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Portsmouth, New Hampshire, circa 1907. "Thomas Sheafe house, Market and Deer streets." 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
I think the block that Rivlax is asking about *might* have been the original electrical service to the building. The thing on the left end of the block resembles an insulator, and it probably would have had another insulator on the right end. Two wires would have come from the street, to that block, and then probably straight down the front of the building, going inside somewhere around the top of the storefront windows. Note the wires sort of meandering back and forth above the striped awning and the doors... I think these may have originally gone up to that block.
The pole on the right, closest to the corner, doesn't seem to have wires any longer. The pole on the far right - above the "BOTTLERS." wagon - still has a wire. Also, behind that pole, you can see the wires attached to the corner of the building behind the Sheafe house, and if you look closely among those wires, you can see some wires that look like they are heading for the back of the Sheafe house.
I would further speculate that the streetcar line in front may not have been there when the house was first wired. My *guess* is that the street wires originally came down (towards the camera) that street to our right, and then turned left to run in front of the Sheafe house. There might have been another wooden pole where the metal one is now, and that's where the tap to that block would have come from. Later on, when the streetcar line was put in, it got an "exclusive" on wires along the street, and the regular electrical service was moved to the back of the house.
Does anyone know what that thing is to the left of the second window on the second floor? It looks like some kind of electrical connector.
"A commercial building and city pumping station now occupy the former location of the Thomas Sheafe house."
With mud on my boots, and take of the froth from the top.
I assume the street eventually got paved by someone.
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