Latest Structures Page 84

Mt. Beacon Fire Observation Tower, Beacon New York

Mt. Beacon Fire Observation Tower, Beacon New York

The Mt. Beacon Fire Observation Tower, located on the summit of South Beacon Mountain in southern Dutchess County, New York, is associated with fire-prevention measures established by New York State to protect state-owned forest lands beginning in the early 20^th Century. It is a pre-fabricated tower design by the Aermotor Corporation, a leading manufacturer of fire observation towers and other tower structures. It was erected here in 1931, and supported fire observation activities in this area of the Hudson Highlands from 1932 until the early 1970s, when the role of fire observation was assumed by aircraft. The first tower erected in New York State for the expressed purpose of forest fire observation was built in the Catskill Mountain region of western

Valcour Island Lighthouse, Peru New York

Valcour Island Lighthouse, Peru New York

The 19^th century was an increasingly commercial period for Lake Champlain. The development of lighthouses and other navigational aids not only paralleled this growth in commerce, but was a prerequisite for it. The construction and maintenance of lighthouses has been a Federal Government responsibility since 1789 when Congress created the Lighthouse Establishment and placed it under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Treasury. Responsibility for aids to navigation remained in the Treasury Department until 1903, when the Lighthouse Service was transferred to the newly-created Department of Commerce and Labor. Finally, in 1939 the Lighthouse Service was merged with the U.S. Coast Guard, which has retained jurisdiction over lighthouses to this day. Prior to the advent of railroads or trucks, Lake

The Tepee, Cherry Valley New York

The Tepee, Cherry Valley New York

The Tepee is a distinctive example of a type of popular roadside architecture from the mid-1950s and is associated with recreation and tourism along US Route 20 in the town of Cherry Valley. Built at a time of growing automobile traffic, the Tepee is part of the larger trend of 1950s tourism and economic development. During this time, roadside culture in the United States exploded as the postwar economy pumped the market with automobiles. For the first time since before World War II, American travel was unrestricted by rationing, and families had both the means and the leisure time to explore the country. In response, the early twentieth-century industry catering to the needs of automobile travelers and tourists was re-invigorated. In

Osakis Milling Complex, Osakis Minnesota

Osakis Milling Complex, Osakis Minnesota

The Osakis Milling Company, built in 1887, was one of west central Minnesota's few extant nineteenth century flour mills, a basically intact example of early steam powered roller mill construction, and a building which once housed a regionally-known flour mill which was once the most important industry in the community of Osakis. Osakis, located on the shore of Lake Osakis in Douglas County, was first settled in the early 1860's and platted in 1866. One year later the community's first mill, a woodframe tow mill known as Sanderson's Mill, was constructed. In 1868 or 1869 a second little-known mill, Stevenson's Mill, was built by Donald Stevenson, apparently on the site of the present Osakis Mill. In 1887 modern flour milling technology

Pan Motor Company, St. Cloud Minnesota

Pan Motor Company, St. Cloud Minnesota

When the popularity of the automobile brought Samuel C. Pandolfo to St. Cloud in 1917 with intentions to rival Detroit, he envisioned an extensive industrial and residential complex for the manufacture of the automobile and in just two years his plans reached substantial completion. He was greeted with great enthusiasm for the unity and sense of purpose which he brought to the community and several local leaders became directors in the company. Although only approximately 750 Pan cars were produced between 1917 and 1922, they were considered the best and most popular of Minnesota's 16 automobile manufacturers. Automobile periodicals of the time found the car innovative, particularly for its small motor, and the Pan Model 250 was one of the most

Biloxi Lighthouse, Biloxi Mississippi

Biloxi Lighthouse, Biloxi Mississippi

In March 1847, the United States Congress appropriated twelve-thousand dollars for the erection of a lighthouse at Biloxi, Mississippi. Though the vicissitudes of war, unparalleled natural disasters, and man's technological advances have challenged its existence, the Biloxi Lighthouse beams today very much as it did 125 years ago. It is the most prominent landmark on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. After the congressional appropriation, the United States purchased a one-acre tract on the shores of the Mississippi Sound from one John Fayard. The location chosen was exceedingly exposed to wind and water, and the more notable storms of later years necessitated an excessive number of repairs to the lighthouse. Historically, the location was significant. The site of the third capital of the

Blantonia Plantation House, Lorman Mississippi

Blantonia Plantation House, Lorman Mississippi

According to local tradition, Blantonia was constructed circa 1812 by members of the Blanton family. The house received a major rear addition comprised of an extension of the central hall between two new rooms and a cross hall, plus an exterior renovation in approximately 1845 which gave it its Greek Revival character. Despite another rear addition in 1967, Blantonia's original pile-and-a-half expanded I-house form is still quite discernible. Double-galleried and full-colonnaded I-houses typically have a narrow range of rooms across the rear balancing the width of the gallery and creating a pile-and-a-half expanded I-house plan. What is not readily apparent is whether Blantonia originally featured double galleries with story-high pillars on each level or a full monumental colonnade with an upper

West Point Public School, West Point Georgia

West Point Public School, West Point Georgia

The West Point Public School is located on a 3.43-acre parcel, approximately 2,200 feet east of the Chattahoochee River, overlooking the river from one of the highest points on the city's east side. Historical records refer to this site as the knoll, and later, as College Hill. Since the community's early days, this site has been devoted to educational use, and has housed some of the earliest schools in the county. The school sits in an impressive location, even today. The West Point Land Company, chartered in 1838, owned the property until 1867. A 1839 City Map by Broadnax shows the West Point Female Academy there. At that time, educational institutions had no legislative authority to grant college degrees to women;

Ashley and Bailey Company Silk Mill, York Pennsylvania

Ashley and Bailey Company Silk Mill, York Pennsylvania

The Ashley and Bailey Company Silk Mill was the first silk mill constructed in York. It, along with the other silk mills in York, helped to feed Lancaster's largest turn-of-the-century industry, the manufacture of umbrellas. As York's first silk mill and one of the first major industries in West York, it represents not only the theme of the development of the silk industry in York, but also the development of West York Borough. As industries outside of the city grew, the increased demand for labor fostered the development of West York, which was incorporated into a borough in 1904. The Ashley and Bailey Company Silk Mill was built in 1899 at 1237 West Princess Street, near Herman Avenue. It was a

Wimberly Plantation - Gleesom Hall, Jeffersonville Georgia

Wimberly Plantation - Gleesom Hall, Jeffersonville Georgia

This Greek Revival Home has Remained in the Family for 7 Generations

Hardy Durham began purchasing plantation lands in Twiggs County, Georgia in Ca. 1813, and by 1853 he is listed in the county tax digest as owning 5300 acres, making him the second-largest landowner in the county and a prominent local figure. His plantation plain-type house located to the northwest of Gleesom Hall was demolished in Ca. 1955. Durham's cotton business became so successful he established a freight line from his land to the Ocmulgee River in order to ship his plantation goods downriver. After Dr. Wimberly and his wife occupied Gleesom Hall in Ca. 1845 they maintained their land as a cotton-producing plantation in association with her father, Hardy Durham. Wimberly Plantation, large in its own right, was associated with one

Myrick's Mill, Fitzpatrick Georgia

Myrick's Mill, Fitzpatrick Georgia

Myrick's Mill in Twiggs County, Georgia, is one of the few remaining antebellum mills in largely an unaltered condition. It was a social hub of a large cotton plantation and later of the rural community. It was one of only three mills in this district of Twiggs County in 1840 and served the farmers of the neighboring counties of Jones and Wilkinson as well. The mill is a living reminder of the earliest manufacturing edifice in a county that was not to shed its rural outlook for another century, and was a means for turning much farm produce to marketable or edible usage. Myrick's Mill was built sometime c.1840 on or about Land Lot 74 in the 27^th District of Twiggs

John Chapman Plantation - Hollywood, Jeffersonville Georgia

John Chapman Plantation - Hollywood, Jeffersonville Georgia

John Chapman (1820-1892), first owner of the plantation was deeded the land by his father William Chapman who died in 1848. These lands had been associated with the Chapman family since 1807 when William drew Land Lot 111 during the 1807 Land Lottery. By 1830 he had acquired Land Lot 112 and part of Lot 85, which together constitute the core of the historic plantation holdings. John Chapman became one of Twiggs County's wealthiest citizens and major plantation owners who married four times and left nine children. After his death in 1892, the plantation was run by his widow and children until 1906, when it was sold to Mrs. Pearl Napier O'Daniel, wife of Dr. Mark H. O'Daniel (1861-1915), an important

Omro High School - Webster Manual Training School, Omro Wisconsin

Omro High School - Webster Manual Training School, Omro Wisconsin

The Omro Middle School consists of three interconnected buildings: the High School, the Webster Manual Training School, and a gymnasium locally referred to as the Annex. They derive educational significance from the unique role they played as school buildings in a community with an 1890 population of approximately 2000 and a 1980 population of approximately 2700. The only other public building in Omro of equal prominence until 1938 was City Hall, constructed in 1893. The first of four major construction dates, 1893, saw the completion of Omro's now oldest-standing schoolhouse. It was to house all grades in a two-story, four-department building. The new school was the pride of the town and was backed by over 90 percent of the voters. Shortly

Auchumpkee Creek Covered Bridge - Hootenville Covered Bridge, Thomaston Georgia

Auchumpkee Creek Covered Bridge - Hootenville Covered Bridge, Thomaston Georgia

The Auchumpkee Creek Covered Bridge was constructed in 1898 by Dr. J. W. Herring (1823-1911), a practicing physician and also a member of the Commission Roads and Revenue of Upson County. He also had some engineering ability for he constructed several bridges and other structures in the county. The Hootenville Militia District carries the name of the Hootenville Community, a once thriving section of Upson County, where, in 1848, Martin Van Buren made an overnight stop in his campaign for the presidency of the United States. This is the only covered bridge remaining on a public road in the area referred to locally as Middle Georgia. The Auchumpkee Creek Covered Bridge is one of 22 covered bridges remaining in Georgia and

Rinard Covered Bridge, Marietta - Wingett Run Ohio

Rinard Covered Bridge, Marietta - Wingett Run Ohio

Rinard Bridge was built in 1876 by Smith Bridge Company for $13.50 per linear foot. Stonework by H.H. Townsend for $4.10 per perch. The historic name of the bridge was Hendershott's Ford Bridge. The bridge is now bypassed. The Rinard Covered Bridge takes its name from one John Rinard, a livestock dealer who owned the land nearby when the bridge was built. Descendants of this family still own the land there today. According to the late Dr. H. B. Hune, who gave us much of our information on Washington County's Hune Covered Bridge (which is about two miles downstream from the Rinard Covered Bridge), the present Rinard Bridge is the second covered span on this sites As a small child Dr.

Floridan Hotel Building, Tampa Florida

Floridan Hotel Building, Tampa Florida

Abandoned 18 Story Hotel in Tamp FL Restored as Hotel Flor

The Floridan Hotel was constructed through local enterprise and effort in direct response to the need for hotel space created by the increase in the number of visitors coming to Tampa. It was conceived by A. J. Simms, a leading developer and a native of New Brunswick, Canada. Allen J. Simms came to Tampa in 1906 and began his career in real estate working for the Tampa Bay Land Company, first as a stenographer and later selling lots in Palma Ceia Park, Keystone Park and Suburb Beautiful. In 1908, Simms went into business for himself and organized the Simms Realty Company. In 1917 at the onset of the war, he abandoned the business and joined the Royal Canadian Dragoons. Simms returned

Highland Plantation House, St. Francisville Louisiana

Highland Plantation House, St. Francisville Louisiana

Highland was the first house built in Louisiana by the Barrows, a family that created and reigned over one of the largest plantation empires in the antebellum South. It was the first of many magnificent antebellum homes associated with this immensely wealthy and prominent family. The house has remained in the Barrow family down through the years. The house was built for William Barrow III in 1805 and he resided there until his death in 1823. When the United States purchased Louisiana in 1803, West Florida (the present Florida parishes of Louisiana) was not included. It had been since 1779 under Spanish control; however, its inhabitants were anxious to be annexed to the Louisiana Purchase and eventually become part of the

Cottage Plantation, St. Francisville Louisiana

Cottage Plantation, St. Francisville Louisiana

Many Original Outbuildings Remain here, it is now a B&B

The Cottage Plantation has practically all of the original outbuildings or dependencies remaining in good condition, therefore, constitutes a complete working plantation just as it was in the early 1800's. The plantation contains the main house; the School House, which was at one time the law office for Judge Thomas Butler, the first Criminal Court judge of the Florida Parishes and a member of Congress; the outside kitchen; a smokehouse; and the utility house containing saddle and harness room, commissary, china storage room, and lumber room. Also on the grounds are two greenhouses, a carriage barn, a horse barn and three slave cabins. Thomas Butler, a representative from Louisiana; born near Carlisle, Cumberland County, Pa., April 14^th, 1785; attended the common

Butler Greenwood Plantation, St. Francisville Louisiana

Butler Greenwood Plantation, St. Francisville Louisiana

In 1770, a physician named Samuel Flower came to the Baton Rouge area from Reading, Pennsylvania, and within a decade established his practice and acquired several tracts of land near Bayou Sara in West Feliciana Parish. He built a house on the bayou and by 1790 he had settled his growing family on the plantation which he named Greenwood. In 1810 a fire destroyed this house, and Flower built a larger house (the present one) on the same site. Flower died in 1813, and three years later the title to Greenwood passed to his daughter Harriet (1793 - 1873), one of his five children who survived to maturity. It is not known precisely how it was decided that Harriet would receive

Dixie Court Hotel, West Palm Beach Florida

Dixie Court Hotel, West Palm Beach Florida

Ground was broken for the construction of the Dixie Court Hotel on April 22^nd, 1925. Originally occupied by three frame dwellings, the hotel's site (the northwest corner of Althea Street (now Second Street) and Poinsettia Avenue (now Dixie Highway)) was destined for commercial development because of its location directly west of Palm Beach County Courthouse in downtown West Palm Beach. The hotel was to be designed in a commercial adaptation of the Mediterranean Revival style by the noted West Palm Beach architectural firm of Harvey and Clarke and constructed by Wilcox Brothers, Inc., also of West Palm Beach. The developers, Court Properties, Inc., were organized by D. F. Dunkle, Attorney, former Mayor of West Palm Beach and President of the Palm

Book Title Lost Places: Images of Bygone America

Lost Places: Images of Bygone America

Book Title Abandoned Train Stations (Abandoned Places)

Abandoned Train Stations (Abandoned Places)

Book Title Abandoned: Hauntingly Beautiful Deserted Theme Parks

Abandoned: Hauntingly Beautiful Deserted Theme Parks

Book Title The Atlas of Abandoned Places: A Journey Through The World's Forgotten Wonders

The Atlas of Abandoned Places: A Journey Through The World's Forgotten Wonders

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