ZMODS STREETLIGHT WEBSITE (Creator:STEVE ZALIMAS)

UPDATED: AUGUST 17, 2017

The city of Worcester, Ma has been going thru a major makeover since the 2000's. Several locations downtown have been totally transformed to make it easier for people to move around, bring several neighborhoods together, spur/enhance business opportunities and make these areas much more attractive.

One major tactic of beautification is to make these areas look more like the days of the past by creating a vintage/classic look (brick sidewalks, hitching posts, benches, various wrought iron works etc..) One major classic visual is swapping out the typical "modern looking" aluminum streetlight poles/fixtures (that we have in widespread use since the early 60's) and installing new "old fashion", black streetlight poles with simple scrollwork, decorative bases and big teardrop globe HPS or LED Holophane fixtures.

While the big push in changing over to these new "old fashion" streetlights are an attractive enhancement to the streetscape, there lurks in the background several legit, cast iron, antique light poles (painted green) that are far more attractive than the current crop of remakes. Their construction consists of a steel pole (narrower at the top and flare wider at the middle/bottom) with a cast iron base/door plate (that adorn decorative designs), cast iron pole topper (with decorative designs, spikes etc.), threaded horizontal steel pipe arm and signature cast iron scrollwork (multi-piece assembly bolted together). I have dubbed these the "Old Scrolls" due to the prominent scrollwork. These miraculously still exist (since their installation started in the 1930's) scattered here and there throughout Worcester.....but are dying off every year.

Back in the late 1970's/early 80's, I remember (even at an early age) there were still many small old fashion green poles (Worcester Electric Light Co., installed in the 1930/40's), with incandescent light fixtures and "pie plate" radial wave shades still lining many residential streets. At the intersections of these residential streets, lining some main roads or just scattered around Worcester's interior were these medium and tall "old scroll" poles with either globe type fixtures or cobrahead fixtures installed. At the time, these poles were prominent along Harding St, Park Ave (Webster Sq), Crompton Park, just to name a few. I also know where alot of these poles used to be installed before they got replaced (and what fixture was on them at the time). The small green poles were getting replaced either from a knockdown or by more widespread transitions to the taller "modern" aluminum poles (either with single or longer truss arms) holding more modern cobrahead fixtures emitting Mercury Vapor (later Sodium Vapor) light. The old scrolls were suffering the same fate but not as widespread due to their height. By the early 1990's, Worcester was transitioning its entire lighting inventory over to HPS and the remaining short green poles were swapped out for a more slim, colonial looking black pole/post top fixture; mostly in the residential "west side" neighborhoods. The only reason these medium and tall green poles exists nowadays is because the poles were high enough to receive the cobrahead style modern fixtures and function like the other silver aluminum poles that were installed nearby.

The spring of 2012, I noticed what remained of some tall, curved arm green poles (1940's/50's vintage) along W. Boylston St got replaced with typical aluminum ones, since the bottom of the old poles were rotting out. This prompted me to catalog, in detail, what remained of the more decorative "old scrolls" in the Worcester inventory (along with other rare lights/poles/electrical equipment). I knew there numbers were declining in recent years but I had no idea how few of these remained. There were only 32 old scrolls left in service throughout Worcester (as of my original audit in May 2012). NOTE As of 9/8/14, I actually found an "old scroll" in the Worcester Inventory, that I had missed on my original audit (and here I thought I had been up and down every street...) It is located right off of Belmont St on Eastern Av. That would bring the original count to 33.

NOTE As of August 1, 2016, Only 21 Poles left in service (18 each of Type 1, 3 each of Type 2). 12 came down in the past 3 years. We are losing these at a rapid pace. Ill be doing another audit, coming up in Aug 2017, to get an update on these poles so stay tuned.

Here are some detailed photos of the parts these "Old Scrolls" have:


Rescued from the Suffolk St knockdown in Oct 2012. This shows the Type 1 arm and scroll assembly.	This extension pipe (attached to a coupling) used to thread into the side of an antique "teardrop" light fixture, but was cut off back when NEMA style heads were installed in the 50's	View of attachment clamp and details of the cast iron scrollwork	View of sections of cast iron scroll work that were riveted together. These were cast in pieces and assembled together.


View of center part of scrollwork attached together with hardware. I always thought these were all one piece scrolls until now.	Various hardware	Type 1 and Type 2 poles formerly from Russel St	View of type 1 base and pole (above) and type 2 pole and top cast piece from base. Notice the type 1 pole appears to continue thru the base and out the other end.


View of type 2 base with lower pole extension.	View of type 1 pole topper assembly. Check out the details in the cast iron topper. I was able to save the arm/scrollwork but the topper was seized on the pole. Unfortunately lost to scrap. This was from the Southgate St removal.	Various diameter scrollwork bracket hardware.	This ornate topper came from the Beach St pole that was removed on New Years 2014. Rather than see another pole get scrapped, I got permission to salvage the top portion of the pole for the collection. This is still very heavy even when its been cut to this size. Notice the detail of the spire and associated decoration.


View of the pole topper showing detail work in the cast iron with close up view of rear spire	View inside the Block"of the pole topper (with the old arm unthreaded / removed). Notice the square opening? That is actually a notch cut into the top of the pole itself, then the topper slides onto the pole top, lining the notch to the arm opening for the wires to pass thru.	This is the view looking up into the pole topper, from the bottom of the pole, with a view of the notch in the pole. This pole topper was slid onto the pole then bolted into place from the sides of the topper. This particular one has not been able to be separated due to years of corrosion.	This is the base view of what was left of the Henry St Type 1 pole that fell over. These poles were dubbed "stick poles" due to the bottom of the pole being direct burial and not bolted or inserted into a base.


This view shows the pole rotted off at ground level (causing the pole to fall over). The wires came out of a separate conduit then entered the pole thru a slot, behind the cast iron base.	The Henry St pole from the underside. My belief was the cast iron base was slid up the bottom of the pole (prior to the pole being stuck into the ground). Then once the pole was set, the base was set down and the base door opening was aligned to the wiring connections.	A close up view of the slot in the pole and the wiring.	This is what remains of the Type 2 pole from Russel St, salvaged before the rest got scrapped.


Here is a close-up of the upper section of this pole. I also have the spire for the top of this pole.	Notice the differences between this Type 2 and the Type 1 poles?	The scrollwork is flat iron curled into shape similar to the Type 1's cast iron pieces.


This is the top base collar ring. The base/door assembly is assumed lost	The pole rotted off at the base level so it couldn't be re-used.	I was able to separate (with a lot of effort) the collar from the pole piece. The slot in the pole is where the wires passed thru


Here is an up-close view of the inner diameter of the base ring	This is the top cast iron pole topper. The spire was able to unscrew from this assembly instead of being cast into the assembly (like the Type 1 castings).	The top, inside view of the cast pole topper. That nut assembly unscrews from a stud in the pole, allowing the top assembly to slide up and off the pole.	The view of the stud assembly, welded to the top of the pole.

Here are the photos and locations of Worcester's Old Scrolls, listed below. Note: There are two pole variations that exist:

Pole Type 1: German spikes design on top, fluted base w/�crosses� design on top, thinner pole, �squiggly�& C� style cast iron scrollwork

Pole Type 2: Smooth spire/knob design on top, narrower, more decorative base w/�diamonds�, large diameter pole, �S&C� style flat iron scrollwork

Mayfield St & Parker St (Big Y), Pole #3, Type 2, Missing top base collar
Institute Rd & Haviland St, Pole #17, Type 1. UPDATE 10/2015: Pole knocked down. Recovered scroll, base door.
West St between Institute Rd & Highland St, Pole #15, Type 1 (Tall Pole). UPDATE 1/2015: Pole removed due to school zone project. Recovered scroll. Everything else was damaged during removal.
West St between Highland St & Hampden St, Pole #12, Type 1 (Tall Pole). Crack in top section of base.
West St between Highland St & Hampden St, Pole #10, Type 1 (Tall Pole). Several cracks / missing piece from base. UPDATE 1/2015: Pole removed due to school zone project. Recovered scroll pieces but most was damaged during removal.
West St between Highland St & Dayton St, Pole #9, Type 1 (Tall Pole), scrollwork less curvy on ends. Missing base door.
West St & Williams St, Pole #6, Type 1. Arm has slight bend at the joint
Williams St & Somerset St, Pole #15, Type 1
Williams St & Roxbury St, Pole #13, Type 1. Crack in top section of base.
Russell St between Highland St & Williams St, Unknown #, Type 2. UPDATE 10/15/13: Removed due to Elm Park upgrade. I have the scroll, top spire assembly and top cast base ring in the collection. Base/Door assumed lost.
Russell St between Highland St & Williams St, Unknown #, Type 1. UPDATE 10/15/13: Removed due to Elm Park upgrade. I have the scroll in my collection. everything else was damaged.
Southgate St & Walpole St, Pole #9, Type 1, Cracked / broken base. UPDATE 6/12/13: Pole cut down at base due to base crack widened. Recovered scroll/arm for collection. Tried to save the top of the pole but lost to scrap yard. Oct 2013; Old base removed and new base installed w/modern pole/light.
Southgate St between Walpole St & Hacker St, Pole #8, Type 1. UPDATE 6/7/13: Pole cut down at base (suspect top of base cracking). Pole & base are totally rusted together. Recovered scroll / arm / base door for collection. Tried to save the top of the pole but lost to scrap yard. Oct 2013; Old base removed and new base installed w/modern pole/light.
Southgate St between Grant St & Gardner St, Pole #5, Type 1
Beach St & Brown St, Unknown #, Type 1. Base has large crack horizontally around lower base. UPDATE 1/1/14: Between Christmas and New Years, Pole was removed. New base/pole installed at the same time. I was able to save the scroll / base door and the top cast iron pole topper for the collection.
Windsor St between McKinley St & Sturgis St, Pole #12, Type 1. Spikes on top of pole broken off. Has a safety check decal for inspection dated 8/17/12
Eastern Ave & Laurel St, Pole #1, Type 1. Missing base door. UPDATE 9/2015: Pole removed due to road construction project.
Prospect St & Mulberry St, Pole #4, Type 1
Brownwell Cir & Calmia St, Pole #10, Type 2
Brownwell Circle between Calmia St & Lovell / Berkmans St, Pole #6, Type 1
Henry St between Shrewsbury St & E. Worcester St, Pole #1, Type 1. UPDATE 4/2015: Pole fell over due to base rot. Recovered scroll.
Nebraska St & Muskogee Ave, Pole #2,, Type 2
Ridge St & Division St, Pole #1, Type 1. Has a safety check decal (no date). Don't know if this is for integrity of these old poles.
Suffolk St between Norfolk St / Franklin St & Wall St, Pole #4, Type 1. Missing base door, base cracked bottom lip. UPDATE 10/2012: Pole knocked down by truck. Recovered arm / scroll. Top of pole / base was destroyed / scrapped. New pole/base installed spring 2013. Missing base door, base cracked bottom lip. UPDATE 10/2012: Pole knocked down by truck. Recovered arm / scroll. Top of pole / base was destroyed / scrapped. New pole/base installed spring 2013.
Oliver St & Beaver St, Pole #5, Type 1
Bedford St & Puritan Av, Pole #4, Type 1
Puritan Av between Hamilton St & Cohasset St, Pole #3, Type 1. Scrollwork less curvy on ends. Neighbors have been advocating to keep this pole in place. Nice to see people caring about these icons :)
S. Stowell St & Derby St, Pole #1, Type 2
Cutler St & Aetna St, Pole #6, Type 1. Pole leans toward street. Has no lead seal at pole/top base lip. Pole / base doesn't appear rusted together
Crystal St between Main St & Illinois St, Pole #5, Type 1
Crystal St between Main St & Illinois St, Pole #1, Type 1
Strathmore Rd & Cargill Av, Pole #3, Type 1
Eastern Av & E. Kendall St, Pole #20, Type 1. Missing base door. UPDATE 9/2015: Pole removed due to road construction project.

ZALIMAS ELECTRIC LIGHT PRESENTS:

WORCESTER'S "OLD SCROLLS"

The city of Worcester, Ma has been going thru a major makeover since the 2000's. Several locations downtown have been totally transformed to make it easier for people to move around, bring several neighborhoods together, spur/enhance business opportunities and make these areas much more attractive.

NOTE As of August 1, 2016, Only 21 Poles left in service (18 each of Type 1, 3 each of Type 2). 12 came down in the past 3 years. We are losing these at a rapid pace. Ill be doing another audit, coming up in Aug 2017, to get an update on these poles so stay tuned.

Rescued from the Suffolk St knockdown in Oct 2012. This shows the Type 1 arm and scroll assembly.

This extension pipe (attached to a coupling) used to thread into the side of an antique "teardrop" light fixture, but was cut off back when NEMA style heads were installed in the 50's

View of attachment clamp and details of the cast iron scrollwork

View of sections of cast iron scroll work that were riveted together. These were cast in pieces and assembled together.

View of center part of scrollwork attached together with hardware. I always thought these were all one piece scrolls until now.

Various hardware

Type 1 and Type 2 poles formerly from Russel St

View of type 1 base and pole (above) and type 2 pole and top cast piece from base. Notice the type 1 pole appears to continue thru the base and out the other end.

View of type 2 base with lower pole extension.

View of type 1 pole topper assembly. Check out the details in the cast iron topper. I was able to save the arm/scrollwork but the topper was seized on the pole. Unfortunately lost to scrap. This was from the Southgate St removal.

Various diameter scrollwork bracket hardware.

View of the pole topper showing detail work in the cast iron with close up view of rear spire

View inside the Block"of the pole topper (with the old arm unthreaded / removed). Notice the square opening? That is actually a notch cut into the top of the pole itself, then the topper slides onto the pole top, lining the notch to the arm opening for the wires to pass thru.

This is the view looking up into the pole topper, from the bottom of the pole, with a view of the notch in the pole. This pole topper was slid onto the pole then bolted into place from the sides of the topper. This particular one has not been able to be separated due to years of corrosion.

This is the base view of what was left of the Henry St Type 1 pole that fell over. These poles were dubbed "stick poles" due to the bottom of the pole being direct burial and not bolted or inserted into a base.

This view shows the pole rotted off at ground level (causing the pole to fall over). The wires came out of a separate conduit then entered the pole thru a slot, behind the cast iron base.

The Henry St pole from the underside. My belief was the cast iron base was slid up the bottom of the pole (prior to the pole being stuck into the ground). Then once the pole was set, the base was set down and the base door opening was aligned to the wiring connections.

A close up view of the slot in the pole and the wiring.

This is what remains of the Type 2 pole from Russel St, salvaged before the rest got scrapped.

Here is a close-up of the upper section of this pole. I also have the spire for the top of this pole.

Notice the differences between this Type 2 and the Type 1 poles?

The scrollwork is flat iron curled into shape similar to the Type 1's cast iron pieces.

This is the top base collar ring. The base/door assembly is assumed lost

The pole rotted off at the base level so it couldn't be re-used.

I was able to separate (with a lot of effort) the collar from the pole piece. The slot in the pole is where the wires passed thru

Here is an up-close view of the inner diameter of the base ring

This is the top cast iron pole topper. The spire was able to unscrew from this assembly instead of being cast into the assembly (like the Type 1 castings).

The top, inside view of the cast pole topper. That nut assembly unscrews from a stud in the pole, allowing the top assembly to slide up and off the pole.

The view of the stud assembly, welded to the top of the pole.

Here are the photos and locations of Worcester's Old Scrolls, listed below. Note: There are two pole variations that exist:

ZALIMAS ELECTRIC LIGHT PRESENTS:

WORCESTER'S "OLD SCROLLS"

The city of Worcester, Ma has been going thru a major makeover since the 2000's. Several locations downtown have been totally transformed to make it easier for people to move around, bring several neighborhoods together, spur/enhance business opportunities and make these areas much more attractive.

***NOTE*** As of August 1, 2016, Only 21 Poles left in service (18 each of Type 1, 3 each of Type 2). 12 came down in the past 3 years. We are losing these at a rapid pace. Ill be doing another audit, coming up in Aug 2017, to get an update on these poles so stay tuned.

Rescued from the Suffolk St knockdown in Oct 2012. This shows the Type 1 arm and scroll assembly.

This extension pipe (attached to a coupling) used to thread into the side of an antique "teardrop" light fixture, but was cut off back when NEMA style heads were installed in the 50's

View of attachment clamp and details of the cast iron scrollwork

View of sections of cast iron scroll work that were riveted together. These were cast in pieces and assembled together.

View of center part of scrollwork attached together with hardware. I always thought these were all one piece scrolls until now.

Various hardware

Type 1 and Type 2 poles formerly from Russel St

View of type 1 base and pole (above) and type 2 pole and top cast piece from base. Notice the type 1 pole appears to continue thru the base and out the other end.

View of type 2 base with lower pole extension.

View of type 1 pole topper assembly. Check out the details in the cast iron topper. I was able to save the arm/scrollwork but the topper was seized on the pole. Unfortunately lost to scrap. This was from the Southgate St removal.

Various diameter scrollwork bracket hardware.

View of the pole topper showing detail work in the cast iron with close up view of rear spire

View inside the Block"of the pole topper (with the old arm unthreaded / removed). Notice the square opening? That is actually a notch cut into the top of the pole itself, then the topper slides onto the pole top, lining the notch to the arm opening for the wires to pass thru.

This is the view looking up into the pole topper, from the bottom of the pole, with a view of the notch in the pole. This pole topper was slid onto the pole then bolted into place from the sides of the topper. This particular one has not been able to be separated due to years of corrosion.

This is the base view of what was left of the Henry St Type 1 pole that fell over. These poles were dubbed "stick poles" due to the bottom of the pole being direct burial and not bolted or inserted into a base.

This view shows the pole rotted off at ground level (causing the pole to fall over). The wires came out of a separate conduit then entered the pole thru a slot, behind the cast iron base.

The Henry St pole from the underside. My belief was the cast iron base was slid up the bottom of the pole (prior to the pole being stuck into the ground). Then once the pole was set, the base was set down and the base door opening was aligned to the wiring connections.

A close up view of the slot in the pole and the wiring.

This is what remains of the Type 2 pole from Russel St, salvaged before the rest got scrapped.

Here is a close-up of the upper section of this pole. I also have the spire for the top of this pole.

Notice the differences between this Type 2 and the Type 1 poles?

The scrollwork is flat iron curled into shape similar to the Type 1's cast iron pieces.

This is the top base collar ring. The base/door assembly is assumed lost

The pole rotted off at the base level so it couldn't be re-used.

I was able to separate (with a lot of effort) the collar from the pole piece. The slot in the pole is where the wires passed thru

Here is an up-close view of the inner diameter of the base ring

This is the top cast iron pole topper. The spire was able to unscrew from this assembly instead of being cast into the assembly (like the Type 1 castings).

The top, inside view of the cast pole topper. That nut assembly unscrews from a stud in the pole, allowing the top assembly to slide up and off the pole.

The view of the stud assembly, welded to the top of the pole.

Here are the photos and locations of Worcester's Old Scrolls, listed below. Note: There are two pole variations that exist:

NOTE As of August 1, 2016, Only 21 Poles left in service (18 each of Type 1, 3 each of Type 2). 12 came down in the past 3 years. We are losing these at a rapid pace. Ill be doing another audit, coming up in Aug 2017, to get an update on these poles so stay tuned.