Tag: West Gloucester

West Gloucester on HGTV! Farmhouse Fixer- new reno show with Jonathan Knight and Kristina Crestin. Look for Bob Marshall’s interview, Marshall’s Farm Stand

Posted on by Catherine

Marshall’s Farm Stand family history has a connection to a West Gloucester property that was chosen for the new HGTV show, Farmhouse Fixer. Partners Jonathan Knight and Kristina Crestin developed select properties within 50 miles of Ipswich for this new show.

Bob Marshall interviewed for episode(s)

From HGTV online:

HGTV Casting for a New Farmhouse Renovation Show: Do you have an antique or historic farmhouse in need of renovating? Do you love your home’s old charm and character but want to add some modern updates? HGTV would like to hear from you.

“HGTV and High Noon Entertainment are casting homeowners within 50 miles of Ipswich, MA for a new show with renovation expert Jonathan Knight (best known as a Grammy Nominated member of New Kids on the Block) and his partner, local renowned designer Kristina Crestin.”

Thanks Pauline’s Gifts for happy news from West Gloucester!

Update on Byron Brooks #GloucesterMA artist active in the 1960s

Posted on by Catherine

People continue to share photographs of Byron Brooks oil paintings since a request back in 2016. Some images show paintings that were bought directly from the artist at his gallery in East Gloucester. Others were passed down through a family for generations. Still others were discovered at auction or estate sales across the country. One turned up in Arizona.

People google the artist and find their way to Good Morning Gloucester in search of biographical information. As more and more people share snapshots, a fuller picture of the artist and favorite motifs began to emerge. For instance, because of new additions from one collector, it’s clear that Brooks painted favorite scenes beyond Gloucester, “greater Cape Ann”, and in all seasons. Besides photographs, GMG readers have expressed memories of the artist, as well as Gloucester and relevant neighborhoods at the time he was active here. These contributions help us to have a better understanding of what it was like to visit his home studio gallery and learn more about him as a person.

selection snapshots from new contributions:

Byron Brooks, Lobster Boat, Rockport, private collection, courtesy photo
Byron Brooks, Harvey House, West Gloucester, oil on canvas, circa 1960s, private collection, courtesy photo

Here is a link to the Byron Brooks resource- updated as of January 2021.

BYRON BROOKS printable PDF Download

This is Part 5 from series, Searching for Artist Byron Brooks

Wingaersheek Beach winter whites #GloucesterMA

Posted on by Catherine

Scenes from Wingaersheek Beach, Gloucester, Massachusetts, an icy wonderland after first winter storm 2019

color off but still wingaersheek beach gloucester mass_gif_after first winter storm 2019 © catherine ryan

See amazing 1901 historic photos from Bruce Roberts: Gloucester crews worked on Haskell’s dam

Posted on by Catherine

City of Gloucester officials are working towards a Phase 3 for the Haskell Pond Dam reconstruction which I wrote about last week (Part 1). I included information about the original monumental build. In response, Bruce Roberts was kind enough to share these amazing photographs of the impressive crews at the Haskell Pond construction site 1901. Bonus: they were annotated by his grandfather in 1958.  West Gloucester families may recognize a surname or two, maybe a family resemblance. Please help ID if you can.

Bruce Roberts explains: “My grandfather, Edward F. Roberts, identified the individuals back in 1958.  There are some folks he didn’t recognize, since he would have been pretty young when these images were taken.  The first picture has the most identified individuals. One thing that has always been remarkable to me in the second image is how much Chester Andrews, my g-grandfather, resembled my father, Eugene Roberts, at that age.”

 HASKELL’S POND CONSTRUCTION ca.1901-02 – (Individuals ID’d by Edward Roberts in 1958)

Clearing Haskells pond late 1901 © courtesy historic photo collection Bruce Roberts

Photo 1, Dec 1901 (in snow): “Wood Choppers at Haskell’s Pond, December 1901”
Front Row, L-R: 1. Otis Lufkin, 2. Matt Poland, 3. Loren (sp?) Harris, 4. Melvin Wilkins, 5. Jim White

Back Row: 1.Asa Sargent, 2. unknown, 3. Ed Lufkin, 4. James Chadbourne, 5. Joseph Abbott, 6. unknown, 7. Joshua Roberts, 8 & 9. unknown

Clearing Haskells pond late 1901 © courtesy historic photo from collection Bruce Roberts

Photo 2 (late 1901 or early 1902):

Front, L-R: 1. Loren Harris, 2 & 3. unknown, 4. Asa Sargent

Center, w/ white shirt: Eps Walter Haskell

3rd row: (Right side, behind Asa Sargent, in light coat): Chester Andrews

(2nd to left from Chester Andrews): Fred Jeffs

2018 July 2 Haskells Pond Dam reconstruction Gloucester Massachusetts Department of Public Works directing SumCo_ photograph ©c ryan (4)

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