Pillars & Foundations

When talking about pillars and foundations maybe a tower, like the Slayton Memorial Tower truly encapsulates both. Truly a hidden gem that locals know about, but transplants like myself can easily miss. It took me years to learn about its existence and years more to finally dedicate the time to walk through the Mount Hood Park & Golf Course to see this incredibly unique structure, hidden away in the far corner of tiny Melrose.  My photographs do not do this view out to the Boston skyline and the Atlantic Ocean justice. There’s been a few write ups on the tower through the years, so my post is far from original, however I do think in the course of our busy lives we take for granted what is in our back yard, and that is true for me and Mt. Hood. I write this with a focus on the tower, but really the whole area is quite beautiful with its ponds, trails, and a golf course that you’d expect to be private country club with a quick glance, when in fact it is open to the public (while...

Centering Prayer at Melrose Highlands Congregational Church, Melrose, MA Pillars & Foundations documents an exploration of communities, as well as faith through religious institutions. My intent is to share experiences, and spread the positivity that I observe.  Background of Centering Prayer Mindfulness, being mindful, learning to be present, these popular terms/ideas have infiltrated popular culture over the past decade due to a surge in interest in meditation, largely focused on roots from eastern origins. Many meditation groups have popped up, both secular for the purposes of training the mind or destressing, as well as those with a spiritual focus, tied closely to Buddhist and Hindu origins. It is perhaps not as well known that the Christian tradition also has its own version of meditative practices. While some recognize traditional prayer itself as a type of meditation, another activity made recognizable by Thomas Merton, a Trappist Monk and author from the 20th...

Incarnation Parish, Melrose & Saugus, Melrose, MA Pillars & Foundations documents an exploration of communities, as well as faith through religious institutions. My intent is to share experiences, and spread the positivity that I observe. The hope is to provide a window into these organizations allowing those who might not other wise venture in to appreciate these thoughtful, often intimate groups in our midst. Faith centers embody a drive to make a difference which they deliver upon, regardless if it is with one person looking for hope & community, or a recipient of their expansive charitable work. Building & History The parish was started in 1958 and an interesting write up on the parish website demonstrates just how much this region of Melrose has changed over the past 60 years. It notes that the land was once a dairy farm located near the Saugus border, and that parishioners originally met in Mount Hood Lodge, "under a stuffed moose head," a...

Green Street Baptist Church, Melrose, Massachusetts Pillars & Foundations documents an exploration of communities, as well as faith through religious institutions. My intent is to share experiences, and spread the positivity that I observe. The hope is to provide a window into these organizations allowing those who might not other wise venture in to appreciate these thoughtful, often intimate groups in our midst. Faith centers embody a drive to make a difference which they deliver upon, regardless if it is with one person looking for hope & community, or a recipient of their expansive charitable work. Building & History There isn't much information about church history available on the website other than the founding being in 1903. The date on the bell tower appears to say 1884 suggesting that perhaps portions of the church predate the Green Street Baptist organization. Another addition, of which there seems to be several, has the date 1958 on a cornerstone....

Trinity Episcopal Parish, Melrose, MA Trinity Episcopal it one of several granite stone churches built around the same period in Melrose. The English revival style is its defining feature. Note the ornate designs in the trim of the slate roof. Pillars & Foundations was initiated as an exploration of communities as well as faith through religious institutions. My intent is to share experiences, and spread the positivity that I observe. Faith centers embody a drive to make a difference which they deliver upon, regardless if it is with one person looking for hope & community, or a recipient of their expansive charitable work. Three large windows on the rear wall of the sanctuary History & Building The Trinity Episcopal Church in Melrose, Massachusetts was actually designed by a fairly well known architect, Charles Brigham who also designed other well known Boston area buildings such as the First Church of Christ, Scientist in Back Bay. The style of the churc...

St. Mary of the Annunciation Parish, Melrose, MA Pillars & Foundations was initiated as an exploration of communities as well as faith through religious institutions. My intent is to share my experiences, and spread the positivity I obtain from them. Faith centers embody a drive to make a difference which they deliver upon, regardless if it is with one person looking for hope & community, or a recipient of their expansive charitable work. The Building & the History of the Parish I used to live close by on Pleasant St. in Melrose, and I was always impressed by this building. As seemed to be a smaller wooden, community church, that was designed in the fashion of a grand stone church. In recent times the parish chose to replace the wooden shingles with vinyl siding, however as you can see from the pictures, it was done carefully and tastefully, and the ornate features of the awnings, accents around the rose window and other windows are preserved. The church also si...