Here is the church and here is the steeple . . .

My favorite activity in a new place is to walk the streets. There are always interesting things to see and things you don’t notice when you are driving around in a car.

Northampton has lots of old buildings. There are lots of old beautiful churches. Even if you aren’t a church person, you can’t help but admire the beauty. I saw plenty of churches in my walks around Northampton. What stood out was the steeples. I just had to stop and take all these pictures because I was so struck by the beautiful steeples stretching into the blue sky.

Right around the corner from where we stayed, was a gorgeous old Polish church. Western Massachusetts was home to many Polish immigrants and no surprise, home to Polish churches. I am not surprised about all the Polish churches since my Mom was Polish and grew up in Western Mass. There is actually another Polish Church in Northampton that is still active.

The words above the door, “Dombozy Brama Nieba,” translate to “Gates of Heaven.”

Here is the front of St. Mary’s Catholic Church.

Here is a side view of St. Mary’s.

And there is a back view of St. Mary’s.

Further down the road, was St. John’s Episcopal Church. I was especially drawn to the small cemetary in front of the church.

And finally, a typical New England Protestant Church. Although I think this building is no longer a church, but the Spiritual Center for Smith College.

Sadly, the Polish Church and St. Mary’s are closed and are set for demolition. It is such a shame that such beautiful and historic buildings are to be torn down. I would have loved to have gone inside to see their magnificent stained glass windows.

What sights do you see on your walks?