The Crown and Eagle mills were built by Robert Rogerson between 1823 to 1827 and are listed in the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
Crown and Eagle, across the bridge.
A few years ago, it was converted into affordable housing units for the elderly, disabled, and others that fit income guidelines. Which is pretty neat.
I’ve wanted to shoot some pictures there for a while. Today seemed as good a day as any. I got some really good stuff, but won’t get to editing it until tomorrow. I’m too tired to do more than a few “samples” tonight. Garry shot some nice pictures too.
Lilies on the small canal
It was an exceptionally bright day and the light played strange tricks with my camera and on our eyes. Both Garry and I were having a lot of trouble seeing either through the viewfinder or on the LCD. The light was so very bright and right in our faces.
I got lucky and the light streaked interestingly, creating some unusual effects that are completely natural. I wish I could reproduce them … but right now, they are officially a happy accident. More tomorrow. We will have to revisit this scene in a couple of weeks when the trees have changed. I think it will be amazing.
Sun streaks by Crown and Eagle central canal
You would certainly never guess that this was anything but luxury housing. It is as high-end as this kind of housing could be.
Because it is in Uxbridge, the project is riddled by scandal, accusations of graft, corruption, flipping, excessive and unreported profits, vanishing money … the usual litany of “local business as usual.”
That being said, the resurrected Crown and Eagle is beautiful.
Crown and Eagle main tower. It appears to be the moon over the building but I think it’s a distortion of light.
After we finished taking our pictures, I thought “gee, I wouldn’t mind living here.” Except for all that graft and corruption … and hey, this is Uxbridge. We expect nothing less.
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Categories: History, Photography, Politics, Travel
The streaks of light. . .awesome! Absolutely awesome!
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It was the angle at which the sun hit the lens. I couldn’t duplicate it if I tried. I wish I could!
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Now that’s a smart use of an old building!
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Very smart. It would have been nice if the project was not the subject of so many allegations of fraud and corruption, but that’s so typical of such projects. Nothing good is allowed to happen without someone stealing the till. Frustrating but the outcome is amazing. Garry couldn’t believe it could be a subsidized housing project. I haven’t been inside, but going by the size of the windows and height of the ceilings, units won’t be the usual claustrophobic boxes. The setting is stunning and the grounds look like a country club. Crown and Eagle mills were, even in their day, out of the ordinary. They were (are) elegant and Rogerson’s trick of running canals under and around the complex using footbridges to connect sections reminds one of a medieval castle. This one was in unusually good condition, part of the reason it got picked for the project.
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