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19 Meadow Street 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: Pioneer Valley Planning Commission Date (month / year): March, 2011 Assessor’s Number USGS Quad Area(s) Form Number 17C-278 Easthampton NTH.134 Town: Northampton Place: (neighborhood or village) Address: 19 Meadow Street Historic Name: Lilly Library Uses: Present: library Original: library Date of Construction: 1890 Source: Daily Hampshire Gazette, Feb. 5, 1889 Style/Form: Romanesque Revival Architect/Builder: C. H. Jones, Architect, Northampton Exterior Material: Foundation: granite Wall/Trim: brick, granite, shingles, stucco Roof: slate, asphalt Outbuildings/Secondary Structures: Major Alterations (with dates): Addition made, ca. 2000 Condition: good Moved: no | x | yes | | Date Acreage: 0.67 acres Setting: The library occupies a portion of a corner northwest of the Florence cemetery. INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET [NORTHAMPTON ] [19 MEADOW STREET] MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Continuation sheet 1 NTH.134 _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 Lilly Library is a fine example of a Romanesque Revival building. It is one-and-a-half stories in height on a high basement that is exposed for almost a full story on the south façade and west elevation. The building has a side-gable roof with a round pavilion centered on its south façade and projecting from it. The main entry to the building is on the east side of the pavilion through the Romanesque style arched openings of a recessed, corner porch. A one-and-a-half story ell extends from the north elevation. The basement level of the building is a dressed, but rough-faced, dark grey granite. Its window openings are framed in a lighter granite and the surrounds are keyed into the adjacent granite blocks. A light granite forms a narrow watertable between basement and first story. The first story is a red brick with straight head granite window lintels and arched granite window lintels laid in a Romanesque checkered pattern of light and dark granite blocks. The roof has very narrow eaves above a molded cornice that includes a brick dentil row. Modest cresting rails ornament the roof ridge of the main roof and the ridge of the pavilion. The east gable field of the main block is shingled above a band of half-timbered paneling. It contains a rectangular oriel window with a pair of windows with multiple-light sash separated by scalloped shingles. The library has an addition that extends from the northeast side of the building around to its west elevation. The addition has a one-story entry section fanning out around a two-story, hipped roof room. 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: “Initial plans for construction of the Lilly Library were procured by Alfred Lilly in 1883. A biographical sketch of Mr. Lilly reveals that he was one of the leaders in Florence; a shrewd and innovative businessman. Prior to his affiliation with the library, he served as president of the Florence Furniture Company and sought the incorporation of the Florence Savings Bank. In 1888, Mr. Lilly selected nine persons which he organized in corporative form as a library association. The cost of the building was $13,000 of which Alfred Lilly was chief financier. It was built in 1890 to serve the residents of Florence, Leeds and Haydenville; it proved to be instrumental in encouraging novel forms of literary works to permeate the area. By 1934, the library had approximately 10,000 books and each was selected with the most careful discretion in terms of literary and entertainment value. It was at this time that religious newsletters were placed on the library’s shelf.” 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 Ham pshire, 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 ] [19 MEADOW STREET] MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Continuation sheet 2 NTH.134 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. This property would contribute to a Florence Center Historic District. The potential historic district of Florence Center is significant as the commercial, residential, institutional center of the village that developed from 1657 when it was set off as Northampton’s “Inner Commons” as agricultural land and 1681 when the first sawmill was erected at a falls on the Mill River. The agricultural and industrial village developed through the 18th and 19th centuries around industry on the Mill River, agriculture on the alluvial flood plain and the Strong Tavern and later Cottage Hotel at the intersection of Main and Maple Streets. It is significant for the silk industry that flourished through the Civil war as an alternative to slave-picked cotton and for the establishment of the Northampton Association for Education and Industry, a utopian community that existed 1843-1847. Association members after its close continued in Florence their principles of equality by running the Underground Railroad through the village and harboring fugitive slaves. It is significant as the home of Sojourner Truth. 19th century industry in the Center included the Florence Sewing Machine Company, which built its own housing. Architecturally the Center is significant for the range of Gothic Revival, Italianate, Stick Style, French Second Empire, Queen Anne and Colonial Revival style homes, for its commercial blocks and library in the Revival styles of the late 19th century. Gothic Revival and Italianate style churches are architect-designed in high style versions. The potential district has integrity of workmanship, design, feeling, association, and materials.