Crafts Avenue 2-8.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 31D-157 Easthampton NTH.787 Town: Northampton Place: (neighborhood or village) Address: 2-8 Crafts Avenue Historic Name: Hampshire
Bookstore Building Uses: Present: commercial, residential Original: commercial, residential Date of Construction: 1892 Source: Daily Hampshire Gazette, 8/14/1892 Style/Form: Renaissance
Revival Architect/Builder: Exterior Material: Foundation: brick Wall/Trim: brick Roof: not visible Outbuildings/Secondary Structures: Major Alterations (with dates): Condition: good
Moved: no | x | yes | | Date Acreage: 0.076 acre Setting: Set on the curve of a street that slopes down to the south, this is one in a row of commercial buildings.
INVENTORY FORMB CONTINUATION SHEET [NORTHAMPTON] [2-8 CRAFTS AVENUE] MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. 220MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON,MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Continuation
sheet 1 NTH.787 ___ Recommended for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. ON the National Register. 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. The Hampshire Bookstore Building is a three-story commercial block of painted
brick that is nine bays wide. To fit the curve of the street, the building is angled between its fifth and sixth bays. There are three storefronts on the first story separated by an
arched entry to the upper two stories. Above the arch of the entry is an open, pedimented hood on on consoles that is painted. Segmentally arched windows of the upper two stories appear
to have brownstone sills that have been painted, so it is likely that the entry hood and an address panel directly above it inscribed “8 Crafts Avenue” are both in brownstone as well.
Window lintels are splayed brick with corner blocks and keystones and the cornice at the roofline is brick laid in a sawtooth pattern. Two commercial storefronts occupy the northern
half of the building. They each have a side entry with an adjacent glazed storefront window and the third storefront occupies the southern half of the building. It is a double storefront
with a recessed entry between two glazed storefront bays. This is not the most architecturally high style of Northampton’s commercial blocks, but its location and angled form make it
prominent and integral to the streetscape. 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 Form B of 1975: “The Hampshire Book Shop, a nationally known bookstore in existence from 1916 to the mid 1960’s,
was for many years located in this late nineteenth century commercial block. The Book Shop, first located in three rooms at the corner of Elm Street and Bedford Terrace, was a source
of literary materials for both Smith College and for the general reading public. Prominent authors often visited the Book Shop to autograph their works for customers. In twenty years,
the Book Shop had achieved a national reputation. Robert Frost, special guest at the 20th birthday of the shop, read poetry selections and commented that the Hampshire was one of the
best bookstores in the United States. The shop for many years maintained two locations, the main building on Crafts Avenue and a branch store on Green Street, convenient to Smith College
personnel.” 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.