Standing Tall in Winchester, MAWinchester, MA did not make Travel + Leisure magazine’s May 2012 list of America’s Greatest Main Streets. In fact, the only Massachusetts town to make the cut was Nantucket. Neighbors Littleton, New Hampshire and Woodstock, VT also earned spots.
I doubt that the curators of the greatest main streets visited Winchester on a warm spring day. It would have made the list if they had. Downtown Winchester is a picturesque and classic New England center with its white clapboard church presiding over the town green, quaint stores and eateries.
I have always liked Winchester. It is an affluent bedroom community of Boston that is home to around 20,000 residents. Beautiful Victorian homes with manicured lawns and gardens lead to a walkable downtown area and commuter rail station.
The day I chose to visit it was an idyllic spring day – the kind of day that brings New Englanders out of their homes and, temporarily, away from TVs, tablets, and the other devices that we are increasingly drawn to.
Copyright 2012 Cindy A Stephens
One of the first things that struck me was the beautiful First Congregational Church with its rolling front lawn. You could see its steeple standing tall over Winchester from almost every angle in downtown. The original church was destroyed by fire in 1853. The new building, with its renovations, is a feature of downtown and many of my images.
I chose to highlight the church steeple in images, finding ways to convey what a central role it plays in the town center. In others, I highlighted the coffee shops and bakeries that spill out on the sidewalk, a treat everyone after a winter spent largely indoors. On this warm, sunny day they were a natural meeting place.
During my travels in downtown one friendly store owner offered me samples of fresh, baked bread. It was an offer too good to refuse! Several minutes later I left the store with a huge shopping bag of fresh breads and rolls. It was time to go home. Comments
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