We invited you to play Vintage Essex Trivia when we posted this old stereoview on the Essex on Lake Champlain Facebook page last week, and we asked the community to tell us what they think of the photo and to share any knowledge of the scene.
This photo was taken circa 1880 and shows us a scene to the south on Main Street in Essex, NY. The formal Victorian gardens were created on the grounds of the historic John Gould House. The impressive gardens were called the Palmer Havens Gardens, named after the then-owner and the man who had the gardens built, Palmer E. Havens.
However time has removed the grounds’ former glory, and only a gazebo remains today to mark the memory of that once meticulously manicured landscape. A long decorative fence that ran along the front of the property also succumbed to the trials of time.
Here are a couple fun comments we received about the photo:
Mary Wade: This was Warren Cross’s house when I grew up.They had a restaurant and a dairy bar in the back where all the teens would hang out dance to the juke box and play games. Also eat a lot of ICE CREAM LOL
Dianne Lansing: That’s the back of Louie’s house in the foreground and his gardens are almost as impressive as his neighbor’s were.
What is a Stereoview?
If this is the first of our shared stereoview images that you are viewing, then you may be wondering– just what is a stereoview? Historically, photographers produced these double image cards to be used with a stereo viewer. The device gave the appearance of 3-D when you looked through it, hence the mirroring images which would line up with each eye to create the illusion.
We hope you’re enjoying these vintage images! Keep your eyes on the Essex on Lake Champlain blog for more.
Related articles
- Vintage Stereoview: View from Essex Quarry (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
- Vintage Stereoview: Essex Community Church (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
- Vintage Postcard: Main Street Essex (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
- Daily Doodle: Essex Community Church by Glenn Estus (essexny.us)
- Vintage Photo: The Greystone Library (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
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