Center Street 53.pdf
Follow Massachusetts Historical Commission Survey Manual instructions for completing this form. FORM B − BUILDING MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION MASSACHUSETTS ARCHIVES BUILDING
220MORRISSEY BOULEVARD BOSTON,MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Photograph Topographic or Assessor's Map Recorded by: Bonnie Parsons Organization: Pioneer Valley Planning Commission Date (month /year):
March, 2010 Assessor’s Number USGS Quad Area(s) Form Number 31B-268 Easthampton NTH.714 Town: Northampton Place: (neighborhood or village) Address: 53 Center Street Historic Name: S.
G. Dickinson House Uses: Present: offices Original: residence Date of Construction: ca. 1868 Source: Registry of Deeds Style/Form: Italianate Architect/Builder: Exterior Material: Foundation:
brick Wall/Trim: aluminum Roof: built up roofing Outbuildings/Secondary Structures: Major Alterations (with dates): Condition: good Moved: no | | yes | | Date Acreage: 0.103 acres Setting:
This is a south-facing building on a mixed commercial and formerly residential street.
INVENTORY FORMB CONTINUATION SHEET [NORTHAMPTON] [53 Center Street] MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. 220MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON,MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Continuation
sheet 1 NTH.714 ___ Recommended for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. If checked, you must attach a completed National Register Criteria Statement form. Use as much
space as necessary to complete the following entries, allowing text to flow onto additional continuation sheets. ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION: Describe architectural features. Evaluate
the characteristics of this building in terms of other buildings within the community. This is one of Northampton’s most fanciful Italianate style buildings and with its neighbor at
79 Masonic Street represents the “palazzo” version of the style. It is a two-story building under a flat roof with widely projecting eaves that here are supported on consoles between
which are metal attic grilles. As opposed to the Italianate “villa” the palazzo does not have a tower, rather, is square and often has corner quoins. The house is L-shaped in plan with
a three-bay wide main block and a short one-bay wide wing on the east. The wing has a three-sided bay with arched windows on its east elevation. A hipped roof porch on chamfered posts
with high bases wraps from east, across the south and the west elevations of the main block of the house. It has an openwork frieze, arched railings and bracketed eaves. Windows of the
house have projecting cornice lintels at the second floor that are supported on small consoles and at the first floor there are architrave surrounds. Sash is 2/2. HISTORICAL NARRATIVE
Discuss the history of the building. Explain its associations with local (or state) history. Include uses of the building, and the role(s) the owners/occupants played within the community.
From the Form B of 1975: “This bracketed house was built between 1867 and 1871 for S. G. Dickinson, a local merchant. Dickinson built a block of stores, still standing, on upper Main
Street in 1869. Wm. Wm. F. Pratt was the architect of the commercial block and may have been responsible for this house in Center Street as well. The Methodist Church acquired the property
in 18971 and used the house as the church parsonage for a number of years. (The Methodist Church was located on the lot to the south, where the Elks Hall currently stands.) Presently
used as an office building, the house has been well maintained.” BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES Beers, F. W. County Atlas of Hampshire Massachusetts, New York, 1873. Hales, John G. Plan
of the Town or Northampton in the County of Hampshire, 1831. Miller, D. L. Atlas of the City of Northampton and Town of Easthampton, Hampshire County, Massachusetts, Philadelphia, 1895.
Walker, George H. and Company. Atlas of Northampton City, Massachusetts, Boston, 1884. Walling, Henry F. Map of Hampshire County, Massachusetts, New York, 1860. Hampshire County Registry
of Deeds: Book 1692 page 195; Book 1445, Page 66; Book 1178, Pate 47; Book 1087, Pate 327; Book 998, Page 231; Book 973 page 96; Book 819, Page 90; Book 379 page 429; Book 323 Page 121;
Book 284 Page 121; Book 2433, page 307 (plan), Book 243, page 307.