Greg Roach's Berkshires Blog
Sunday, September 06, 2009
  Pre "Urban Renewal"
The area now occupied by Steeples Plaza. Sigh.


I love this map site. A few years back I purchased the black white print of the 1881 North Adams map from the Historical Society. I wonder if I can get a local printer to do a large, full color version.

[Link fixed]
 
Comments:
I think I'm with you on that, at least aesthetically. But I was talking to a guy at the N A Historical Society a few months ago, while looking at photos taken just before the "urban renewal." After I expressed some sadness over the loss of the really interesting looking neighborhood, he told me that the buildings were very shoddily built (with brick facades slapped on to rickety fire-trap wooden buildings), and that it thus only took about a third as long to tear them down as had been expected. That said, it's too bad architecture was at its artistic nadir around 1970 when they were rebuilding.
 
brad, who has the frame shop downtown has the full color version. i have one framed hanging in my office

ctrem
 
I will have to find out what happened to the Unitarian church. How long ago did that disappear?
 
The Unitarian Church building is still there, with its sunflower capitals and brick detailing. Eric Rudd uses it for his Chapel of Humanity. I live next door to it.
 
The URL in yer post is busted, pallie--
 
Ross- Link fixed.

Larry - I believe the white pillared building on State St, approximately where the Holiday Inn parking lot is i labelled, "Universalist Temple."

I'll have to back into the original map to confirm. I am curious because in all the drawings, old photos and post cards of North Adams that I've found on line and at the Historical Society, I don't recall this building.
 
Here's some info:
From a 1906 portfolio of Uiversalist churches in Massachusetts by Percy Metcalf Leavitt. Massasoit Press.

"The First Universalist Society of North Adams was organized in 1842, though meetings had been held for several years previously. In 1845 the old Methodist Church was bought and put into repair and served as the church home till 1852, when a church was built on State Street, where the Hotel Willington now stands. This building in time gave way to the hansome structure now in use on Summer Street, which was finished in 1893, in the pastorate of Dr. A.B. Church. The present pastor is the Rev. G.W.Colson who was called to ths work in June, 1902."

Not sure what a Universalist "Temple" is. I do know I have seen other accounts of the UU church next door to me on Summer Street, but they are indeed likely to have started elsewhere. They ultimately disbanded in North Adams.
 
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