Recently, I’ve been covering high school sports for the Adirondack Daily Enterprise. Check out some of my latest pieces by clicking the photos below!
ARTICLES: My Latest Freelance Work!
Category: Articles
ARTICLE: Lake Placid Varsity Cross Country Meet
Click the image below to see the online version of my latest work freelancing for the Adirondack Daily Enterprise, including more photos of the cross country meet!
ARTICLE: The Mariners House: A Seafarers’ Haven in the Heart of Boston
Click on the image below to check out my recent work reporting on the Mariners House, an inn in Boston’s North End specifically designed for seafarers.
Multimedia Article: The Hidden Highlights of the North End
By Rachel Sharples November 4, 2019
With its iconic architecture, the literal line tracing Boston’s history in the Freedom Trail, and the ever-crowded Mike’s Pastry, the North End draws in hundreds of thousands of tourists every year. However, amidst the staples to every tourist trip, lesser-known sites and curiosities rich with North-End history and culture hide, both in plain sight and in unexpected nooks of the neighborhood.
The North End is steeped in Bostonian history, particularly with its deep roots in America’s colonial beginnings. Although countless buildings and relics characterize the North End, twelve sites in the neighborhood notably stand out as part of the National Register of Historic Places, a National Park Service list of “historic places worthy of preservation,” according to the website.
While some of these locations are hotspots for tourist traffic, like the Copp’s Hill Burying Ground, some are so obscure that even longtime Boston residents are mostly unaware of their existence, like the Vermont Building.
The map below displays the locations and brief descriptions of each of these sites.
Directly adjacent to the Paul Revere House, the Pierce-Hichborn House is an often-overlooked “hidden gem,” according to Kristin Peszka, the interpretation and visitor services director for the Paul Revere House and its affiliate buildings.
“It’s one of the oldest buildings in the city, but it’s not as well-known,” Peszka said in a recent interview. She also mentioned that the house opens only for “set tours at set times of smaller tour groups,” which contributes to its low profile relative to the Paul Revere House.
Even among the more popular stops of the North End, such as the Old North Church, certain historical quirks can go unnoticed amidst larger chronologies.
While recounting the complex history of the church, Meg Szydlik, a site educator, highlighted a little-known relic of note, the Avery-Bennett Clock.
“The Avery-Bennett Clock was built in 1729 by two parishoners who had never built a clock before and never built a clock after, and technically it still works, which is really cool,” Szydlik said. “I think it’s one of the oldest still-working clocks displayed in a public building.”
Some sites, although significant to the narrative of the North End, maintain a low profile by nature, such as the Mariners House, which is set up specifically to serve current or former seafarers.
Captain James Sorrentino, the executive director, expressed that although its tailored focus and the unappreciated role of seafarers limit the recognition of the Mariners House, the underlying importance of sea trade in Boston’s economy, both in the past and still today, has marked the Mariners House as essential in supporting people in this sector.
“The seafarers are an invisible sort of profession that affects the economy as we know it,” Sorrentino said in a phone interview. “So are we [the Mariners House] an integral part of the city as most people would know it? No, but [the Mariners House] performed this function years ago, and it’s still performing the same functions…We’re strictly invested in the seafaring industry, but it’s all based on the historical nature of the area, the city, and what the economy in the city was based on.”
The food of the North End is another aspect where straying from traditional tourist stops can lead to interesting discoveries.
One such example is Bova’s, one of the North End’s many bakeries. While not necessarily one of the best-known eateries, Bova’s stands out particularly for it’s hours of operation, allowing customers to purchase Italian treats from the family-run business any time of the day.
Some places are also hidden simply because of their location. Bricco Panetteria, another eatery specializing in homemade Italian goods, is located in an alley off of the iconic Hanover Street.
When considering what makes certain parts of the North End unique, Meg Szydlik said, “Unique is a hard thing though. It’s very rare you’re going to find a museum or a building that is actually unique. It’s how the different aspects come together that makes it so special.”
Multimedia Project: Hubweek’s Silent Disco Inspire Community and Collaboration
Click on the image below to check out my recent work on the Hubweek’s Silent Disco, a dance party distinguished by the use of headphones to listen and dance to music.
Rachel Sharples 