A little dated (was in vogue in the Emerson, Thoreau era of traveling to the country to commune with nature, be healthful and spiritually whole), but that's ok. It's up for grabs in our free market society, so I'm taking it. No longer a Sojourner, I am an Excursionist. I bet I could make a profession out of it too.
Some excursions are planned, others just happen. And then there are the hybrids. This one is a hybrid.
I signed up for a kayak meet-up in a small (pop. about 8,000) almost central MA town of Orange. I knew little of this town excepting it has a great festival every year: North Quabbin Garlic and Arts Festival.
Here's what the town says about itself:
From 1780 to 1840, Orange was primarily a farming town. Many of the farms were large and well managed. However, various industries eventually sprouted along the banks of the Millers River, including the New Home Sewing Machine Company, which in 1892 produced 1,200,000 sewing machines.
By 1879, the town had a population of about 2,000 people, many employed in industry. Orange was also the site of the first automobile factory in the United States, at the current home of Pete's Tire Barn on East Main Street, built in 1900.
Here's what the state says about the town (from the MHC Reconnaissance Reports, a favorite pastime reading):
Well I was going along to the Millers River and so of course I went early to excurse along the River and R.R. to sniff out what was left in this little Mill town. I was really curious about the New Home Sewing Machine Co. b/c that factory had operated into the mid-twentieth century. The river and railroad run right thru the center of the town. I thought it funny how the town was set up
Which way to go? I went all ways. I went North Main in search of the old town center, but didn't find it (I didn't go far enough + it really is more Tully Village- which also has a Main St. and not Orange). You see, I also sometimes study things like this:
Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission North Quabbin Regional Landscape Partnership Report
I really think in a past life I was a cartographer and in current form I dream of being on a planning commission somewhere writing reports like these great ones. When comparing the two reports, I sometimes get to see what is extant and the town has preserved, or is trying to preserve, or is sitting to rot (which sadly is what I most often find, hence my fascination with our nation's decay).
The DCR is where our state parks operate out of. Of course I have my seasons pass so I can drop in to the lakes that are no motorboats. Little did I know they produced this cool project in 2008 with an affiliated publication, "Reading the Land." So I pulled up Orange and found a wealth of information.
I let it go that I didn't find those old pre-industrializtion places, because I passed so much brick in the downtown that I turned around, parked and peeked. I'll let the pictures tell the rest of the story.
Vacant former Erving Industries paper mill on West River Street.
In the 1990s, Erving Industries sold the facility to Innovative Cereal Products, Inc., which has since ceased operations.
http://www.mass.gov/eea/docs/dcr/stewardship/histland/recon-reports/orange.pdf    
Located on South Main Street, on both sides of the Millers River, are the buildings associated with the former New Home Sewing Machine Company (New Home). Originally the site of a mill that
manufactured wooden pails, New Home started their operation in the early 1860s under the name Gold Medal Sewing Machine Company. The name was changed to New Home in 1877 and the
business thrived well into the early 20th century. Built of brick, the architecture and configuration of the buildings is typical of 19th century New England mills.
 
I was curious about this building in the center of town, the Orange Trading Co. and found this video someone made in 2011. It gives the overall feel of the town.
But it doesn't tell the history. The DCR report just states that many of the remaining Sewing Machine Co. bldgs. are now privately owned. On the left side may be where there is still manufacturing going on. The Slencil Company owns several buildings on the north side of the River and remains a thriving pencil manufacturing business (with an owner that somehow thought Slencil was a cool name).
Several buildings on the south side of the River are under-utilized or currently vacant. All of the remaining buildings associated with the former New Home Company are contained in the Orange Center Historic District listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.
So I searched and found this:
At the 1874 organizing convention of the National Woman's Christian Temperance Union, the members were urged to erect drinking fountains in their towns so that men could get a drink of water without entering saloons and staying for stronger drinks. Often the drinking fountains that were erected offered a place for horses to drink, another place for dogs, and of course, a place for humans to drink.
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Next I wanted to know what the lettering on top said, but couldn't make it out. Can you?
Across the street from the salon, on the West Main St. side stand these two forlorn buildings. The one on right is in reuse as the Pizza Factory. This site 11 West Main, was established as State Savings Bank in 1871. The 2nd structure is Putnam Hall, a sad boarded up building that has been waiting too long for redevelopment.
It's the corner bldg. that I was curious about. I adored the panels created to spruce up the blighted bldg. and wondered about them. No informational plaque to be found though. It looks as though it were a kid art project of some sort, involving history as the next few photos will show:
   
This last picture has lost most of its paint, but what remains are pieces of the letters that spell out the Young Entrepreneurs Society. Young Entrepreneurs Society (YES) was founded in Orange, Massachusetts in 1998 by a community organizer, Tim Cohen-Mitchell, as a project of the Orange Revitalization Partnership and incorporated as a non-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)3 organization in 2000. Since 1998, YES has facilitated over 50 projects and programs, serving over 2,000 youth in our region and beyond.
Look up and dream! Putnam Hall is an historic five-story brick building with approximately 22,700 square feet in the center of downtown Orange. The goal is to restore this structure for mixed-use purposes including retail space, professional office
space, light manufacturing, and classroom space for educational uses, which will support ecotourism, forestry, and other businesses, especially in the medical and legal fields.
   
This bldg. was not vacant, houses the Community Clothing Shop (which wasn't open), but I thought the top of the bldg. interesting, wondering what it once was?
The rest of West Main St.:
Peeking through- prominence once lived there thru the trees behind West and North Main St. (I think this was either High St.) I drove back in there looking for this house, found a little neighborhood instead.
       A red el camino to match the old red house! Now that said Orange, MA to me   
A lot has been said and done with this property. The Orange Innovation Center/Minute Tapioca Plant is located on West Main Street, just west of the downtown area. The site was first a huge shoe factory in 1877, it later became the Minute Tapioca Plant (1894-1967). At one time the Grout Bros. also made automobiles (1900) at the site and the Historical Society still owns 2 of these cars. This building is currently being rehabilitated and leased for office and commercial space. The owners have full occupancy in the spaces that have been rehabbed and have others waiting to take space as it becomes available. This property abuts the Millers River, has access to the railroad bridge behind the foundry, and contains approximately 900 feet of riverfront.
I remember driving out here more than a qtr. century ago (back when I had my horse + buggy) to purchase cheap pine furniture with a friend at this place (who out there remembers the Bedroom Factory?). I had no clue about this area then + so was fun to revisit
Much more of a mystery is this house which sits directly across the street from the Innovation Ctr.
More bizarre is how this housing pattern happened!?!
   
"Also of note are a three story brick mansard roofed house with asymmetrical plan (c.1865)," the question is which one of the few I saw were they referring to in this report I found from MA Historical Commission.
 Some History: When the parishioners of the First Universalist Church of Orange began worshipping in the South Orange Meeting House in 1834, they shared the property with the Baptist and Orthodox churches. Funds to pay for the construction were raised by the sale of pews. In 1837 grants established the north part of town as North Orange and South Orange became simply Orange. In 1851 a group of regular churchgoers drew up a request to organize a Universalist Society which was formed in November. 
Have no idea what this rock signifies. It sits between the Universalist Church + the Orange Hx Society.
This is also lower 4 North Main St., across the st. from Town Hall I think it all belongs to the same Visitor Artisan Gift block that is around the corner (or at top of next picture).
The 15-17 East Main Yellow bldg. houses Dial Self, a a community-based non-profit agency that has been serving the youth and communities of Western MA since 1977. I inadvertently captured some youth. I was pleased to see these few "Stop the Pipeline" signs, as Orange is one of the proposed towns it would pass through.
Heading up East Main St. toward the center there are a few commercial industries operating. Highland Spirits on the left and at the corner on the left is an outdoor outfitting outfit sort of store.
This imposing factory at rivers edge is along the East side of the downtown and manufactures gates. The Rodney Hunt Company was founded in 1840 and produced the wooden water wheels and the sluice gates used in textile mills; later they would go on to make pumps and hydraulics. Located at 46 Mill St., it is still in operation, now called Rodney Hunt-Fontaine Inc. An article in local paper 2012 said co. was up for sale. Wonder if it is a stable economic base for this poor, poor town?
 Along East River St., almost directly across from the new Peak Paddle Expeditions, is this old blacksmith shop from the 1820's. More about it here: http://www.nystromsblacksmith.org/  http://www.peakexpeditions.com/the-boathouse/ 
Another curiosity. Looks abandoned, but see the little sign above the door? Well here is the facebook write-up found for 61 East River:
About
Description
we are a full service gun shop specalising in personal defence and tactical gear. also ammo of a verity of calibers and weights. If we dont have what you are looking for I can order it from one of our venders. I also do firearms transfurs for a small fee so if you buy a hand gun out of state just have it sent to me and I can do the paperwork for you. now offering a firearms safty class to obtain certificate for your class A , B , or FID card. the class is taught by a NRA and Mass state certified instructor.
The grammar alone was frightening to me. Other businesses also comes up for that address, but still not a match to the main sign. Dexter Innovative Solutions + Echo Industries Inc.
Dexter has this lovely webpage that just does not match the facility. http://www.dexter-is.com/hammers.html
I could not find the history of this site. I did find other grim tidbits or factoids like this: In a study of the nine-town North Quabbin Region, the largest percentage of adults over
25 without a high school diploma live in Orange (20.4%). From a 2008 study of the town.
Between South Main St. + the Miller's River is a little block of brick + I just adored this wrought iron structure to cover a gap in which on could fall (+ perhaps someone did before this cute ornament was made) straight down to the tracks below.
The R.R. seemingly ran right thru the center of the new downtown Industrial Orange. There was an East-West corridor along the river in 1848 (Fitchburg R.R.). This R.R. devo'ed in Northern MA straight on thru to the infamous Hoosac Tunnel in North Adams. There were so many offshoots, charters, and mergers it is hard to say what came thru, or what is still coming thru today.
But I did find this current photo:
Looks like Conor G. has his R.R. geek on. Thank you Conor for answering my ?
My second favorite (of course Mill is #1) street to find when excursioning! River would be 3rd choice.
 Love when communities can involve youth in projects they can see and be proud of. Right on Orange, MA, right on! 
My final chunk of pictures are of the unique homes I stumbled upon in the West River area. It looks like an old, yet vibrant neighborhood.
 From the MHC Reconnaisance Survey of 1982 found this:     Greek Revival was apparently in during the early to mid 1800's. pre-Victorian era of the later 1800's. 
Once proud and predominant it is so hard to see these houses in faded glory.
 When did corrugated metal become big? It looks like it came and went from West River area of Orange, MA. Of the signs that hadn't rusted beyond reading, I found Sakrete (1936 pre-mixed concrete packages) but not operating in Orange anymore. In Orange in 1855, the 2nd largest industry was in chairs and cabinetware, so lumber was definitely a commodity. I just couldn't find out when it went out of fashion, faded and folded as several did even in my lifetime down in the Noho area. Home Depot and the big box were killers. Well at least this old bldg. serves as a place to advertise for the church down the street. 
Another faded home. They look tired and this one is definitely sagging.
Even the sign looks old! I wonder about the name Putnam though as the hx'ic Putnam block in downtown and now this street. Putnam is one of those old Boston Brahmin names.
 
These signs clearly were important to someone at one time, and were reently marked for the 4th of July, I just could never find any explanation.
This cute, simple stick construction home also had a time placard on it, I think the date was 1810. I thought it was adorable.
   I totally enjoyed my early evening paddle on Orange's Miller's River, and as well, enjoyed excursioning around towm before our paddle began. Definitely an old mill town struggling to stay alive today and into the future. I wish them the best of luck. |
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