Greetings and Happy New Year! I was out yesterday taking photos in several old Westfield cemeteries and wound up in Southampton. At an intersection along Route 10/202 past The Purple Onion there are several knee-high concrete frogs painted with bowties and necklaces, and bright red lipstick. There is also an immense block of red sandstone on which is carved: Provin's Block A.D. 1874. Behind this block is a concrete headstone - blank, I think. I've seen this assemblage for years and years but never stopped to really look at this (?) folk art closely. It's the first time I've noticed the gravestone there. I wonder if it was an advertisement for a monument company? Anyone have any information on the history of this corner and/or the Provin Block? I can't find anything online about it. I've posted a few images of this zany looking corner: http://community.webshots.com/album/158729897IiIxKv?376 Thanks, Rusty West Springfield, Massachusetts ~Stories Carved In Stone~ http://www.dogpondpress.net/stone.html Old Bones Tombstone Gallery... http://www.oldbones.net/cpg/index.php?cat=10014

Rusty, What a great set of pictures! Keep up the good work!! I see you have some Stebbins headstones. I lost my Stebbins Alfred Stebbins born Brimfield Married Mary Button. He could be anywhere He was born 1810 and died before Mary D. 1887 in Brimfield. She lived for a while with family in Holyoke No mention of Alfred. judy >I was out yesterday taking photos in several old Westfield cemeteries and >wound up in Southampton. > >At an intersection along Route 10/202 past The Purple Onion there are >several knee-high concrete frogs painted with bowties and necklaces, and >bright red lipstick. > >There is also an immense block of red sandstone on which is carved: >Provin's >Block A.D. 1874. > >Behind this block is a concrete headstone - blank, I think. > >I've seen this assemblage for years and years but never stopped to really >look at this (?) folk art closely. It's the first time I've noticed the >gravestone there. I wonder if it was an advertisement for a monument >company? > >Anyone have any information on the history of this corner and/or the Provin >Block? I can't find anything online about it. > >I've posted a few images of this zany looking corner: > >http://community.webshots.com/album/158729897IiIxKv?376 > >Thanks, >Rusty > > > >West Springfield, Massachusetts >~Stories Carved In Stone~ >http://www.dogpondpress.net/stone.html > >Old Bones Tombstone Gallery... >http://www.oldbones.net/cpg/index.php?cat=10014 >