Publisher's Synopsis
If those walls could talk...this is what they would say. A story of Massachusetts.
Where is America's oldest continuous weather observatory? (Page 38) Where is the only National Historic Landmark dedicated to dance? (Page 96) How did Harvard Stadium help create the forward pass in football? (Page 69)Imagine a group of settlers arriving in an undeveloped location. First come shelters in which to live and then structures in which to work and shop. There are buildings for worship and education. As the community grows government buildings are required. With prosperity comes places in which to spend leisure time. And each step along the way builds a story only Massachusetts can call its own. A story told in 100 buildings.
Drive-in theaters...cranberries...Sears kit houses...trolley parks...Lariat Rope...diners...history-changing forts...nails...lighthouses...whales...boardwalks...pioneering railroads...mimetic architecture...kissing bridges...ice houses...octagonal buildings...chocolate...post office murals...clam shacks...tea parties...life-altering inventions...Carnegie libraries...ski lodges...The Big E...carousels...stone bridge masterpieces...Shakers...Carpenter Gothic cottages...
The photos and stories collected here are a fast and fun way to learn the explanations behind the quirks, the traditions and the secrets that make Massachusetts uniquely Massachusetts. What Massachusetts cemetery was a major tourist attraction in the 1800s? Solved. At what Massachusetts course was golf's "shot heard round the world" fired? A mystery no more. What tunnel in Massachusetts claimed more lives to build than the Hoover Dam and Golden Gate Bridge combined? Identified.
Almost all of the selections within are open to the public, or at least visible from public spaces. So, if you haven't seen these landmarks in person, fire up your GPS and get out and see the story of the Bay State standing in plain sight on Massachusetts streets!
