first impressions

The area around Brown is smaller than expected, but there’s still plenty to do. It’ll be a busy month here anyway. (I’m only here for a few nights this time, but coming back for an extended stay a couple of weeks from now.)

Not far from where I’m staying is the first pair of Lovecraft-related buildings I ran across. Some of you will remember the following passage from “The Call of Cthulhu”:

“Wilcox [the decadent sculptor] lived alone in the Fleur-de-Lys Building on Thomas Street, a hideous Victorian imitation of seventeenth century Breton architecture which flaunts its stuccoed front amidst the lovely colonial houses on the ancient hill, and under the very shadow of the finest Georgian steeple in America.”

First, here’s the “hideous Victorian imitation of seventeenth century Breton architecture” (which happened to be placed on the national historic registry in 1992):

Second, directly across the street, is “the finest Georgian steeple in America” (quite impressive, actually):

Just about a block and a half from there is the former mortuary where Lovecraft’s funeral was held, though I don’t have a photo of it.