Here is a picture I took the other day. It looks like Newport, R.I. Or a beautiful small town somewhere.
But it is Black Rock!
I have had my head buried in the books the last few days, doing Leonard Pennario stuff. So today it was between writing about my recent journey to Jubilee, where I bought steak that did not turn out well, or sharing pictures I took of Black Rock. I decided to go with my Black Rock pictures. They are beauteous!
Above is a picture of the Johanneskirche with a pretty Allentown-like house in the middle and, at the right, a house built by Augustus Porter, the brother of General Porter, which "Airborne Eddy" Dobosiewicz thinks might be the oldest house in Buffalo.
I like to write "Johanneskirche" instead of plain old "St. John's Church" because "Johanneskirche" is what is written on the cornerstone. I went past on my bike once and noticed that.
What about Johannes Brahms?
He was alive when that church was built!
I took this picture from atop the International Railroad Bridge. Yes, if there is anything good about any landscape, I sure know how to zero in on it, that is for sure!
Herewith, the bridge itself.
And there is beautiful Mason Street. I almost wrote Mason Alley because that is what I think it should be called.
Here is a closeup of the tiny white house on Mason Street which, Eddy thinks the oldest house in Buffalo might not be Augustus Porter's, it might be this one!
After I took this picture we went and rang the doorbell of the house. A man answered the door and Eddy made this speech about how he thought it might be the oldest house in Buffalo. The man looked at us as if we were crazy but then he invited us in.
And we went inside and visited with the man and his wife and petted their kitten. Eddy said to me afterwards: "That's how it's done."
Now we have been inside that mysterious white house!
I do like my pictures of billboards.
And here is a picture of us horsing around near the railroad bridge.
OK, no more horsing around for me today.
Back to the books!
4 comments:
I'm quite familiar with that little house on Mason Street. My grandfather first showed it to me when I was a kid, and we'd drive by it every once in a while. I remember seeing it before it was sided, and there was always a little Toyota hatchback parked outside. This was in the late 80s or so.
Then I think whoever lived there moved out, because one day we drove by and there was a swastika flag in the window. I don't think that swastika was placed with the same intention as those on the Ellicott Square Building or inside Blessed Trinity Church. It started to look pretty run-down at that time.
In the next phase of its life, it was vinyl sided in white and had those lovely bars added to the door and windows. A year or two ago, I saw it listed for sale. It looked like someone tried to "update" it quite a bit on the inside. In a brief moment of insanity, I considered purchasing it and living there. Well, I guess that's no more insane than purchasing Big Blue with the intention of living there, just on the opposite end of the spectrum. Actually, I think it would make a nice summer home for somebody.
Oh, I should check the City of Buffalo Property Information! Okay, it looks like it was sold in 1991, 2004, and most recently in July of 2008 for $20,000. I'm very curious about who lives there now, but I don't think I have the courage to go up and ring the doorbell.
Ah, an amazing eye for photography and a boldness! It looks like Buffalo is quite photogenic from the right eyes. Good job!
Allentown... I lived there as a kid for a time when my father was in the Army. That was around 1949-1951 or so.
The most vivid memory I have of it is a front door in our house that was nearly all glass. It seems that I ran for it and missed the knob, running my hand through that heavy glass!
There is a still a big scar on my left wrist to remind me of Allentown. And the Dutch ladies, lol.
I felt guilty just taking pictures of the little house on Mason (2 separate times). Darn, I wish I would've been there!
I think Guy is friends with the man who lives in that house!! How strange I think Guy picked u paint brushes there with me one time in the now defunct maroon pick up.. Ari
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