Necronomicon Dissection: Part 7, Tours and Town Houses

Please excuse the delay between the rest of the NecronomiCon posts and this one. There is no good reason for it other than life getting in the way. These were taken whilst wandering round the town on various days, either as part of the bus tour, or just walking. Unfortunately I did not make it onto the walking tour. Maybe next time.

The image above is a view of the two main hotels of the Con. On the Right, the Omni, where Kris and I were staying, and on the left, the Biltmore, where the bulk of the literature talks were, as well as the gaming room on the 18th floor. The Biltmore is supposedly haunted, by quite a number of ghosts, but we didn't run into any. Inside the Biltmore, are some ver old elevators, including one in the central lobby with the sign opposite attached. Yes that's right, it is an unused glass elevator, to be used for time travel only. No I don't know what they mean (please excuse the fuzzy picure).

The bus tour I took, went around some of the more less central areas related to Lovecraft. These included the site of his Grandfather Whipple Phillips mansion, where Lovecraft was raised. The house is no longer standing, but a plaque has been placed on the spot.

Ladd Observatory, and the Observatory 'Library'. There were conflicting stories as to how HPL managed to access the observatory. The bus tour driver/guide stated that the head astronomer, Professor Winslow Upton, gave a young HPL a key, whereas the caretaker of the observatory said that back then as now, there was always a caretaker on site, so even though he probably let young HPL in whenever, the current caretaker didn't think it likely that HPL had a physical key. I know who I think I believe, but I also know which makes for a better story.

Phillips family plot in the Swan Point Cemetery. Just round the corner from the Butler Hospital where both his parent's perished.

When HPL was interred, there was no headstone placed for him, so his name was inscribed on the Phillips Pillar pictured on the left. Later funds were raised, and headstones placed for HPL, as well as his father and mother.

Above here on the left we have the Fleur de Lys building. This building was immortalised in the story 'The Call of Cthulhu' where HPL described it thus:

"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." 

Not mincing his words there! On the right, we have aforementioned 'Finest Georgia steeple in America'. The steeple of the First Baptist Church. So named, as it is in fact the first Baptist church to have been built in America.  

Finally, I have a couple of other pictures taken around town on the Sunday morning, as I took a final stroll on College Hill.

Plaque placed in the grounds of the John Hay Library on the centennial of HPL's birth.

John Hay Library at Brown University, where HPL's papers were donated after his death. Unfortunately closed on Sunday's, when we had the free time to go look, so I didn't get in to have a look around.

Providence Athanaeum, private library frequented by HPL, and Poe, amongst others. Also unfortunately closed on Sundays. This was really on my wish list of places to go, and is the only place I am sad not to have got to see the inside of.