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Center Street 44.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-126 Easthampton NTH.771 Town: Northampton Place: (neighborhood or village) Address: 44 Center Street and 79 Masonic Street Historic Name: First Church of Christ Scientist Uses: Present: church and reading room Original: church and house Date of Construction: 1908 and ca. 1870 Source: Hampshire Gazette Style/Form: Classical Revival and Italianate Architect/Builder: S. S. Beeman, Chicago for church Exterior Material: Foundation: brick Wall/Trim: clapboards, flushboard Roof: asphalt shingles Outbuildings/Seconda ry Structures: Connected to reading room on Masonic Street Major Alterations (with dates): Condition: good Moved: no | | yes | x | Date 1908 Acreage: 0.401 acres Setting: These two buildings occupy a corner lot at the intersection of two streets in downtown Northampton. INVENTORY FORMB CONTINUATION SHEET [NORTHAMPTON] [44 Center Street and 79 Masonic Street] MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. 220MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON,MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Continuation sheet 1 NTH.771 ___ 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 Christian Science complex is composed of a church at 44 Center Street connected to a reading room at 79 Masonic Street. The Reading Room at 79 Masonic Street is the earlier of the two buildings. It is a two-story Italianate style building that began life as a house but was moved and converted to a Reading Room for the Christian Science Church in 1908. It is one of Northampton Center’s numerous Italianate style buildings and one of the most ornate. It has a flat roof with widely extended eaves meant to convey an Italian palazzo. The palazzo inspiration is furthered by the flushboard and corner quoins that aimed to suggest the stone of a palazzo. The front porch has been partially enclosed but chamfered posts on the west and north elevations remain. Window and door surrounds follow the Italianate practice of having footed cornice lintels and an eared architrave surround for the main entry. There is a three-sided bay on the south and a two-story ell on the east with a side porch on chamfered posts. The ell is equally elaborate with flushboard siding, corner quoins, and footed cornice lintels. A one-story connector extends from the north elevation of the Reading Room to the south elevation of the First Church of Christ Scientist at 44 Center Street. This is a one-and-a-half story Classical Revival style building with a front-gable roof. It has shallow hipped roof roof wings at each side of its façade for a T-shaped plan. The clapboard-sided building has wide pilasters at its corners and four Doric columns support a pediment and create a recessed entry. The main entry has double-leaf doors beneath an eight-light transom. There are doors at each side of the porch to enter the wings. Panels decorate the entry elevation above the door and paired sidelights. A fanlight is in the pediment, and “First Church of Christ Scientist” is carved into the frieze in relief. Both buildings have vinyl replacement windows. 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 1980: “The present reading room of the church at 79 Masonic Street was moved from the corner site upon which the church was built in 1908. Original architectural blueprints with architect’s name are available in records in the Church basement.” 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 Gazette, November 10, 1954. Blueprints, 1906, First Church of Christ. INVENTORY FORMB CONTINUATION SHEET [NORTHAMPTON] [44 Center Street and 79 Masonic Street] MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. 220MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON,MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Continuation sheet 2 NTH.771 Masonic Street Christian Science Reading Room attached to Center Street church of Christ Scientist.