National Lumber Mural - Newton, MA
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NorStar
N 42° 19.006 W 071° 12.573
19T E 317916 N 4687311
This mural on the building of National Lumber has two 'layers' showing a scene bordered by building frames and the front of an older-style truck bearing the company name, then under the 'turned-page' a mountain scene with a train hauling lumber.
Waymark Code: WM9R7R
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 09/23/2010
Views: 9
In Newton, near the junction of Needham Street, Dedham Street, and Winchester Street, is a National Lumber store and lumberyard. Facing Needham Street is a large mural painted on a building, advertising the business.
The mural has two major scenes - divided by the representation of a page curling up in the middle. The 'upper' sheet shows a wood-framed structure with a window in place, and the green scenery showing through the openings and window panes. Moving from right to left is a truck bearing the name of the company, and hauling lumber and construction products. On the 'lower' sheet is a mountain scene (presumably the Rockies), with a train hauling lumber. Tall trees grow alongside the rails and up the mountain.
The mural is faded, and the building shows signs of wear and weathering. The truck may provide a clue to the year it was at least originally painted, though I don't have that knowledge, myself, except to say that it appears to be a Mack Truck (as suggested by the hood ornament) from the 1960s or 1970s. Another possible clue is that the truck shows three locations: Newton, Mansfield, and Salem, while the web site currently lists eight locations. The train has the Santa Fe (Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe, not the Burlington Northern-Santa Fe of present) paint scheme; however, the paint scheme is of the passenger trains, not typically of the freight trains.
The company was founded in Roxbury by Morris Kaitz in 1934. It is now based in Mansfield and currently has eight locations: Newton, Mansfield, Salem, Burlington, New Bedford, Berlin, and Garder (all Massachusetts), plus Warwick, RI and Boscawen, NH.
City: Newton
Location Name: National Lumber, Newton
Artist: Not Known
Date: Not Known
Media: Not known, surface is corrugated sheet metal.
Relevant Web Site: [Web Link]
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