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6 Bedford Terrace Follow Massachusetts Historical Commission Survey Manual instructions for completing this form. FORM B − BUILDING MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION MASSACHUSETTS ARCHIVES BUILDING 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Photograph Topographic or Assessor's Map Recorded by: Bonnie Parsons Organization: PVPC Date (month / year): June, 2010 Assessor’s Number USGS Quad Area(s) Form Number 31B-305 Easthampton NTH.720 Town: Northampton Place: (neighborhood or village) Address: 6 Bedford Terrace Historic Name: Mary and Elbridge Southwick Carriage House Uses: Present: Smith College Unity House Original: carriage house Date of Construction: ca. 1900 Source: Springfield Daily Republican Style/Form: Colonial Revival Architect/Builder: Exterior Material: Foundation: brick Wall/Trim: brick and brownstone Roof: asphalt shingles Outbuildings/Secondary Structures: Major Alterations (with dates): Converted from carriage house to school, ca. 1920. Converted to dormitory, 1968. Converted to Unity House, n.d. Condition: good Moved: no | x | yes | | Date Acreage: 0.239 acres Setting: This east-facing building is set back from the street and not in alignment with its neighbors. INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET [NORTHAMPTON] [6 BEDFORD TERRACE] MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Continuation sheet 1 NTH.720 _x__ 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 Southwick carriage house is a two-and-a-half story brick building with a hipped roof and two transverse gable bays on its east façade. It is an asymmetrical building with a short wing on its north façade and a brick terrace that incorporates an accessible ramp across its façade. The east elevation is 6 bays long with three segmentally arched windows alternating with three larger segmentally arched openings that originally were carriage entrances but now have been converted to a large fixed light window and two glass paned entrances. The remnant of tarred brick ornament in the window lintels of several of the segmentally arched openings suggests the building’s original late Victorian appearance. Sash is 2/2 in several openings. There are brownstone sills on the windows. Two carriage lights function on the façade. 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 1980 Form B, “This large brick structure first appears on the 1915 atlas. At that time it appears to be a carriage house for the large house that was situated in front of it at 6 Bedford Terrace. This house was built in 1898-99 for Mary and Elbridge Southwick. Mr. Southwick was a commercial traveler for the Belding Brothers and Company, silk manufacturers. The brick carriage house was probably built at the same time. By 1917 the property was acquired by the Burnham School and seems to have served as a laboratory, though it was given also as the address for Anne M. Fauntleroy as early as 1912. In 1968 the property was purchased by Smith College and converted to dormitory usage. Hampshire House was founded in 1920 as the “Let Us Be Acquainted” (L.U.B.A.) Club. Originally situated in the old Students Building the Club moved to the basement of Hubbard House, then the basement of Albright House, and in 1969 to this present location.” Clearly this was the carriage house to a larger house that is now gone and is the sole remaining carriage house on a street where each residence would have had one ca. 1900. Ann Fauntleroy, with no explicit occupation, was in the building as her residence between 1912 and 1917 but the building was listed as vacant in 1937. 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. INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET [NORTHAMPTON] [6 BEDFORD TERRACE] MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Continuation sheet 2 NTH.720 National Register of Historic Places Criteria Statement Form Check all that apply: Individually eligible Eligible only in an historic district Contributing to a potential historic district Potential historic district Criteria: A B C D Criteria Considerations: A B C D E F G Statement of Significance by _____Bonnie Parsons___________________ The criteria that are checked in the above sections must be justified here. Unity House would contribute to a potential Bedford Terrace historic district that developed after the street was laid out at the end of the 19th century with houses built by well-to-do merchants, educators and independently wealthy residents. Many of the first owners were single women several of whom were professional academicians and physicians . The street is significant for its long association with Smith College as early on it became a part of the Smith College housing plan when the school had insufficient on-campus housing and a growing student body. At the end of the 19th century the houses became student boarding houses, dormitory residences or single rooms were rented out. The Bedford Terrace association with Smith College grew even stronger with construction of two large-scale dormitories on the street. Architecturally the potential historic district is significant for the fine examples of the Colonial Revival style that line its western side and for the architect-designed Revival style dormitories on its eastern side. Architect William Brockelsby is significant for the body of work that he accomplished at Smith College and in Northampton. This potential historic district has integrity of workmanship, feeling, setting, design and materials.