Weekly Photo Challenge No. 10 - Local History

[Sepiana]

Hi everyone,

Would you like to participate in this challenge? Just post a photo or photos which will be your interpretation of the theme.

The rules are rather simple.

Your photo(s) should be your own, i.e., they should not have been taken by someone else.
Your photo(s) should be taken during the week of the theme.
You are allowed to do some photoshopping.
You are to experiment and, most of all, have fun.

[dennis9]

Our local church, St. Mary's, Beddington.  Although much restored by the Victorians, it is an ancient church and is part of our own personal local history - we were married there, 50 years ago this December.  Just behind it is the local stately home, Carew Manor.  Again much altered by the Victorians it houses a mediaeval great hall with a hammer-beamed roof still intact.

Brenda

[Sydney]

This is the Queen Victoria Building in Sydney. It was built in 1898 and today houses all manner of shops and cafes. It takes up an entire city block and is so massive I was unable to capture the entirety of it when I took this shot yesterday.

i.cubeupload.com/uqafrg.jpg

[tonyw]

Local History here tends to be oil related as it was boom in the 1870's followed by bust in the 1890's but the tradition survives and a few historic oil wells continue to operate so people can see what it was like in those days - here's one that has been pumping oil for over 100 years - these days if you got a barrel of oil a day it would be a good day.




and another sketchy one from the same historical oil field



Tony

[dennis9]

The Greyhound Hotel in Carshalton village dates from at least 1700 - over 300 years of history as an inn, midway between London and the famous Epsom Racecourse.  It even boasts a ghost, a man who, legend has it, froze to death outside the door in the 1800's.

[billz]

Portland is a relatively young city, but at 115, one of our older structures is the Simon Benson house. In the late 1900's the house fell into disrepair, was condemned by the city, and eventually purchased by Portland State University. After the sale, the house was moved about 6 or 7 blocks where is was refurbished and currently sits, serving as an alumni center and an eye-popping centerpiece of the campus.

This week an episode of "The Librarians" is being filmed on campus, and the house has been cosmetically re-purposed to serve as the Omega Theta Fraternity.



(If you'd like to read the history of Mr Benson and the house there is a nice, relatively brief, description here. www.pdx.edu/alumni/the-history-of-simon-benson-and-his-house. I find him to be a colorful guy and the story interesting ... but you may want to take my bias into account.)

Bill

[Tpgettys]

"A local landmark since its construction in 1888, the Shelton McMurphey Johnson House welcomes you to Eugene. Step back in time and enjoy a guided tour, learn about local history, join our book club, take tea, attend a lecture, host a party or special event. There’s always something new to see and do at the Castle on the Hill!"

[Tpgettys]

"A National Historic Cemetery & City of Eugene landmark, the Eugene Pioneer Cemetery was established in 1872 by the Spencer Butte Lodge No. 9 International Order of Oddfellows. It was originally known as the I.O.O.F. Cemetery. The original cemetery was 10 acres with 6 acres added in 1907. There are 752 lots on the 15 acres with about 4500 to 5000 burials.It is an historical repository of stories of the lives of early pioneers who chose this as the final resting places for themselves and their families. Towering Douglas Fir trees, old roses, and lavender and white lilac bushes shade their graves."

[hmca]

Driving home the other day, I took a quick run up to this lighthouse but didn't have a lens wide enough to capture the whole structure. I decided to use blendkit and present it as a triptych so that I could show both of the lights. You can read the history of this interesting lighthouse here:

www.twinlightslighthouse.com/history.html

[billz]

Clever, and very nicely done Helen.

Bill

[hmca]

Thanks, Bill.

[Sepiana]

Hi everyone,

First of all, I want to apologize for not commenting on each entry individually. As of this writing I cannot see any of the images uploaded via Pixentral. The site is down again.

All of you rose to the occasion and posted some amazing images to fulfill this theme. I do appreciate all the historical background information you provided; it made this challenge quite interesting and your entries more meaningful. I really like the personal history behind Dennis/Brenda's entry.

Jul 14, 2015 14:33:42 GMT dennis9 said:

Our local church, St. Mary's, Beddington.  Although much restored by the Victorians, it is an ancient church and is part of our own personal local history - we were married there, 50 years ago this December.

[Bayla]

Well, this has been an interesting exercise. I have discovered things about my local area that I had no clue about!

Firstly I have learnt that the area in which I live had a different name once upon a time.

Then I discovered that within a five minute drive of my house there stands an old Tudor house built in 1563, the second oldest building in the area. I didn't take a picture of it though as it isn't in a particularly nice area and appears to have become a private residence & I didn't want to risk the owner's wrath!

But less than a two minute walk from my house I found this:




Called originally The Toll House, it was erected in 1831 with a bay window projecting out so that the toll collector had a clear view of the road. By 1848 the local authority had taken over the road, the tolls were abolished and the toll collector's house became a newsagent's. This was the only shop in an area where the landowner's restrictive covenants prevented commercial development. The exterior of the house remains largely unchanged to this day and is now a Grade II listed building. I remember when it was a newsagent's - it is situated at a road junction right by traffic lights and I remember that buses and lorries would stop at the lights and the drivers would dash out and run into the shop to buy cigarettes, snacks and newspapers and then dash back into their vehicles in time for the lights to change to green!

Sepiana, thanks for getting me to find out a bit about my local history!

Bayla

[cats4jan]

I am thoroughly enjoying these photos and the accompanying history lessons. Excellent photography challenge.