Fri 27 Jul 2007
It’s my birthday, so today your job is to identify one of my favorite stories about Williams and Williamstown: Why there is this lovely grass on both sides of the road throughout Williams, and what the exception to this rule is.
Hint.
July 27th, 2007 at 7:30 am
Happy birthday!
July 27th, 2007 at 7:39 am
Thanks.
July 27th, 2007 at 10:48 am
Happy birthday, Diana! I didn’t know about the grass, so I followed the link and read it. So I won’t post it here since that would be kinda cheating, I guess.
July 27th, 2007 at 11:07 am
& another set of birthday wishes to Diana.
July 27th, 2007 at 4:29 pm
Maybe the reason is conformity with a code saying no sidewalks right against a state highway, or maybe it’s just a comfort thing for pedestrians? As for where the exception is, all I can think of is the bus stop on Rt 2 in front of Goodrich.
July 27th, 2007 at 7:52 pm
Happy birthday, Diana!
July 28th, 2007 at 10:38 pm
I believe the grass on either side of Route 2 is a result of the original town plan, which called for a typically New England arrangement of narrow house lots facing onto a town common. The one exception to this communal open space, of course, was West College, built right in the center of the common. I think originally, West had an open passageway, alowing people to pass through the building on their way from one side of the common to the other. Is this what you were getting at?
Aaron
July 30th, 2007 at 7:36 pm
Right, Aaron: The town common goes through the whole town, with the exception of West, which at one time had a passageway through. Isn’t that neat? I wonder if there are any pictures of this passageway.
Thanks again to everyone for the birthday wishes.