As I promised last Wednesday, here is part one of my Brighton Beach photos over the last six years.
The old Bronson’s Tavern. Formerly the Westwood Hotel, it once hosted Al Capone during the prohibition years. Originally the building was set back against the river, but was moved to the Sandwich St. location in the early 1900’s. In later years it was a regular watering hole for employees of the Salt Mines. It was burned to the ground in an act of Arson in 2003.
This interesting house (above) and garage (below) were located on Water Street. When I first shot the house in 2001 it was vacant. I planned on returning to the house the following weekend to shoot it again, and poke around the inside, as I wasn’t really dressed for exploration at the time.
When I returned, I was too late. The Brighton Beach Arsonist had already struck, turning the house (above) and garage (below) to charcoal. In the top photo, the house visible to the rear was a strange one. Among the piles of junk on the property there was also a horse. The first time I’ve ever run into a horse in someone’s yard in the city.
Another strange one, this house was on Broadway.
This house featured a lake in the front yard. It was part Duck pond, part broken water main.
The interior was heavily vandalized and stripped.
Another victim of the Brighton Beach Arsonist, 2001.
A great old house that met the wrecking ball back in 2001. This one was between Sandwich Street and Ojibway Parkway.
This street scene could be anywhere in rural Essex County, hard to believe that this dirt road was inside Windsor City Limits.
An old service station, on what was once the main road between Windsor and Ojibway.
The elements have taken their toll on this building.
Old telephone poles hold street signs for streets that no longer have any residents, as nature tries to reclaim what was once wilderness.
More tomorrow…
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Awesome photos from a time when the area seemed green, healthy and livable. Now it reminds me of photos I saw of the "dead zone" surrounding the Chernobyl Nuclear Plant in the Ukraine.
We use to ride our horses through there to get to the river. We'd ride down to the river and there was a little lagoon back in there. I forget....did they ever catch the arsonist in that area??
Great Pics! Great Site!
hi western; this has nothing to do with these pics, but it just irks me when ppl refer to Ukraine as "the Ukraine" ; being part Ukrainian myself I know it is not correct! We don't refer to our country as "the Canada" do we? ; )
Growing up here as a child we raised a horse, chickens, rabbits and even pigs.
Great photos! I grew up on Scotten, remember running rabbits with my dads hound right in the city limits!
Awesome pics. I moved from Windsor about 7 years ago. Me and my then girlfriend (now my wife) would walk or bike through the wooded area to the East of Brighton Beach (Black Oak heritage park) at least once a week. Often we'd find ourselves walking or biking down these "streets". I miss it as it was a little quiet place within the city limits.
thabnks for sharing Brian. Unfortunatly this whole area (not including Black Oak) is soon to be levelled for the new bridge.
Andrew - just an update if you havn't seen it. That old service station came down on the morning of the 20th. Saw the building eaters out there when I left work in the morning, it was gone when I came back for midnights.
I've always wanted to see if there were any neat goodies in there. Guess I'll never know now.
Great pics...sooo many memories. I grew up on the far west end of Windsor on a street initially called Alberta but later changed to Armanda. It was between Malden and Matchette Roads. I went to John O Cahill Grade School on Springarden Rd as did many of the kids my age in that area. I fondly remember family names such as Lafleur, Casey, Todd, Kaza, Keczem, Labute Brendjar and so on. Back then in the 70?s, I remember riding my bike on Broadway, Healy, Chappus etc. It was a great time being a kid. I remember an old variety store on Sandwich Street near the old Power Plant, the riding stables on Matchette Rd called the Flying Dutchman and so on. Brighton Beach was a big area of homes as I remember…I moved away from Windsor in the early 90?s and have not been back. Is the area once known as Brighton Beach with neighborhoods and my memories now gone? Does anyone have pictures from back then?
I grew up on the corner of Healy and Reed. It's a damn shame that this neighborhood is being demolished in the name of "progress". I rode my first bike there, had my first girlfriend there, took my first swim there...... and so on. This was a place where you knew every member of every family who lived there. I hunted there , fished there, camped there, lived there. Even after I moved away in the late 70's, when I returned to visit, I was always welcomed with a warm hug and a cold beer. Everone who grew up there knows who I am, as I know them all too!!! I will miss going there for visits and seeing my true friends, and reminissing with them about our good times we had there. One thing is forsure, no wrecking ball, or arsonist can take away the fond memories which I carry with me deep in my heart.