Red Umbrella Project #33:  Abernathy Alley

boarding house

 

This structure was the subject of a story by my dad.  It seems that in the 1940s it was a boarding house.  One of its lodgers was my great-uncle Charlie, who lived there while keeping books at my grandfather's gin in New Deal.  What attracted me was the asymmetry of the windows -- different sizes, a little patchwork, a dryer vent and a window air conditioner.  I don't know anything else about  the building, except it's been there a long time.  A history of Abernathy notes that the town was established in 1909 through an investment company owned by Dr. M. C. Overton and Monroe Abernathy.  It seems that nearby Bartonsite already had several buildings (perhaps even the Barton House currently at the Ranching Heritage Museum) and Abernathy had none except the small frame building for the investment firm. The founding fathers contracted with J.J. Barton to move some of the buildings to Abernathy. In the late summer of 1909 the seven mile move began. Buildings were placed on rollers pulled by steam-driven tractors at about three or four miles per hour. Buildings moved included a lumberyard, blacksmith shop, three or four residences and a two-story yellow hotel. I wonder if this building were that hotel -- there's not many two-storied buildings in town. Hmm.....

 

9th and Avenue E

Abernathy, Texas

11.9.2014

courtyard reflections 3

 

Las Placitas Village

Tucson, Arizona

2.27.2014

hieroglyphics

 

A few days at the hospital with Pop curtailed my photography.  My view was also constricted to the far wall of the courtyard; however, I found the light reflections from the windows very interesting.  Wonder what caused those configurations?  Certainly wasn't window washing. (PS - Pop is fine and back home.)

 

University Medical Center

Lubbock, Texas

what light through yonder window....

 

 

This commercial building on Texas Avenue has new life after sitting vacant.  A few months ago the lower front section got a new paint job and landscaping.  Recently work was begun on the second floor with removal of all the old metal frame windows and roof repair.  I don't much about the history of the building except it was built in 1943 and during the 1960s was the office of I. G. Holmes, who was a noted Lubbock photographer.

 

1602 Texas Avenue

Lubbock, Texas

turquoise windows and fire hydrant

 

Like a lot of businesses on the north side, this place seems vacant.  I can't even remember what might have been there -- perhaps a used furniture store most recently.  The painted windows caught my eye -- wonder if they ran out of paint before finishing.  Out of curiosity, I looked the place up on google street view.  The only change in the past year is now the fire hydrant is silver and red rather than green and orange.  Lubbock decided to go with its own color scheme rather than follow the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) standardized colors with their universal meanings.

 

808 North University

Lubbock, Texas

 



windows of history

 

This brick hangar served as the first municipal airport for Lubbock.  Built in 1930 with typical hangar design of the time, the hangar has Art Deco features like brick designs, cast concrete features and parapet caps. The tall steel sliding doors with paned windows roll on a rail and face the runway.  In addition to general and commercial aviation, the hangar served as part of the South Plains Army Airfield during World War II as training base for glider pilots.  During the first years of operation as a municipal airport  planes used grass strips; concrete runways were not added until 1938.  My dad and his cousin flew in the Aeronca 65 horsepower two-seater to visit their grandpa in Pampa.  They would roll the plane out of the hangar, take off north on the grass strips and navigate by water towers and creek beds because there were no railroads and paved roads to follow.  After landing in grandpa's pasture and a brief visit, they would head home.  They were about 13 or 14 years old.

 

Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport

Hub City Aviation

6004 North Cedar

Lubbock, Texas



blue against blue

 

This stage of the new building construction is eye-catching with its color -- whatever that building material is under the brick.  My friend MGH is partial to rectangles and the windows here provide plenty.  If you look closely, you may also see the rectangles where the erroneous windows are no longer.

 

Future home of Burkhalt Center for Autism Education

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas