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7 Mulberry 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, 2010 Assessor’s Number USGS Quad Area(s) Form Number 10B-25 Easthampton NTH.14 Town: Northampton Place: (neighborhood or village) Leeds Address: 7 Mulberry Street Historic Name: Leeds General Store Uses: Present: Five-family Residence Original: General Store Date of Construction: 1842 Source: Registry of Deeds Style/Form: Greek Revival Architect/Builder: Exterior Material: Foundation: brick Wall/Trim: clapboards, stucco Roof: asphalt shingles Outbuildings/Secondary Structures: Major Alterations (with dates): North ell added, wing added and infill added in angle of gable and wing. N.d. Condition: fair Moved: no | x | yes | | Date Acreage: 0.189 acres Setting: This building is set near the foot of a hill overlooking a former textile mill. INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET [NORTHAMPTON ] [7 MULBERRY STREET] MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Continuation sheet 1 NTH.14 ___ 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. This is a two-and-a-half story, Greek Revival building, formerly a store, that has a complex plan and elevation. The main block of the store has a front-gable roof whose eaves make full returns to create a Greek Revival pediment. It is this section of the building that carries its dominant stylistic features. There is a two-and-a-half story utilitarian ell on the north that is four bays long, and a two-and-a-half story wing on the east. A two-story section fills the angle between the main block and the wing, and it has fenestration that was formerly commercial, again making this a utilitarian part of the building. The main block on the first story has a typical storefront with a recessed center entry between a display window on the east and what would have been a display window on the west but has since been enclosed with clapboards. A lintel with a cornice below a signboard spans the width of the storefront between first and second stories. Two widely-spaced windows on the second story have 2/2 sash and there is a window centered in the pediment. The two-story infill section has a low-pitched, shed roof and on the first story of the south façade is a band of windows and an off-center door beneath a cornice-topped lintel. A shed roofed hood on braces extends over the door. A fourth window and a secondary entry under a small. shed roofed hood provide two bays on the east end of the façade. This section of the building has clapboards on the south façade and on the east façade stucco covers the first story and clapboards on the second story. Windows in this section are a mixture of 2/2 and 1/1 replacement windows. This building with its evident functional changes over time contributes importantly to the character of the village center of Leeds. 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 1976: “The narrow and deep gorge of the Mill River 4 ½ miles from the center of Northampton was first settled in the first decade of the 19th century. By 1814, there were two woolen mills, a cotton mill, subsequently changed to a woolen mill, a school house, several residences and a boarding house. Two of the mills were owned by Col. James Shepherd and his cousins. In 1831, the Northampton Woolen Company was formed, and purchased the mills. Soon after they began business, they opened a store. This was a company owned and run store until 1827. At that time, Phillip Ridgeway, son-in-law of Col. Shepherd, purchased the store and operated it himself. After passing through two other owners, Benjamin North succeeded as store owner during the 1830’s. In 1842, he built the current store and remained as proprietor until 1862. Mr. North came fr om England in 1820, as a hand weaver, and soon became a valued citizen of the town. For many years, the Leeds Post Office was located in this building.” 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 ] [7 MULBERRY STREET] MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Continuation sheet 2 NTH.14 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. The Leeds General Store would contribute to a Leeds Center Historic District. This small industrial village center was rebuilt after the flood of 1874 had washed away its preceding textile mill buildings, housing and residents. It continued to function as a mill village into the 20th century and the bridge connected industries on both sides of the Mill River. Architecturally it is significant as a representative mill village with boarding house, general store, mill building, bridge, and workers’ housing. It has integrity of design, setting, association, feeling, workmanship and materials.