160-162 Main Street
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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: Pioneer Valley Planning Commission
Date (month / year): March, 2010
Assessor’s Number USGS Quad Area(s) Form Number
31D-150 Easthampton NTH.785
Town: Northampton
Place: (neighborhood or village)
Address: 160-162 Main Street
Historic Name: Columbian Building (Todd, Lee & Co.)
Uses: Present: Commercial, residential
Original: Commercial and opera house within a few
years of construction Date of Construction: 1871
Source: Daily Hampshire Gazette, 4/11/1871
Style/Form: Italianate
Architect/Builder: William Fenno Pratt
Exterior Material:
Foundation: brick
Wall/Trim: brick, brownstone
Roof: not visible
Outbuildings/Secondary Structures:
Major Alterations (with dates):
Windows enclosed and replaced, ca. 1990
Condition: good
Moved: no | x | yes | | Date
Acreage: 0.983 acres
Setting: This building occupies a corner lot and faces
north in downtown Northampton.
INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET [NORTHAMPTON ] [160 MAIN STREET]
MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No.
220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125
Continuation sheet 1
NTH.785
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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 red brick Columbian building is one of the largest buildings in downtown Northampton. It occupies a corner lot that slopes
steeply down to the south exposing the basement level on that elevation and allowing commercial use of the basement level
entered from the street. It is three-and-a-half stories in height and has a flat roof with an elaborate Italianate cornice of corbelled
brick laid in patterns of quatrefoils, pendants and running molding. Within the cornice is an attic level, the half -story, with
horizontal, rectangular windows with inset, 2-light sash. The building has a rounded corner, one bay wide, and it is six bays
wide and nine bays deep on the second and third stories with straight-head windows with brownstone lintels and sills. At the first
story on the north façade there are three storefronts, one of which follows the rounded corner. On the west elevation the first
story windows have been bricked in and on the basement level is a storefront with a display window.
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 1975: “Ebenezer Hunt (1675-1742) acquired land on the south side of Main Street, including this site. His son,
Deacon Ebenezer Hunt (1703-1788) inherited the land and on the adjacent eastern lot built a gambrel roof house, later inherited
by Dr. Ebenezer Hunt (1744-1820). The physician/pharmacist established a drug store in the house in 1769 with Dr. Levi
Shepherd. The lot by Old South Street was inherited by Dr. David Hunt who sold the corner lot to Edwards Church Society.
Edwards Church was built there in 1833 and destroyed by fire in 1871.
The Columbian Building replaced the burned structure in 1871. It was first known as Todd, Lee, and Company Block. A
stock company was organized to build an Opera House in the town in the mid-70’s. The roof of the old Todd Block was raised
and the two upper stories became the Opera House, opened October 30, 1877. The first play was ‘Our Boys’ with 300 people
present. The walls were scenery, painted by local artist Charles Burleigh. Local actors and Hayner’s Orchestra furnished the
talent. The Opera Company existed for fourteen years; the last performance, on May 21, 1891, was by the Gorman’s,
‘America’s Elite Minstrel Troupe.’ Soon after the building was converted to offices and the newly opened Academy of Music
assumed the function of the Opera House.”
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.