Tag: Massachusetts

America’s Haunted Houses

These storied homes are valued for their architecture or their role in historical events, but many visitors and residents report that something otherworldly lingers…

Lizzie Borden House

The Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast Museum in Fall River, Massachusetts was the scene of a gruesome unsolved double murder, perhaps among the most infamous in the U.S. Thirty-two-year-old Lizzy Borden became the chief suspect, but she was acquitted at trial. Today it’s open for tours and overnight stays.

The Franklin Castle

Built between 1881-1883, Franklin Castle (or the Tiedemann House as it is more properly known) is located in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood. It is rumored to be home to more than a few tortured souls left over from a series of gruesome murders – but are any of those stories true? Only a few people have been allowed inside its wrought iron gates to know for sure.

Tags Arizona, ghostlore, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, residence, Virginia

Roadside America

Worcester Diners

If New Jersey is the diner capital of the U.S., Massachusetts is a close second. Thomas Buckley began to sell lunch wagons in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1887. Charles Palmer, who patented a “Night-Lunch Wagon” in 1893, also operated in Worcester. The Worcester Lunch Car Company, founded by Philip H. Duprey and Grenville Stoddard, was an iconic diner manufacturer from 1906 to 1957. It produced 651 diners, many of which still exist today. Several are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Worcester diners look more like railroad cars than their newer counterparts, with smooth metal exteriors and wooden interiors. Most have a distinctive barrel roof and a row of large windows, with entrances at either end.

The Miss Worcester Diner, 302 Southbridge Street in Worcester, Massachusetts, is a 1948 Worcester (#812) built for Dino Soteropoulos. It sits across the street from the old Worcester Lunch Car Company factory and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003. This classic diner is a local favorite.

Tags diner, Massachusetts

Roadside America

Diners of Massachusetts

If Rhode Island can claim to be the birthplace of American diners, Massachusetts is a close second. Thomas Buckley began to sell lunch wagons in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1887. Charles Palmer, who patented a “Night-Lunch Wagon” in 1893, also operated in Worcester. The Worcester Lunch Car Company, of course, was an iconic diner manufacturer from 1906 to 1957.

Ralph’s Rock Diner, at 148 Grove Street in Worcester, Massachusetts, is a 1930 Worcester model, #660. The Worcester Lunch Car Company operated in this city from 1906 to 1957 and manufactured hundreds of lunch carts and classic diners. Robert and Mamie Gilhooly originally opened this diner on Grove Street in Worchester’s Chadwick Square (hence the name, Chadwick Square Diner). It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.

Route 66 Diner, at 950 Bay Street in Springfield, Massachusetts, is a 1957 Mountain View, one of the last manufactured by that Signac, New Jersey company. Originally called the Bay Diner, owner Donald A. Roy bought it in 1975 and the restaurant is managed by his brother-in-law, Charlie Allen. It is cash only.

Tags diner, Massachusetts

Photography

Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts

Post author By Michael Kleen
Post date December 12, 2019
No Comments on Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts

Mount Auburn Cemetery, at 580 Mt Auburn Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts, was the country’s first rural cemetery. Designed by landscape architect Alexander Wadsworth, it opened in 1841 and quickly became one of the most visited destinations in the country. Rural cemeteries were laid out like gardens, with winding paths, ponds, and hills, and many, like Mount Auburn, also serve as arboretums. Mount Auburn was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2003. It is 200 acres and is the final resting place for approximately 70,000 people.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) was America’s greatest poet. He was a Harvard professor, translator, and like many New Englanders, an abolitionist prior to the American Civil War. “Paul Revere’s Ride”, “My Lost Youth”, The Song of Hiawatha, and Evangeline are counted among his works.

A granite Sphinx by Irish-American sculptor Martin Milmore commemorating the end of the American Civil War. Its inscription reads: “American Union Preserved; African Slavery Destroyed; By the Uprising of a Great People; By the Blood of Fallen Heroes.” It was erected in 1872.

Tags cemetery, Massachusetts, National Historic Landmark, National Register of Historic Places

Roadside America

Boulevard Diner in Worcester, Massachusetts

Post author By Michael Kleen
Post date December 3, 2019
No Comments on Boulevard Diner in Worcester, Massachusetts

Boulevard Diner, at 155 Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, Massachusetts, is a 1936 Worcester model, #730. The Worcester Lunch Car Company operated in this city from 1906 to 1957 and manufactured hundreds of lunch carts and classic diners. Frank Galanto and his family owned and operated the Boulevard Diner until 1969, when John “Ringo” George, an employee, took the reigns. His son, Jim, has continued the tradition. The Boulevard Diner was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.

Look for a new diner every Tuesday in 2019! Click to expand photos.

Diner Resources

Tags diner, Massachusetts, National Register of Historic Places

Historic America Photography

Ashes from the Oath

Firefighters’ Monument in Forest Hills Cemetery, 95 Forest Hills Avenue in Boston, Massachusetts. John A. Wilson sculpted this bronze statue and relief images in 1909, and each year on the second Sunday in June members of the Boston Fire Department commemorate their fallen comrades.

Tags Boston, cemetery, Massachusetts

Roadside America

Corner Lunch Diner in Worcester, Massachusetts

Post author By Michael Kleen
Post date November 12, 2019
No Comments on Corner Lunch Diner in Worcester, Massachusetts

Corner Lunch Diner, at 133 Lamartine Street in Worcester, Massachusetts, is a 1955 DeRaffele model. Originally located in Babylon, New York, it moved to Worcester in 1968, where it was owned by Demetrious Efstathiou and re-assembled by the Musi Dining Car Company. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.

Look for a new diner every Tuesday in 2019! Click to expand photos.

Diner Resources

Tags diner, Massachusetts, National Register of Historic Places