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Boston circa 1906. "Courthouse, Pemberton Square." The Suffolk County Courthouse, a.k.a. John Adams Courthouse, completed 1893. View full size.
That's a circa 1904-05 Stanley Type B (if it's 6.5 hp) or BX (if it's 8 hp) Solid Seat Runabout. In 1905 only the BX was available. Solid Seat vs. Stick Seat is apparent in the photo below. Models C and CX had a drop-down front for the front passenger's feet, and when not in use the front seat folded down to enclose the upholstery, leaving only the curved wood top in view, as seen here.
I had my last jury duty at this courthouse. The judge advised us that tweeting about the case while court was in session was not allowed. Imagine trying to explain Twitter to the people in this photo.
Thirty years ago, when I first started practicing law in Boston, this was the home of the Suffolk County Superior Court, and I tried many cases in these courtrooms. It was reputed to be the last building in Boston to be powered by direct current (DC) electricity, and it was, frankly, an unsightly dump inside, with file cabinets blocking doors, windows boarded up, makeshift offices cordoned off in the hallways, and various small mammals inhabiting the nooks and crannies of the grungy, dilapidated clerks' offices. But even then, if you stood in the Great Hall in the middle of the building and looked up to the (faded and peeling) gilded ceiling four stories above, you could tell this was once a monument to Justice in America.
Today it's been completely renovated and it's a gem, and the current home of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court and Appeals Court.
3 years or so after this photo was taken, the Courthouse was extended upwards with an extra two stories being added, designed by the original architect George A. Clough (1843-1916) who designed many buildings in and around Boston.
Much more on the Courthouse here.
http://www.mass.gov/courts/sjc/virtual-tour-1.html
Clough also designed two Massachusetts insane asylums, no connection is implied!
I just know someone can and will identify that cool little topless car parked by the curb!
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