Then And Now

Then and Now: The Old Pump on the Common

Each week, Lynnfield Patch looks at the town's past using items found for sale on eBay.

This image stands out because the pump that once stood on Lynnfield Common was a fairly well-known landmark in its day. And today, there's a good chance it's increasingly forgotten by locals. One story about the old town pump came up last Christmas while looking at long-ago newspaper clippings. Back in late 1903, an article in the former Wakefield Citizen and Banner reported that the night after the Firemen's Ball, some mischief-makers scandalized the town by painting the pump red. The article seemed to imply the band had something to do with it.

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Then And Now

Then and Now: The Trinity Baptist Chuch

Each week, Lynnfield Patch takes a look at the town's past using a local relic found for sale on eBay.

This old press photo that ran in the Boston Herald on January 8, 1962 shows the former Trinity Baptist Church in Lynnfield, which was apparently located on Summer Street. I had never heard of this church until now, and at first wondered if there was some mistake. However, a search online came up with a Google Books link (incredibly) for "A Brief History of the Trinity Baptist Church in Lynnfield," which was 8 pages long and published in 1967 as part of the congregation's 10-year anniversary celebration. As noted on the back of the press photo for sale, the church dedicated its first unit in 1962, although congregation members had already been meeting in private homes for five years at that point. Also noted on the back of the photo: “The $…

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William Laforme

5:57 pm on Monday, June 3, 2013

Thanks for the info folks, I knew that some locals would still recall details about the place...   more ›

Then And Now

Then and Now: A Hand Painted Image of Suntaug Lake

Each week, Lynnfield Patch finds an interesting item from the town's past for sale on eBay and uses it to talk about local history.

Here’s an interesting relic from the town’s past – it’s described as a hand-colored photograph of Suntaug Lake, and the image is actually quite beautiful. It’s credited to an L.C. Newhall and dated 1925. I don't know much about this style of image but they do come up fairly regularly for local towns from around this era on eBay searches. Whoever L.C. Newhall was - and consistent with many small New England towns, there may be one or two people out there who can actually answer that question - he or she happened to be a member of one of Lynnfield's most storied families. Not only was the Newhall family well-represented among the ranks of Lynnfield Minutemen in the opening days of the Revolutionary War - One of them was technically among the…

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Then And Now

Then and Now: A Civil War Soldier Returns to Lynnfield

With Memorial Day right around the corner, we find a 151-year-old document for a Lynnfield soldier who apparently came home from the Civil War in 1862.

I'm glad I came across this item with Memorial Day just around the corner. Over time, this weekly column is beginning to resemble an online museum of Lynnfield History. For our latest exhibit we have discharge papers from Private S.R. Moorland of the 22nd Mass. Volunteers from the Civil War on March 3, 1862. He was apparently a Lynnfield resident. From what I can make out on this document, Private Moorland was actually a Lynnfield resident, not somebody who trained at the former camp - and that the Army paid him $38.52 to cover the cost of a 22-day, 440-mile journey home from what is very likely Hall's Hill near Alexandria, Virginia. In an article back in the late summer of 2011, I talked a little bit about the history of Lynnfield in the …

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Then And Now

Then and Now: Dinner at the Colonial

Each week, Lynnfield Patch highlights an item for sale and eBay and uses it to talk about the town's past.

For a small town, Lynnfield has had its fair share of legendary restaurants over the years. One such destination was the Colonial, which in a few short months will begin its new incarnation as the MarketStreet Lynnfield development. You don't have to be a historian with a hearty appetite to appreciate how an old menu offers an intriguing look back to long-ago times. But it helps. That said, here's a look currently for sale on eBay at what George Page had on the menu back in those semi-mythical days when a lot of the patrons may or may not have been wearing Nehru jackets and when Lynnfielders casually rubbed (smoky smelling and suede-patched?) elbows with some of the greatest Boston sports legends ever. Here’s one observation about this …

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William Laforme

1:04 pm on Monday, May 13, 2013

That is so cool - Meeting "Apollo" from Battlestar Galactica and Jimmy Carter while working at the same restaurant! That's one of those ways you know you're at a legendary business...I didn't even know Carter was ever in town.   more ›

Then And Now

Then and Now: Restaurant Once Eyed for OLA Church Site

From time to time, Lynnfield Patch finds an item for sale on eBay and talks about its connection to the town's past.

For the second consecutive week, we can find an interesting detail about the town's past with help from a random item from Lynnfield being sold on eBay. This is a 1961 press photo showing the former location of Our Lady of the Assumption Church on Route 1 North in Lynnfied - and even back then it was a former church. As most readers know, the current location of OLA Parish is less than a mile away on Grove Street. The old OLA building is now the Century 21 North Shore office. Not much seems to have changed with the building since this picture was taken. But here's an interesting detail - the reason this particular press photo exists is that back then, a Salem couple intended to renovate the place as a restaurant and were seeking a liquor …

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William Laforme

11:42 am on Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Hello Nikki, sorry I missed this - No I have not seen anything about the eagles this spring from what I recall. I can check in and find out, I assume they are still around. It was cool seeing them perched casually on street lights in Alaska last year.   more ›

Then And Now

On The Menu: A Look Back Into The Past

From time to time, Lynnfield Patch highlights items spotted on eBay.com and how they relate to the town's past.

Submitted, for your consideration (with apologies to Rod Serling) – a menu that's been around for almost as long as there's been motorists on Route 1. It's from the former Ship’s Haven restaurant, predecessor of “The Ship” on Route 1, that appears to date back to the 1930s. And it's also got some very useful local history information casually tucked away on the back page. Word is that if you buy the menu and open it at midnight, an apparition will appear and utter the phrase, "Say, what'll ya have, Mac?" as something vaguely resembling the Lindy Hop plays tinnily off in the background. But I digress. This 1930s menu, with an asking price of $9.99, features some old stand-by dishes, some of which would be at home on any menu today, and …

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The History of 505 Main Street - Or, The Lynnfield Middle School Property

Thanks to former Lynnfield resident Ernie Hutchins for providing this local historical information.

Editor's Note: Ernie Hutchins lived in Lynnfield decades ago before moving up to Gilford, New Hampshire and more recently, to Washington State. He still keeps in touch with the folks in his old town however, and most recently, provided this website with a comprehensive look at the history of one of Lynnfield's well-known properties - 505 Main Street, which is now the home of the Lynnfield Middle School. Below is the full text of Ernie's research:   INTRODUCTION This research was prompted by a conversation about an old home that once graced the landscape of Lynnfield Center. It was located at 505 Main Street. Now the address of the Lynnfield Middle School. I lived across the street from this home for almost 10 years. It was a beautiful old …

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A Look At Lynnfield In The American Revolution

Four quarters and seven hours ago, this website presented the story of Lynnfield's role that first Patriot's Day in 1775. Also, check out the quiz to test your local Revolutionary War knowledge plus a list of all Lynnfielders who fought for independence.

Then And Now

Then and Now: Kimball's Starlight Ballroom

Each week, Lynnfield Patch runs an old photo from town and talks about its history and what's there today.

Of all of the great long-ago landmarks of Lynnfield, photos of Kimball's Starlight Ballroom for some reason seem to be fairly uncommon - considering how the place would typically draw hundreds of people on any given night, as well as some of the nation's most well-known musical acts of the era, such as Duke Ellington. This photo provides some perspective on what the place looked like - it was literally a giant open-air dance floor with a stage over on one end that was covered by what may or may not be an art deco aircraft carrier superstructure. Elsewhere on eBay, this photo remains, and was written about at some previous point in this website. The image, no longer up for sale, is a press photo taken in 1932 showing the place filled with …

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Ernie Hutchins

11:20 am on Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Julia..did you ever meet the "Golden Greek", Harry Agganis at any of the events. I was just reading a Red Sox article that made mention of him. His girl friend, Jean Dallaire (of TV's Romper Room Fame) was my english teacher in high school in Lynnfield.   more ›