High Street 50-52.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 17C-165 Easthampton NTH.104 Town: Northampton Place: (neighborhood or village) Florence Address: 50-52 High Street Historic
Name: Florence Sewing Machine Company Workers’ Housing Uses: Present: Two-family residence Original: Two-family residence Date of Construction: 1860-73 Source: Map and Atlas Style/Form:
duplex form Architect/Builder: Exterior Material: Foundation: brick Wall/Trim: vinyl Roof: slate Outbuildings/Secondary Structures: Major Alterations (with dates): Vinyl siding added,
windows replaced, ca. 2000. Condition: good Moved: no | x | yes | | Date Acreage: 0.339 acres Setting: This building faces north on a slightly raised lot.
INVENTORY FORMB CONTINUATION SHEET [NORTHAMPTON] [50-52 HIGH STREET] MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. 220MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON,MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Continuation
sheet 1 NTH.104 ___ 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 Florence Sewing Machine Company Workers’ House is typical of much of the workers’ housing that
was constructed in Florence in the third quarter of the 19th century, as it is small in scale in contrast to the workers’ housing in mill cities such as Holyoke or Lowell. Without extensive
need for workers, Florence’s manufacturers and building speculators constructed housing on regular single-family sized lots with single and double houses that collectively maintained
the aspect of a village. This is a two-story house under a side-gable roof that is slate-covered and has two interior chimneys spaced at each end of the ridge. The building is six bays
wide, three bays per side-by-side unit. Entries are centered on the north façade and are sheltered by a shed-roof on large braces. Windows have replacement 1/1 sash. Typical of the 1860s
and 70s, the roof eaves are wide and thinly boxed. 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 1980: “D.G. Littlefield was one of the prominent industrialists who helped develop Florence
as a thriving mill community during the mid 19th century. He served as president of the Florence Manufacturing Co. and president of the Florence Sewing Machine Co. The latter company
was located located at the corner of Chestnut and Main Streets and owned a large amount of land north of Main Street and east of Chestnut Street. During the late 1860’s, a number of
cottages and blocks were built for the Company’s workers. This house was probably used for the same purpose.” 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.