Dan Antion

Springfield Doors

Welcome to Thursday Doors! This is a weekly challenge for people who love doors and architecture to come together to admire and share their favorite door photos, drawings, or other images or stories from around the world. If you’d like to join us, simply create your own Thursday Doors post each (or any) week and then share a link to your post in the comments below, anytime between 12:01 am Thursday morning and Saturday noon (North American eastern time). If you like, you can add our badge to your post.

One of the simple features I introduced to this challenge is publishing the link to my Thursday Doors post on Wednesday. This shows up in the sidebar on Wednesdays, and you can copy it to create your pingback (as long as you schedule your doors post at 12:01 am or later on Thursday). In order to get that URL, I have to schedule my post Tuesday evening – I don’t have to write it – but I do have to give it a title that won’t change.

That has not been a problem…until this week. “Springfield Doors” was an aspirational title. I was planning to visit Springfield, Massachusetts yesterday (Wednesday). I was planning to travel by train. Then again, I had planned this trip for a-week-ago Tuesday but railroad problems, refrigerator problems, a second round of refrigerator problems and foul weather prevented the trip. As of Tuesday, I thought I was riding a train to Springfield. I wasn’t sure how long I was going to be in Springfield, but I thought I’d be there long enough to take sixteen pictures.

I did travel to Springfield, I did travel by train, and I did have time to walk around. I have to sort through 216 photos, some of which will be shared on Saturday, Monday and perhaps for a few Thursdays to come. For today, I only had time to pull out several interesting doors that I snapped while walking. Some require a little imagination, i.e. what the original doors must have looked like. Some suffer the effect of photography in a city, i.e. you can’t back up far enough without getting run over.

I’ve described the images as best as I can in the gallery. You can click any photo to start a slide show which will show the entire caption.

By the way, the First Annual Thursday Doors Writing Challenge is well underway. We have six submissions available for reading on the recap page. You still have two weeks to write your story, novel, newscast, poem, musical score, screenplay, or novel. That same link will take you to the doors you can use for inspiration.

Next to churches. I love theater doors the most. At least every time I see them.
Built in 1926 out of part of the grand Massasoit House hotel[2] at a cost of over $1 million, the Paramount Theater was the most ornate picture palace in Western Massachusetts. As of 2011, The Paramount is in the midst of a $1.725 million renovation to once again become a theater after decade as a disco and concert hall, (the Hippodrome), when it was the center of Springfield’s club scene.[3] In 2018 the building’s owners, the New England Farm Workers Council, announced plans to redevelop it in tandem with a new adjacent hotel building
For the guitar players in the crowd.
I don’t know whether this is three buildings or one odd building, but I like it. I have a few doors in the gallery from this building.
Fire up your imagination. That entrance surely had better doors at some point.
Here’s another entrance that deserves its original doors.
This isn’t a great door, but it might be the coolest little tavern I’ve ever seen.
I don’t know what the Dennis Group does, but I like the entrance.
This is in the building next to New England Public Radio. I like these dors.
City Jake’s Cafe – I was in a hurry to catch my train home, but those doors were calling me.
My long time readers know that there was no way I was walking past City Jake’s Cafe without stopping for breakfast.
I had to take a slight detour to the left to see what kind of doors this building had to offer.
New England Public Radio is the PBS station The Editor and I support.
Again, I wish we had original doors, but the entrance is very nice.
The Hotel Worthy. I imagine this must have been a great place to stay in the early 1900’s.
I think this building has a nice door. Let’s get a closer look.
This is my favorite door in today’s group.

If you are in a hurry and don’t wish to scroll through the comments, click to Jump to the comment form.

120 comments

    • I can only guess that it comes down to cost. I think it’s mostly with rental property. Landlords want minimal cost and care. The doors that seem to be preserved are the ones where it seems the business wants to make a statement.

      You have great doors today!

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  9. […] You can see the yellow field of rapeseed in the distance, with the Mourne Mountains in the background. I hope you enjoyed this virtual visit to County Louth, courtesy of my sister, Anne. Hopefully, this week’s Thursday Doors finds you ‘in the pink’ too, and if you’d like to explore further afield, Dan has a great selection over on his blog. […]

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  10. I just love that old bridge with the tavern embedded into it. Great find, Dan. My favourite is the same as yours, though. That doorway is amazing and the little window over it just makes the whole thing look like it’s straight from a fairy tale. Great selection again this week. I thought yesterday was Thursday so I posted mine a day early. I was wondering why I couldn’t get your link to work, lol. I’ll have to explain myself on Facebook now. Here’s mine, thanks. https://jeanreinhardt.wordpress.com/2021/05/12/thursday-doors-in-the-pink/

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    • I’m glad you liked these. Walking from the train station takes you through the rough part of town, but you can almost imagine what it was like 100 years ago.

      You brought great doors today!

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  16. I loved the journey today, Dan. Though each of the buildings and doors is incredible, I am drawn to the New England Public Radio. What an extraordinary front to that building. Thanks for sharing! 😊

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    • I enjoy walking through the olde parts of the cities around here, Gwen, The sections tend to be struggling, but there is life and history. I do like the NEPR building, It was good to see what we support.

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  17. I wonder if anyone has ever thought to write a book of history as seen through doors. All your posts are so informative and historical that I think it would make a lovely picture book. Just a thought. It’s not like you have anything else to do…

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  18. Love the pub, and its location. I always cringe when I see a magnificent old building where someone just plunked a modern door on it, especially an entryway. Interesting collection today. Enjoyed the tour.
    Ginger

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    • I thought the pub was pretty cool, Ginger. I can almost imagine the wonderful wooden doors that must have filled those beautiful entrances. Whoever thought up the idea to make aluminum and glass entrances should be hauled in front of a jury of door lovers.

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  19. You got some really nice doors here. Especially love the one that says Joseph’s and this last one. You had a really good walk, 200+ photos.. you’ve got some sorting to do my friend🙂. I need a doorscursion myself. Have done a focused one in a while🙂. Have a good day Dan.

    Pat

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  21. Given this sample, I’m looking forward to seeing more of Springfield’s buildings. Movie theaters used to have wonderful doors here too, especially the old style Art Deco theaters. Unfortunately they are all shutting down now (and I’m afraid these years will bankrupt the few that remained). The new multiplexes are built inside malls, and they don’t really have such nice doors any longer.

    https://anotherglobaleater.wordpress.com/2021/05/13/angora-shawls/

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    • I hope I can get inside the Hippodrome at some point. Going inside City Jake’s Cafe was worth the effort. They have worked to restore this theater, and are working on restoring a theater in a nearby town. Maybe I’ll be able to tour them both at some point.

      You door leads to a very interesting post. Thanks.

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  23. You are so right about these marvellous entrance structures and how badly they would need different kind of doors, Dan. I also love the tavern, the rounded radio entrance and many windows in several photos. And you were right to search for the last door, so nice. Also, I thought that the Simpsons lived in Springfield but when I googled it, I saw that the creators had the one in Oregon in mind. :D

    My post also includes lunch. It’s the last from Tarquinia and with it I celebrate the 6th anniversary of my Thursday Doors. Among others.

    https://mexcessive.photo.blog/2021/05/13/thursday-doors-13-5-21-tarquinia-4/

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  24. Since I’m new to all this, I find my brain somewhat hot-footed, hopping around. The whole thing about doors is a lot to think about, and I am struck by your commentary noting the difference between door and entrance. I need to think about that too. Links and pingbacks and all that remain mysterious to me, but doors I get.

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    • As long as you enjoy the photos and the little bit of commentary I had this week, I’m happy. I can only imagine what the original entrances looked like, when the doors complimented the stone work around them. I get sad when I see aluminum and glass where you know there had to be wonderful wooden doors. I did find some beautiful doors in Springfield. I’ll be sharing them over the next few weeks.

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  25. There are a lot of similarities between Homer’s Springfield and this one, but you’re right, they say it’s in Oregon. Still, I think the guy should name the pub that’s built into the wall, Moe’s – just for the effect,

    You brought us great doors – thanks!

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  28. A wonderful set of photos, Dan. Loved the pub. I also looked up the Dennis Group and here is a blurb from their website
    Exclusively Servicing the Food and Beverage Industry for 30 Years
    Since our founding in 1987, Dennis Group’s sole focus has been designing and building food processing facilities. We’ve developed a talented, multi-disciplined in-house team that can execute full design-build projects from planning through start-up, or act as an extension of your engineering team, assisting in specific areas. They have about 300 employees across the country and 130 in Springfield.

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  30. You found a lot of variety for this collection, Dan. I absolutely loved seeing that tavern. The fact that it’s built into that spot is so cool! It’s so interesting that I never noticed the door. I love the detail around all those wonderful windows at Dennis Group. Hugs on the wing.

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    • Finding the tavern made my day, Teagan. I’m surprised they were allowed to build it there. I wonder if it was built for a different purpose. That location brings all kinds of things to my imagination. The Dennis Group entrance is very nice. John Howell did some research (above) on that one.

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  32. Love the last one, such a beautiful framework around these doors! Wow, you went through a lot of humps to get there! My education is extended, I only knew Springfield Missouri where I did my undergrad. in Psychology.

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  44. Some good doors and really interesting facades, in particular the radio station building. No doors again from me this week. Things at work should slacken off a bit next week.

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  45. Lovely photos from Springfield, Dan. I especially like the last one, your favorite. I smiled at, “you can’t back up far enough without getting run over.” I’ve had this thought many times when taking shots in cities. =)

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    • Thanks Brenda. It’s funny when you see the place you need to stand and realize it’s in the middle of the street. It’s scary when you start thinking, “I could just run out there…”

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  46. I admire your tenacity for photographing doors. It’s like me leaning over a precarious ledge to photograph the little blue flowers with that raging river in the background. Oh wait! There’s a butterfly too…just a bit more stretch. 😉Love all your doors. I like the tavern too. You really should visit Lincoln. And I should be photographing more doors. 😏

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    • I should visit the tavern, it’s the oldest one in Springfield. I don’t think what I do is dangerous, but some would say that walking around that city is a little dangerous. I found everyone I met/passed to be nice.

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    • I consider the day to have been a success. I have more photos and doors to offer as proof, but the train ride itself is something I’ve been looking forward to.

      Your doors are lovely.

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  56. More good-looking doors, Dan! You always give us a nice presentation. Though we know the best example is a fictional one: “You unlock this door with the key of imagination … “

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  58. Hi Dan – that last door – #62 – is also my fav of today!
    and when I first saw this post title a few days again – it reminded of the Simpsons and how they use “springfield” in the series

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  60. I hadn’t seen a post from you for awhile and I came here to see if you were okay – turns out you were also in my glitch of lost follows! What are the WP “geniuses” trying to do to me?

    Liked by 1 person

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