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Lion saving in Somerville
By adamg on Wed, 09/19/2018 - 10:31pm
Roving UHub photographer Rachel Mello watched workers carefully remove a concrete lion from the old Homans Building in Somerville, which is being torn down to make way for the Gilman Square station on the Green Line Extension.
The T's Joe Pesaturo reports workers yesterday made a mold of the historic lion head just in case it broke during removal. It didn't, and it will be given to the city of Somerville.
After being removed from the building:
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Comments
This lion was the logo of Monarch Foods
which originally occupied this building.
Some information on Monarch Foods. Amazingly, it was once possible to build a large nationwide corporation whose sole business was to distribute food to local independent grocery stores.
Actually it was once possible
Actually it was once possible to do a lot of things.
Slight Correction
The Gilman Square station is going to be about 100 yards away from the Homans Building. Last I heard, this parcel is going to be used for staging during station construction, and then (what else . . ) mixed use / luxury condos.
Saving the lions head was a sop to City's Historic Preservation Commission who wanted to save the whole building, but got overruled by the Planning Department that wanted new luxury development next to the new T station. It'll probably end up in a box at the Public Works garage.
Not going to be in a box
It will be put somewhere on the station grounds or in a nearby park or plaza.
I live nearby and received a
I live nearby and received a construction notification about the demolition, and if I recall correctly I believe most or part of the parcel will become parking. :{
The lion was the one bright spot at their sad Gilman GLX party
I went to see how Somerville was doing post-Capuano defeat. Everyone seemed to be in a daze about the future and nobody dared talk about who they voted for. The section of Gilman just north of the GLX voted for Pressley instead of Capuano. Its the purple Somerville island seen in the Globe's election map. Apparently old schoolers have been shamming citizens who didn't vote for Capuano. .
I was at the same party and didn't hear any of that
Also, the Somerville wards that went for Pressley were the ones closest to the Cambridge line -- 2 (Union Square) and 6 (Davis Square). Not the area north of the GLX.
Recheck the Globe map. Also, the party was lame duck central
They wanted to fill the entire street. Only thirty people showed up. When Fluor has to tweet about its own GLX party, you know it's a dud. And yes, people are being shammed. Something called Newstalk Somerville has been fanning the flames.
Pardon my ignorance, but...
Pardon my ignorance, but...
What is shamming?
Shamming: falsely presenting something. Old Schoolers & MassDOT
Amtrak started rolling their Downeaster trains through the GLX construction site again. Amtrak returned to normal service a few weeks ago. MassDOT and the Gov can spin and spin. The writing is on the wall.
Woah, woah, woah there
Are you saying that normal train service has been restored like they said it would be?
At this rate, they might even finish up rebuilding Wollaston Station someday and restore service to that, too.
Imagine, restoring service after rerouting in temporarily. The nerve of some people.
MassDOT got their A handed to them by the public
They had a 2nd GLX party in Ball Sq. Only 50 people showed up
Now should the 'brilliant' GLX MassDOT planners have held a block party when both the Red Sox and Patriots were playing at home? of course not. So why hold it at all? The party was a weak attempt to drum up Ball Sq. business in light of the still pending one year Ball Sq. bridge closure.
And this is important why?
The crowds will be bigger on opening day.
Look forward to seeing you there.
Freight & passenger service on the Lowell-GLX is normalizing
I wouldn't be too worried about the planned bridge closure
Ward 4 Precinct 2 north of the GLX went for Pressley, not Cap
Ward 4 Precinct 2 is the long stretch of urban blocks just north of the GLX site in Gilman and south of I-93. W4P2 is a diverse mix of people and income levels.
You're nothing if not consistent
Of course, if you had any guts, you'd register.
We should meet up on the day the GLX opens, so I can see the tears run down your face. I mean, for most of the people in the area, they will be tears of joy, but your tears will be bittersweet.
But for the record, what did Pressley say when you asked her about the GLX?
Yes. PR at its finest. Look at the shiny object, not the site
A media and social media blitz is created for a lion fragment on an old building while the actual Green Line construction site lays dormant most days. Baker should just be honest with the public. Don't wait until November.
It’s gonna get built
Despite your dreaming.
I'm so glad they saved that -
I'm so glad they saved that -- I've always loved that lion, and to hear that it will be used in the new station is great!
They won't use it in the station, Too expensive
Its in storage without a future purpose.
Biting my tongue not to say it....
Elmer where are you?
who is gilman
who will the station be named after.
grew up in somerville and never heard of gilman.
shouldve taken the oppertunity to honer it after some hero from the area.
Not your neighborhood?
Hey, we all understand that you don't get out of your neighborhood much.
Maybe look it up? It might even be a street that you've never heard of.
hey, i did a quick duckduckgo
hey, i did a quick duckduckgo search which revealed nothing and the glx page on wikipedia doesnt mention the name origin.
i was assuming someone here mite know ?
Read a map much?
Of course not. Maps are scary witchcraft in olde somerville!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilman_Square_station
thanx i read that article and
thanx i read that article and it doesnt have a picture of president/general/admiral/colonol/... gilman.
in my 25 years there i heard pearson davis square, ford assembly square, union army square, john ball square, ...
never heard anyone mention the words gilman square. maybe time to name it something more appropriate for the area. (or if gilman is a real person or thing; make the history more well known).
I hate to be that guy
But this map from 1907 shows Gilman Square.
I don't have much skin in this. I'm not that familiar with Somerville, despite the lore that my grandfather lived in Somerville when he first moved to the United States. And since I am very much a partisan in the Roslindale Square/Roslindale Stupid Other Invented Name debate, I could probably see your side more, but I did get curious about maps showing the area.
thanx. at least we know its
thanx. at least we know its over 100 years old. seems like another unfortunate lost history.
...
Love posts like this, glad it did not break.