Doug Haslam notes that some of those electrical boxes around the city are sporting a new look.
Newton street boxes reflect village history
by Greg Reibman | Jul 7, 2015 | Newton | 20 comments
by Greg Reibman | Jul 7, 2015 | Newton | 20 comments
Doug Haslam notes that some of those electrical boxes around the city are sporting a new look.
This is cool. Newton had lightbox painted with a little Newton Corner village history…
A photo posted by Doug Haslam (@doughaslam) on
September 13, 2023
Men's Crib September 13, 2023 5:20 am
Thanks for posting before lazy old me got around to getting this up here. I was wondering if these were new (other boxes had been painted in the past, like the one near City Hall/Johnny Kelly Statue), and what was behind them.
I was also wondering if “Galan St.” was perhaps a historical spelling, or just an embarrassing typo:
https://instagram.com/p/4rQIbxArvm/
@Doug: I know I’ve seen at least one other historic box in the past week but can’t recall where I saw it. Also, fyi, I believe these are shrunk wrapped not painted.
I saw at least one other in this new style as well, but have forgotten where (possibly Newtonville or the Lake). Newton Corner is my ‘hood, which is why I caught this one and remembered it.
(and yes, I deserve whatever comments come my way for using a typo-riddled Instagram post to complain about a possible typo)
In the 1891 City Directory, it’s spelled “Galen.”
There’s one on Washington St in Lower Falls, right next to the wine store. I watched as they installed it the other day. Appears to be a series of large adhesive details. Seemed to take them a while to be satisfied they were applying it straight!
There is a beautiful new box on Eliot St. near the antique mall depicting Newton Upper Falls.
This is all very cool. I have to admit ours makes me wistful for the Newton Corner of old (pre-Cahner’s building/Gateway center eyesores), though I only moved in myself in 1997.
The Upper Falls and Lower Falls boxes are exquisite.
SOOOO much better than the citizen painted ones, I hope they replace all the kid art with this style all over Newton. No offense to anyone, but night and day in terms of class and appeal.
I really like the citizen-painted ones, and I like these two. I think it’s great to have both kinds – both are a big improvement over the unpainted ones.
There’s a lovely one featuring a great blue heron in Nonantum, at the intersection of Bridge and California Streets.
I love them all. I’ve seen several, but the Blue Heron is in the running for my favorite. I hadn’t seen the one Doug posted. That is a great one.
West Newton has a photo of the square from the 1920s with the Congregational Church steeple. Very nice.
Does anyone reading this know who created and funded these? Certainly they deserve some recognition.
This morning I spotted the box near the antique mall at Upper Falls with the picture of Echo Bridge on it and it soon became the object of a lively discussion of representational vs. abstract art with several of my grandkids who are visiting from out of state. The bottom line was that the boxes intrigued, interested and involved people spontaneously in a pleasant historical recollection for at least 15 minutes. Not bad for an outdoor display with no hype or advertising. Thanks to the instigator(s) of said box art! And thanks, Doug, for alerting us to other decorated boxes throughout the City.
Beautifully done. Excellent creative idea!
Now that we all agree (as I do) that these are awesome, who do we talk to about fixing the “Galan St” typo?
Why don’t we just change the name of the street to Galant Street and pencil in a “t” on the box?
I can’t resist, this is actually Centre Street at Pearl Street – Galen Street begins farther north starting at Boyd Street going towards Watertown Square – it is the Willard Building, my home for ten years, and which I still miss.
Here’s another one in Nonantum, at the intersection of Adams and Watertown Streets.