Attleboro Public Library

Title: Attleboro, Mass. — The Arches. R. R. Grade Crossing.

• Image Description

  The postcard depicts the iconic stone railroad arches in downtown Attleboro, Massachusetts, a major local landmark of the early 20th century.

  In the foreground, the viewer stands at street level beneath the granite arch bridge that carried the railroad tracks above the town center. The double-arched structure—built from large blocks of granite—frames the streets below, where a horse-drawn carriage and a few pedestrians can be seen passing through.

  Rising above the bridge on the right is a red brick church with a square clock tower—this is Centenary Methodist Episcopal Church (later Centenary United Methodist), a Gothic-style building distinguished by its pointed arch windows and tower clock. To its right, slightly higher on the hill, stands a white wooden church with a tall spire and clock, the First Universalist Church, another well-known Attleboro landmark of the time.

  The sky is softly colored with pale blues and pinks, typical of hand-tinted postcards of the period, and the overall tone of the scene is tranquil yet lively—capturing a small New England town in its early industrial prime.

  ---

  Historical Context

  The “Arches” were part of a major railroad grade separation project completed around the turn of the 20th century to improve safety and traffic flow through the growing downtown area. This postcard would have served as a proud showcase of Attleboro’s modernization, symbolizing progress and civic pride during the city’s jewelry-manufacturing boom.

Additional Details: [1908 1c Benjamin Franklin, green, perforated, type I]