Laurel Park historyLAUREL PARK
ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE
There.are presently 119 structures within the boundaries of Laurel
Park.' These include the Chapel which was the focus` of the religious
community, the newly- restored tabanacle, a' community dining hall, an
assembly hall and numerous indivdual cottages originally intended for
seasonal occupancy only. The layout is similar to contemporary
religious communities such as Oak Bluffs on Martha's Vineyard. Cottages
are typically sided with vertical board siding and employ modest stick
style decorative devices - vergeboards and "gothic" mouldings. Half
timbering is alluded to in a number of cottages where portions of the
wall surfaces are framed with thin boards. There are few modern
intrusions apart from the cars of the residents and the tightly -knit
little community has a special character due to the uniformity of its
building type and the common sharing of the grounds.
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE
The term " Chautaugua" designates a summer educational and cultural
assembly lasting several days and derives from the first such gathering
held at Chautauqua, New York, in the summer of 1874. The growing
interest in cultural enrichment eventually supplanted the religious camp
meetings organized in the open air earlier in the century. Laurel Park
opened in 1872 as the Springfield District (Methodist) Camp Meeting
Grounds. In 1888 the first Chautauqua assembly was held at the park and
other events such as teacher's conferences were scheduled during the
ensuing summers. Elocution sessions, history lessons and Bible hours
were standard fare at these meetings. Summer cottage vacationer shared
the facitities with participants in the various conferences held on the
grounds. Proximity to the Connecticut River Railroad (later the Boston
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and Maine) and the relocation of the Hadley depot to the bottom of the j
hill in front of the park allowed thousands of people from New York and
the New England region to attend meetings at the camp each year.. In
1891 there were 125 buildings, including 40 chapels, the dining hall
seated 500 and the tabernacle 1,000. In its heyday (approximately 1887
to 1917) the speakers inculude such lunimaries as Willim Cullen Bryant
and then Professor Woodrow Wilson. Laurel Park was known as the
"People's University ".
WEST FARMS
ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE
The chief significance of West Farms lies in the survival of the
principal elements of a 19th century farm community -a chapel, cemetary,
schoolhouse, farmhouses and barns -in seemingly isolated rural
surroundings.
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE
The community, originally called Lonetown, was settled and farmed in
the 18th century. The Cemetary is the second oldest in the Town; the
earliest grave is dated 1788. Five Revolutionary War soldiers and
fifteen from the Civil War are buried here. In 1832 the Methodist
Society bought the site of the former Congregational chapel and built
the chapel which.still survives. Methodism played a major role in the
lives of the members of the community until quite recently. The chapel
was remodeled in Greek Revival style in 1868, and tastefully adapted as.
an artist's home and studio in 1988. The Victorian schoolhouse next to
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it built in the 1860's has also been adapted as a private residence.
The Omasta family which owns.the surrounding farmland hopes to continue
to its present use. Development on this particular farm would be a
serious loss for the city of Northampton.
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SHEPHERDS HOLLOW
ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE
Nineteenth century mills, dams, factory housing, general store, church
and the oldest Pratt through -truss iron bridge in the State -all
surviving in a naturally enclosed river valley with a minimum of modern
intrusions. Significant buildings include the Nonotuck Silk Mill , the
Northampton Emory Wheel Co., the Queen Anne style Nonotuck Silk Co.
Boardinghouse at 11 Mulberry St., the Georgian style Shepherd house at
104 Water St. (1809) and a Gothic Revival church built in 1877. The
Nonotuck Silk mill, completed in 1880 was built on the site of the
earlier Shepherd's woolen mill. The five story Victorian Industrial
structure was designed by architect E.C. Gardenr of Springfield, who
also designed Eastlake the residence of Lucius Dimock, the director, of
the mills. Like Eastlake, it is ornamented with polychrome brickwork
and stick style ballustrade at the base of the tower.
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE
The village was originally called Shepherd's Hollow because two of
the earliest factories (c. 1800) were owned by Col. James Shepherd and
his cousins. The Shepherds were inovative importing Moreno rams and
Saxony sheep to improve the quality of the wool threads. They were
responsible for the earliest manufacture of broadcloth. In 1873 the
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factory and everything else in the Hollow was destroyed when the dam
burst in Williamsburg. The present community dates chiefly from the
last quarter of the.19th century. The combination of water resources
and the railroad which paralelled the river resulted in an early
transition from agriculture to industry. Consequently there was an
influx of craftsment from Europe and an early ethnic diversity in the
community.
GROVE HILL
ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE Grove Hill is a reasonably homogeoneous
late 19th century residential community. The centerpiece is the
Eastlake, the Dimmock house designed by E.C. Gardner of Springfield and
built in 1879 -80. The earliest house is the Federal style Col. Shepherd
House (1812). The remainder of the community was developed in the
1870's and 80's by the Corticelli Silk Co. which laid out the roads and
sold lots to individual homeowners or, in some cases built houses and
leased them to employees. Individual houses have gothic or italianate
details such as porches with turned columns and /or ballustrades, towers
with mansard roofs, triangular (Gothic) window details and oculuses. Of
particular interest is the concrete water reservoir built by the
Corticelli Silk Co. in 1873 to supply water to the community. The
reservoir held 27,000 gallons of water mostly underground supplied by a
nearby spring. Brick circular walls rise three feet abouve the ground.
A conical roof topped by a polyganal, louvered cupola caps the walls.
It is used by the present owner as a storage area and is in need of
repair.
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE
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RAIL HILL
ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE
Gambrel roofed, central chimney colonial dwellings. A significan
early 19th century (1840) farm with barns and outbuildings. Some
remaining open space and views. Older homes are outnumbered by 20th
century infill.
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE
Rail Hill was originally a cluster of large homesteads along what
is now Audubon Road, originally the main route from Northampton to
Williamsburg. Likewise the present Kennedy Road was the main route from
Willimsburg to Southampton. The first setteler was James Smith in 1790;
his house is at 123 Audubon Road. Next, Luke Day in 1794, 19 Audubon
Road. Another 18th century homestead survives on Kennedy Road near the
intersection with Audubon Rd. The Calvin Clark house built in 1792 was
moved from its original location at the western end of Audubon Road to
its present location at 263 Audubon Road. The Clark homestead at 395
Audubon Road contains a large barn built in 1882. The house, the third
one to be built by the Clark family.on the site is Greek Revival'in
style.
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