 1901-1907, it was the home of Mrs. Charles Baker. In the mid-20th century, the house was converted to use as a bar on the first floor and a studio above."

The bar provides a little bit old old P-town for locals and visitors alike. "This is the Old Colony Tap, the town’s oldest surviving dive bar, a place where the past clings to the walls and the music never quite stops," reads a line from this Ptownie article.

A little further along is Mad as a Hatter, which is a great phrase and, guessing from its web site, a very cool shop.

The shop has been providing "hats for people with heads" for more than four decades. As for the phrase, "mad as a hatter," of the various possible origins, the one I prefer is this one offered by Wikipedia: "In 18th- and 19th-century England, mercury was used in the production of felt, which was commonly used in the hat-making trade at the time. Long-term use of mercury products often resulted in mercury poisoning-induced erethism among hat-makers....[erethism] was characterized by slurred speech, tremors, stumbling and, in extreme cases, hallucinations."

I doubled back at this point, and of course had to make a photo of the adorable Respoke building.

Founded in 2016, Respoke built its business on the concept of crafting espadrille shoes with Hermes's Eperon D'Or scarf (this sentence barely makes sense to me, a fashion idiot). The store now carries handcrafted footwear, as well as ready-to-wear apparel, accessories, fine art, home decor and more.

As for the building (which is what I really care about), it dates to 1858 and was originally a fire station known as Relief Hose #1, per MACRIS.

Continuing to walk back toward my car, I passed the aforementioned Lands End Marine Supply.

Now part of the True Value hardware chain, the store has been around since at least 1940, as was discussed briefly above. The building dates to 1942.

Arnold's Bike Shop - "Where you rent the bikes" -- is located at 329 Commercial Street, attached to Shirts 'N' Stuff.

"Provincetown Bicycle Rentals by Arnold’s Bike Shop has been selling and renting bikes to local and vacationing bicycle riders since 1937," per the outfit's web site. The building dates to 1950 and was formerly Arnold's Furniture and Appliance Store.

The Governor Bradford is a restaurant/bar/entertainment venue that also features apartments, in a pretty large circa-1840 building. Naturally, I shot the place from the less-glamorous side.

Last, but certainly not least, is The Mayflower, a family-owned restaurant that's been in business since 1929.

The building rose around 1860, and also includes apartments.

Many of these establishments were closed for the season when I passed through Provincetown. These places will surely be hopping soon, if not already. Make sure to check back in two weeks for some cool photos of cottages in neighboring Truro.

The Get-Fresh Flow

From Dave Brigham:

And now for something just a little bit different: photos taken at night last November, after the annual Gathering of the Webnerdz at Summer Shack in Cambridge, Mass.

What? Not familiar with the Gathering of the Webnerdz? Let me explain.

From 1995 to 2001, I worked (initially for stock options that -- spoiler alert! -- turned out to be worthless) for a digital media company that did business under the name Webnoize. Two dozen years after the company went belly up, I still get together at least twice a year with a cohort of former coworkers.

As part of a 2024 feature about Stoneham, Mass., I wrote about the company's former office (see April 6, 2024, "Strolling Through Stoneham"). I also mentioned Webnoize's Cambridge office in a 2023 post (see June 17, 2023, "Cambridgeport, Part I: MIT/Biotechs/Nuclear Reactor/and Maybe Death Rays").

Anywho....

As I'd done once before, after gorging myself with food and beer and plenty of great conversation, I parted ways with my friends and hit the streets of the Fresh Pond neighborhood, camera in hand. I parked at the Fresh Pond Mall, and headed south on New Street, which runs between the shopping complex and Danehy Fields.

I've driven on this street many times over the years, but had no idea of the history of this area. That's why I wander and make photos - so I can research and learn and share.

Alongside several new apartment buildings and a restaurant, there are auto body shops, a public works parking lot and other remnants of older Cambridge. This Cambridge was more polluted and industrial, something that some newer residents might know nothing about.

In 2022, I explored nearby in North Cambridge, and learned about the area's brick-making and chemical maufacturing history (see December 10, 2022, "All About the Alewife Area" and December 3, 2022, "Tip-toeing Through North Cambridge").

Where today stand apartment buildings and life-sciences complexes and athletic fields and much more, there were once industries that polluted the ground and water. While many of those environmental hazards have been cleaned up, the area that I'm covering in this post seems to be in flux.

Located near the southern tip of a long, narrow wedge of land between Apple Cinemas and the eastern shore of Fresh Pond, Black Magic Chimney & Fireplace has been in business since 1978. Less than 1/10th of a mile south is a similar, yet unrelated, business: Adams Fireplace Shop.

"Specializing in antique and reproduction fireplace equipment and antique lighting since 1908," per the company's web site, Adams Fireplace is situated between a Sunoco gas station and an old Cambridge Electric Light Co. property populated with transformers and other serious-looking equipment.

Both of these businesses back up to a long-abandoned rail spur, which was part of the old Watertown Branch of the Boston & Maine Railroad. This spur connected the main tracks, where the Fitchburg commuter train line now runs, to the former Watertown Arsenal (see June 28, 2021, "From Munitions Factory to Suburban Mall and Office Complex...and Beyond").

Much of this old right-of-way has been turned into Watertown-Cambridge Greenway. The section along New Street, running behind these businesses and others, is not part of the bike path.

A few lots north of Black Magic are two relatively new residential complexes: Park77 Apartments and Park87 Apartments.

Here's where things get awful, or should I say, offal.

"From 1901 to 1903, the Cambridge Board of Health operated a smallpox hospital on the site of 75 New Street; few of its patients survived," per a post on the Fresh Pond Residents Alliance web site from July 25, 2014. "The City burned the 'pest houses' after the epidemic.

Wow, I was NOT expecting that!

I wrote about this dread disease, and a pest house in Concord, Mass., many years ago (see January 14, 2020, "Of Pests, Pestilence & Death").

So, what became of this site after the hospital and pest houses were razed? "For more than 30 years, from 1928 to 1962, the City of Cambridge owned the land on New Street that corresponds to today’s parcels at #75 and #87. In 1930 it opened a facility to collect offal (up to 8,000 tons annually according to newspaper reports at the time), which it sold to hog farmers." Offal, per Wikipedia, is the internal organs of a butchered animal.

Alrighty, then!

The Fresh Pond Residents Alliance article linked above includes photos of one of the apartment complexes, as well as other sites along New Street, and historic maps, including one listing a site for the City Offal Dept. In 1946, the City of Cambridge bought those two sites and used them as a landfill.

Alright, I don't want to get too far into the muck. I just wanted to share what I learned about this short old street tucked away in a non-descript neighborhood of Cambridge. This is the kind of crap I love to find out about!

At the intersection of New Street, Concord Avenue and Bay State Road is a commercial building that has been empty for perhaps a few years. It was home for a long time to Sozio Appliances, part of a small chain with stores in Revere and Boston's Dorchester neighborhood.

The business was founded in 1949; I'm not sure when it went out of business. In early 2018, the original store in Revere suffered a major fire, and the owners vowed to rebuild it but I don't think they did.

I used to like driving by this store and checking out the colorful appliances and dinette sets prominently displayed in the second-floor windows.

Here's a photo from the Cambridge Assessor web site showing the appliance store in its heyday.

The assessor's web site says this building dates to 1950.

Across a small rotary -- official name, Brodette Memorial Circle -- is Fresh Pond Gas, which, according to the assessor, dates to 1902!

There is a newer garage adjacent to this office/cashier building, so I assume the building above is the original structure. Or at least part of it is. Very cool.

My final exhibit is just northwest of Adams Fireplace, steps from yet another rotary: Ma Magoo's.

Founded in 1992, this family-owned pizzeria has a "cozy interior...adorned with vintage pizza-themed memorabilia, giving the space a nostalgic charm," per its web site. I haven't found an explanation for the restaurant's goofy name, which of course calls to mind this guy:

Back in the early '90s, I (mis)spent a few nights shooting pool at a place called the Hideaway Pub, which was located in the building tacked on to Ma Magoo's. I was lucky enough to be there one night for a Jagermeister t-shirt promotion....

OK, here's your headline explainer. The relationship between this song -- with it's lyric about "The jigsaw jazz and the get-fresh flow" -- and this neighborhood north of Fresh Pond is weak, sure. But hey, the song rocks.

Walking Through My Old Man's Stomping Grounds, Part II

From Dave Brigham:

On my second trek through my father's hometown of Springfield, Mass., I started a few blocks northeast of the Metro Center area I checked out in my initial visit (see August 30, 2025, "Walking Through My Old Man's Stomping Grounds, Part I"). The first place I found interesting is one that my dad may have known about.

Athletic Emblem & Lettering at 189 Taylor Street has been in business for 50 years. The sign also lists Hampden Hat & Cap Co., but I'm not sure if that part of the business is still active. According to the company's web site, the family behind the business first opened a sporting goods store in 1950. "When our father saw the need for embroidery and custom screen printing he opened Athletic Emblem and Lettering Company in 1975," the web site continues.

In 1950, my dad was 21 and finishing his senior year at Springfield College. It's possible that he bought baseball bats or gloves or other sporting equipment here as a young man.

I was bummed to see so many vacant lots in this area, as I mentioned in the first post. I imagine if I'd explored Springfield 10 years ago I'd have seen more of the old industrial properties I love to shoot.

Along Winter Street I spied a small ghost sign on the rear of a building that currently houses JB Auto Sales.

Hampden Glass & Paint moved to Main Street at some point. The company may have been acquired by BAPS Auto Paints & Supplies.

Heading southwest toward the heart of Metro Center, I spied a very faded sign at 265 Dwight Street for the defunct Center Stage Gentlemen's Club.

With the MGM Casino not far away, I figured a strip club would survive. From what I've read online, this place was considered pretty good up until a few years ago.

I spied a ghost sign for a much more wholesome endeavor not far away, on the derriere of 75 Market Street.

Established in 1893 on Main Street, Johnson's Bookstore "was a favorite haunt for many people of all ages who lived in the Springfield area," according to a blog post at the Springfield Museums web site. "A trip downtown to shop at the city’s department stores was often paired with a visit to Johnson’s to look at the books, toys, and gifts. As those department stores closed, Johnson’s became a destination in itself."

I'm guessing my dad visited this store at some point, probably with his mother. The store closed in 1997, after having been run by four generations of the Johnson family.

I continued east-southeast along Main Street, past the Mass Mutual Center, home to the Springfield Thunderbirds AHL hockey team and host to concerts, sporting events, conventions and more, on my left, and a nice park in front of city hall on my right. At the corner of Elm and Main streets, I was dazzled by the Walker Building, despite the fact that it was undergoing renovations.

The Richardsonian Romanesque beauty dates to 1890 and "was designed to house four shops at street level, and 14 offices on each of the upper floors," according to MACRIS. "Among early tenants of the stores were Sawtell & Lane, a men's hat store, and Brewer and Coburn Company."

The. building is named for T.M. Walker, who "started and built up the T.M. Walker Company as a leading manufacturer and dealer in woodwork, painting and builder's supplies," MACRIS continues. "Walker's success in business prompted him to explore other ventures, such as the Exchange Hotel, and later The Walker Building. The construction of commercial blocks such as this by enterprising local merchants played a key role in the continued commercial growth and development of the downtown in the late 19th/early 20th centuries."

At the corner of State and Main streets is the impressive Davis Block, aka the Masonic Temple Building, with a fantastic clock tower.

"Upon original construction in 1893, the building was Richardsonian Romanesque in style," according to MACRIS. "In 1927, the upper floors and clocktower were demolished, redesigned by architect Richard Moore, and reconstructed, creating the building seen today."

Its original purpose was as the headquarters of the local Free Masons chapter, with other commercial space available. After the Masons moved out and the reconstruction was completed, "the building continued to be used for leasable commercial and retail space with typical tenants, including dentists, lawyers, and real estate agents, among others," MACRIS continues.

I continued southeast on Main Street for just a moment. When I looked north along Stockbridge Street, I quickly pivoted in that direction to shoot the building below.

One of the oldest buildings in downtown Springfield, 7-9 Stockbridge Street dates to 1845 and is known as Guenther and Handel's Block. "This building was one of a series constructed in the 1840's on Stockbridge Street," according to old reliable, MACRIS. "The street was laid out in 1839 by Elam Stockbridge, and he followed by building a series of structures similar to this block which formed a cohesive unit of stores and rooms. A grocery store on the ground floor was purchased by Emil Guenther and his brother-in-law, Richard Handel, who in that year established Guenther and Handel Co., a deli and fancy grocery store," MACRIS indicates.

I'm not sure whether this beauty was occupied when I happened by. A sign in the window indicated that the building was being rehabbed, with funding coming in part from the Springfield Historic Preservation Trust Fund, which was created by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission and MGM Springfield, the casino around the corner (which I will discuss...right now).

MGM Springfield opened in the Metro Center neighborhood in August 2018, the first full-service gambling house in Massachusetts. The complex includes a casino, hotel, entertainment venues and restaurants. I'll admit that when I learned the city had been awarded a coveted casino license, I was surprised. When Massachusetts legalized casino gambling, the state was split into three regions, of which Western Massachusetts was one. As the largest city in that part of the state, Spriingfield was a logical choice, despite its financial struggles over the years.

(The Chandler Steakhouse is one of MGM Springfield's restaurants.)

I'm glad that MGM put forth some effort to retain historic buildings (or, in some cases, just their facades), and to create the illusion of a series of separate buildings along Main Street, at pedestrian scale. I've written a few times about the Encore Boston Harbor casino complex in Everett, Mass., which is a stand-alone building that dwarfs the buildings around it (see May 4, 2019, "Roll the Dice: Encore!").

"MGM Springfield’s unique urban design integrates the region’s first luxury gaming resort into the architectural fabric of downtown, combining new construction with revived historic architecture," according to this MGM Springfield document I found online. "Designed to celebrate Springfield’s rich past, the preservation and reuse of multiple buildings is a central component of the property."

The building housing the Chandler Steakhouse is new, although the design has an old-world feel. Adjacent to the restaurant is the former Union House Hotel, of which only the facade was retained. The Italianate hotel was built in 1862 and used as a hotel until 1933, according to MACRIS. Other businesses took up residence in the years before the casino was built. If I'd known the history of that building, I would've made a photo.

MGM saved other buildings in their entirety, including: a former state armory that had been damaged in a 2011 tornado, which, in its restored state, is part of the casino's entertainment district; and the French Congregational Church, which was moved and is now the flagship location of Kringle Candle Co.. Other buildings have been saved in part, or architectural elements have been used by MGM.

Across the street from the casino stands a wonderfully restored block of buildings.

The McKinney Building, on the left, dates to 1905 and originally included a meeting hall used by the First Spiritualist Society, as well as commercial space on the ground floor, MACRIS tells us. In the middle is the Bangs Block, which dates to 1870. The building was used as a market and a watchmaker's shop in the early days. On the right is the Burbach Block, which was built in 1882. The building was affiliated with the adjacent United States Hotel, which was demolished in 1915, according to MACRIS.

Each of these buildings looked ready for occupancy by retail or restaurant tenants when I walked by.

At this point, although I wanted to continue heading southeast along Main Street, I turned around and began making my way back toward my car. On the rear of of a building along State Street, I spied another ghost sign.

"Oh, that's pretty cool," I said to myself. I had no idea what awaited me on the front of the building. But first, let's discuss the Court Square Building. Completed in 1892 in the Classical Revival / Victorian Eclectic styles, the building faces Elm Street, and initially included a theater. In 1900, the owner, Dwight Gilmore, added a sixth floor and an ell from Elm to State Street. The theater was demolished in 1957.

Perhaps my dad took in a film with a news reel at that theater when he was growing up.

Now, let's take a look at the facade on Elm Street.

Wow! They don't make buildings like that anymore. I mean, check out the details in the second photo, with the half dog/half royalty hybrid. Insane!

Redeveloped into apartments and now known as ThirtyOne Elm, the building offers "stunning Italian revival design overlooking Court Square," per the web site. Apartment options are one-bedroom, one-plus-den and two-bedroom "with unique architecture, bay windows, historic wood detail and trim paired with modern interior finishes," the web site indicates. The building features a lounge with a catering kitchen, billiard table, work-from-home spaces, a fitness center, on-site restaurant and a speakeasy lounge.

The building is fully leased.

I wound my way around for a bit until I was standing in front of the Whitcomb Building on Hampden Street.

Built in 1896, the Whitcomb Warehouse "was probably initially associated with the plant of the Springfield Cigar Manufacturing Company on Hampden Street," according to MACRIS. "This was the leading cigar maker in the city. It was founded in 1883 under the name of Baer and Carruth at 525-27 Main Street and moved to Hampden Street in 1885."

Later, Colby Manufacturing Co., which made paper rulers, moved in. Currently, the space is occupied by, among other organizations, Parent Villages, whose mission "is to build bridges between parents, youth, advocates, community leaders, and educators to close the opportunity gap and improve the quality of life for ALL children," per its web site.

I cut through a parking lot behind the Hippodrome/Paramount Theater block (see the first post about Springfield).

(The mural was completed by artist Mimi Ditkoff, who was mentioned in the first Springfield post, and Out Now, an organization of LGBTQ+ youth "dedicated to promoting health & well being, self-determination, and community building through anti-oppression organizing & peer support.")

The last two images are of the front and back entrances to the Board of Trade Block, located across from the old Paramount Theater.

In 1862, "John Olmsted had this block built as a combination office and warehouse building," MACRIS says. "It was originally leased by the Bay State Paper Co. During 1895 Olmsted completely remodeled the facade. This corresponded with the move of the Springfield Board of Trade to this building. Their object was to have entire new businesses locate in Springfield and promote the ones that were already here."

The door on the left is the entrance to Christian Hope Ministry.

I hope you've enjoyed this trip through my old man's stomping grounds. I hope to return in the near future!