The Museum in the Streets

By 1858 Water Street had been transformed from a wilderness into a bustling business district featuring many fine commercial brick and wooden buildings. That year a pioneer photographer, Simon Wing of Waterville, took two stereo views of this transformation. These are the earliest photographs of the Capital City. The west side view of the street (left photo) shows The Granite Bank, Hunt's Block, the five-story Stanley House, and Arch Row. The east side (right photo) presents Meonian Hall, North's Block, and Branch's brick store with its gable to the streets on the corner of Bridge and Water streets. Beyond Bridge Street is a large brick edifice, Darby's Block, and beyond it is the Union Block. All the buildings pictured except Union Block were destroyed in the Great Fire of 1865.
Dès 1858, Water Street avait transformé cette zone sauvage en un quartier d'affaires animé, bordé de nombreux immeubles pittoresques en briques et bois. Cette année-là, un pionnier de la photographie, Simon Wing de Waterville, prit deux vues panoramiques de cette transformation. Ce sont les premières photographies de la capitale. La photo de l'Ouest de la rue montre Granite Bank, Hunt's Block, Stanley House avec ses cinq étages, et Arch Row. À l'Est, on voit Meonian Hall, North's Block et le magasin en
briques Branch avec son pignon sur rue au coin des rues Bridge et Water. Au-delà de la rue Bridge se trouve un grand bâtiment en briques, Darby's Block, puis, un peu plus loin, Union Block. Tous ces bâtiments, à l'exception d'Union Block furent détruits lors du Grand Incendie de 1865.

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Show me all markers in:  Augusta, ME  |  Kennebec County  |  04330  |  Maine  |  United States of America

The Great Fire / Le Grand incendie
A New Look for Water Street / Un nouvel arrivant dans Water Street
Augusta's Publishing Empire / L'empire de l'édition à Augusta
Market Square / La place du Marché
An Ornament to the City / Un joyau de la ville
Granite Block / Un Bâtiment en granit
Flag Protest ~ War of 1812 / Drapeau en berne - Guerre de 1812
Steamboat Landing / L'embarquement des bateaux à vapeur
Old Fort Western on the Kennebec
United States Post Office / La Poste des Etats-Unis

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