Monthly Archives: April 2012

Two Views of the Headland House, Rockport, circa 1912

Posted on April 29, 2012 by Robert Ambrogi

These views may be black and white, but this house at 10 Atlantic Ave. in Rockport has a colorful history. As of the time of these two postcards, the Headland House was a hotel. You can see the sign hanging … Continue reading →

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View from Hospital, Rockport, Mass., circa 1908

Posted on April 28, 2012 by Robert Ambrogi

Here is a unique postcard showing the view out over Rockport from the Leander M. Haskins Hospital at the top of Summit Ave. (I’ve written before about the hospital and the man it was named for.) I find myself stumped … Continue reading →

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Missing Historical Marker at Benjamin Tarr House on South St.

Posted on April 27, 2012 by Robert Ambrogi

The 1930 historical marker for the Benjamin Tarr House at 23 South St. has been torn down. Here is how it looked before. These markers were erected in 1930 by the Massachusetts Bay Colony Tercentenary Commission to mark “the ancient … Continue reading →

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Congregational Church, Pigeon Cove, Mass., circa 1908

Posted on April 22, 2012 by Robert Ambrogi

This church, formerly known as the First Church of Christ, still stands today as the Pigeon Cove Chapel, located at 155 Granite St. The church actually grew out of a Sunday school. In 1857, two local teachers, Ellen H. Gott … Continue reading →

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Swedish Church, Pigeon Cove, Mass., circa 1908

Posted on April 21, 2012 by Robert Ambrogi

Swedish immigrants began arriving on Cape Ann in the late 1800s to work in the quarries. The first man to come from Sweden to Pigeon Cove was Peter Magnus Lilja in 1879, according to Barbara Erkkila’s history of the granite … Continue reading →

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Special Guest Post: Granite Shore Hotel, Rockport, circa 1915

Posted on April 20, 2012 by Robert Ambrogi

[Note: After I last posted about the Granite Shore Hotel, I heard from Lawrence Neal, whose grandparents, Ernest and Martha Neal, bought the hotel in 1940 and operated it until 1960. He sent along the following information about his grandparents … Continue reading →

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My First-Ever Correction: I Had the Wrong Breakwater!

Posted on April 9, 2012 by Robert Ambrogi

Two days ago, I posted a postcard, Building Breakwater, Pigeon Cove, Rockport, Mass., circa 1905, that I described as depicting the building of the Sandy Bay breakwater. An astute reader pointed out that the land in the background of the … Continue reading →

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Building Breakwater, Pigeon Cove, Rockport, Mass., circa 1905

Posted on April 7, 2012 by Robert Ambrogi

[Important update and correction: I got this wrong. This does not show construction of the Sandy Bay breakwater. Rather, it is the breakwater at Folly Cove. At least I was close in the year — this picture was most likely … Continue reading →

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The Congregational Church, Rockport, Mass., circa 1911

Posted on April 7, 2012 by Robert Ambrogi

The First Congregational Church, also known as “The Old Sloop,” has stood in the center of Rockport since 1805. It has had a colorful history, as I’ve written about before and as is described in more detail on the church’s … Continue reading →

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Straitsmouth Island and Lighthouse, Rockport, Mass., 1905

Posted on April 6, 2012 by Robert Ambrogi

Note the misspelling of Straitsmouth as “Straithmouth” on this 1905 postcard from the Rotograph Co. of New York City. That aside, this is a beautiful and serene view of the island and lighthouse. Compare this view of the lighthouse with this 1895 … Continue reading →

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