Water Tower...

The top photo definitely looks cooler when clicked on to enlarge.



Structures like this one are one reason why I love living in this part of the country. This particular water tower is in Delaware however there are many stone houses and structures in PA as well.

Drive by Shooting: The Divine Lorraine

This is one of my favorite pieces of architecture in the city. I love the archways with patios opening into the center of the building and would love to explore the inside. In fact, there is so much of Philly that's off limits but would be fun to explore such as the abandoned full size pool located a few stories underground City Hall.

Anyway, here is a little blurb from one of the local papers in regard to the history of Ms. Divine. She was built in 1894 and her last tenant, The Universal Peace Movement vacated the premises finally in 2000. It's switched hands a couple times since then and it's caretaker is a former member of the Peace Movement, named David Peace.

""Time passes silently in the Divine Lorraine Hotel, onetime playground of the industrial barons and pearl-clad matrons who resided along North Broad Street at the beginning of the last century. Later it would become home to the Universal Peace Mission Movement of Father Divine, the controversial and colorful religious leader who claimed to be Christ incarnate and whose followers oversaw the Lorraine for more than half a century. Under their watch, it became the first high-caliber hotel in Philadelphia to allow black guests."

(excerpt from the City Paper, Jan. 13, 2005, Mike Newall)

Field Trip...

This is the outside of the castle we went to today... I am sure none of you realized there were even castles in PA and now I get to show you another one. This is Glencairn and to the right of it is the Cairnwood Mansion. The castle was built in the early 1900's. There is a cathedral adjacent to the mansion and castle where the Swedborgians practice their religion which
is called The New Church.



These are the stained glass windows that you see when first entering the castle.



And this is the balcony that overlooks the main room which you enter.



The archway is a mosaic with large type that states, "THE NEW CHURCH IS THE CROWN OF ALL THE CHURCHES THAT HAVE HITHERTO EXISTED IN THE WORLD." Pretty lofty statement, huh?



And, here is a stand alone shot of a tree that I was more enamored with than the castle and mansion which sit behind it. I love trees.

Trip to the Library and town...

This is a sculpture outside our library that my kids always have to run up to and interact with when entering and/or exiting the library.



Adjacent to the library is an art museum which is so close they share a courtyard. The courtyard has changing sculpture shows and this sculpture is one of them. Last year, a friend from college and his brother had the honor of showing their work in the courtyard for a month.



This is Mercer Museum. It is across the street from the library and art museum. I love this town. It is actually right next to the town I live in. My town is actually a borough and is very small. The town pictured is only about 5-10 minutes from my house. I love it because it's streets are lined with old Victorian homes mixed with other newer homes, it has three museums, the county library, multiple restaurants and neat stores. When buying our house, we looked at a home in this town but ended up getting our house because it is a much larger Victorian than the one we had looked at in the town.

Mercer Museum houses houses old farm tools and things like that. I don't think I've ever actually been inside but Jeff and the kids have been for various field trips.