In Manhattan, there are a pair of “mystery poles” that continue to flummox and vex me, as no satisfactory identification of their purpose seems imminent. This one can be found on the west side of Broadway at West 142nd Street. It ostensibly resembles one of the “olive” poles that supported two-color stoplights between the 1930s and 1980s around town, but the design is different if you take a close look. The top appears to be sawn off and I wonder if it was a proprietary pole installed by a long-lost business on this corner. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t installed by the city as a streetlamp.
The other “mystery pole” is on Manhattan’s only unnamed street, between Vestry and Laight alongside the inbound ramp of the Holland Tunnel. The street was probably built in the 1920s when the tunnel was, but I have still gotten no good answer about what this pole supported when it was first placed here.
Perhaps it is all for the best that some mysteries remain unsolved.
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1/18/23