^{Jim Lacey and his Litchfield Ave connection}

Photos of Litchfield House on the corner of Litchfield and South (313 South) from Jim Lacey
 "The B&W image is circa 1955; the color image was taken by the late Turner Wells of the AO Wells family - not sure of the year, but pre-1955"

Lacey Scrapbook excerpt -History of this house build in 1835

Lacey Scrapbook excerpt page 4 - 100th anniversary newspaper article

Jim Laceys' first email to me in Dec 2006:

"I continue with great interest to follow the history and future of  Southbridge on Whitney's Pages. This is a great service to we Southbridge natives.
I am James T. Lacey, III - son of Dr. and Mrs. (Charlotte) James T. Lacey, who lived at 313 South Street from 1932 until 1954.
He was surgeon at Harrington Memorial Hospital during that time.

The house was sold to the late Ken and Doris Dall. I believe their son still  lives there. I have many photos of the house. I lived in Southbridge until 1953 then in Pittsburgh until graduation from Carnegie Tech. My wife Mary and I are currently retired in Paris, TN. Prior  to our move in 2004, we lived in Westford, MA for 38 years. We are still members of OSV (35 years). I frequently visited Francis Martin at the Hospital Spa."

Jim Laceys' second follow up email to me:
I saw that you are curator of the new Optical Heritage Museum - impressive!

A word about the "Universalist Church" Building: My grandmother (Emily VanCleve)  practiced the piano in that building  (late 40s - 50s?) when it was a church. While she was practicing in another room, I played the organ. She lived for several years in an apartment in the house directly behind the statue of Felix Gatineau at the intersection of South and Hamilton streets.

Two summers ago, I created a Lacey Family Scrap Book covering the Southbridge years from roughly 1932 - 1955. The material was from family scrap books of mine, my parents, brother John V. Lacey (New Haven, IN) and sister Joan D. Lacey (Tallman)  (Idaho Falls, ID). Included were 8mm movies, I had converted to VHS tape - some at least 60 years old. The entire project is also in PDF  and DVD (movies) format.

Visit my web site,  Select Family, select Enter Photo Gallery, from Select Category choose Lacey Family History. Looking at Southbridge Gang, the lad with the hat (Rudy St. Martin) lived in the Litchfield Ave house very near the intersection with the street that leads to Newell Avenue and Glover Street (Popular St.?). Near your family home?
 
 

December 2006