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85 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): April, 2010 Assessor’s Number USGS Quad Area(s) Form Number 31B-253 Easthampton NTH.710 Town: Northampton Place: (neighborhood or village) Northampton Center Address: 85 Bedford Terrace Historic Name: Albright House Uses: Present: college dormitory Original: college dormitory Date of Construction: 1899-1900 Source: Smith College Archives Style/Form: Jacobean Revival Architect/Builder: William C. Brockelsby, architect, Hartford Exterior Material: Foundation: brick Wall/Trim: brick, wood, brownstone Roof: slate Outbuildings/Secondary Structures: Major Alterations (with dates): Condition: good Moved: no | x | yes | | Date Acreage: under one acre Setting: This building is one of two large dormitories on a short residential street in Northampton Center. INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET [NORTHAMPTON] [BEDFORD TERRACE] MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Continuation sheet 1 NTH.710 ___ 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. Albright House is a fine example of Jacobean Revival style architecture, a style that was well-suited and often used at the turn- of-the-century for dormitories as its decorative features could be displayed over a large building. Albright House is three-and-a- half stories in height under a hipped slate roof. The eleven bay building has end pavilions on its west façade whose front-gabled rooflines are parapet walls with Jacobean profiles. A row of barrel vaulted dormers is aligned across the roof of the façade and segmentally arched windows with 6/2 sash make up the other window openings. In the pavilions at second and third stories are two-story, panelled window compositions in arched openings and on the south and north elevations transverse gable bays rectangular in shape are stucco-sided and ornamented with Jacobean strapwork. Entry to the dormitory on the west façade is through a three-bay wide porch on Doric columns that has an arch above its stoop. Elements of this building, such as the prominent row of dormers and three-bay porch, were clearly taken up by the architect Charles Rich of Baldwin House to provide housing at the attic level, but also to relate the two buildings as Smith College properties. 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 1976, “Albright House was built on Bedford Terrace in 1899-1900 for Smith College, at a period of expansion. The College had been in Northampton for 25 years, since its founding by Sophia Smith and its location in the city which offered $15,000 to attract the school. Albright was designed by William C. Brockelsby, architect of numerous Smith buildings.” 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. Smith College Archives 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] [BEDFORD TERRACE] MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Continuation sheet 2 NTH.710 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. Albright 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.