Divided back, Real Photo Postcard. Circa 1907 – 1918. AZO stamp box.

Price:  $15.00

“This is my home where you will find me if you would only run down before you go back to Canada. Would love to have you come to see me Gertrude. it would not be so far from Northfield. I live up stairs and rent the down stairs tenement. This is 574 Lake Ave Manchester N. H.”

Lake Avenue at Cass Street

Happily, this house is still standing today, though there have been some changes: The shutters are gone, the trim is different, and the porches on the side have been enclosed. But the garage is still there, the beautiful front porch supports and (thank you) the front door (a double) has been kept. As for the landscaping, the three trees are gone but another tree that looks like it’s been around a good while graces the front yard. Maybe there are other photos of this house already notated for the property, at the local library or nearest historical society, but if not, or even if this photo just shows a different viewpoint, this postcard is a great find, especially if someone were wanting to restore the home to it’s original design.

As far as who wrote the card, that would be hard to say, as city directories show a number of possibilities for this approximate time period of 1907 to 1918 (it’s a divided back card so December 1907 per postal regulation changes, and thru about 1918, per the AZO stamp box, all four triangles pointing upward.) But the surnames that are showing up are:  Prescott, Bachelder, Chesley, and Healy.

Source:  Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995.