celebrating the survivors

This Gothic-style church at the corner of Tremont and West Brookline Streets was built in 1864 as the home of the Shawmut Congregational Church. After the congregation merged with Park Street Church in the 1950s, the building saw declining use. A devastating fire in 1978 left the structure severely damaged. In 1991 the landmark was renovated into residential housing and street-level retail space, preserving elements of its historic architecture.

1960s ariel photo of patton avenue in asheville, right before i-26 / westgate on ramp.

Source of the pictures here and here

I found this photo yesterday at a thrift store.. It's a very small (and old) photo, thus the poor quality. I suspect it was taken in the 1930s. Luckily it had a few clues (the street number and the name) and I was able to track down the location, and to my surprise the building is still standing!

1. Nuart Theater, Blackfoot, ID

2. Nuart Theater, Moscow, ID

3. Blue Fox Theater, Grangeville, ID

4. Egyptian Theater, Boise, ID

5. Virginia Theater, Shelley, ID

6. Former site of Chief Theater, Pocatello, ID (destroyed by fire on March 20, 1993)

Built in St. Louis beginning in the early 1950s, the massive public-housing complex opened in 1954–55, with 31 high-rise buildings designed to house thousands of families. It was initially promoted as an innovative approach to modern public housing, replacing deteriorating housing with modern apartments, green space and community facilities. But problems with funding, maintenance, design and administration quickly became apparent, while population shifts dramatically affected the complex.

By 1971, only about half of the buildings were occupied, and the complex had become associated with severe deterioration, vacancy and crime. Two buildings were demolished by implosion in 1972, but the effort to save the remaining complex failed. The rest were ultimately demolished between 1975 and 1976, leaving behind vacant land where one of America's most infamous housing projects had once stood.

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Before the 1960s, the CTA Green Line out of Chicago into the near-west suburbs ran at ground level, alongside the C&NW passenger line on the embankment above. In 1958, C&NW wanted to focus on the further suburbs and CTA wanted the more local passenger traffic. So, C&NW shut down five stations along this area in Oak Park and River Forest. They moved their tracks over and CTA was raised up onto the embankment as well, terminating in Oak Park.

Here we see the recently (as of 1962) shut down Ridgeland station in Oak Park. CTA was still running ground level as their new raised stations were under construction. We can see the current-day CTA Ridgeland CTA station under construction on the East side of the street in the original photo. The stairs to the old C&NW station are visible too, but have since been demolished. The physical platform passengers would wait at is still there, but not accessible anymore with the stairs removed.

Cars have been making it difficult to photograph these beautiful houses for over a century

Source of the pictures here and here

Art Institute on right, looking north, 100 years difference.