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Northampton Combined (1).pdf Follow Massachusetts Historical Commission Survey Manual instructions for completing this form. 12/12 FORM A - AREA MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION MASSACHUSETTS ARCHIVES BUILDING 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Photograph [A paper photographic print (3½x5¼" or 4x6" must also be attached to the form in this space or to a Continuation Sheet. Prints, from a photo-quality inkjet printer, must use brand name paper and inks approved by MHC. Attached photographs should be clearly identified with town name and property address. See MHC's Guidelines for Inventory Form Photographs.] Assessor’s Sheets USGS Quad Area Letter Form Numbers in Area Easthampton, MA Town/City: Northampton Place (neighborhood or village): Name of Area: Hampshire and Hampden Canal Present Use: Former canal route with varied modern-day land use (commercial, residential, recreational, undeveloped) Construction Dates or Period: Built 1826-1834, operated until 1847 Overall Condition: Poor- some areas of remnant prism and lock features with majority of former canal route obscured or largely not visible due to land development. Major Intrusions and Alterations: Altered or obscured by railroad construction and downtown Northampton expansion and development Acreage: Complete- 41.85 acres, Remnant segments- 2.76 acres (discontinuous) Recorded by: Zachary Nason and Nadia Waski, SWCA Environmental Consultants, Inc. Organization: PVPC and Northampton Office of Planning & Sustainability Date (month/year): 11/2022 Locus Map [In this space insert an excerpt from a topographic map or Assessor's map which clearly shows the limits of the Area; if space is not sufficient, use a continuation sheet. See MHC's Guidelines for Inventory Form Locational Information.] see continuation sheet INVENTORY FORM A CONTINUATION SHEET TOWN NAME OF AREA MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area Letter Form Nos. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Continuation sheet 1 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, structural and landscape features and evaluate in terms of other areas within the community. Upon completing construction in 1834, the Hampshire and Hampden Canal was an approximate 30-mile linear prism generally oriented north to south with associated crossover bridges, aqueducts, culverts, masonry drains, basins, towpath, and in places, embankments. The canal route ran from a guard lock at the state line in Southwick, MA, south of Congamond Ponds, to where it connects to the Connecticut River in Northampton, MA. The original engineering specifications dictated the canal prism be 35 feet wide at the surface with the capacity to hold 4 feet of water. Generally, this prism was earthen and unlined. In its entirety, the Hampshire and Hampden Canal contained 32 lift locks, each measuring 80 feet by 12 feet in the clear, with an unknown number of associated lockkeepers’ houses (Raber 2002). These locks raised or lowered boats by approximately 298 feet spanning the about 122 feet elevation difference between the Connecticut River and the Congamond Ponds (Raber 2002). Two feeder canals were also constructed to provide the main prism with water, the 6.6-mile-long Westfield River Feeder, and the 3.4-mile-long Salmon Brook Feeder (most of which is located in Connecticut), with the addition of the small, Little River Feeder in 1830. These feeder canals were of a similar but narrower design. The following description documents the physical characteristics of the existing canal route within Northampton. While much of the canal route maintains its original location, setting, feeling, and association, the presence or absence of surficial structural remnants was the determining factor as to whether a segment was considered present or lacking surficial indication. Using the seven aspects of integrity as defined by the NRHP, some segments described as having no surficial remnants, may merit the integrity required for listing due to these other contributing aspects. The existing physical condition of these features varies, with some segments having been substantially altered and to others containing small trace features of the canal’s original construction and design. A portion of the original canal route was repurposed to facilitate the tracks of the New Haven and Northampton Railroad, which much of today has been again repurposed as the New Haven and Northampton Canal Greenway (Rail Trail). In Northampton, the Hampshire and Hampden Canal Area is an approximately 41.85-acre, 4.6-mile, 75-foot-wide linear corridor tracing the historic route of the Hampshire and Hampden Canal within the town’s borders. The route was determined using historical mapping, modern technological data, field verification, oral accounts, and archival research. This corridor includes the route of the linear canal prism and towpath, along with any other engineering infrastructure directly associated with canal operation. The physical condition of the Northampton portion of the canal route varies, with surficial identification of substantial sections of the former canal modified by erosion, building development, infill, natural phenomena, and other alterations. Segments/features which were not able to be field verified, either due to access related restrictions or the lack of any surficial indication, may require further, more detailed documentary research and/or subsurface archaeological testing to better ascertain their exact locations. The canal corridor as described below, represents the route of the canal as determined using the available resources and methods. During field verification, the canal was divided into segments based on the physical characteristics of the surficial canal remnants. Following is a brief description of these sections proceeding from south to north, beginning at the Easthampton-Northampton border and ending at the Connecticut River. INVENTORY FORM A CONTINUATION SHEET TOWN NAME OF AREA MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area Letter Form Nos. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Continuation sheet 2 The northern end of Segment 80 is the first section of canal in Northampton, beginning just south of the intersection with a Manhan River tributary. Segment 80 contains remnant canal prism with a discernable eastern towpath, terminating at the historic location of a culvert crossing said tributary, no surficial evidence of original culvert engineering remains. Extending from the tributary crossing to north of Easthampton Road, Segment 81 contains no surficial remnants of the original canal engineering. Some areas of small berms can be identified through the residential properties along Easthampton Road; however, it is unknown if these are from original canal construction or post-canal development. The railroad likely repurposed a small section of the eastern towpath when laying tracks along this stretch of canal. Presently, the railroad berm continues away from the canal obscuring any design of the original towpath on which it likely sits. Development and railroad construction have removed surficial remnants of the former canal through this segment. Segment 82 contains approximately 400 feet of repurposed canal route that was first utilized by the New Haven and Northampton Railroad as their railbed corridor and then later, transformed into the New Haven and Northampton Canal Greenway that follows the historic canal route north, to the intersection with a tributary of the Mill River. Remnants of the east and west embankments can be observed interspersed through this small segment, with the railroad, now rail trail, first occupying the towpath before shifting into the prism itself for a short time. At this tributary crossing, Segment 83 begins as the route deviates slightly away from the former railbed and present rail trail. Segment 83 contains no surficial remnants of the canal, having likely been eroded and obscured by the wetland the presently occupies the area. The original site of the Rocky Hill Basin was most likely within this segment; however, no surficial evidence of the feature remains. Segment 84 is a small, visible prism segment beginning where the canal route nears the location of the former railroad. Here the railbed runs along the former eastern towpath of the canal. Containing both embankments and a watered channel, the prism is relatively well-preserved here. The segment ends at a large washout area, which exists all the way to the intersection of Easthampton Road. Segment 85 is a large, obscured segment of former canal, which includes the large washout near the northern terminus of Segment 84, the crossing of the modern route of the Mill River, and a portion of the commercial and residential area paralleling South Street. This segment deviates from the existing rail trail, opting for a more southerly route following the course of present-day South Street. The diversion of Mill River, expansion of Northampton, and general infrastructure development and erosion have removed all surficial traces of the from canal through this segment Segment 86 is a segment of canal that has been heavily altered to facilitate residential lawn space. Some semblances of the original banking can still be observed; however, the significant alterations make discerning the specifics of the former prism difficult. The residential development encompassing South Street has mostly obscured all surficial indications to the former route. Segment 87 occurs along the base of a large terrace that has been completely eroded. Recreational and residential development have also played a role in obscuring the original canal route through this segment. The canal originally utilized this terrace slope as a natural prism embankment; however, its historic form has seen significant erosional impacts. No defined channel or western embankment was discernable at ground surface. Segment 88 begins a large section of the former canal route that has been built over, removed, or otherwise obscured to facilitate the creation and expansion of the Northampton Downtown area. Beginning at approximately Fort Hill Terrace, Segment 88 follows the northern end of South Street and the then the entirety of State Street to the northwestern edge, of what is now the Stop & Shop Plaza off King Street. State Street was constructed directly atop the Hampshire and Hampden Canal. Within this segment, the former locations of the Mill River Aqueduct (crossing the original route of the Mill River which has since been rerouted), an arched stone bridge, and North Basin all occur; however, no surficial evidence remains of these former engineering features. INVENTORY FORM A CONTINUATION SHEET TOWN NAME OF AREA MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area Letter Form Nos. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Continuation sheet 3 Similarly, Segment 89 is another large segment traversing the urban area of Northampton. Here, all surficial evidence of the former canal route has been removed, by erosion near the southern terminus and by development to north. Extending approximately from the rail trail to the crossing of Lane Plant Road, the southern portion of the segment exists within a wetland area which has removed all traces of the former prism. It was also along this stretch where a former railroad bed existed parallel to the canal; however, like the prism itself, evidence of this former railroad has also been removed. From Barrett Street to the end of Denise Court, a small, repurposed drainage can be observed, most likely utilizing the remnants of the previous canal prism; however, this is only hypothesized as the current drainage does not resemble the original engineering design of the Hampshire and Hampden Canal. Upon encountering King Street, commercial and industrial development has removed any visual evidence of the canal prism. The location of Lock 28 and part of Lock 29 would have most likely occurred within this segment; however, no surficial evidence remains of these features. Segment 90 is an identifiable canal prism segment beginning at the crossing of Lane Plant Road and extending to the southern end of Lock 31. The canal was carved into the natural slope to the east. Sporadic evidence of the western towpath remains, although the majority has been washed away. Part of Lock 29 and the entirety of Lock 30 occurred within this segment; however, no surficial evidence remains of these features. Segment 91 is a, eroded prism segment located just northwest of the River Run residential development. The original prism through this section has been reclaimed by Slough Brook, which has caused significant erosion to the former earthworks of the canal. The prism through this section has been widened considerably by the flow of water from Slough Brook flooding episodes. Within this segment, visible evidence of stonework from the Lock 31 chamber wall can be observed, although the surrounding earthworks have been completely eroded. A small, modern traversal bridge crosses the canal within this segment along an abandoned former roadway, with the concrete bridge remaining overgrown and in disrepair. The significant alterations to the channel have obscured any surficial evidence of the former prism design through this segment. The northern terminus and final segment of the Hampshire and Hampden Canal is Segment 92. Segment 92 is a visible canal segment stretching from the southern end of Lock 32, to where the prism empties into the Connecticut River in the area referred to as the “Honey Pot”. This section contains water from Slough Brook and is watered to the present-day Connecticut River level. No towpath is visible, probably having been washed away during previous flooding episodes. Lock 32 remain relatively well preserved with masonry visible along the eastern and western walls and surficial earthworks surrounding most of the channel, with both sills also partially visible. This segment, as well as portions of Segments 91 and 90 were previously recorded in MACRIS as NTH.HA.14 in 1974. However, much of the surrounding landscape has been altered since this section of canal was documented. HISTORICAL NARRATIVE Explain historical development of the area. Discuss how this relates to the historical development of the community. History of Northampton Northampton is situated within the Connecticut River Valley, with the river itself serving as the town’s eastern boundary. Originally part of the Nonotuck Plantation land grant in 1653, Northampton was independently incorporated in 1883. From its inception, Northampton’s position on the Connecticut River and at the junction of regional transportation routes, made the city an important civic and industrial center in western Massachusetts (MHC 1982). The abundance of fertile meadowland along the Connecticut River floodplain further reinforced the city as prominent settlement in the valley. By the nineteenth century, the city was well established, having expanded commercial and industrial activity along main street and the Mill River, as well as the completion of the Hampshire and Hampden Canal shipping lane through town. Northampton continued its expansion through the nineteenth century with the introduction of the railroad, repurposing much of the previous canal route, and the establishment of multiple factory village throughout the town, including at Leeds, Florence, and encompassing the Bay State paper mills (MHC 1982). Civic and commercial growth would continue into the late nineteenth-early twentieth century with commercial blocks, a courthouse, a concert hall, railroad stations, a INVENTORY FORM A CONTINUATION SHEET TOWN NAME OF AREA MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area Letter Form Nos. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Continuation sheet 4 library, hospitals, and Smith College all being constructed. The twentieth century saw continued commercial growth, and as transportation routes were improved and expanded, the introduction of suburban development throughout the city. Today, Northampton is still a cultural center of educational and commercial development, with expanded suburbanization as part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Area. The Hampshire and Hampden Canal The widespread enthusiasm for, and promotion of, canals that spread across the eastern United States in the early nineteenth century was not missed by entrepreneurs in New Haven and the upper Connecticut River Valley. First conceived by local businessmen in New Haven in 1822, the Hampshire and Hampden Canal was constructed between 1826 and 1834 with the purpose of transporting goods from the upper Connecticut River Valley to the tidewaters of New Haven, Connecticut (Camposeo 1977). When fully operational, the canal route connected with the Farmington Canal at a guard lock in Southwick, Massachusetts, and continued approximately 30 miles north, emptying into the Connecticut River in Northampton, Massachusetts. Operating, in its entirety, for roughly 13 years before officially closing the waterway due to financial strain on January 18, 1848, prior to the navigational season of that year. At its conception, the grand plan for this venture had the route linking the tidewaters of Long Island Sound to the St. Lawrence River, connecting the Western New England Interior to Canada and the Atlantic Ocean (Harte 1933). This original undertaking was to be constructed in stages, with the first stage to be the completion of a canal way from New Haven to the border of Massachusetts in Southwick. Which then would be followed by entrepreneurs in western Massachusetts picking up the route from that point and linking it to a bend on the Connecticut River in Northampton. These lofty ideas were birthed in 1822 when businessmen in New Haven hired Benjamin Wright, chief engineer of the Erie Canal, for a preliminary survey of the predicted canal route. Wright returned with the conclusion that the terrain in the area was very favorable to canal construction and that per mile expenses would be less than that of canals being constructed in New York at that time. Following this assessment, a charter was granted to the Farmington Canal Company to build a canal from New Haven to the northern border of the state (Harte 1933). Members of the Farmington Canal Company then traveled into Western Massachusetts to garner support from local entrepreneurs for the Massachusetts branch of the route. A committee was formed, and funds were raised for a survey of the Massachusetts segment from Southwick into Northampton. Holmes Hutchinson and Benjamin Wright’s son Henry, civil engineers with experience on the Erie Canal, were commissioned to conduct the land survey. Upon receiving a favorable report, a charter was granted to the Hampshire and Hampden Canal Company to “construct and operate a canal from the northern boundary line of Connecticut to the Great Bend in the Connecticut river in Northampton” (Camposeo 1977). Following a more detailed survey and cost projection conducted by Henry Wright under the direction of his father in 1823, commission members voted for construction to begin as soon as possible. David Hurd, another veteran of the Erie Canal, was appointed chief engineer for the project (Camposeo 1977). Financial strains slowed the construction of the Farmington Canal, leaving the members of the Hampshire and Hampden Canal Company concerned for the Massachusetts branch of the canal, which would be a familiar theme throughout the venture. The Hampshire and Hampden Canal Company hired Jarvis Hurd, the brother of Davis, to conduct a final survey of their segment of the canal route. By the spring of 1826, the majority of the Farmington Canal route had been completed and Jarvis Hurd was able to complete his final survey and cost projection (Camposeo 1977). With the impending completion of the Farmington Canal and the requisite funds raised, groundbreaking on the Hampshire and Hampden Canal took place on November 1, 1826. By 1829, weather difficulties related to heavy rains and the drought of the summer of that year left the canal company in bad shape. In addition to this, both Davis and Jarvis Hurd resigned from the project that year, being replaced by William Butler as Chief Engineer (Camposeo 1977). Construction on the Hampshire and Hampden Canal again came to a standstill in 1831 when the company lacked the funds to finish the construction and were subsequently denied federal assistance. This problem was solved when a New Haven bank with contributions from the surrounding Massachusetts towns were able to provide the funds necessary for the completion of the canal. With this new influx of capital, construction of the Hampshire and Hampden Canal was completed on August INVENTORY FORM A CONTINUATION SHEET TOWN NAME OF AREA MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area Letter Form Nos. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Continuation sheet 5 30, 1834. However, the first boat did not traverse the entire route until July 29 of the next year, which was declared the official opening of the entire canal (Camposeo 1977). While there was a steady growth of business along the canal following its completion, constant repairs and delays began to severely compromise both companies’ ability to operate and maintain the route. Due to these growing financial strains, the Farmington Canal Company and the Hampshire and Hampden Canal Company merged to create The New Haven and Northampton Canal Company in 1836 to operate and maintain the entire route of the canal (Camposeo 1977). Financial woes continued through the early portion of the 1840s with the company operating annually in the red, and the need for new capital to maintain operation was dire. Late in that year, a successful businessman by the name of Joseph Sheffield purchased controlling interest in the Company and by the spring of 1841, succeeded Steven Staples as company president. The following four years proved to be the canal’s most successful, with tens of thousands of pounds of goods transported along the waterway with minimal delay and interruption. In January of 1845, Sheffield stepped down as Company president and was replaced by Henry Farnum, which would signal the beginning of the end for the canal (Camposeo 1977). The summer of 1845 brought with it a significant drought that had rendered the canal unnavigable. By the time the canal returned to operation, a large break in the Connecticut portion of the route caused service to be delayed once again. To mitigate rising costs of repairs and service delays, Henry Farnum commissioned a report to the practicability of constructing a railroad along the canal route. With the increased popularity and profitability of railroads across the nation, a plan was developed in Connecticut to operate a railroad along the canal’s towpath concurrently with regular canal operation. By 1847, work had begun on the New Haven and Collinsville Railroad (nicknamed the Canal Line), and by the winter of that year, canal transportation between New Haven and Northampton ended with the official closing of the canal taking place on January 18, 1848 (Camposeo 1977). While in Massachusetts, the towns were left with an abandoned canal and no plans to convert or monetize the route. However, proponents of the Canal Line were determined to continue the rail line north to Northampton despite strong opposition from several railroads in the state. By 1853, the Hampshire and Hampden Railroad was formed with service from Granby, CT to Northampton, MA, beginning in 1856. This line followed on or near the canal route from Southwick to Northampton. The railroad changed hands numerous times over the next century until the latter half of the twentieth century when much of the Canal Line began to be abandoned. Much of the abandoned right-of-way through Massachusetts has been railbanked and today has been converted to multiple rail trails running along the former canal route. Canal Impacts on Northampton Being the northern terminus of the Hampshire and Hampden Canal, Northampton played a very significant role in canal operations and contained numerous engineering features related to the canal. Just over the border from Easthampton, a stone-constructed single arch culvert was built to cross a small tributary of the Manhan River. As the canal continued north, a turnaround basin (Rocky Hill Basin) was constructed along the drainage from Rocky Hill Pond. These basins would have facilitated loading and unloading, turnarounds, and other canal boats passage in the opposite direction. When the canal was constructed, Mill River had not yet been diverted to its modern course, forcing the historic route to traverse the original river flow via the Mill River aqueduct near the present-day intersection of Main Street and South Street. Upon construction, the Mill River Aqueduct was a 24-foot wide, 280 feet long stone aqueduct structure crossing the river. Just to the north of the aqueduct, the canal was crossed over by an arched stone bridge facilitating traversal along what is today main Street. Near this same location, the North Basin would have also likely existed. The expansion of Northampton, including residential, municipal, commercial, and industrial development, has removed all surficial traces of these former canal features, leaving only some small sections of discernable prism behind. At the canal’s northern end, where the route empties into the Connecticut River, a series of five locks lowered boats down to the Connecticut River water level. Locks 28-32 existed over an approximately 0.25-mile stretch from what is today just south of Interstate 91 to near its intersection with Connecticut. This series of locks would have lowered boats approximately 48 feet down to roughly 98 feet asl. Surficial evidence of the three southernmost locks in this series (28, 29, 30) has been completely removed by modern INVENTORY FORM A CONTINUATION SHEET TOWN NAME OF AREA MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area Letter Form Nos. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Continuation sheet 6 road construction and erosional events. Lock 31 and 32 are relatively well preserved with remnants of the original masonry still visible. These final two locks on the Hampshire and Hampden Canal also are the only examples of locks constructed originally with all stone chambers as the other locks along the route were originally of a timber construction and only later replaced with stone due to rot and leakage (Raber 2002). Along with the above-mentioned canal features, an unknown number of basins, waste weirs, dams, masonry drains, and traversal bridges may have been present along the route through Northampton, any surficial indications of which has since been removed. The overall economic impact of the Hampshire and Hampden Canal on the town of Northampton is difficult to determine. At its inception, the canal was believed to bring trade and market growth to participating towns. Which when fully operating, the canal indeed did for short periods. However, with significant engineering mistakes and shortcuts, along with costly repairs, seasonal closure, and weather-related stoppages, the canal never was able to establish itself as the prominent interior New England trade route that it was envisioned to be. In Northampton, the construction of the canal did, in part, contribute to a period of population growth for the town, with the population growing by over 25% between 1820 and 1830, more than double either decade before or after (USCB 2020). The expanded trade network allowed by the operation of the Hampshire and Hampden Canal opening exports in the Long Island Sound, likely benefitted the growing tobacco industry in Northampton as well as the burgeoning silk production of the 1830s (MHC 1982). Northampton silk production was considered one of the most extensive in the union during this period (MHC 1982). Numerous other industries also grew during this time; however, these other manufacturers expanded significantly more following the closure of the canal and the introduction of the railroad. It was also during the years of canal operation that the factory village at Florence was established, likely in part due to the expanded trade network provided by the canal. The canal’s closure impacted the ability of Northampton to trade and export goods, but only for a limited amount of time as the Westfield and Northampton Railroad was completed through the town by 1856 (MHC 1982). During the period between the canal’s abandonment and the establishment of the railroad, stagnant water in the open prism increased the spread of disease among the residents of town, with groups raising funds to fill watered sections for sanitary reasons, such as near King Street and State Street. Today, the route through Northampton has been largely filled and built over, with much of the former route now home to commercial blocks or city streets. Areas of the original canal prism and locks can still be observed to the north near the route’s intersection with the Connecticut River. BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES Camposeo, James Mark 1977 The History of the Canal System between New Haven and Northampton (1822-1847). Historical Journal of Massachusetts 1(6):37-53. Harte, Charles Rufus 1933 Some Engineering Features of the Old Northampton Canal. Paper presented at the 49th Annual Meeting of the Connecticut Society of Civil Engineers, Hartford, Connecticut. Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC) 1982 MHC Reconnaissance Survey Town Report: Northampton. MHC, Boston. Raber, Michael S. 2002 Survey and Inventory of the Hampshire and Hampden Canal (New Haven and Northampton Canal) for Proposed National Register of Historic Places Nomination. On file with the MHC, Boston. U.S. Census Bureau (USCB) 2020 U.S. Decennial Census Data. Available at: https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table. Accessed November 2022. INVENTORY FORM A CONTINUATION SHEET TOWN NAME OF AREA MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area Letter Form Nos. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Continuation sheet 7 U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 2021 Southwick Quadrangle topographic map, 1:24,000 scale. United States Department of the Interior, Washington. Walter, Carl E. 2006 Hampshire & Hampden Canal, 1829-1847. Map. On file with the Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford. [If appropriate, cut and paste the text below into an inventory form’s last continuation sheet.] National Register of Historic Places Criteria Statement Form Check all that apply: Individually eligible Eligible only in a 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 _______Zachary Nason___________ The criteria that are checked in the above sections must be justified here. The Hampshire and Hampden Canal, otherwise known as the Massachusetts portion of the New Haven and Northampton Canal, meets the criteria for listing, in its entirety, on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) under Criteria A, C, and D. The Hampshire and Hampden Canal Area is nationally significant under Criterion A for its associations with the Canal Era (c. 1800-1850) of the northeastern United States, illustrating the movement to improve industry and transportation with a canal network, and led by the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825. The area reflects the widespread and nationwide enthusiasm for canal construction during this era. The Canal Area is also significant under Criterion C as representing a distinct engineering endeavor and embodying the full extent of the Hampshire and Hampden Canal. Under Criterion D, the Hampshire and Hampden Canal Area embodies not only what surficial features remain present on the landscape but also the features, associated structures, and unrecorded archaeological components that are likely to be yielded extant below the ground surface. These as of yet undocumented components may contribute to the greater understanding of canal engineering practices of the day, as well as the wider implications canal construction, operation, and subsequent closure had on the local communities, their settlement patterns, and its use/disuse post-abandonment. Covering the approximate 30-mile extent of the original Hampshire and Hampden Canal through Southwick, Westfield, Southampton, Easthampton, and Northampton, with a feeder route also coming into the mainline from Russell, the Hampshire and Hampden Canal Area is significant at the local, state, and national level for its role in the history of not just the Canal Era, but for its contributions to the industrial expansion of New England and transportation engineering as a whole. With the Farmington Canal, the Connecticut portion of the New Haven and Northampton Canal, having already been listed on the NRHP, the Hampshire and Hampden Canal represents the northern half of the greatest undertaking of its kind in New England, an approximately 80-mile manmade waterway connecting the Connecticut River Valley and western New England as a whole with a seaport on the Long Island Sound. Along the Hampshire and Hampden Canal, a variety of engineering features and structures were incorporated into its design and function, utilizing an array of construction techniques. In its entirety the Hampshire and Hampden Canal contained 32 lift locks each measuring 80 feet by 12 feet in the clear with an unknown number of associated lockkeepers’ houses. These locks raised or lowered boats by approximately 298 feet spanning the about 122 feet elevation difference between the Connecticut River and the Congamond Ponds. Two feeder canals were also constructed to provide the main prism with water, the 6.6-mile-long Westfield River Feeder, and the 3.4-mile-long Salmon Brook Feeder (most of which is located in Connecticut), with the addition of the small Little River Feeder in 1830. These feeder canals were of a similar but narrower design. Additional operational components include headworks, boat basins, aqueducts, culverts, masonry drains, a 700-foot floating towpath, Lockkeepers houses, stores, warehouses, toll and tariff collection structures, hotels, waste weirs, traversal bridges, towpaths, towpath cross-over bridges, along with an unknown amount of additional architectural resources. A number of other sites associated with canal construction may include quarries, excavation pits, worker housing, among others. The canal’s construction and operation directly and indirectly affected change and growth in the participating communities as well as the larger region, contributing to local and regional economic growth and expansion, influencing the development of transportation networks and modes, shifting settlement patterns, and enabling more population movement. The canal’s abbreviated lifespan and subsequent absorption by newer technological advancements such as the railroad also contribute to the greater record of industrial expansion of New England. The major engineering feat alone, and its remnant presence still extant on the landscape, further reinforces the endeavor that was the construction of the Hampshire and Hampden Canal. Further undocumented/not fully documented archaeological resources within the proposed area may also have the potential to contribute to the potential district’s significance, should subsurface testing be conducted. INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET TOWN Northampton ADDRESS MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 1 Segment ID MHC ID Historic Name Location Surficial Evidence (Y/N) Comments Figure # 80 Canal Prism From Easthampton border to small brook crossing Y Segments extends into Easthampton 80 Culvert Crossing small Manhan River tributary N 81 Canal Prism From small Manhan River tributary to just north of Easthampton Road N Small section likely repurposed by former railroad (now rail trail) 82 Canal Prism Along rail trail north of Easthampton Road Y Segment largely repurposed by former railroad (now rail trail) 83 Canal Prism Along rail trail paralleling west side of Easthampton Road N Eroded 83 Rocky Hill Basin Western side of canal, along drainage from Rocky Hill Pond N 84 Canal Prism Along rail trail paralleling west side of Easthampton Road Y Former eastern towpath contains rail trail; well-preserved 1 85 Canal Prism From north of Easthampton Road to along South Street N 86 Canal Prism Along west side of South Street N 87 Canal Prism Along west side of South Street, bisecting Herbert Ave. N 88 Canal Prism From Fort Hill Terrace to northern end of State Street N Built over/Developed 89 Canal Prism From Fort Hill Terrace to northern end of State Street N Along wetlands 89 Lock 28 Approx. south of I 91 near present day railroad crossing N No surficial evidence remains INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET TOWN Northampton ADDRESS MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 2 Segment ID MHC ID Historic Name Location Surficial Evidence (Y/N) Comments Figure # 90 NTH.HA.14 Canal Prism From Lane Plant Road to south of Lock 31 Y Intact 2 90 NTH.HA.14 Lock 29 Approx. at Lane Plant Road Crossing N No surficial evidence remains 90 NTH.HA.14 Lock 30 Approx. 80 m north of Lock 29 N No surficial evidence remains 91 NTH.HA.14 Canal Prism Between southern end of Lock 31 and Lock 32 N Eroded; reclaimed by natural drainage 91 NTH.HA.14 Lock 31 Southern end of Segment 91 Y Intact stonework from original construction can be observed here, although surrounding earthworks have largely eroded 3 92 NTH.HA.14 Canal Prism Northern terminus Y Watered; reclaimed by Slough Brook 4, 7 92 NTH.HA.14 Lock 32 Southern end of Segment 92 Y Intact stonework along eastern and western walls, with earthworks remaining around most of the chamber, northern and southern sills also partially visible. 5, 6 INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET TOWN Northampton ADDRESS MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Continuation sheet 3 Figure 1: Remnant canal prism in Segment 84, facing northeast. INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET TOWN Northampton ADDRESS MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Continuation sheet 4 Figure 2: Intact canal prism in Segment 90, facing north. INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET TOWN Northampton ADDRESS MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Continuation sheet 5 Figure 3: Stonework from original Lock 31 chamber, facing north. INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET TOWN Northampton ADDRESS MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Continuation sheet 6 Figure 4: Intact canal prism in Segment 92, facing south.