Which postcard of Washington Park came first?

I bought two postcards of Washington Park on eBay.  I was intrigued as to the differences more that the similarities. You can click on the cards to increase the size and see the details

Here is  the card made by Tuck and Sons -- an English postcard manufacturer.  It was sent by Mrs. George Hoole to someone in Philadelphia as a postcard exchange.

First the correspondence side:

Now what the English thought Washington Park looked like:

It is summer, the trees are leafed out, the men and women were happily conversing on the bench as the ducks floated by.


Now here is the other card I purchased.  There is nothing on the correspondence side so I am not showing that side.

Same scene of the Pavilion, same ducks, it is now winter and the bench has moved.


Which do you think is the original, and which is the copy cat? 

One neighbor's favorite place --- the front porch

Most of our homes in the Historic West Side Neighborhood of Springfield have porches from which to view the world.  Please read this story today in the State Journal Register to get one neighbor's perspective:

Your Front Porch: Window to the Neighborhood

St. John's Hospital 1910

The hospital is not in the West Side Neighborhood but I found this postcard from about 1910 and was amazed at how things change and how they stay the same.  The smokestack is still there I believe. I think the area in the photograph is what is now Mason St.  The car sitting there shows that parking was a problem even then!

                     Here is the present footprint of the hospital : The area which I think was featured in the postcard is covered in a black box with Red lettering on it.

Iron Spring Arbor, Washington Park

In October 2010 the Washington Park Iron Spring was reopened after months of reconstruction. The details about that are in the Springfield Journal Register story:

Reopened Iron Spring

The new Arbor is faithful to the original -- including the lampost. I wonder if the previous one was gas?

This postcard was mailed from Springfield in 1908. Below is the new Arbor.

Click on the arrow below to hear the spring!  Enlarging it will show even more detail!

While I was there several families came to see the Spring, even on a 90 degree day! They were not from this area of town. Aren't we lucky to have the Historic Park in our back yard?

You win some, You lose some!

This old 1955  ad caught my eye:

Here is what you would get for $25,000.

"This quality home is on a beautiful large lot 120 by 160 ft in a good southwest neighborhood. Butler-Blessed Sacrament district.  Six spacious rooms on first floor. Five rooms and 1 1/2 baths on second floor. Floored attic, full high ceilinged basement with shower and stool. Oil hot water heat, 2 car garage with storage loft.  This property isin excellent condition and can easily be converted to duplex."

This is a photo of the house
when it was built in 1922.



I drive down S. Grand Ave West frequently but sure don't remember this gem.

This is what stands there now:

 We lost this one!

503 S. Grand Ave. West through the Years

In the 1920's a marvelous house was built for Dr. I. W. Metz.  Althought the house fronts on Henrietta Street the street address has always been S. Grand Ave West.

Here is what the house looked like shortly after it was built:

In 1967, it appeared like this:

And the trees were fully leaved out in this 1975 photo.

Here is how it looks today. It appears to have loving owners:

Enchanting English Arts and Crafts home in Orendorff Place

For years I have marveled at the wonderful style of a house at 1007 W. Vine. My husband and I argued about whether it was an English Cottage or English Arts and Crafts and we have now come to the conclusion it is English Arts and Crafts.
Here is that wonderful house in question:

The style could almost be called story book, with its's  many high pitched gables. It is built very close to the ground and is anchored by the pillars that  hold up the cozy porch roof.

The simple but complementary trim coming off the gables adds that wonderful arts and crafts touch.

I was unable to find any comparable house in Springfield but since the details reminded me of Voysey architecture,I looked for images of his designs:
"The houses of Voysey and his followers built in the early 1900s for wealthy clients struck a modern look with their low ceilinged rooms, horizontal windows, roofs sweeping almost down to ground level and  rough cast white or pebble dash * walls, although Voysey always saw himself as an architect working firmly within the traditions of English vernacular architecture.."
* This house a rough cast or pebble dash walls in the interior porch area..


Here is a drawing outlining the characteristics you may see in an English Arts and Crafts house (from Arts and Crafts House Styles by Trevor Yorke)

The photo below shows The White House by Dare Bryan after C. F. A. Voysey, Leigh Woods, N. Somerset, 1901

Web Citation: http://tinyurl.com/3rxtdef

The photograph below is of a house in Lake Forest Ill. It is called Ragdale

Photograph from "The Arts and Crafts House" by Adrian Tinniswood

This wonderful English Arts and Crafts house is in England and the photo was found in the  Edwardian House Style Handbook by Hilary Hockman.


So, If your interested in seeing an English Arts and Crafts house, drive by 1007 S. Vine and be enchanted too.