Doors Open Lowell, 10 May 2003

Lowell is a historic mill city in Massachusetts, about an hour northwest of Boston just outside I-495. A big chunk of downtown Lowell has been designated a National Historical Park. (It's interesting to see park rangers driving along city streets, complete with their little ranger hats.) It has a canal system that provided power (and transportation, I think) for the mills.

Doors Open Lowell ( http://www.doorsopenlowell.org/) is an event, currently in its second year, in which various historic buildings around Lowell open their doors to visitors. This being Lowell, many of the buildings are former mills, or buildings associated with the mills, but there are also museums, religious buildings, and government buildings.

My friend Jillian works for the Lowell Historic Board, which is one of the organizations (along with the national park and several other organizations) responsible for Doors Open Lowell. (She designed the event's web site, for instance.) So she was quite busy working during the event, and I tagged along and helped some, as well as going off on my own and participating in the event as a tourist.

(If you have red-cyan 3D glasses, you can look at three of these pictures in 3D.)

Most, but not all, of these pictures were originally taken at 1280x920. On this page, clicking the thumbnails or the filenames takes you (usually) to half-size versions, appropriate for normal browsing. You can follow the "(full-size original)" next to any picture to get the original version (which will probably be larger than your monitor; your web browser will probably require you to scroll to see the whole picture).

Incidentally, the timestamps on the pictures are incorrect, because my camera was still set to Hawai'i time from my last trip.

On Saturday morning, I started at the Assets Power House. (Jillian and I started here by putting together some directional signs, to be deployed various places to point people at the participating buildings, and Jillian and her colleague Chuck was here acting as hosts and guides.) This was part of a mill complex built by the Bigelow Carpet Company. (It served the adjacent mill which is now Canal Place Condominiums, photographed below.) The power house was built in 1910.

A few of these pictures are of other buildings, taken from near the power house.

	a3e10e00.jpg Doors Open Lowell (http://www.doorsopenlowell.org/), 2003.05.10 Assets Power House. Explanatory sign at the Assets Power House. Copyright (c) 2003 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Taken: 2003-05-10T05:24:58
	a3e10f00.jpg Doors Open Lowell (http://www.doorsopenlowell.org/), 2003.05.10 Assets Power House. Machinery in the Assets Power House, built 1910 by the Bigelow Carpet Company. Copyright (c) 2003 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Taken: 2003-05-10T05:04:23
	a3e10f07.jpg Doors Open Lowell (http://www.doorsopenlowell.org/), 2003.05.10 Assets Power House. Machinery in the Assets Power House, built in 1910 by the Bigelow Carpet Company. Copyright (c) 2002 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Taken: 2003-05-10T05:08:19
	a3e10f08.jpg Doors Open Lowell (http://www.doorsopenlowell.org/), 2003.05.10 Assets Power House. Machinery in the Assets Power House, built in 1910 by the Bigelow Carpet Company. Copyright (c) 2003 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Taken: 2003-05-10T05:08:43
	a3e10f09.jpg Doors Open Lowell (http://www.doorsopenlowell.org/), 2003.05.10 Assets Power House. Machinery in the Assets Power House, built in 1910 by the Bigelow Carpet Company. Copyright (c) 2003 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Taken: 2003-05-10T05:09:11
	a3e10f10.jpg Doors Open Lowell (http://www.doorsopenlowell.org/), 2003.05.10 Assets Power House. Machinery in the Assets Power House, built in 1910 by the Bigelow Carpet Company. Copyright (c) 2003 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Taken: 2003-05-10T05:09:51
	a3e10f16.jpg Doors Open Lowell (http://www.doorsopenlowell.org/), 2003.05.10 Assets Power House. A long view of the entrance to the power house. At left are Jillian and her colleague Chuck, with two visitors at left. Chuck wasn't sure exactly what the metal equipment to the right of the entrance is, but knew it had something to do with the canal running under the powerhouse. You can't see it from this angle, but there's a narrow corrugated-metal door on the loading dock, underneath and parallel to the white-painted bar up top, with the pipes going down through notches in it. It looks like perhaps a gate could be lifted up out of the path of the canal below. The white building at right had renovations started and was planned to be turned into condos, but the project was abandoned before being completed and it now provides affordable housing for Lowell's low-income pigeons. Copyright (c) 2003 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Taken: 2003-05-10T05:16:46
	a3e10f23.jpg Doors Open Lowell (http://www.doorsopenlowell.org/), 2003.05.10 View of the gold dome of a Greek Orthodox Church taken from near the Assets Power House (with a smokestack behind it). Copyright (c) 2003 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Taken: 2003-05-10T05:19:48

From the Assets Power House, I went next door to Canal Place Condominiums. This building was a worsted mill built by the Bigelow Carpet Company in 1906, four years before the adjacent power house that served it. It has been turned into condominiums. The interior atrium is six stories high, open, but with huge beams crossing at each floor level. Skylights have been put in. I loved the regular geometric patterns formed by the beams and posts and the railings. One of the condo units was open for visitors, but I was so busy taking pictures of the atrium, I never got around to seeing it.

A few of these pictures are of other buildings, taken from near or inside Canal Place.

	a3e10f29.jpg Doors Open Lowell (http://www.doorsopenlowell.org/), 2003.05.10 Canal Place Condominiums. View along the side of Canal Place Condominiums. The Assets Power House is hidden behind Canal Place. Copyright (c) 2003 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Taken: 2003-05-10T05:30:21
	a3e10f31.jpg Doors Open Lowell (http://www.doorsopenlowell.org/), 2003.05.10 Canal Place Condominiums. The front of Canal Place, with Canal Place II visible at left. Copyright (c) 2003 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Taken: 2003-05-10T05:31:02
	a3e10f33.jpg Doors Open Lowell (http://www.doorsopenlowell.org/), 2003.05.10 View from Canal Place Condominiums. An abandoned building with smokestacks, as seen from the Canal Place parking lot. The roof of the building was removed by previous owners to reduce their property taxes. (I gather that if it doesn't have a roof, it does't count for tax purposes as a building.) Copyright (c) 2003 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Taken: 2003-05-10T05:31:45
	a3e10f36.jpg Doors Open Lowell (http://www.doorsopenlowell.org/), 2003.05.10 Canal Place Condominiums (interior). Beams, railings, and sun through the skylights in the atrium of Canal Place Condominiums, a converted worsted mill built by the Bigelow Carpet Company in 1906. Copyright (c) 2003 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Taken: 2003-05-10T05:40:31
	a3e10f42.jpg Doors Open Lowell (http://www.doorsopenlowell.org/), 2003.05.10 Canal Place Condominiums (interior). Beams, railings, panelling, and sun through the skylights in the atrium of Canal Place Condominiums, a converted worsted mill built by the Bigelow Carpet Company in 1906. Copyright (c) 2003 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Taken: 2003-05-10T05:43:49
	a3e10f45.jpg Doors Open Lowell (http://www.doorsopenlowell.org/), 2003.05.10 Canal Place Condominiums (interior). Beams, railings, panelling, and sun from the skylights in the atrium of Canal Place Condominiums, a converted worsted mill built by the Bigelow Carpet Company in 1906. Copyright (c) 2003 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Taken: 2003-05-10T05:45:26
	a3e10f48.jpg Doors Open Lowell (http://www.doorsopenlowell.org/), 2003.05.10 Canal Place Condominiums (interior). Beams, railings, and sunlight in the atrium of Canal Place Condominiums, a converted worsted mill built by the Bigelow Carpet Company in 1906. This picture was taken from the third floor. Copyright (c) 2003 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Taken: 2003-05-10T05:50:03
	a3e10f51.jpg Doors Open Lowell (http://www.doorsopenlowell.org/), 2003.05.10 Canal Place Condominiums (interior). Beams, railings, panelling, and sun through the skylights in the atrium of Canal Place Condominiums, a converted worsted mill built by the Bigelow Carpet Company in 1906. This picture was taken looking up from the third floor. Copyright (c) 2003 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Taken: 2003-05-10T05:51:05
	a3e10f55.jpg Doors Open Lowell (http://www.doorsopenlowell.org/), 2003.05.10 Canal Place Condominiums (interior). Beams, railings, posts, and what I think are steel support lines in the atrium of Canal Place Condominiums, a converted worsted mill built by the Bigelow Carpet Company in 1906. This picture was taken from the third floor. Sorry about the fuzzy picture; I kept it because I liked the geometry. Copyright (c) 2003 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Taken: 2003-05-10T05:53:11
	a3e10f57.jpg Doors Open Lowell (http://www.doorsopenlowell.org/), 2003.05.10 Canal Place Condominiums (interior). The atrium of Canal Place Condominiums, a converted worsted mill built by the Bigelow Carpet Company in 1906; this picture was taken looking down through the beams from the fifth floor. I like the effect of the cascading beams. Copyright (c) 2003 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Taken: 2003-05-10T05:56:48
	a3e10f58.jpg Doors Open Lowell (http://www.doorsopenlowell.org/), 2003.05.10 Canal Place Condominiums (interior). Beams (with what I think are steel support lines), posts, railings, and sunlight in the atrim of Canal Place Condominiums, a converted worsted mill built by the Bigelow Carpet Company in 1906. Picture taken from the third floor. Copyright (c) 2003 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Taken: 2003-05-10T05:57:25

In the afternoon, Jillian and I drove over to the Juvenile Court Building, where she was staffing. It was built in 1893 to serve as the Lowell Post Office, and has since been remodelled for use as a juvenile court. Since it's a juvenile court, it's normally off-limits to the public. The interior of the building is stunning, with granite panelling on the walls and rich, impressive woodwork. In addition to the first floor entryway, we were shown two of the courtrooms. I didn't take any pictures inside, though.

A few of these pictures are of other buildings, taken from near the courthouse.

a3e10h01.jpg
Doors Open Lowell (http://www.doorsopenlowell.org/), 2003.05.10 Juvenile Court Building (built 1893; originally the post office).

North and west faces of the Juvenile Court Building, originally built in 1893 as Lowell's post office, with the bell tower on the left of the picture.

a3e10h03.jpg
Doors Open Lowell (http://www.doorsopenlowell.org/), 2003.05.10 Juvenile Court Building.

Main entrance of the Juvenile Court Building, originally built in 1893 as Lowell's post office.

a3e10h12.jpg
Doors Open Lowell (http://www.doorsopenlowell.org/), 2003.05.10 Juvenile Court Building.

The south face of the Juvenile Court Building, originally built in 1893 as Lowell's post office, with its bell tower to the right. The bell is *just* visible in the shadows. I'm guessing this was the front when the building was used as a post office, but now the main entrance is on the east side.

After seeing the courthouse and spending time taking some pictures of its exterior, I walked back towards three other participating buildings that were fairly near the powerhouse and condominiums, taking pictures along the way. These buildings weren't part of Doors Open Lowell; I just thought they looked cool. :-)

	a3e10h18.jpg Doors Open Lowell (http://www.doorsopenlowell.org/), 2003.05.10 Along Gorham/Central Street. This building was a railroad station. Legends on front of the building say "1876" and "BOSTON & MAINE / RAILROAD.". Copyright (c) 2003 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Taken: 2003-05-10T07:53:21
	a3e10h20.jpg Doors Open Lowell (http://www.doorsopenlowell.org/), 2003.05.10 Along Gorham/Central Street. Detail of a former railroad station. Legends on front of the building say "1876" and "BOSTON & MAINE / RAILROAD.". Copyright (c) 2003 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Taken: 2003-05-10T07:55:31
	a3e10h21.jpg Doors Open Lowell (http://www.doorsopenlowell.org/), 2003.05.10 Corner of Central and Hurd Streets. I liked the brickwork on this imposing-looking building with its lopped-off corner. Legends on the building say "1878", "APPLETON NATIONAL BANK" (on both visible faces), and "ESTABLISHED IN 1847". Copyright (c) 2003 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Taken: 2003-05-10T07:58:09
	a3e10i01.jpg Doors Open Lowell (http://www.doorsopenlowell.org/), 2003.05.10 Along Central Street. Sign for the granite sculpture "Human Construction" by Carlos Dorrien, made in 1989. The sign faces the road (Central St) on the guardwall. The sculpture itself is in two roughly symetrical parts in the middle of the Pawtucket Canal, on either side of Central Street, which crosses the canal. Copyright (c) 2003 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Taken: 2003-05-10T08:02:46
	a3e10i02.jpg Doors Open Lowell (http://www.doorsopenlowell.org/), 2003.05.10 Along Central Street. Part of a granite sculpture called "Human Construction" by Carlos Dorrien, made in 1989. It's in two roughly symmetrical parts, one on each side of the bridge over the Pawtucket Canal. Copyright (c) 2003 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Taken: 2003-05-10T08:01:15
	a3e10i04.jpg Doors Open Lowell (http://www.doorsopenlowell.org/), 2003.05.10 Along Central Street. Part of a granite sculpture called "Human Construction" by Carlos Dorrien, made in 1989. It's in two roughly symmetrical parts, one on each side of the Central Street where it crossesthe Pawtucket Canal. Copyright (c) 2003 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Taken: 2003-05-10T08:03:08

On my way to St Ann's Church, I stopped in at the Visitor's Center (of the National Historical Park) to use the restroom. Nearby, another unsuspecting innocent fell victim to my fearsome camera.

a3e10i10.jpg
Doors Open Lowell (http://www.doorsopenlowell.org/), 2003.05.10 Outside the Visitors' Center.

A cute squirrel on a concrete trash barrel outside the Visitors' Center for Lowell National Historical Park.

St Anne's Episcopal Church is a Gothic Revival church built in 1825. It was originally built for the mill girls (some of whom actually were "girls" even by modern standards). The stained glass windows were added later, and some of them are Tiffanys. They were what I focussed on.

	a3e10i13.jpg Doors Open Lowell (http://www.doorsopenlowell.org/), 2003.05.10 St Anne's Episcopal Church (interior). A stained-glass window inside St Anne's Church on Merrimack St., built in 1825. Some of these are Tiffanys. Copyright (c) 2003 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Taken: 2003-05-10T08:36:42
	a3e10i14.jpg Doors Open Lowell (http://www.doorsopenlowell.org/), 2003.05.10 St Anne's Episcopal Church (interior). A stained-glass window inside St Anne's Church on Merrimack St., built in 1825. Some of these are Tiffanys. Copyright (c) 2003 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Taken: 2003-05-10T08:36:57
	a3e10i15.jpg Doors Open Lowell (http://www.doorsopenlowell.org/), 2003.05.10 St Anne's Episcopal Church (interior). A stained-glass window inside St Anne's Church on Merrimack St., built in 1825. Some of these are Tiffanys. Copyright (c) 2003 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Taken: 2003-05-10T08:37:34
	a3e10i16.jpg Doors Open Lowell (http://www.doorsopenlowell.org/), 2003.05.10 St Anne's Episcopal Church (interior). A stained-glass window inside St Anne's Church on Merrimack St., built in 1825. Some of these are Tiffanys. Copyright (c) 2003 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Taken: 2003-05-10T08:38:13
	a3e10i17.jpg Doors Open Lowell (http://www.doorsopenlowell.org/), 2003.05.10 St Anne's Episcopal Church (interior). A stained-glass window inside St Anne's Church on Merrimack St., built in 1825. Some of these are Tiffanys. Copyright (c) 2003 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Taken: 2003-05-10T08:38:32
	a3e10i19.jpg Doors Open Lowell (http://www.doorsopenlowell.org/), 2003.05.10 St Anne's Episcopal Church (interior). The chancel (if I'm using that word correctly) of St Anne's Church on Merrimack St., built in 1825. Three stained-glass windows are visible. Copyright (c) 2003 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Taken: 2003-05-10T08:39:37
	a3e10i21.jpg Doors Open Lowell (http://www.doorsopenlowell.org/), 2003.05.10 St Anne's Episcopal Church (interior). A stained-glass window inside St Anne's Church on Merrimack St., built in 1825. Some of these are Tiffanys. Copyright (c) 2003 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Taken: 2003-05-10T08:41:03
	a3e10i25.jpg Doors Open Lowell (http://www.doorsopenlowell.org/), 2003.05.10 St Anne's Episcopal Church (interior). Detail of a stained-glass window inside St Anne's Church, built in 1825. Copyright (c) 2003 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Taken: 2003-05-10T08:44:44
	a3e10i26.jpg Doors Open Lowell (http://www.doorsopenlowell.org/), 2003.05.10 St Anne's Episcopal Church (interior). Detail of a stained-glass window inside St Anne's Church, built in 1825. Copyright (c) 2003 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Taken: 2003-05-10T08:44:56
	a3e10i30.jpg Doors Open Lowell (http://www.doorsopenlowell.org/), 2003.05.10 St Anne's Episcopal Church. The front of St Anne's Church, built in 1825, seen through trees with a sign in front. The wooden doors are left open most of the time to create a welcoming feel; inside them you can see glass doors (with shiny metal handles) which can be closed so the church can be kept heated. Copyright (c) 2003 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Taken: 2003-05-10T08:50:25

Just across the Merrimack Canal from St Anne's are the Moody Street Feeder Gatehouse and (set back a bit from the canal) the Masonic Temple. I had gone in the gatehouse that morning as we were putting up signs, but I didn't have my camera with me when we went inside. (Jillian was taking pictures for Doors Open, though.) And I didn't end up going inside the Masonic Temple, which Jillian tells me was spectacular inside.

The gatehouse was built in 1848, and it houses equipment to regulate the level of the canal. There are three channels running underneath it, and three big systems of pulleys and counterweights inside that allow the gates to be raised and lowered. (The counterweights are in big wooden boxes considerably larger than a coffin but somewhat smaller than a piano. It's impressive to see those things hanging daintily from a chain above one's head.)

	a3e10i32.jpg Doors Open Lowell (http://www.doorsopenlowell.org/), 2003.05.10 Masonic Temple. Front view of the Masonic temple seen across the Merrimack Canal. St Anne's was behind me as I took this picture (the Masonic temple faces it across the canal). Copyright (c) 2003 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Taken: 2003-05-10T08:51:41
	a3e10i33.jpg Doors Open Lowell (http://www.doorsopenlowell.org/), 2003.05.10 Moody St Feeder Gatehouse. The brick building with the narrow arched windows is the Moody Street Feeder Gatehouse. Just the tops of the three gates poke up over the water of the Merrimack Canal. Merimack St goes over the canal on the left of the picture. Copyright (c) 2003 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Taken: 2003-05-10T08:52:05
	a3e10i38.jpg Doors Open Lowell (http://www.doorsopenlowell.org/), 2003.05.10 Near the Moody St Feeder Gatehouse and St Anne's Church. View along the Merrimack Canal. As I took this picture, St Anne's Episcopal Church was to my right, and the Moody St Gatehouse was just across the canal to my left. Copyright (c) 2003 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Taken: 2003-05-10T08:54:10
	a3e10i39.jpg Doors Open Lowell (http://www.doorsopenlowell.org/), 2003.05.10 Moody St Feeder Gatehouse. The Moody St Feeder Gatehouse on the Merrimack Canal (which is what the railing visible protects me from falling into). We are told that the gatehouse is at 269 Merrimack St, and I'm a-guessin' it was built in 1848. Copyright (c) 2003 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Taken: 2003-05-10T08:56:12
	a3e10i42.jpg Doors Open Lowell (http://www.doorsopenlowell.org/), 2003.05.10 Moody St Feeder Gatehouse. The Moody Street Gatehouse, along the Merrimack Canal (which is not visible but runs along the other side of the gatehouse). A "Doors Open Lowell" banner hangs on the railing in front of the gatehouse, and trolley track run along the left side. Copyright (c) 2003 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Taken: 2003-05-10T08:57:49
	a3e10i44.jpg Doors Open Lowell (http://www.doorsopenlowell.org/), 2003.05.10 Masonic Temple. Oblique View of the front of the Masonic Temple, a big squarish white stone building with eight huge Greek-style columns on the front. The brick building to the left of the temple houses Cobblestone's Restaurant. Copyright (c) 2003 by Jay Sekora. All rights reserved. Taken: 2003-05-10T08:58:25

Approximately between the gatehouse and the visitor's center there's an antique locomotive on display. The tracks that run alongside it are for a tourist trolley that makes a circuit of the historic district.

a3e10j03.jpg
Doors Open Lowell (http://www.doorsopenlowell.org/), 2003.05.10 Antique train in Lowell, Massachusetts.

Antique locomotive and coal car and part of a third car in the middle of Lowell, next to the trolley tracks. The coal car has the legend "Boston and Maine" on it.

I've got three pictures available in 3D for viewing with red-cyan glasses. Sorry the angles aren't quite right (which you can see especially in the tops of the two pictures taken in Canal Place Condominiums).

stereo Doors Open Lowell, 2003.05.10 (3D pictures)
(5 files.)

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