While I was out tromping around Maple Street yesterday morning, I took the opportunity to head down to Main Street and Court Square to snap a few photographs. I'm probably one of the few folks with a camera that picks rainy days to go out looking for things to capture on my memory card. Steady drizzle sure lightens the crowds.The first photograph below was scanned from the book Springfield Present and Prospective, which was printed and engraved by the local company, F. A. Bassette, and published in 1905 by Pond & Campbell Publishers, also of Springfield. Taken by A. D. Copeland, the photograph shows the Masonic Hall on the corner of State and Main streets. The subsequent two photographs were taken yesterday morning by a soggy guy with more camera-batteries than common-sense. It's kind of fun to hunt for the differences in the photographs taken more than a century apart, and interesting to see the transformation the building at 115 State Street has undergone over the years.
I like the old-photo version myself. Back when the clock kept time.
Masonic Building, A. D. Copeland photo (c1905 or before)
December 23, 2007
December 23, 2007Jeepers, you turn your back for a century and they're building something new...
Miles Morgan Statue, Court Square, in 1908
...and in 2007Thanks for stopping by and have a great Christmas Eve!
6 comments:
Those are wonderful. Thanks for tromping through the rain to get those pictures!
Thanks Heather!
Merry Christmas!
Fascinating stuff... Wonder if they removed the old Masonic facade, or just laid brick right over it. Looks like the original archway entrance is still there, in the lower left...Also cool how the glass tower of Monarch place looms where there was open sky before. Keep em' coming Mark!
Interesting in the old and new photo of the masonic Building that in the old one there is a building to the left that is four stories with a very heavy romanesque entrance door. In the present only the first two stories are there but the great doorway is now once again visible. it had been covered but in a retoration in the 80's it was uncovered, really worth a close look. I have to assume the brownstone facade of the Masonic building was removed and another one put on. Another great facectemy is the building on the corner of Main and Court across from the civic center. the front has been totally changed from an amazing fancy to victorian delight to a rather plane one. But the right side facing Court Street still retains its details, though all painted white. sorry I do not have a scanner to show you one of the many old pictures of this building that are in old PC's and photos. Merry Christmas. jim
These pictures are a great Christmas gift to your readers, Mark. Maybe we'll see some more? How about a book of "a century apart?"
Wonderful picture of the builing on main and Court that had the facectomy. It is currently on ebay, 310011792091, enjoy. Jim
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