Main Street 160-162.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-150 Easthampton NTH.785 Town: Northampton Place: (neighborhood or village) Address: 160-162 Main Street Historic Name:
Columbian Building (Todd, Lee & Co.) Uses: Present: Commercial, residential Original: Commercial and opera house within a few years of construction Date of Construction: 1871 Source:
Daily Hampshire Gazette, 4/11/1871 Style/Form: Italianate Architect/Builder: William Fenno Pratt Exterior Material: Foundation: brick Wall/Trim: brick, brownstone Roof: not visible Outbuildings/Secon
dary Structures: Major Alterations (with dates): Windows enclosed and replaced, ca. 1990 Condition: good Moved: no | x | yes | | Date Acreage: 0.983 acres Setting: This building occupies
a corner lot and faces north in downtown Northampton.
INVENTORY FORMB CONTINUATION SHEET [NORTHAMPTON ] [160MAIN STREET] MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. 220MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON,MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Continuation
sheet 1 NTH.785 ___ 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. The red brick Columbian building is one of the largest buildings in downtown Northampton. It occupies
a corner lot that slopes steeply down to the south exposing the basement level on that elevation and allowing commercial use of the basement level entered from the street. It is three-and-a-half
stories in height and has a flat roof with an elaborate Italianate cornice of corbelled brick laid in patterns of quatrefoils, pendants and running molding. Within the cornice is an
attic level, the half-story, with horizontal, rectangular windows with inset, 2-light sash. The building has a rounded corner, one bay wide, and it is six bays wide and nine bays deep
on the second and third stories with straight-head windows with brownstone lintels and sills. At the first story on the north façade there are three storefronts, one of which follows
the rounded corner. On the west elevation the first story windows have been bricked in and on the basement level is a storefront with a display window. 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: “Ebenezer Hunt (1675-1742) acquired land on the south side of Main Street, including this site. His son, Deacon Ebenezer Hunt (1703-1788) inherited the land and on the
adjacent eastern lot built a gambrel roof house, later inherited by Dr. Ebenezer Hunt (1744-1820). The physician/pharmacist established a drug store in the house in 1769 with Dr. Levi
Shepherd. The lot by Old South Street was inherited by Dr. David Hunt who sold the corner lot to Edwards Church Society. Edwards Church was built there in 1833 and destroyed by fire
in 1871. The Columbian Building replaced the burned structure in 1871. It was first known as Todd, Lee, and Company Block. A stock company was organized to build an Opera House in the
town in the mid-70’s. The roof of the old Todd Block was raised and the two upper stories became the Opera House, opened October 30, 1877. The first play was ‘Our Boys’ with 300 people
present. The walls were scenery, painted by local artist Charles Burleigh. Local actors and Hayner’s Orchestra furnished the talent. The Opera Company existed for fourteen years; the
last performance, on May 21, 1891, was by the Gorman’s, ‘America’s Elite Minstrel Troupe.’ Soon after the building was converted to offices and the newly opened Academy of Music assumed
the function of the Opera House.” 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.