# xzmattzx's Urban Photo Blog



## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Since my Daily Delaware Photo thread has been a big success, I have decided to make a second thread. This thread will be for my pictures of all of my travels, not just my pictures of the state of Delaware.

I will be using a different format for this thread. In my "Daily Delaware Photo" thread, I posted one picture a day, every day. In this thread, I will be posting periodically, to make it easier on myself and not force myself to find a new, good picture every day. Because I will be using a blog-like format in this thread, it will make more sense to post multiple pictures in each post; that way I can tell a story behind a building, city, or collection of places shown in the pictures.

I hope everyone enjoys my picture collection from around North America as much as they have liked my Delaware pictures.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

I will start off my photo blog with some picture of the U.S. Capitol. The U.S. Capitol was built from 1793 to 1811, and underwent a few expansions. The large dome was added in the 1850's, and the two larger wings were added at this time as well. The North wing, on the left, houses the Senate, and the South wing, on the right, houses the House of Representatives. On the top of the dome is the Statue of Freedom.


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## RaulTampa (Jul 18, 2007)

You're off to a great start Matt. I'm a loyal follower of your Daily Delaware Photo so i'm already sure the Urban Photo Blog is going to be great as well. Looking forward to see what you've got for us in 2008!


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## Tymel (Jan 9, 2007)

Woah, I am definetly going to follow this thread.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

For some Delaware flavor, here are pictures of the state capitol and the courthouses of all three counties.

Legislative Hall, Dover (state capitol)










New Castle County Courthouse, Wilmington










Kent County Courthouse, Dover










Sussex County Courthouse, Georgetown











As a bonus, here are pictures of the two former state capitol buildings.

Old Courthouse, New Castle










Old State House, Dover


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## Tymel (Jan 9, 2007)

Delaware only has 3 counties? I dont think I could ever ever live in a state that small.

Heck the city that I go to all the time is larger than 3 counties.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Yes, just three counties, but I like it that way here. It means that there is less bureaucracy, and things tend to get done or rejected quicker. There doesn't seem to be a lot of hassling about issues, in general.


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## Exrexnotex (Sep 23, 2005)

Delaware has 3 counties , huh , I didn't know that. Love the pics of the Capitol Building in the snow.


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## Audiomuse (Dec 20, 2005)

Nice colonial architecture in Dover!


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

My grandparents have a cottage on Lake Erie near the town of Port Colborne, Ontario. The cottage is about 10 miles west of Buffalo, NY. Here are a few pictures to show the area where I go every Summer to relax and see my relatives.


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## Tymel (Jan 9, 2007)

Nice, Nice but not really urban 

I never really been to a lake, just the Atlantic and Caribbean Sea


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Here are a couple random wide-angle pictures of river traffic on the Mississippi from Riverfront Park in New Orleans. I am compiling and uploading my pictures of New Orleans from my recent trip down there, so keep an eye out for the threads.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

My grandparents live in the Buffalo, NY, area. I go up to see them every Summer, including going to their cottage on Lake Erie. (You can see pictures of Lake Erie above.) Since I am up in the Buffalo area a lot, I have quite a few pictures of the city. Here are some random pictures from a few years ago.


Statler Building










Buffalo City Hall




























Niagara Square










Anchor Bar



















Parkside Candy


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

I will be putting up a few entries showing off the First Ward, a neighborhood in Buffalo, New York, that was historically the city's industrial and commercial hub. The Erie Canal terminated at the Buffalo River, which winds its way through the First Ward. Because of this, the estuary became a major grain transfer center, which propelled Buffalo into one of the nation's major cities in the late 1800's and early 1900's.

The Cobblestone District is a section of the First Ward where some streets are paved with cobblestones. The Cobblestone District is planned as a loft and condo area, as well as an entertainment area for after events at HSBC Arena.


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## Brisbaner21 (Jul 17, 2007)

Buffalo seems like a smaller Detroit, but maybe a little worse off.


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## gappa (Mar 13, 2007)

I actually quite like Buffalo and wished I could have stayed longer than the few hours that I did. Some very nice turn of the century architecture. Thanks and keep up the good work.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Brisbaner21 said:


> Buffalo seems like a smaller Detroit, but maybe a little worse off.


Buffalo is similar to Detroit in that both are typical Rust Belt cities that relied heavily on manufacturing and were not prepared when manufacturing became less labor-intensive. Detroit is worse off economically than Buffalo, because the auto industry is also hurting; Detroit is probably in the worst shape economically in the entire U.S. Buffalo is in very bad shape politically, though. In addition to high property taxes and other taxes, unions have a chokehold on a lot of things, much more so than in any given American city. These things strongly discourage businesses to grow or even for people to start new businesses, so the business climate in Buffalo is still worse than many other places in the country. It's a shame, because I like the city, but there seems to be that "I'll scratch your back, you scratch mine" mentality amongst politicians in New York, and the losers in the whole thing are the taxpayers (i.e. residents).



gappa said:


> I actually quite like Buffalo and wished I could have stayed longer than the few hours that I did. Some very nice turn of the century architecture. Thanks and keep up the good work.


Buffalo does have more than it's fair share of great architecture. You can see how important the city used to be 75 or 100 years ago from the grand structures still standing.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Staying in the First Ward, we now look at Kelly Island. Kelly Island is a sliver of land between the Buffalo River and the City Ship Canal. Like the rest of the First Ward neighborhood, industrial businesses flourished in the past here.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Here are a few more pictures from Buffalo's First Ward. For more pictures and commentary, click HERE.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Inspired by Taller Better's "Look Up" pictures on page 17 of his "Hot Off Of The Press" thread of Toronto, I am posting some pictures of the details of the tops of various buildings and structures.

I was in Washington, DC, earlier this week, and toured the neighborhoods of Downtown, Chinatown, and Capitol Hill. Here are a few pictures of some of the details on some buildings. No commentary yet, I will have that ready when I make the threads on the respective neighborhoods.


First Division Memorial










Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building










Southern Building










Hotel Washington










Washington Monument




























John A. Wilson Building










Warner Theatre










U.S. Capitol


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## lpioe (May 6, 2006)

Nice thread!
Good job xzmattzx kay:


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

Very cool pictures, and welcome to the new photo section!!! :cheers:


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Here are pictures of mine of NHL arenas. Some I have attended events at, some I have not.

Madison Square Garden, New York City










Wachovia Center, Philadelphia










Air Canada Centre, Toronto










HSBC Arena, Buffalo










Mellon Arena, Pittsburgh










Verizon Center, Washington











Also, here are some pictures of former NHL arenas.

Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto










Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo










Wachovia Spectrum, Philadelphia


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Here are some pictures from the New Orleans neighbrhoods of Downtown and the Warehouse District. For all of my pictures, and for accompanying commentary, click HERE.

Downtown














































Warehouse District


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Vineland, New Jersey, is a city in Cumberland County. Vineland, to me, looks like the quintessential Small Town America. Among other things, the drive-in theater was invented in New Jersey; Vineland is the location of New Jersey's last drive-in theater.


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

Great pix, as always... and that last little Deco cinema is a beauty!! You are very lucky it 
hasn't been demolished already.


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## Evergrey (Mar 12, 2005)

awesome Buffalo pics!


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## Evergrey (Mar 12, 2005)

bump


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Evergrey said:


> bump


I've been busy with school recently, and haven't gotten a chance to put anything up recently. I plan on putting up a couple picture tomorrow if I have some extra time.

Will we ever see a Pittsburgh or Western PA photo blog from you in the future?


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

The Spectrum, the original home of the Philadelphia Flyers and also a home of the Philadelphia 76ers, will make way for an entertainment center. I took this picture this past Sunday, knowing that it might only be around for a few more months.


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## Evergrey (Mar 12, 2005)

xzmattzx said:


> I've been busy with school recently, and haven't gotten a chance to put anything up recently. I plan on putting up a couple picture tomorrow if I have some extra time.
> 
> Will we ever see a Pittsburgh or Western PA photo blog from you in the future?


Well, I do have thousands of photos from all over the state... that might be a fun idea...


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

^^ do it, Evergrey... would be nice to see them!


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Yes, a daily Pennsylvania photo thread would work pretty well.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Here are a few pictures of Toronto's Financial District from Grand Trunk Crescent.


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

I just learned something! I had never heard of Grand Trunk Crescent! :cheers:


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Here are some pictures from along US Route 219 and near the town of Springville, New York.


The woods from the expressway section of US Route 219, north of Springville.




























A forest near the Zoar Valley.




























The Zoar Valley From US 219.





































A barn on Schwartz Road, in Cattaraugus County.










A barn on US 219 near Ashford.



















The woods and mountains near Ashford.


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

Beautiful winter shots... very well done!


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Right now, I am working on uploading pictures and writing commentary for a thread of Princeton, New Jersey. Here is a sneak preview of what I think is the best-looking college town that I have ever been to. Be sure to look for the thread in the Northeast US section in the next couple of weeks.


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

Xzmattzx, I hope you don't mind but I borrowed one of those excellent Toronto shots to put in the Toronto section, as a member was asking "Where is Grand Trunk Crescent"!!


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

^^ No problem. I found the thread and put up an aerial image from maps.live.com. They don't have the line exactly on where the real road is, but it's hard to be perfect and have every road in the world exactly where it is.

By the way, I plan on putting up some pictures of the Financial District in Toronto pretty soon. I'm in a Toronto mood right now.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

I did a phototour of the Wilmington neighborhoods of Brandywine Village and East Brandywine last year, which I posted in early November. Here are the tours of these two neighborhoods.

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Brandywine Village is a neighborhood located on the north side of the Brandywine River, and it's center is where Market Street, Race Street, 18th Street, and Glen Avenue all intersect, near the Market Street Bridge and the Brandywine River.

Brandywine Village was originally separate from the city of Wilmington from it's settlement and first mill run in 1762 to 1869, when it was annexed into Wilmington. Brandywine Village has a rich milling history, and millers picked this site because it was where the Brandywine River stopped flowing downhill and became a tidal river. This allowed millers to not only take advantage of the water flowing downstream for their mills, but could also take advantage of of the tidal area that allowed for ships to sail up the Brandywine (via the Christina River) right up next to the mills. At it's height, Brandywine Village had a dozen mills lined up along the river, producing flour, grain, and textiles. Eventually, steam replaced water as a source of power, but industries stayed in the neighborhood well into the 20th century.











Looking up the Brandywine River at Brandywine Park from the Market Street Bridge.










Looking up Market Street from the Market Street Bridge. The Lea-Derickson House, built in 1770 and once a place where George Washington stayed, in the first house after you cross over the bridge.










Looking up Market Street from the Market Street Bridge.










18th century stone houses on Market Street dating back to when Brandywine Village was an independent settlement.










Historic houses on Market Street. The house on the left was built in 1770 and is known as the Joseph Tatnall House, and the house on the right was built in 1850 and is known as the Edward Tatnall House.










Artifacts found underground behind the Tatnall House when the house was being converted to senior living.










More historic stone houses on Market Street. The house on the left was built in 1800 and was the home of William Lea, who ran a mill firm along the river. The house on the right was also built in 1800 and was the home of Willam Smith, a shoemaker who provided leather products to the Brandywine Village mills. The attechment that connects the two was built in the last few years, and was previously the location of a Victorian house destroyed in the 1960's. The two houses and attachment are now the home of the Wilmington Senior Center.










The Superfine Lane Condominiums, on Superfine Lane and Race Street, on the Brandywine River. The Superfine condos were built in 1984 and incorporated the foundations of the old William Lea & Sons flour mill, which produced superfine flour. The Tatnall family had mills where the condo building in the background is located.










A building on Race Street left over from the William Lea & Sons flour mill. The building was built in 1840 and was used for sifting the flour.










The building on the right was built in 1990 for commercial use and was meant to look like it had existed for 150 years. It is located on Race Street next to the flour sifting building from 1840.










Brandywine Village Park, a pocket park located between Market, Race, & 19th Streets.










The Wilmington skyline from Brandywine Mills Park.










Brandywine Academy is located on Vandever Avenue and is the one of the oldest buildings in Brandywine Village. The structure dates back to 1798 and has been used as a school for Brandywine Hundred, a sunday school for mill workers' children, and a polling place.










Old wooden rowhouses on Buena Vista Street. These rowhouses date back to the 1870's and were the homes of mill workers.










Crack houses on 22nd Street at Lamotte Street, the most dangerous intersection in Wilmington.










The Wilmington Job Corps Center on Vandever Avenue. The building was built on an old factory site in 2004 and offers vocational training and GED education.










Rowhouses on Palmers Row, with the skyline in the background.










Faith Memorial Baptist Church at 22nd & Market Streets.










Businesses on Market Street. The Dr. Simon Miller House, built in 1775, is on the left.










The Cathedral Church of St. John, the seat of the Episcopal Diocese of Delaware, at Concord Avenue & Market Street.










Businesses and empty buildings on Market Street near Concord Avenue.










Rowhouses on 20th Street.










Rowhouses on 22nd Street.










Duplexes on West Street.










Rowhouses on 18th Street.










Rowhomes on Tatnall Street.












East Brandywine is a neighborhoods east of King Street, Market Street, and Center City. The neighborhood is sometimes called the Upper East Side, or is sometimes lumped in with the East Side neighborhood to the south. East Brandywine has historically been a lower class area. The neighborhood was a slum in the 1800's, and was home mainly to the workers to had jobs at the shipbuilding yards along the Christina River. In the late 1800's, immigrants settled in the area and in the East Side to the south. Blacks also moved in to this area, especially in the early 20th century. The neighborhood, along with the East Side, became more predominantly Black as immigrants moved to neighborhoods on the West Side of Wilmington.











The Wilmington Water Department Pumping Station, at 16th & Market Streets. The building was built in 1934 and was destroyed this past Summer to make way for other uses of the land.










The Wilmington Water Department Pumping Station along the Brandywine River.










St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church on Market Street at 15th Street. St. Patrick's is the last parish in the Diocese of Wilmington to offer Latin Masses on a regular basis.










St. Patrick's Convent on 14th Street at French Street. The convent was built in 1927 and now functions as a general parish center.










St. Patrick's School on 14th Street is on the right. The school was built in 1895.










Rowhouses on French Street.










Rowhouses on 13th Street.










Howard High School of Technology, built in 1928 on Poplar Street and named after general Oliver Otis Howard. Howard is one of the more important schools in Black history in the region and even the nation. The school was the first secondary school for Blacks in the state of Delaware, set up in 1867. Howard High School was one of the 5 schools nationwide that was the subject of the 1954 "Brown vs. Board of Education" case that overturned the "separate but equal" clause and mandated desegregation. Previously, Blacks were bused to all-Black Howard High School, and could not attend all-White Claymont High School in nearby Claymont. This site is also famous because it was built on a set of rowhouses, one of which was the birthplace and home of Clifford Brown, considered to be one of the best jazz trumpters to live and one of the most influential people in jazz.










Rowhouses on Poplar Street, also called Clifford Brown Walk, at 12th Street.










Rowhomes on tiny Kennebec Street.










The Brandywine River Ballroom, housed in an old warehouse along the Brandywine River.










The skyline from Edwina B Kruse Children's Park at 14th & Poplar Streets.










Looking up the Brandywine River from the Pine Street Bridge. The Superfine Condos, built in the 1980's on old mill sites, are in the center.










Old industries along the Brandywine River at Jessup Street.










The Wilmington skyline from the Pine Street Bridge.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Toronto's Financial District is the banking center of the city, and the section of Toronto with the largest skyscrapers. The intersection of Bay & King Streets is the epicenter of the financial industry of Canada. This intersection was once known as Mint Corner, after the four major banks located at the intersection: the Bank of Montreal, the Imperial Bank, the Bank of Nova Scotia, and the Toronto-Dominion Bank.


Front, University, and York Streets near Union Station.










Union Station on Front Street. Union Station was opened in 1927 and was utilized by the Canadian Pacific and Grand Trunk Railways.










The CN Tower peeks out from behind Union Station.










The Fairmount Royal York, opened in 1929. Originally called the Royal York Hotel, it was built by the Canadian Pacific Railway, which operated at Union Station across the street. The Royal York Hotel was the tallest building in Toronto and in the British Empire until the Canadian Bank of Commerce was built a couple blocks north in 1930.










Looking up Bay Street from Front Street at Old City Hall.










The Hockey Hall of Fame, located at the corner of Front and Yonge Streets.










The Hockey Hall of Fame, with the buildings of BCE Place and Commerce Court in the background.










Looking up Yonge Street from Temperance Street. The neon sign for the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre and the One Queen East building are in the center of the picture.










Buildings on Adelaide Street at Grand Opera Lane.










The future site of the Bay-Adelaide Centre at the corner of Bay & Adelaide Streets. The Bay-Adelaide Centre will be a 715 foot (218 m) office building.










The east side of the Bay-Adelaide Centre site from Adelaide Street.










The Bank of Montreal Building, at the Scotia Bank Plaza on Bay Street.










The old Toronto Stock Exchange, now part of the Ernst & Young Tower. Built in 1937, the old building is now the home to the Design Exchange, a museum of design. The Stock Exchange moved out of this building to King & York Streets in 1983.










The Canadian Bank of Commerce, also known as Commerce Court North, located on the Commerce Court plaza and King Street. Commerce Court North was built in 1930 to be the headquarters for the Canadian Bank of Commerce.










Looking up at the buildings surrounding Commerce Court. Commerce Court West is on the left, and was built in 1972 and was the tallest building in Canada upon completion. Commerce Court North is in the middle. 1 King West, one of the slimmest skyscrapers in the world, is on the right.










Looking south down Yonge Street.










The northeast corner of Yonge & King Streets.










The gold windows of Royal Bank Plaza. 










107 Wellington Street West, built in 1889 for the Toronto Club. This is the oldest private club building in Ontario. The Cn Tower is in the background.










107 Wellington Street West.


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

Great pics! You found some interesting nooks and crannies, and did a lot of research on the buildings along the way! Well done! :cheers:


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Taller said:


> Great pics! You found some interesting nooks and crannies, and did a lot of research on the buildings along the way! Well done! :cheers:


Thanks! It took a while to do that research, especially since I didn't write anything down, but it worked out well in the end. I posted these pictures in a thread back in May or June from my trip to Buffalo (with a day trip to Toronto) back in early April.

I can look back at these pictures and can tell that I am getting influenced by your photography methods. Back then, when I took these pictures, I took in the sights of the city as a whole and as buildings as individuals. Now, I look at these very same pictures and I notice things that you have photographed yourself. For instance, when you did the Commerce Court North building in your "Look Up" section, I knew that I had seen that building twice: in April 2007 when walkign around and in August 2006 when walking around. I then looked at my own picture and took notice of those faces up top, which I hadn't noticed when I originally took the picture. I was looking at the forest instead of the trees, and was trying to capture how Commerce Court is closed off from city streets and from other buildings. Also, I took a picture of the old Toronto Stock Exchange because it was the old stock exchange, but now I look at the picture and see that stone mural, which you photographed before and I recognize from your pictures.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Millionaire's Row is a neighborhood in Willliamsport, Pennsylvania, along 4th Street. The street was the home to several lumber barons, and at the turn of the 20th century, there were more millionaires per capita in Williamsport than in any other city in the nation because of the booming lumber trade in the surrounding mountains.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

For those of you that have been checking out this thread so far, what do you think of it?

Is it too random (like my Wilmington-then-Toronto-then-Williamsport posts), or do you like it when it is random? Would you like to see more compilations, like my pictures of NHL arenas? Would you like to see some themes? Or, are the pictures of whatever place that I am in a mood in good enough?

I would like to do some compilations and themes in the near and far future just to make the thread a little more stable. Here are some of my plans:

Compilations

~NFL stadiums
~MLB stadiums
~Courthouses of various states

Themes

~Cities that I drive through or past my my way up to Buffalo, NY, from Delaware
~Cities of Western New York
~Cities of Delaware
~Towns and boroughs of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

Do any of these sound especially good? Do any of them sound uninteresting?


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Wing Bowl, a Philadelphia tradition held on the Friday before the Super Bowl, was held this morning at 6 AM. I did not attend this year, but I attended it 2 years ago and 3 years ago. I will elaborate tomorrow, but to sum it up, Wing Bowl is an eating concert that turns into a combination of an Eagles game and Mardi Gras.

Here is a picture of the parking lot at 8 AM, once Wing Bowl had finished, in 2005. 










More pictures to come tomorrow.


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## JOVIMECA (Dec 21, 2006)

great!


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

No way is it too random!! That is exactly what caught my attention and made me go back to see some things I may have missed. I like the randomness!!


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## salvius (Aug 4, 2004)

This is a fantastic thread, and randomness is definitely one factor that makes it so.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Wing Bowl is a chicken wing eating contest held on the Friday morning before the Super Bowl. The event has grown into one of the bigger "sporting events" in Philadelphia. Wing Bowl is known as one of the rowdiest sporting events in North America, with booze and breasts being all too abundant.

My first Wing Bowl was Wing Bowl 13, held on February 4, 2005. Since the Eagles were in the Super Bowl that weekend against the New England Patriots, the event became the de-facto Eagles pep rally. It also became a good time to curse the Patriots. ESPN.com was in Philadelphia to cover events in the city leading up to the Super Bowl, and covered Wing Bowl. ESPN called Wing Bowl "The worst sporting event EVER" after the spectacles that the reporters saw. The previous years had been just as boorish; in Wing Bowl 12, days before the Patriots were playing the Carolina Panthers in the Super Bowl, a contestant from Ohio who was an anti-Philly fan held up placards that indicated the final score of the NFC Championship Game that the Eagles had lost to the Panthers and has sent the Panthers to the Super Bowl. This got the crowd so riled up that projectiles from all corners of the arena rained down on him, forcing him into the fetal position against the boards. Once cornered in the boards, fans climbed the glass and dumped beers on him. Projectiles as large as unopened cans of beer hurtled towards him, and he needed a police escort to the stage.

Here are some of my pictures from Wing Bowl 13. Nudity has been whited out.

We arriving in the parking lot at around 2:30 AM to begin drinking. There were 9 of us in our group, and we brought 3 30-packs and a half-gallon of Jagermeister. We finished all of the alcohol by 4:30 AM, when we made it into the arena. The doors were supposed to open at 5 AM, but crowds started tailgating and getting in line at 7 PM the evening before, and the crowd has swelled to 30,000 by 3 AM, so the doors were opened at 3:30 AM to prevent a riot. At 5:30 AM, when the 21,000-seat Wachovia Center was filled to capacity, the remaining 10- to 15,000 people in line were turned away, which resulted in a small riot. The riot was quelled when strippers pulled up in a limo and took their clothes off, then convinced everyone to go to the strip clubs for a free breakfast.


4:08 AM: Three guys playing hookey from work for the day want me to take a picture for them and then e-mail it to them.










4:27 AM: When you need to go to the bathroom from drinking so much, just take a few steps out of the line and 










5:28 AM: preparing the stage and the wings while the crowd rushes in. Some people tried to knock down the glass along the boards.










The crowd was egging on girls all over the arena to flash the crowd.










5:48 AM: The arena fills up.










A fist fight breaks out on the other side of the arena.










The 610 WIP morning crew does their radio show live from Wing Bowl every year.










Another fist fight.










People that pulled an all-nighter usually pass out.










6:32 AM: Making fun of our friend, who had about 10 beers and a quart of Jagermeister.










6:34 AM: Event security pressures some women to flash the crowd.










The Phillie Phanatic makes an appearance.










7:30 AM: The cameras were looking for drunks and people passed out; we tried to get our friend on the Jumbotron.










A woman on the other side of the arena takes off her clothes.










7:48 AM: Another fist fight breaks out.










8:02 AM: El Wingador, the fan favorite, gets ready to make his entrance with his entourage. El Wingador, whose real name is Bill Simmons, is a trucker from South Jersey.










El Wingador makes a procession around the arena.










8:08 AM: The Black Widow is the last to make a procession around the arena, since she is the defending champion. She is greeted with thousands of boos and a few projectiles.










The Lombardi Trophy makes its way around the arena during the National Anthem.










Miss Wing Bowl 12 emerges from the Lombardi Trophy during the National Anthem.










7:20 AM: Commence eating!










Between rounds, Mize was the entertainment. Mize tried to smash as many unopened beer can against his head in 2 minutes as possible.










The final round: the Black Widow versus El Wingador.










El Wingador wins!










Celebration!










Hugs all around for the new champion.










El Wingador's victory speech.










9:38 AM: Carnage in the parking lot.











If you are interested, here is that entire article from ESPN labeling Wing Bowl as "the worst sporting event ever".



> *Worst Sporting Event Ever*
> 
> 
> PHILADELPHIA -- I have found the heart of the Philly sports scene ... and it isn't pretty.
> ...


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

xzmattzx said:


> Thanks! It took a while to do that research, especially since I didn't write anything down, but it worked out well in the end. I posted these pictures in a thread back in May or June from my trip to Buffalo (with a day trip to Toronto) back in early April.
> 
> I can look back at these pictures and can tell that I am getting influenced by your photography methods. Back then, when I took these pictures, I took in the sights of the city as a whole and as buildings as individuals. Now, I look at these very same pictures and I notice things that you have photographed yourself. For instance, when you did the Commerce Court North building in your "Look Up" section, I knew that I had seen that building twice: in April 2007 when walkign around and in August 2006 when walking around. I then looked at my own picture and took notice of those faces up top, which I hadn't noticed when I originally took the picture. I was looking at the forest instead of the trees, and was trying to capture how Commerce Court is closed off from city streets and from other buildings. Also, I took a picture of the old Toronto Stock Exchange because it was the old stock exchange, but now I look at the picture and see that stone mural, which you photographed before and I recognize from your pictures.


That is a huge compliment, and I thank you VERY much !!!! :cheers:

I've just had the advantage of seeing the sights for 23 years so I notice more little nooks and crannies!


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Just one picture for today. This picture was taken from the CN Tower back in April when I was in Toronto. On the left is Clarence Square. Eventually, I will post all of my pictures from the CN Tower's observation decks.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Just one pictures again for today. This picture is from a rest stop along I-295 in New Jersey, just south of Trenton. This is the Delaware River, with Pennsylvania on the other side of the river.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Here is a random picture for today of the scenery in Amish Country in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. This scene is along Pennsylvania Route 741, which I use all of the time to get to Lancaster.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Today's picture is of the city of Chattanooga, Tennessee, from nearby Lookout Mountain. You can take an incline railway up the mountainside to reach the top of Lookout Mountain. From Lookout Mountain, 7 states are visible: Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, and Kentucky.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

This picture is of the Niagara Falls, Ontario, skyline, from the Niagara Parkway just north of Fort Erie. The skyline is about 10 miles (16.5 km) away.










It looks like I am following a theme, for now. Right now, the theme is "Random pictures that I never had a chance to show/pictures that don't fit into a thread/pictures of place that I have not done threads about yet". I have some other random pictures coming up for the next few days.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Small-town businesses at the intersection of Bridgewater Street & Cummington Square West in the hamlet of Chippawa, Ontario, just outside of Niagara Falls.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

I was in Atlantic City this afternoon, here is a sample of my pictures.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

A scene from Chartres Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans.


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

I had to go back and have another look at some of the pix... those drunk guys made me laugh again!! I am in love with these stone Georgian style houses:


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

I agree, I like those old stone houses as well.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

US Route 20A in western New York is one of my favorite roads to drive on. The main reason why I love the road is because it is one of the final roads that I use to get to Buffalo, where my grandparents live, so when I am on the road, I know that I am getting close to seeing my relatives. The scenery is great in it's own right, though. The rolling hills, wooded ridges, and dairy farms make it very interesting.

This picture gives a good indication of a little crossroads hamlet, in this case it is the community of Perry Center. Perry Center is a small collection of houses with a convenience store or two at the traffic light. Located in the Town of Perry, near the Village of Perry, Perry Center is at the intersection of US Route 20A and NY Route 246.

This picture was taken in March or April a few years ago. The area looks much nicer in Summer, when everything is lush, green, and alive. I especially like it in the afternoon sunlight, which makes everything feel warmer.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

The Point Abino Lighthouse, which sits on Point Abino just west of Fort Erie, Ontario, is one of Ontario's Great Lake treasures. Built in 1913 and made from poured concrete, the lighthouse was the last lighthouse in Ontario to be automated.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Some Florida scenery in a western Tampa neighborhood.


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## flar (Mar 7, 2006)

Those first shots of the Capitol with snow were pretty neat!


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## salvius (Aug 4, 2004)

Oh man, that sun and and relatively cloudless weather is lookin' mighty nice!


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

flar said:


> Those first shots of the Capitol with snow were pretty neat!


Those seem to be a favorite of a lot of people. It was a nice way to start off the thread, as well.



salvius said:


> Oh man, that sun and and relatively cloudless weather is lookin' mighty nice!


I definitely wouldn't mind being in Florida, right now.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Pennsylvania scenery along US Route 322 near the hamlet of Blue Ball, in Lancaster County.


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

You going anywhere this winter for a beach vacation?


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

No, I usually can't go anywhere in Winter because that is the peak time for the Swimming season, which I coach. I am also a student right now, so I can't really take time off and skip classes or homework assignments.

I did find some time to go down to New Orleans right before Christmas for a Philadelphia Eagles game. My friends and I have started a tradition of going to one road game every year. We started with Tampa last season, continued with New Orleans this season, and are working on next season already. The Eagles play in some nice cities next year, so we have lots of options. Seattle, San Francisco, and Chicago are all great cities, and the Eagles play there. Cincinnati is another city that the Eagles play in. Cincinnati probably isn't as fun as a place like Chicago or San Francisco, but their stadium is ripe for a complete take-over by Eagles fans, so we are also considering Cincinnati. The Eagles play in Baltimore as well next season, and I plan on going to that road game, but we will not be considering that our "big road trip".

Looking farther into the future, we already have some destinations set: the Eagles play in San Diego in Fall 2009, so we are looking forward to that. The Eagles play in Jacksonville in Fall 2010, so that is on our list. The Eagles play in Miami in 2011, so that is on our list; the Eagles also play in Buffalo (maybe Toronto now) in 2011, and since I have family in Buffalo, I will be going to that road game.

I also go on road trips for the Phillies, since I have more time in the Summer. Last Summer, I went to Washington DC and Pittsburgh. The year before, I went to Baltimore. I also went to Baltimore in 2003. This year, I plan on going to New York City, specifically to Shea Stadium. The Phillies also play in Arizona in May, and I have a friend out there, so I might try to get out there as well.

I have done a couple road trips for the Flyers. Both have actually been in your area: last April in Toronto, and April 2006 in Buffalo. It might be too hard to do a road trip for the Flyers this year, but I am looking at Pittsburgh right now.

I have not gone on any road trips for the 76ers, although I want to do that this year (and get my Flyers trip in), so that I can complete the Superfecta. We'll see if I can pull it off with my schedule.

Other than that, I travel in the Summer, and it is really only to visit my grandparents and relatives in the Buffalo area.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Geno's Steaks, one of Philadelphia's famous cheesesteak joints. Geno's is located at 9th, Wharton, and Passayunk Avenues.


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## flar (Mar 7, 2006)

xzmattzx said:


> The Point Abino Lighthouse, which sits on Point Abino just west of Fort Erie, Ontario, is one of Ontario's Great Lake treasures. Built in 1913 and made from poured concrete, the lighthouse was the last lighthouse in Ontario to be automated.


Interesting. I hardly ever go anywhere along the eastern part of Lake Erie. Port Dover and Long Point is all I've seen.


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

Is a Cheesesteak sandwich what we would call a Philly? Roast beef, mayo in a bun? I love 'em!


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

flar said:


> Interesting. I hardly ever go anywhere along the eastern part of Lake Erie. Port Dover and Long Point is all I've seen.


I would like to see more of Lake Erie's Canadian shoreline, myself. I have seen it as far west as Rocky Point Provincial Park. I noticed in aerial images that there are a couple islands east of Rocky Point P.P., but I could not see them on a cloudy day as I drove along the roads going along the shore. One of those islands has an old abandoned lighthouse on it; I'd like to see that thing up close some time.



Taller said:


> Is a Cheesesteak sandwich what we would call a Philly? Roast beef, mayo in a bun? I love 'em!


This "Philly" sandwich is nothing like a cheesesteak, and to be honest, Philadelphians would be amused and ashamed that a sandwich like that bears the name of the city. A cheesesteak is chopped rib-eye steak and cheese. The cheese is usually American, Provolone, or Cheese Whiz. The sandwich can be with or without onions. Condiments are really not supposed to go on the sandwiches, although kethcup is acceptable if you really need to have it. If you choose not to get cheese on your sandwich, it is referred to as a "steak" or "steak sandwich". If you choose to get peppers along with the onions, or just peppers, it is called a "pepper steak". If you choose to get marinara sauce, it is called a "pizza steak". A true Philly cheesesteak uses Amoroso rolls; if it's not an Amoroso roll, Philadelphians will label the sandwich as an imposter, no matter what ingredients are used or where the shop owner lived.

As for me, like like my cheesesteaks "Whiz Wit", meaning Cheese Whiz for the cheese and with onions (as opposed to "witout" onions).


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

Chopped rib eye has my mouth watering. No, the way you described it makes what we call a Philly pale by comparison. Ours are usually on a long bun, with sliced roast beef, mayo (maybe some horseradish in it????) and possibly onions or green peppers. They are good, but a CheeseSteak is sounding better. (I don't ever eat the one at Arby's... their roast beef looks awful to me) I went out and got some freshly ground top lean ground beef, some delicious onion buns, some sweet onion and mushrooms to sautee, and some amazing butcher shop bacon to make some good old-fashioned burgers for dinner!!


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Yes, a cheesesteak is pretty delicious. The meat is not roasted, but is grilled, for lack of a better word. (Maybe "sauteed" could also describe how it is cooked.) I will have to do some research and see if I can find out about any places in the Toronto area that serve authentic or near-authentic Philly cheesesteaks.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Gritty houses on Main Street in Schuylkill Haven, Pennsylvania. Schuylkill Haven is a small mountain town in Schuylkill County in the rural part of the eastern half of the state, commonly called "the Coal Region".


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

To celebrate Delaware is the "State of the Week" in the U.S. section, here are some pictures of Legislative Hall in Dover. Legislative Hall is the capitol building for the state of Delaware, and was built in 1933. It replaced the nearby Old State House, which was too small to house the state's government.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Here are some pictures showing Delaware's Swedish history. I have more pictures showing Delaware's early history in the State of the Week thread.


Delaware's modern history starts with the first Europeans to come to what is now the state. The Swedes arrived in present-day Wilmington in 1638. Their Fort Christina settlement, and nearby settlements that collectively made up New Sweden, became Sweden's only attempt at colonization in the New World. This was not the first European settlement in Delaware, however. The Dutch had established the colony of Zwaanendael at present-day Lewes in 1631 as a whaling port. The colony was wiped out after local Indians killed all of the occupants.


Old Swedes Church, at 7th & Church Streets in Wilmington. Old Swedes Church is the oldest church in continuous use in the United States, dating back to 1698.










The monument in Fort Christina Park, dedicated in March 1938 to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the founding of the Swedish colony.










The Rocks at Fort Christina Park, which were used by the Swedes as a wharf when they first landed in the New World.










The Swedes came over to the New World on two ships: The Kalmar Nyckel and the Vogel Grip. The Kalmar Nyckel was re-created in the late 1990's and is the state of Delaware's official Tall Ship.


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## flar (Mar 7, 2006)

Interesting, I had no idea Delaware had Swedish roots.


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

flar said:


> Interesting, I had no idea Delaware had Swedish roots.




when I read this, I read it as "I had no idea Delaware had Swedish riots"...
and was puzzled and shocked to imagine the good Swedes rioting!! LOL! 
perhaps caused by shortages of Lingonberry sauce!! 



xzmattzx said:


> Yes, a cheesesteak is pretty delicious. The meat is not roasted, but is grilled, for lack of a better word. (Maybe "sauteed" could also describe how it is cooked.) I will have to do some research and see if I can find out about any places in the Toronto area that serve authentic or near-authentic Philly cheesesteaks.


please do, xzmattzx, and I will go there, photograph the sandwich and then 
demolish it!!


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

flar said:


> Interesting, I had no idea Delaware had Swedish roots.


Yes, it's a very unique part of North American history. Almost no one in the U.S. outside of Delaware learns about this, but it is something interesting to think about and being a former Swedish colony is something unique to Delaware (although small Swedish outposts could be found in southeast Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey along the Delaware River, before the Dutch took over the colony).



Taller said:


> please do, xzmattzx, and I will go there, photograph the sandwich and then
> demolish it!!


It will take a little bit of time to find some good places, but I'll see what I can come up with.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Below is the post that I made in the State of the Week thread for today. Be sure to check out the thread in the U.S. Urban Issues section this week.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Very few people know of Delaware's extremely rich Black history. Delaware was an interesting state before the Civil War, and was a slave state but had the highest population of Free Blacks of any state in the country. Also, while slavery was legal, Quakers were prominent in the northern part of the state, particularly Wilmington, and so Delaware was one place where Abolitionism got it's start. The number of Free Blacks in the state made the state the center of African American culture in the early decades of the nation. The nation's first Black church, the Union Church of Africans, was started in Wilmington by Bishop Peter Spencer. Additionally, the August Quarterly, the nation's oldest Arfican American festival, was started in Wilmington in 1813.

The Underground Railroad was huge in Delaware, since the large number of Free Blacks and the border with Pennsylvania made the state the "home stretch" for runaway slaves. Harriet Tubman, an escaped slave herself from Cambridge, Maryland, on the Delmarva Peninsula, led hundreds of slaves from Cambridge to Wilmington over the course of several years. Once in Wilmington, slaves were helped by people such as Thomas Garrett, a prominent Quaker merchant. Garrett eventually was caught helping slaves, and lost every possession that he owned in court for his actions.



The gravesite of Peter Spencer, the founder of the nation's first Black church and the nation's first Black festival.










Friends Meeting House on the northwest corner of 4th & West Streets in Wilmington. Quakers were vehemently against slavery, and anti-slavery sentiment in Wilmington was centered around this Quaker house of worship. The surrounding neighborhood is known as Quaker Hill, since the meetinghouse sits on top of a small hill.










This house on the southeast corner of 4th & West Streets in Wilmington is one of many stops on the Underground Railroad in Delaware. Unfortunately, very few stops exist today. It is rumored that an underground tunnel connects the basement of this house with the Christina River, just a few blocks away.










Tubman-Garrett Park, on Rosa Parks Drive at Market Street and Water Street in the Riverfront area of Wilmington, was created in the 1990's and is named for Harriet Tubman and Thomas Garrett, two people who played a very important role on the Underground Railroad and who did so in Wilmington.



















This building was once Hockessin School #107C. The school was a Colored school, built in 1920. Before desegregation, busing was not provided for Blacks or for schools for Blacks. One student, Shirley Bulah, needed busing to get to school because she lived far away from this school. Since buses were not available for Blacks, they tried to get the school bus for Whites to pick her up. Officials refused, and Shirley's mother filed a suit. The lawsuit became Bulah vs. Gebhart, and Delaware Chancellor Collins J. Seitz overturned the segregation law. The ruling was appealed, and the case went to the U.S. Supreme Court, where it was combined along with 2 other cases with the Brown vs. Board of Education case which struck down segregation nationwide.










A statue of Louis Redding, the attorney that represented Shirley Bulah's mother, Sarah, in the Bulah vs. Gebhart landmark case. Redding was considered the best Black attorney in Delaware in his time.










Howard High School, opened up in 1928 with money from Pierre S. DuPont to build a new school building. Founded in 1867, the school was named for Civil War General Oliver Otis Howard. Howard High School became Delaware's best school for Blacks after receiveing money from P.S. DuPont. In the early 1900's the DuPont family became prominent philanthropists, helping the state in many ways. P.S. DuPont became known for funding schools, both for Whites and Blacks.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

My most recent post about Delaware's history deals with war. Here is some wartime history about Delaware. For more pictures regarding this history, visit the State of the Week thread.




Only one battle during the Revolutionary War was fought in Delaware: the Battle of Cooch's Bridge, on September 3, 1777. This battle was more of a skirmish, as local militiamen took the responsibility of trying to stall the British as they marched to Philadelphia from nearby Elkton, Maryland. Using guerilla tactics and hiding in the banks of Christina Creek, the militiamen stalled the British for a couple days. Legend has it that the Stars & Stripes were flown for the first time in battle at Cooch's Bridge.











In the War of 1812, the British tried to take the town of Lewes, at the mouth of Delaware Bay. In April 1813, the British began firing on Lewes. Lewes, at the time, did not stretch out to the Delaware Bay, and water access was limited to Lewes Creek. The British ships were too big to sail into the creek, and so the spit of land between the town and the Delaware Bay was big enough to make most cannon shots ineffective. No human casualties were reported, and after a few days of firing, the British had to give up. The Cannonball House, built in 1797 on Front Street, was one of the few structures hit by cannon fire. The spot where a cannonbal hit the house can still be seen to this day.











Fort Delaware, on Pea Patch Island in the Delaware River, is located near Delaware City. The fort never saw any action, but it was built in 1859 primarily to protect Philadelphia, Wilmington, and smaller ports from the inevitable war between the states. Once the war started, since fighting took place in the South, the fort began to be used as a Prisoner of War camp. Most Confederate P.O.W.s from the Battle of Gettysburg were sent to Fort Delaware, and the P.O.W. population in the tent barracks surrounding the fort swelled from 12,000 to over 40,000. Inhumane living conditions led to the fort eventually being called the "Andersonville of the North".











Fort Miles was developed in 1940 with a World War just beginning. When the U.S. entered World War II, Fort Miles was used to guard the Delaware coast and Delaware Bay from Nazi U-Boats, which were occasionally seen offshore in Delaware. Towers were built along the Delaware coast to keep watch, with most towers being located in Fort Miles and the Cape Henlopen area. Fort Miles saw almost no action, however, and only fired its guns in defense once during the entire war. Fort Miles has the distinction of having a U-Boat surrender to them; in 1945, the Nazis began Operation Seawolf, which was to sink as many American vessels along the American shoreline as possible in a desperate attempt to win the war. Germany surrendered before any U-Boats could begin the operation, but on U-Boat had made it to the U.S. U-858 surrendered at Fort Miles on May 14, 1945, and was the first Nazi vessel to surrender to Allied troops.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Delaware is no longer the state of the week in the U.S. section. However, here are some more pictures from Delaware. These pictures are of mansions with DuPont ties to them.

Delaware's history is almost synonymous with the history of the Dupont Company. The company was founded in 1803 to produce black powder for guns in North America. The Dupont Company became the leader in gunpowder and explosive products around the world, and the du Pont family amassed inconceivable wealth. The company became a Federally-protected monopoly in the early 20th Century, even with anti-monopoly laws going into effect, because the U.S. did not want the company broken up and the gunpowder products becoming inferior during World War I. After World War I, the company diversified into chemical products, and continueed to grow into a world power. Today, Dupont is one of the strongest and most famous corporations in the world, and the company is one of 30 included in the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The du Pont family became the first Royal Family of Corporate America, and the effects of the family on the state can be seen everywhere, from A.I. DuPont Children's Hospital (considered the best children's hospital in the world), DuPont Highway, several schools bearing the DuPont family name, several buildings in Wilmington bearing the name of the family or other names indicating ties to the family or company, and so on.


Winterthur was the home of Henry Francis du Pont. Winterthur was built in 1839 by James Bidermann and was expanded in the early 20th Century by Henry du Pont. H.F. du Pont was a horticulturalist who planted extensive flower gardens on part of the surrounding 2,500 acres, and he also collected artifacts of Americana. Today, Winterthur houses the largest collection of Americana items, and the gardens surrounding the old mansion are considered to be one of the best flower gardens in the world. 















































Eleutherian Mills was the first du Pont family home. The house overlooks the surrounding Eleutherian Mills Blackpowder Yard, where the DuPont Company was started and was based for over 100 years.















































The Gibraltar Mansion was built in 1844 by John Rodney Brinkle, and was bought by Isabella Mathieu du Pont Sharp in 1909. The mansion is now abandoned but the gardens are open to the public.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Enough of Delaware for now. Right now, with such a nice, bright, sunny day down here, I'm in the mood to post some pictures from Summer. These pictures are from western New York, which looks great in the Summer.

Here is a mini-tour of Penn Yan, New York. Penn Yan is the county seat of Yates County and is on the northeast tip of Keuka Lake. Pen Yan got its name from its early settlers. Half were from PENNsylvania, and half were from New England (YANkees).


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Lake Street, Bridgeton, New Jersey


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

I am working on a photo thread for Center City Philadelphia right now. Here is a sneak preview. These four pictures are from Broad Street.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Ontario is the province of the month in the Canadian section, and since I am up in Ontario at least once a year to vacation with my extended family, I will be posting some pictures of Ontario towns for the next few days.

Today's Ontario town is Dunnville, in Haldimand County.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Continuing with the "Cities in Ontario" theme, here are a few pictures from Niagara-on-the-Lake. Niagara-on-the-Lake is where the Niagara River meets with Lake Ontario.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Today's Ontario city is London, the 15th largest city in Canada by population.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Today's Ontario city is Saint Catharines, located on the Welland Canal and on Lake Ontario.


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## flar (Mar 7, 2006)

Nice Ontario pics 

London is also the 10th largest metro area in Canada, and a very pleasant city.


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

Great pics!! I loved that building on Broad Street in Philly.. what a great town that is


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Today's Ontario city of Port Colborne. Port Colborne is at the south end of the Welland Canal, on Lake Erie. The Welland Canal's north terminus is in yesterday's city, Saint Catharines.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Today's Ontario city if Brantford. Brantford is located west of Hamilton. It was formerly the seat of Brant County before becoming an independent city.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Today's Ontario city is Niagara Falls.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Today's Ontario city is Fort Erie. Fort Erie sits along the border with the United States, where Lake Erie squeezes into the Niagara River. Old Fort Erie is located in the town, and the Battle of Fort Erie took place here during the War of 1812.


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

^^ That certainly is a classic 1800 style of colonial British army architecture! Love going inside those buildings, but have never been to that particular one. Thanks for posting!


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Today is my final installment of Ontario cities. These are all of the cities in Ontario that I have photographed. I should be adding more cities to my list of places photographed this Summer, so I will have to do this again next year.

Today's city is Toronto. Toronto is the capital of Ontario, and is the largest city in Canada.


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

Nice pics! I enjoyed your tour of Ontario!


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Taller said:


> Nice pics! I enjoyed your tour of Ontario!


Thanks! It was a nice tour for myself as well, since I'm only in Canada in the Summer. A lot of pictures will be back on this side of the border for a while now. I'm putting together a little piece of Irish-influenced buildings in Delaware for St. Patrick's Day, and I'll be going more random again for a while.

By the way, those fort buildings in Fort Erie are the real thing, from what I understand. The fort was abandoned after the War of 1812 and then re-abandoned for another 75 years or so after the Fenians used the fort as a base in Canada, but I don't think that many buildings were destroyed completely.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Wildwood Avenue, Salamanca, New York


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

For St. Patrick's Day, I wanted to show some of Delaware's Irish history. Many Irish immigrants moved to Delaware in the 1800s, particularly during the Potato Famine. The Irish were used for manual labor at the time, so many Irishmen found employment at the many mills along the Brandywine River, including at the DuPont mills. The Brandywine River Valley contains houses and structures that hint of Irish influence. If you imagine hard enough, some scenes look like they might have 150 years ago, or some scenes might look a little like Ireland.











































































Forty Acres is the Irish neighborhood in Wilmington. It is centered around St. Anne's Roman Catholic Church at Union Street & Gilpin Avenue.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Shenandoah scenery near Front Royal, Virginia.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

If you drive south down Erie Street in Mayville, New York, from the county courthouse, you get a view of Chautauqua Lake.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

To celebrate the beginning of Spring, here are some pictures from the Winterthur Country Home & Estate, an old DuPont mansion located north of Wilmington in the heart of Chateau Country. Winterthur's gardens are considered by horticulturalists to be one of the best floral gardens in the world.


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## flar (Mar 7, 2006)

That's a fine stone house, and I've seen quite a few lately.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

To celebrate Easter, here are some pictures that I took of the University of Delaware campus on Easter morning a couple years ago.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

The rapids on the Niagara River surrounding the Three Sisters Islands are very shallow and pretty tame compared to the roaring river going through the main channel nearby.


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

Last Easter here was very cold, as was this one too. I love to see those Spring shots!


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

flar said:


> That's a fine stone house, and I've seen quite a few lately.


That particular house (now used as offices) is on Henry Clay Road, right next to the Brandywine River. That area was once known as Henry Clay Village, and was a loose collection of houses that grew up around some textile mills. Upstream not even a quarter-mile is the Eleutherian Mills complex, which is where the DuPont Company started with their gunpowder business. Both the Eleutherian Mills and Henry Clay Village area used stones that are very common in the Brandywine River Valley. You can find similar stone building in these areas.



Taller said:


> Last Easter here was very cold, as was this one too. I love to see those Spring shots!


That's one thing that I like about here; Spring starts coming when the equinox arrives. I remember going up to Buffalo early last April to see my grandparents (and going to Toronto for a day trip, since the Flyers were in town by coincidence). It snowed on the day that I drove back, which was Good Friday, I believe. Seeing snow in April and driving through a ski town (Ellicottville, NY) on the Easter weekend where people were skiing like it was the Christmas weekend was very strange for me. It felt like February, not April.

Down here, the flowers are coming out. Daffodils are in bloom, and the wild cherry trees are starting to blossom.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Since today is the start of the Major League Baseball season, here are some pictures of MLB stadiums. I have seen my team, the Phillies, play in 4 stadiums: their own, and on three road trips (Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Washington DC). More stadiums will be added to my list this year.


Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia




















Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore




















PNC Park, Pittsburgh




















Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, Washington (now closed)




















Rogers Centre, Toronto


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Walking under the Peace Bridge, which connects the United States to Canada at Buffalo, NY, and Fort Erie, ON. The Bird Island Pier extends out towards Lake Erie and allows people to walk under the bridge.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Olean, New York


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

Love the way your themes jump about! Always some new twists and turns!


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

I am still working on my photo thread for Center City Philadelphia. It will be a doozy of a thread; I ended up taking over 100 pictures of Center City alone, then moved on to another neighborhood on that day. That should be an indication of what the architecture and urban culture is like in Philadelphia.

This picture is one of my reject pictures; the truck blocked too much of the church for my liking, and I took another picture a few seconds later that will be in the thread once I post it.












Taller said:


> Love the way your themes jump about! Always some new twists and turns!


Thanks! I have ideas for lots of themes, on top of the random pictures, like I did yesterday. I was looking forward to doing the xzmattzx tour of baseball stadiums to signal the start of the MLB season. I will be giving a photo tour of Citizens Bank Park when the Phillies have their home opener next week. I have other themes for the future, from mini tours of places in Pennsylvania and New York, to themes like city halls that I have seen, to night pictures, and so on.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Today is Opening Day for the Phillies. To celebrate the start of the season, here is a quick look at Citizens Bank Park. A more extensive tour will be tomorrow.


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## flar (Mar 7, 2006)

I need to go to a ball game. I only made it to one last year.


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

I really enjoyed those batches of photos, and the Budweiser Clydes brought back pleasant memories of St Louis!! That is the kind of day out that I would love to have gone on. Thanks for capturing it for us!


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Taller said:


> I really enjoyed those batches of photos, and the Budweiser Clydes brought back pleasant memories of St Louis!! That is the kind of day out that I would love to have gone on. Thanks for capturing it for us!


Thanks! Last installment coming up.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Finally, pictures of the races.


As my friends and I were walkign around and admiring the carriages, the first race has started.










The race was broadcast on the Jumbotron so that people could see the action, even if it was on the other side of the hill.




























The first few races were timber races, which meant that the horses had to jump over wooden fences.










Attendees oculd place bets on horses. This was done the old-fashioned way: a guy would take your money, then use a crayon and simply write down the horse's number and how much you wagered on a piece of scrap paper. Odds were written in chalk on a chalkboard.










The start of the second race.





































Collecting on my winning bet.










For the third, fourth, and fifth races, I watched the action from where my friends and I were tailgating. We had an unobstructed view of the horses for a short stretch.


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

Great pictures, a very nice thread you got goin here!


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Bristol Mike said:


> Great pictures, a very nice thread you got goin here!


Thanks!


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

We got pounded by a Noreaster this past Monday. Trees fell down across the state, the Coast Guard had to make about 5 separate rescues at sea, and the coastal areas along the Atlantic Ocean and Delaware Bay had to be evacuated as the storm surge moved inland. The Delaware Bay communities, like Woodland Beach and Kitts Hummock, were hit hardest. What was worst about this storm is that it took everyone by surprise; it was supposed to be nothing more than a rainmaker.

I was planning on going down to the beach the next day, and set out in the morning expecting everything to be back to normal. I realized that this wasn't the case when signs indicated that Delaware Route 1 was closed in the Dewey Beach area because it was still flooded. I decided to head along U.S. Route 113 and tour a few Sussex County towns, then head east to Bethany Beach. I arrived in Bethany Beach to see that they had been hit pretty hard as well.


The RV Russell W. Peterson, a research vessel that was studying wind patterns and bird patterns for a proposed wind farm off of the Delaware coast, was shipwrecked on the beach. Unfortunately, one crewman dies in the ordeal.




























Normally, there is plenty of sand in between the dunes and the water, but the storm washed that all away. The waves also eroded the dunes to the opint where they became little cliffs dropping into the high water mark.










Pennsylvania Avenue, two blocks inland, was flooded from the storm surge cresting over the sand dunes at some point.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Here are a few pictures of a true gem in Delaware, the city of New Castle. New Castle is so well-preserved that John Rockefeller wanted to use the city as his "living history museum". Transforming the city into a museum would've meant that many buildings would've been destroyed. Fortunately, residents wouldn't sell to him. Rockefeller eventually had to settle for Williamsburg, Virginia, as his living history museum.


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## flar (Mar 7, 2006)

Nice shots. I like the style of New Castle.



xzmattzx said:


> Transforming the city into a museum would've meant that many buildings would've been destroyed.


That seems a little contradictory!


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

flar said:


> That seems a little contradictory!


I should've explained it better. Buildings that did not fit intot he exact time period that Rockefeller wanted to portray would've been destroyed. That means that anything from the 1800s, and even some buildings from before colonial times that didn't fit into his overall image, would've been razed. Residents didn't want any of that.

Map of buildings that would be destroyed


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

Do you know how old those buildings are? We would call that style "Georgian" ... is it called "Federal" in the USA? I'd love to visit that town. 
Also loved the horse races on grass... such a lovely old fashioned idea!


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Taller said:


> Do you know how old those buildings are? We would call that style "Georgian" ... is it called "Federal" in the USA? I'd love to visit that town.
> Also loved the horse races on grass... such a lovely old fashioned idea!


I can't really tell you what kind of architecture that is, since I'm not too familiar with the various kinds.

Building ages in colonial New Castle range anywhere from the mid-1600s to the early 1800s. Most of the buildings in these pictures are from the late 1600s to the mid-1700s; I used them in a thread in the U.S. section about best-preserved downtowns, and these are just some of the buildings in the very central core of the colonial section of New Castle (with the colonial section itself being the central area of New Castle).

There is actually a lot of history in a few of those pictures. The house/business in the second-last picture is the William Penn House, and it is believed that William Penn spent his first night on the soil of his new colony there (Delaware was a part of Pennsylvania at the time). The building in the last picture and third-to-last picture is the New Castle Court House, which served at the state capitol of Delaware until it moved to Dover in 1777. The old advertisement for Ivory soap dates back to around the early or mid-1700s, and that advertisement is along one side of Packet Alley. Packet Alley was a small alleyway whith led down from The Strand to the Delaware River, and many famous people, from Henry Clay to Stonewall Jackson to Chief Osceola to David Crockett to Andrew Jackson walked up Packet Alley as they arrived in New Castle.

Those pictures of New Castle really only scratch the surface of the extensive historic architecture of New Castle. It really is a national gem, yet it is so underrated and underappreciated that even many Delawareans don't know how nice it is, and it's possible to find a parking spot right in the middle of town on even the most crowded day. New Castle is really just another place that people live in around here, except the buildings are 200 or 300 years old and preserved to look as they did when they were built.

Here is a link to a more extensive tour I did of New Castle a couple years ago. I thik you'll like the city even more after you see the pictures.

NEW CASTLE


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## flar (Mar 7, 2006)

They are called Georgian in the US too. Some of the New Castle buildings are Adam. I think Federal and Adam might be the same. Georgian and Adam styles are very similar, generally the ones with the semi circular fanlight above the doorway are Adam and the ones with the little rectangular windows above the door are Georgian.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Okay, time to leave Delaware and show some other places.

I recently did a thread on Seneca Falls, New York. Here are some of the pictures.
























































The Wesleyan Chapel at the Women's Rights National Historic Park. The first Women's Rights Convention was formed by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and held in this building on July 19 & 20, 1848.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Canal Street, New Orleans. The Astor Crowne Plaza is on the left.


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## WA (Jan 31, 2008)

Very nice pics.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

To celebrate the unofficial beginning of Summer, the Memorial Day weekend, here are some pictures from the Motel District in Wildwood Crest, New Jersey. Wildwood, North Wildwood, West Wildwood, and Wildwood Crest (collectively known as "the Wildwoods") are known for having arguably the best Doo *** architecture in the nation. The Motel District, a neighborhood of motels mainly built in the post-war era, has one of the greatest concentrations in the Wildwoods.






































More Motel District pictures to come at the end of Summer.


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

I LOVE motel strips. We had a classic one here on the Lakeshore Drive, but I think most of it has been bulldozed and developed..


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## flar (Mar 7, 2006)

cool style in the Wildwoods


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

More great pictures, those motels look cool!


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

I'm glad that people enjoyed the motel pictures. At first, I was surprised that people liked the pictures. Then again, my original thread got a lot of attention when I posted it in the Fall.

To see all of my pictures from the Motel District in Wildwood Crest, click HERE.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

I recently posted all of my pictures of the French Quarter in the Southeast US section. I took so many pictures in the French Quarter, that I had to divide them up into two threads (and I didn't even walk through the entire neighborhood). Below are some of my favorite French Quarter pictures.

Here are links to the full threads:
Daytime French Quarter pictures
Nighttime French Quarter Pictures


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

Brilliant New Orleans pics! Brought back many wonderful memories for me!


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Taller said:


> Brilliant New Orleans pics! Brought back many wonderful memories for me!


Thanks! I took a ton of pictures, not only of the French Quarter, but also of Downtown, a little bit of the Warehouse District, and lastly pictures of the Eagles/Saints game. I also took pictures from the plane. I took around 400 pictures for the entire trip.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Mansfield, PA


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

I recently did a photo thread on Downtown and Chinatown in Washington, DC. Here are a couple pictures from my day trip down there.


The Boy Scout Memorial on the Eclipse, dedicated in 1964.










The Verizon Center, where Chinatown meets Downtown, home of the NBA's Washingotn Wizards and the NHL's Washington Capitals. The Verizon Center was built in 1997.











If you want to see the entire thread, without the pictures from around the Eclipse (they'll be in a separate thread), click HERE.


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

xzmattzx said:


> Thanks! I took a ton of pictures, not only of the French Quarter, but also of Downtown, a little bit of the Warehouse District, and lastly pictures of the Eagles/Saints game. I also took pictures from the plane. I took around 400 pictures for the entire trip.


It is a wonderful town, and great fun to visit. The food is amazing!


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Along State Route 273, near Fair Hill, Maryland.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Taller said:


> It is a wonderful town, and great fun to visit. The food is amazing!


The food was amazing. I didn't have a chance to eat at the famous places like Antoine's or Gallatoire's, since I couldn't afford $25 meals, but even the "common" restaurants had great food.

By the way, since you liked my pictures of Chateau Country from my "Daily Delaware Photo" thread (my true photo blog), I'm going to post a few Chateau Country pictures in here later in the week.


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

Would love to see them!


I remember eating at Prudhomme's, but I was so blotto drunk I can't remember
what I ate! Think it may have been fish....


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Here is a sample of my pictures from Rochester, New York.






































Click HERE for a tour of Rochester's Downtown and High Falls neighborhoods.


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## flar (Mar 7, 2006)

Neat:


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Chateau Country is an area of northern Delaware that is largely undeveloped. The land has historically been owned by the super-elite of Delaware. Most of the land that makes up Chateau Country was actually owned by the DuPont family in the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century; the DuPonts owned several square miles of land in this area, which they had bought with their gunpowder fortune.

When the DuPonts arrived from France at the beginning of the 19th century, and they settled in the Wilmington area, they noted that the countryside looked remarkably like the countryside of England and France. Stone walls separated tracts of land, like in Europe, and foxhunting was common. Because of the similarities, the DuPonts refered to the area as "Chateau Country". Adding to the name was the fact that the DuPonts began building country estates like the gentry estates of France or England.

Today, most of the land that the DuPonts owned is now owned by other rich families, or was donated in some form. Much of the land is run by trustees or foundations set up by DuPont family members in their wills. Because of this private philanthropy, the land will never be developed, and will continue as rolling countryside.

Nestled in Chateau Country are a few hamlets. Even the most notable and prominent "hamlets" are usually nothing more than a handful of houses sprinkled around an intersection of two old farm roads. None of these hamlets and communities are incorporated. Many times, these hamlet and community names refer as much to the surrounding countryside as they do to the small collection of houses. The vast majority of Chateau Country is farmland, rolling fields, and woodlands, and the names of these places is used to distinguish areas of Chateau Country.










































































Montchanin is a "hamlet" located along Montchanin Road, also known as Delaware Route 100. Montchanin's sip code, 19710, has the distinction of being the richest zip code in the United States. The per capita income in the Montchanin zip code is over $600,000.



















Rockland is a "hamlet" along the Brandywine River, centered around an old stone mill. There is no concentration of old houses in this area, but the mill site has been turned into upscale rural condos, and townhouses that are meant to compliment the mill have also been built. Rockland's zip code, 19732, has the distinction of having the third highest per capita income in the United States, behind only a fellow Delaware zip code for Montchanin, and a zip code in Houston.



















Centreville is one of the larger communites in Chateau Country. This community is more of a true village than other places in the countryside. Centreville was named because it is about halfway between Wilmington and Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, on Kennett Pike. Centreville was originally spelled with an "re", which is uncommon in the United States, and since it is so uncommon, many have incorrectly spelled it with an "er". Even the state has misspelled it, putting up road signs directing people to "Centerville". The community's name and correct spelling were formally officiated recently.


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

I, like Flar , loved those little stone houses in post 211. So quaint and charming!


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## MDguy (Dec 16, 2006)

Wow! How have i never seen this great thread! Awesome job man

do you have any info on this? Is it abandoned? Is it on Maryland's Eastern shore? Seems really interesting!


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Fair Hill is in Cecil County, about 10 or 15 minutes west of Newark, Delaware. It's a "hamlet", if you count a crossroads with a few houses and an old cenvenience store a hamlet. I don't know too much about those houses, other than that they are abandoned. I was actually on my way to a barbecue and road crews were working on 273, and so it was one way at a time. Traffic in my direction was stopped, and I happened to be sitting in front of those houses when I was waiting for opposing traffic to finish coming.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

West Cape May, New Jersey


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

I'd love for someone to buy those stone buildings and fix them up! I can't believe it hasn't been done already. Talk about quaint charm!


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Taller said:


> I'd love for someone to buy those stone buildings and fix them up! I can't believe it hasn't been done already. Talk about quaint charm!


I'd like to see them used again as well, but I think that they are structurally unsound. I could see inside the one on the left, and there is no floor; it's just dirt. there are trees and bushes growing inside. Lastly, all fo the wood inside had fallen apart, and it looked like just touching the staircase or second floor with your fingertip would set off a collapse.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

At the end of the week, I go on my annual vacation to Buffalo/Canada to visit my grandparents. Once again, I'll be driving. Since the drive from Delaware to Buffalo is scenic and a favorite of mine, here are pictures of places along the way. These pictures were taken either on the drive up to Canada or on the drive back to Delaware over the last 3 or 4 years. I've gone up to Buffalo for the last few Aprils as well, but since it's Summer right now, and it's my annual Summer trip, only Summer pictures are included.

I made sure to provide a nice mix of pictures. Some pictures are really taken along the route that I drive; they were taken from my car as I was driving. Some places are places along the way that I might stop at for gas, food, or just to stretc my legs. A few places are places along the route that are worth a quick stop. Finally, I threw in a couple true detours, where you would have to divert from the route to see these places, and then backtrack somewhat to get back to the destination.

The drive begins in the area of Wilmington, Delaware, and end in the area of Port Colborne, Ontario. All of these pictures are in chronological order of my drive up, regardless of whether they were taken driving up or coming back.


My route











*TODAY: Delaware to South Williamsport, Pennsylvania*


Northern Delaware farmland.










Hockessin, DE



















Amish Country, along Pennsylvania Route 741 near Strasburg.





































Strasburg, PA



















Corn and tobacco crops on an Amish farm on Pennsylvania Route 896.










A Statue of Liberty on an old railroad bridge over the Susquehanna River, near Dauphin.










Crossing the Susquehanna River on U.S. Route 322.










Liverpool, PA










The Susquehanna River from U.S. Route 15 somewhere between Liverpool and Selinsgrove.



















The view from the Eagle Pass overlook, just southeast of South Williamsport.




























Looking at Montoursville.










Williamsport is visible if you stand at just the right spot at the rest stop.










The Little League Museum and Hall of Fame, in South Williamsport.


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

nice rolling countryside... beautiful views!


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

Well, I follow the logic. A place called:""Mauch Chunk" is not exactly going to jump off the map at you and say: "Visit Me"!!


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## JohnFlint1985 (Jun 15, 2007)

Great thread and great pictures! so little is known about USA outside the biggest cities that it is almost our duty to show it beauty. Thank you


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Fall is effectively over, but here are some pictures from the Eastern Shore of Maryland from a few weeks ago.


The U.S. Route 50 bridge across the Choptank River from Cambridge.










The ruins of White March Church, in Talbot County. White Marsh Church was built in 1665 and was destroyed by fire in 1897.










Farmland along Maryland Route 328 in Talbot County.



















Swampland and marshland along the Tuckahoe River.



















Near where Maryland Route 328 crosses the Tuckahoe River, Frederick Douglass was born.










The Route 328 bridge was dedicated to Frederick Douglass in his honor.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Here are a few pictures from Chattanooga's Southside. The Southside is located just south of Downtown, and is the city's historic manufacturing and warehouse district. The Southside has been redevelopment and rehabilitation in the past 5 to 10 years.


W. Max Finley Stadium, home of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and also home to the NCAA Division I Football Championship. The stadium was built in 1997.










A section of Carter Street, as it passes by W. Max Finley Stadium, has been honorarily renamed "Reggie White Boulevard" after Reggie White,










FirstTennessee Pavilion is an open-air, covered pavilion across Carter Street from Finley Stadium. The pavilion is host to the Chattanooga Market, and also hosts events that use Finley Stadium.










The Chattanooga & Tennessee River Power Company Substation, at 20th & Carter Streets. The substation was built around 1913 to provide power to Chattanooga from the newly-built Hales Bar Dam on the Tennessee River.










The Chattanooga & Tennessee River Power Company Substation is also known as the Parkway Towers. The building was going to be razed in 1997, but was saved. The building is now being planned for redevelopment.


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## flar (Mar 7, 2006)

^^That's a solid looking building. If it had been torn down, it would have been missed.

You must be busy lately, not as many posts


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

flar said:


> ^^That's a solid looking building. If it had been torn down, it would have been missed.
> 
> You must be busy lately, not as many posts


It definitely stuck out to me when I saw it (while tailgating for the Division 1-AA Title Game last year). That neighborhood has some nice Southern industrial grit, which I'd like to explore more if I ever get a chance to get down to Chattanooga again.

I haven't been posting much recently because my computer has gone crazy, and I am looking at a possible reinstallment of Windows or a new computer. Things are bad with this current one, and so I can't really work on new threads until it's fixed or replaced.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

*CHRISTMAS IN MARYLAND*

Over the last few years, I've spent some time in maryland in December. In the next few days, I'll be showing some nice Christmas scenes from the state.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Queen Anne's County Courthouse, Centreville










Cecil County Courthouse, Elkton


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Nice shots ^^


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## flar (Mar 7, 2006)

The first Christmas picture is interesting, snow on the ground and leaves on the large tree on the left.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

flar said:


> The first Christmas picture is interesting, snow on the ground and leaves on the large tree on the left.


I think that was because of the type of tree. You'll occasionally find stragglers that don't lose all of their leaves once the cold weather arrives. That also ended up being an early snow last year; we don't usually get snow in December.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Boats moored at City Dock in Annapolis after participating in the Annapolis Boat Parade


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Nice pic ^^


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Doors of Annapolis


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

One final installment of Christmas in Maryland:


The Inn at Horn Point, in Annapolis' Eastport










The Maryland State House in Annapolis


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Wintry scenes from the little ski resort town of Ellicottville, New York, for Christmastime.


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## flar (Mar 7, 2006)

Nice winter pictures.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

*Christmas in Philadelphia*


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Philadelphia's Christmas tree is located in John F. Kennedy Plaza, affectionately known as "Love Park", which is located between City Hall and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Rittenhouse Square is one of Philadelphia's ritziest neighborhoods. Many rowhouses are adorned with elegant Christmas decorations that fit the elegant houses.


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## flar (Mar 7, 2006)

Those are some nice places. Rowhouses like that are pretty much nonexistant up here.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

flar said:


> Those are some nice places. Rowhouses like that are pretty much nonexistant up here.


Yeah, rowhouses like these were for the elite of the city back when density was extremely vital. Only the powerful cities like Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington have rowhouses like these; you won't find anything like this in Wilmington, that's for sure.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

One of the biggest Christmas traditions in Philadelphia is the Christmas light show put on in the atrium of the Macy's Department Store. Macy's is located on the block surrounded by Market Street, 13th Street, Chestnut Street, and Juniper Street/Penn Square, and is located a block away from City Hall, in the center of what was Philadelphia's business district in the early 1900s. The show occurs once every hour, and draws families in, where they sit down on the floor and watch the show above.


The Chestnut Street entrance to Macy's.










The show tells all sorts of Christmas stories, with songs to go along with each scene. 

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer



















Santa Claus is Coming to Town



















Frosty the Snowman



















The Nutcracker



















At the end of the show, all of the characters are lit up, one by one, until all are shown.




























The show is over!










Outside, window displays show more Christmas scenes.










The Macy's entrance on Market Street.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Now we leave Philadelphia and head to Washington, DC.


The National Christmas Tree is located on the Ellipse, right in fron of the White House.











Tomorrow, I'll show some local scenes for Christmas Eve.


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## Marcanadian (May 7, 2005)

That light show is pretty fascinating. Great pictures!


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

Lovely old townhouses, and Macy's looks amazing. What a beautiful building it is!


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Christmas in Wilmington

Merry Christmas, everyone!


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

I went down to Virginia yesterday to look around, and went to Mount Vernon, George Washington's estate. Coincidentally, yesterday was the 250th wedding anniversary of George and Martha Washington, and so a small celebration was held earlier in the day.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

I also walked around Old Town Alexandria yesterday. Here's a preview of a full thread that I'll put together later on:


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Very nice Christmas pics ^^^^


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Here are a couple duplicate pictures from Cape May, New Jersey, as I prepare a thread on the town:


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

Alexandria looks like a very attractive place.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

A couple b-side pictures from my stop in Wheeling, West Virginia. The entire thread of my pictures of Downtown Wheeling is in the Southeast U.S. section.




















Here are a couple pictures that are not in the thread. These wide-angle pictures are of Wheeling Island and some bridges across the Ohio River.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Some reject pictures of Downtown Hamilton:


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Nice updated pics ^^


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Happy Valentine's Day from Watkins Glen State Park in New York!


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

*ROMAN CATHOLIC CATHEDRALS OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA*

For the next few days, I'm going to post pictures of all of the Catholic cathedrals that I have visited in the United States and Canada. Pictures of the interiors of the churches will be included, when possible.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart
Newark, New Jersey
Seat of the Archdiocese of Newark


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

St. Peter's Cathedral
Wilmington, Delaware
Seat of the Diocese of Wilmington


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

St. Michael's Cathedral
Toronto, Ontario
Seat of the Archdiocese of Toronto


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

*Roman Catholic Cathedrals of the United States and Canada, continued from the previous page:*


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Cathedral of St. Joseph
Wheeling, West Virginia
Co-seat (mother church) of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Holy Name Cathedral
Chicago, Illinois
Seat of the Archdiocese of Chicago


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

St. Patrick's Cathedral
New York City, New York
Seat of the Archdiocese of New York


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

St. Peter's Cathedral Basilica
London, Ontario
Seat of the Diocese of London


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Very nice photos xzmattzx  those cathedrals looks great


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

christos-greece said:


> Very nice photos xzmattzx  those cathedrals looks great


Thanks!


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

St. Joseph Cathedral
Columbus, Ohio
Seat of the Diocese of Columbus


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

An extra picture from my tour of Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania. This building is part of the American Viscose Company complex, built in 1910 and the first place in North America where artificial silk (rayon) was produced.


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## Parisian Girl (Nov 6, 2007)

Terrific thread! Thoroughly enjoyed all the photos here, some very interesting places indeed. Those Cathedrals are just beautiful.. Thx, xzmattzx :cheers1:


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## Parisian Girl (Nov 6, 2007)

xzmattzx said:


> Happy Valentine's Day from Watkins Glen State Park in New York!


^^ Wow, this looks awesome! Shaped like a heart.. 

Relaxing on a hot summer's day..


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Parisian Girl said:


> Terrific thread! Thoroughly enjoyed all the photos here, some very interesting places indeed. Those Cathedrals are just beautiful.. Thx, xzmattzx :cheers1:


Thanks!


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Yesterday, March 29, marked the 371st anniversary of the Swedes landing in Wilmington, making Wilmington their only colony in the New World. The main ship that they sailed on in 1638 was the Kalmar Nyckel. A replica of the Kalmar Nyckel was produced in 1998 to represent the city of Wilmington and the state of Delaware as our tall ship. The Kalmar Nyckel is based in Wilmington.


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

I enjoyed that tour of Cathedrals! The one in Newark was the most surprising. St Patrick's in New York is very beautiful.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

They're all pretty nice in their own ways. I'll have to reupload my picture of the Holy Name interior; that is my favorite interior of them all, since the use of warm wood for the ceiling and different bright colors makes it feel almost like you're in a forest.

I'd like to add Montreal to my list of visited and photographed cathedrals some time, as per your private message. I'd like to see Montreal regardless of the cathedral, though. Actually, I'd like to see more of all of Canada.

I think I'm going to have to show my pictures of Protestant cathedrals, like the Episcopal cathedrals. I've seen a few so far, and they are very nice as well.


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

If that is the case, check out St Paul's Anglican and St Jame's Anglican here in TO. Both nice!


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Taller said:


> If that is the case, check out St Paul's Anglican and St Jame's Anglican here in TO. Both nice!


I've seen St. James' before, at least from the outside. It was pretty nice. I thought that it was Catholic at first, and was going to go in, but it was locked. Then I saw that it was Protestant. Oh well, it would've been nice to have a picture of the inside anyway. I haven't been inside too many Protestant churches, but one that I have been in is Trinity Episcopal in new York City. That looks great as well.

I re-uploaded that picture of Holy Name's interior.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

For my next series of pictures, I am going to show pictures of lighthouses that I have. There will be two lighthouses per day until I run out.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

*LIGHTHOUSES*


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Mispillion Lighthouse
Lewes, Delaware
Originially located in Slaughter Beach, Delaware











Concord Point Lighthouse
Havre De Grace, Maryland


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

Hey, this is a good theme! I love lighthouses, and always wanted to go up one.


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Yea, those lighthouses are great


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

*Two lighthouses per day, continued from the previous page:*


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Marcus Hook Rear Range Lighthouse
Edgemoor, Delaware











Chicago Harbor Lighthouse
Chicago, Illinois


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

The last one: guite nice, amazing...


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Point Abino Lighthouse
Fort Erie, Ontario











Jones Point Lighthouse
Alexandria, Virginia


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Finns Point Rear Range Light
Pennsville, New Jersey











Buffalo Harbor Lighthouse
Buffalo, New York


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Baker Shoal Rear Range Light
Port Penn, Delaware











Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse
Baltimore, Maryland
Originally in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay, Maryland


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Reedy Island Light
Port Penn, Delaware











Sherman Memorial Lighthouse
Tionesta, Pennsylvania


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Reedy Island Rear Range Light
Odessa, Delaware











Sandy Point Lighthouse
Cape St. Claire, Maryland


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Hooper Strait Lighthouse
St. Michaels, Maryland











unidentified lighthhouse
Kent Narrows, Maryland


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Buffalo Main Lighthouse
Buffalo, New York











Fenwick Island Lighthouse
Fenwick Island, Delaware


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

Your lighthouse collection is outstanding!!


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Taller said:


> Your lighthouse collection is outstanding!!


Thanks! I'm reaching the end of my photo collection of them. Now I'm moving on to the groups of range lights that I have.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Range Lights

To finish off with my lighthouse photo collection, I am going to show groups of range lights. Range lights are different from "regular" lighthouses in that instead of telling ships to move away from an area, they tell ships to move toward an area. Range lights are used to direct ships into a channel. They are used mainly at harbors and deepwater channels.

Range lights have often been the forgotten lighthouses of lighthouse buffs, partly because many were light towers instead of lighthouses, and partly because they didn't serve the same function as your stereotypical lighthouses on the coastline (like a lighthouse on a rocky bluff in Maine). These lighthouses and light towers were important nevertheless, and in many cases are still used today even with the availability of GPS.

Range lights can be found up and down the Delaware River, where they are maybe the most famous. When ships became bigger in the early 20th century, the Delaware River was then too shallow. A deepwater channel was dredged in the Delaware River for the bigger ships. In order to tell ships where the channel was, range lights were put up to direct ships into the channel.


Here is how range lights work:

A set of range lights consists of two lighthouses or towers: the front range light and the rear range light. Both towers have lights that face in one direction only. The front light and rear light are placed so that you can line up the shorter front range light underneath the taller rear range light, as seen here:



















When the lights are aligned so that one is on top of the other, then the captain knows to point his ship straight forward towards the set of lights, and his ship will then be following the deepwater channel.

When the captain is not heading in the right direction, the lights are not aligned. The captain knows to shift to one side until the lights are on top of each other, and then to head towards the aligned lights until the next set of range lights end up one on top of the other. In this picture below, the same set of range lights are not aligned. If a captain saw the lights in this configuration, then he would know to shift to the right until the lights were lined up.










The range lights in these pictures were the New Castle Front and Rear Range Lights in New Castle, Delaware, as seen from Delaware City, Delaware. (The skyline in the background is that of Wilmington, Delaware's largest city.) Later, I will show you what those two range lights look like close up.


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

New Castle Range Lights
New Castle, Delaware


New Castle Rear Range Light











New Castle Front Range Light


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Port Dalhousie Range Lights
St. Catharines, Ontario


Port Dalhousie Rear Range Light











Port Dalhousie Front Range Light


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Liston Range Lights
Port Penn, Delaware


Liston Rear Range Light











Liston Front Range Light


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

I had never heard of a range light... you learn something new on SSC every day!


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

Taller said:


> I had never heard of a range light... you learn something new on SSC every day!


Range lights are intersting. You guys have some of them in Ontario as well; yours are used typically to tell captains when their ships are pointing towards the entrance to a harbor, like the Port Dalhousie lights or like some other ports towns have (Port Dover maybe?).

That's all for my lighthouse pictures. I have some other themes planned, but I'll wait until Summer or Fall to do those.


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