Community Corner

Last Week's 'Then and Now' was Lady Nancy Astor

The woman in last week's "Then and Now" photo was Lady Nancy Astor. The intersection of Highland Street and Cutler Road is known as Nancy's Corner, named after Lady Astor.

Our latest "" historical photo feature was Lady Nancy Astor, a Virginia native who for a time lived on Highland Street with her first husband, Robert Gould Shaw II.

She divorced Shaw, later married William Waldorf Astor and became the first woman to hold a seat in the British Parliament.

The intersection of Highland Street and Cutler Road is known as "Nancy's Corner" because Astor and Shaw lived at what's known as the Groton House Farm near the intersection.

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For years, a barn that sat at the intersection had a sign on it saying "Nancy's Corner," which helped make the name stick. The barn was destroyed by fire.

We did not receive any correct guesses to this week's "Then and Now." In fact, almost every guess was that it was Bessie Buker, who has the elementary school in Wenham named after her.

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There's a new historical photo posted every Sunday. Check the site on Sunday for the latest one. If you know where it was taken, e-mail at robertg@patch.com or click "e-mail the author" at the top of the story.

Special thanks to and the Hamilton Historical Society an at the for providing the photos we'll use for the feature in the coming weeks.

Plus, if you have a picture that was taken somewhere it Hamilton and Wenham more than 50 years ago that you want to submit for use in , e-mail it to Editor Bobby Gates at robertg@patch.com or contact him to arrange pickup so that it can be electronically scanned for use on the website.


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