Charming Chimneys

This past weekend I took a tour of one of President Roosevelt's "New Deal" towns. Back in the 1930's when the "boys" were returning from war, the United States wanted to ease their transition by giving them affordable housing to come home to, along with jobs. Enter Eleanor Roosevelt and her three "Green" towns, one of which was in Wisconsin.

Essentially, the returning vets could apply for housing in these towns based on their income and rent the houses from the government. The government also provided a base of stores and services to get things rolling, and within two years, the vets were able to buy the houses and take over the businesses.

The town I toured still resembles the town it once was, and the people who grew up there stayed. The town is close to a big city, close to an airport, and yet it is insulated from the rest of the world.

There's a statue of Norman Rockwell, painting on the village square. A fountain dedicated to Eleanor Roosevelt, and other statues/monuments throughout this family-centric town.

Because the original housing is now 80 years old, there is some maintenance that needs to be done, although the construction was designed to last - and it has. With changing times, some modifications were necessary. For instance, most homes are no longer fueled by coal. Chimneys are no longer used, which causes moisture to creep in and decay the structure. Enter one of the townspeople, a mason, who not only repaired the chimneys, he wanted to hide the "knot" his repairs caused with an artistic touch so he covered the knot with artwork. These chimney decorations add to the charm of the town.

Hooray for... Arrowood?

Luck of the Irish

As you wander the streets - and they're all connected with walking paths, many of the roads don't go through to minimize the through traffic - if you look up, you'll see examples of what makes this town unique. It is holding on to its history, while maintaining its civic pride. Here are just a few.

Berry Ct.

The hand of God

Police - represent!

...And the firemen

Small town charm(s)

Every town has it's "thing." I grew up in the "Lilac Village," where they have a park filled with lilac bushes and tulips and every May they have a lilac festival when the flowers and bushes are in bloom. They have a parade and, while I was growing up, they also selected a lilac queen and her court. 

I recently visited a village founded post-WWII where their claim to fame is their chimney charms. 

For $10, you can walk around and look at the different decorations on everyone's chimneys. From Angels (#MyLifeIsAMusical, can you hear me singing Amy Grant's Angels Watching Over Me?) to Mickey Mouse, to firefighter boots and badges, to frogs and beyond. No, I haven't done the tour yet, but I fully intend to! In fact, a book or two ago, while I was thinking about what comes after The Epitaph Series, I was inspired by the row houses built for the returning vets, alongside free-standing houses. The neighborhoods are grouped together by alphabet - "I live in the D's" or "I live in the F's" - where all the surrounding streets start with the same letter. There's a statue of Normal Rockwell sitting before an easel in the downtown area. A fountain dedicated to Eleanor Roosevelt. A little girl statue twirling an umbrella.

What is your hometown famous for? Or where was your favorite "famous" spot to visit?