Silver Spring
Depending on the source, the first Tastee diner opened c.1934 in Silver Spring. As of writing this, I have not seen any pictures of this diner, so I can’t tell you who the manufacturer was. As its replacement and the Bethesda location were both O’Mahonys, my guess would be this first location would also be an O’Mahony, but I don’t have any proof yet. A new, larger diner opened on the site in August 1946, and the old car was relocated to Rockville, MD. The Silver Spring Tastee was moved on June 17, 2000 from its location on Georgia Ave. to 8601 Cameron St. The 1946 factory built kitchen addition was demolished at this time.

Bethesda
The Bethesda location opened in April 1938 on Wisconsin Ave in Bethesda, MD. I have conflicting addresses, a 1938 listing placing it at 6604 Wisconsin, and a 1951 ad at 6950. I’m not sure if that indicates a move. By 1975, it was operating at its current location at 7731 Woodmont Ave.

Rockville
The Rockville location, a 1934 model originally in Silver Spring was named “Meadow’s Dining Car” and re-opened in its new location, 321 East Montgomery Ave, in June 1946.

Fairfax
According to the 29 diner website, the 29 was known as the Tastee 29 from 1973 until the 1990s, and was opened on July 20 1947 as the 29 diner by Bill Glascock. It is still used as the logo on Tastee diner merchandise at the Maryland locations, despite it no longer being associated with the chain. It is located at 10536 Lee Highway.

Laurel
The Laurel Tastee Diner was opened as the Laurel diner. I have records of it going at least back to 1934. It was replaced in the 1950s with a Comac brand diner. By the 1970s (1972?) it was part of the Tastee Diner chain.

Eddie M. Warner 1906-1996

I’ve added several “new” locations to the comprehensive list of Little Taverns, and the addresses of several others. Take a look HERE.

Here’s a great example of mid-century modern design.
Halifax’s Centennial Swimming pool opened May 25, 1968. It is located at 1970 Gottingen Street
Halifax, NS.

1646 Barrington Street

The interior, which was once offices, is now apartments.

From the HRM planning commission:
Built: 1950
Style: International
Architect: C.A. Fowler & Co.
(now Fowler Bauld Mitchell)
Owner: Nasco Consultants
Designation: None
Built in 1950, this is one of the downtown’s earliest modern office towers and a typical example of
the international style in its formative years.
Its seven storey height, lightweight, steel frame, curtain wall construction, and busy, grid exterior of
aluminum and glass panels are notably out of scale and character with the late 19th century
streetscape which occupies the rest of the block.

13 Tramway Building
1598 Barrington Street
Built: 1916
Style: Early 20th century Neo- Gothic
Architect: Andrew R. Cobb
Owner: Morris Strug

This building is notable both for its historical associations and its architecture. It was built in 1916 for the Halifax Electric Tramway Company which had operated the Halifax electric tram system (the Halifax Street Railway or the “Birneys”) since 1895. In 1916/1917, the company was reorganized under the title of the Nova Scotia Tramways and Power Company, and the move into this building probably coincided with that reorganization. The company continued in operation until 1949, when the rail-based trams were replaced by more modern electric trolleys.

The building had, and still has, two storefronts, one of which was the home of Tip Top Tailors from 1921 -1941 (see 1592 Barrington) and the other of which housed Chas. Brown Furriers from 1942-1983.

Its architect was Andrew Cobb, one of the city’s most well-known early 20th century architects. Originally from New York, Cobb studied at Acadia University, M.I.T., and the Ecole des Beaux Arts, in Paris. He set up practice in Halifax about 1909, at first in partnership with S.P. Dumaresq, but later on his own. Cobb designed many buildings in Halifax, including the Acadia Insurance building (1656 Barrington), the old Casino Theatre (now demolished), many buildings at Dalhousie University, and many houses designed in the English Arts and Crafts style. He also collaborated on the highly regarded Bank of Nova Scotia building and the Provincial building, which both face Province House. Cobb maintained his office in the Tramway building for the first year after its construction and also from 1938 until his accidental death in 1943.

The Tramway building itself is notable as Halifax’s only example of the Modern Neo-Gothic style and as the first building on Barrington Street to use concrete extensively in its construction. Octagonal pillars articulate the facades and culminate in a series of pointed turrets that punctuate the roofline and give the building its castellated, neo Gothic look. The smooth, concrete finish of the pillars accentuates the simplicity of the forms and creates a definite “modern” look that was perhaps, in 1916, ahead of its time.

This building is slated for redevelopment.

From the HRM website:
Zellers Building
1593/95 Barrington Street, Halifax
Built:Opened 1939
Style:Art Deco
Architect:Gratton D. Thompson
Owner:1595 Visitors Centre Ltd.

The former Zellers building is the best example of the Art Deco style in HRM.
Three storeys high and constructed of sandstone, the building occupies the western end of the block
bounded by Barrington, Sackville and Granville Streets. Its Barrington Street facade is divided into
a 2-5-2 window arrangement, which is subtlyaccented on the upper storeys bystylized pilasters and
a slightly projecting roofline parapet. A decorative band of parallel lines and floral motifs divides
the ground floor from the upper floors, and there are similar geometric motifs above the second
storey windows and in a continuous band at the roof line.

The developer says:
Halifax could be home to a new 20-storey apartment building or a 15-storey office tower.

“It depends on the market,” Frank Medjuck, president of 1595 Investments Ltd., the company that owns the building at 1595 Barrington St., said in an interview on Tuesday.

Mr. Medjuck said plans to enter into a development agreement to allow for a 200-foot mixed-use commercial-residential building on the downtown site were sent to Halifax Regional Municipality staff in December.

“There’s a big demand by government for downtown development,” he said. “We’ve put it on the table and we’ll see what happens.”

Mr. Medjuck said the project would cost $15 million to $20 million. He expected it would be four years before anything new is built on the site, a former Zellers department store that his company bought 25 years ago.

The building is now home to the Discovery Centre, a hands-on science centre that Mr. Medjuck said could be part of the proposed new development.

“They’ve been good for Barrington Street,” he said of the centre.

“They’re safe and sound for the time being.”

Mr. Medjuck said the proposal complies with all municipal bylaws and harbour view-plane requirements.

While the art-deco building, which was built in the 1930s, doesn’t have a heritage designation, he said the plans include retaining its carved facade “in a gesture to the street.”

Photo taken last night after seeing Paul Wingo at Blues Alley.

The full album can be found here