Main Street 273.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-114 Easthampton NTH.2256 Town: Northampton Place: (neighborhood or village) Northampton Center Address: 273 Main Street
Historic Name: J. B. O’Donnell Building Uses: Present: commercial, residential Original: commercial, residential Date of Construction: ca. 1886 Source: Daily Hampshire Gazette Style/Form:
late 19th c. commercial Architect/Builder: Exterior Material: Foundation: not visible Wall/Trim: brick/brownstone/pressed metal Roof: not visible Outbuildings/Secondary Structures: Major
Alterations (with dates): Storefront altered, second story windows enlarged, ca. 1970. Condition: good Moved: no | x | yes | | Date Acreage: 0.03 acres Setting: This building faces south
on the last downtown commercial block on the north end of Main Street.
INVENTORY FORMB CONTINUATION SHEET [NORTHAMPTON ] [273 Main Street] MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. 220MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON,MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Continuation
sheet 1 NTH.2256 ___ 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 J. B. O’Donnell Building is one of two nearly identical buildings built by the lawyer. The
second is at 261-265 Main Street. They are three story, painted brick buildings under flat roofs with pressed metal cornices at the roofline. The cornices include elaborate scrolled
brackets that are repeated on Daley’s Building that is between the two buildings. The facades of 261 and 273 are divided into bays by piers that are connected at their upper ends by
a row of corbelled bricks. Here at 273 there are only three bays and they are made up of segmentally arched windows at the third story, but at the second story is an angled bay window.
The third story windows have segmentally arched lintels with keystones and footed sills. The lintels and sills are probably brownstone, but now painted. The second story bay window,
which is original to the building, has paneled cornice and base and its sash has been altered by dividing the center window into two panes by a narrow vertical mullion and placing 1/1
sash in the side windows. At the first story level the building has a single contemporary storefront. 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: “This series of five brick blocks
was built on upper Main Street late in the 1880’s. The lot was empty prior to this time. The Edwards Church had been rebuilt on the corner of Main and State Streets in 1874. About 1886,
the lot was first considered for commercial development when a four story brick block was contemplated at the corner of Main and Masonic Street. Although these plans were abandoned,
several other blocks had been built by late 1886, and the Daley Block is inscribed with the date 1887. The block adjoining Edwards Church was first known as Higbee Block; lawyer J.B.
O’Donnell owned #2 & #4 and sold them early in 1887.” 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.