Crystal Restaurant, Phillips Diner added to state’s Historic Business Preservation Registry
From the Watertown Daily Times: WATERTOWN — Two north country restaurants have been added to the New York State Historic Business Preservation Registry, State Sen. Patricia A. Ritchie announced Wednesday.
In a press release, Sen. Ritchie, R-Heuvelton, described the Crystal Restaurant in Watertown and Phillips Diner in Ogdensburg as staples known for their good food and rich histories.
“I would like to congratulate both of these establishments on this special designation and thank them for being part of their local communities for so many years,” Sen. Ritchie, who nominated the restaurants, said. “I am hopeful that by being part of this new program, more people will be encouraged to visit them, enjoy a meal and learn about their histories.”
Y’ sign outside downtown Fargo YMCA gains National Register of Historic Places status
The YMCA in downtown Fargo on Feb. 1, 2022. The large “Y” sign that has stood outside the facility since 1962 has gained a place on the National Register of Historic Places. Chris Flynn / The Forum
From InForum: FARGO — It is now official; the large letter “Y” that has stood outside the Fercho YMCA in downtown Fargo since 1962 has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
That’s according to Lorna Meidinger, national register coordinator with the North Dakota State Historic Preservation Review Board, who along with the review board helped officials with the YMCA Of Cass & Clay Counties submit an application to the national register.
Meidinger said the sign is a somewhat unusual addition to the register as it is an object by itself, but added she thinks it’s a great thing.
Residents, Historians Want To Preserve 1940s Terrazzo Mosaic Floor Unearthed In Six Corners
Twitter/ChEyeBall
From Blockclub Chicago: PORTAGE PARK — Some Far Northwest Siders are hoping rediscovered remnants of an ornate entryway from an old Six Corners clothing store can be saved as a developer takes over the property.
Last week, a local historian and explorer came across an old Art Deco terrazzo floor at 4035 N. Milwaukee Ave. It was unearthed after two long-empty buildings were demolished last summer.
Now, passersby peeking through the fence can see a layer of pink flooring amid the demolition rubble at 4033 N. Milwaukee Ave., a lot that was once home to the famous Mr. Steer Steakhouse. The floor features white and green lines with a circular mosaic of three women.
The terrazzo entryway used to be part of the Three Sisters clothing store, which was in the neighborhood from the ’40s through the mid-’60s.
Vintage Photos of Diners Through the Years
Library Congress/Carl Highsmith
From 24/7 Tempo: Few locations are as distinctly American as the diner. These humble establishments have provided coffee and a hot meal to many generations all across the country. From all-night delis in New York City to stops along lonely stretches of Midwestern highways to converted railroad cars around the country, diners are classic Americana. (They figure large in our list of America’s greatest roadside restaurants.)
Diners have often been immortalized in American art and entertainment, too – as in the iconic 1942 Edward Hopper painting “Nighthawks;” in Edward Kienholz’s walk-in 1965 art work “Barney’s Beanery;” in Monk’s Café (the real-life Tom’s Restaurant), the famous diner where Jerry and his buddies gathered on “Seinfeld;” and in countless classic films (including memorable scenes in “Grease” and “Five Easy Pieces,” among many others, and in Barry Levinson’s 1982 film actually called “Diner”).
24/7 Tempo reviewed pictures in the Library of Congress to compile an assortment of vintage photos of diners through the years, ranging from about 1935 through 1968. The results dot the map from the East Coast to the Southwest and everywhere in between. (Here’s the best diner in every state.)
Worcester was once a center for manufacturing pre-built diners
The Miss Worcester diner, built in the 1940s, features original parts like the counter and stools. The thousands of stickers on the wall are new. Sam Turken / GBH News
From WGBH: The Miss Worcester Diner was bustling as usual one recent morning. Customers ordered heaping plates of everything from banana-walnut pancakes to corned beef Eggs Benedict.
“People are infatuated with this place,” owner Kim Kniskern said as she cooked on the griddle.
Though customers may not realize it, Miss Worcester is one of the last indications the city was once a hub for manufacturing pre-fabricated diners. The main evidence of this historical status is a red brick building on Quinsigamond Avenue — just across the street from the Miss Worcester diner — that currently houses a tattoo shop and flea market.
William Wallace, executive director of the Worcester Historical Museum, recently pointed to a fading black and white sign on the building that reads, barely, “Worcester Lunch Car Company.”