17C-197 55 Main St Macris nth_109Monday, February 29, 2016 at 12:09 PM
Inventory No:NTH.109
Historic Name:Smith, E. L. House
Common Name:
Address:55 Main St
City/Town:Northampton
Village/Neighborhood:Florence
Local No:23A-077-001
Year Constructed:c 1855
Architect(s):Smith, E. L. and Company
Architectural Style(s):Greek Revival
Use(s):Other Commercial; Single Family Dwelling House
Significance:Architecture; Commerce
Area(s):
Designation(s):
Building Materials(s):
Roof: Asphalt Shingle
Wall: Vinyl Siding; Wood
Foundation: Brick
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Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Massachusetts Historical Commission
220 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, Massachusetts 02125
www.sec.state.ma.us/mhc
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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
23A-77 Easthampton NTH.109
Town: Northampton
Place: (neighborhood or village) Florence
Address: 55 Main Street
Historic Name: E. L. Smith House
Uses: Present: commercial
Original: single-family residence
Date of Construction: c. 1855
Source: 1860 Map
Style/Form: eclectic
Architect/Builder:
Exterior Material:
Foundation: brick
Wall/Trim: vinyl
Roof: asphalt shingles
Outbuildings/Secondary Structures:
Major Alterations (with dates):
Siding applied and windows replaced, ca. 2000.
Condition: good
Moved: no | x | yes | | Date
Acreage: 0.095 acres
Setting: This is a south-facing house in Florence’s
commercial center.
RECEIVED
AUG 19 2011
MASS. HIST. COMM.
INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET [NORTHAMPTON ] [55 MAIN STREET]
MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No.
220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125
Continuation sheet 1
NTH.109
___ 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 E. L. Smith House is a one-and-a-half story house with a front-gable roof. It is three bays wide and two bays deep and has
a side porch on Queen Anne style turned posts with brackets at the eaves. The façade of the house has a side hall entry that is
recessed, a feature of the Greek Revival style whose impact has been reduced by the vinyl siding now covering it. First story
windows on the south façade are elongated, a feature of the Italianate style that began around 1850. Windows in the house that
formerly had 6/6 and 9/9 sash have been replaced by 1/1 sash. With its Greek Revival, Italianate and Queen Anne features, this
house is eclectic in style, which was often the case after the mid-19th century when so many options were available to builders.
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 1980: “This small Greek Revival styled cottage was built during the middle of the 19th century. The first known
owner and occupant was E. L. Smith, who is shown here on the 1866 map. A business advertisement on the same map lists Mr.
Smith as a carpenter and joiner, so perhaps he built the house himself.”
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.
FORM B - BUILDING
MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION
Office of the Secretary, State House, Boston
NTH-, tag
In Area no. Form no.
17C-204
p Northampton
ress 55 Main St.
4. Map. uraw sKeien 01 ouuaing locanon
in relation to nearest cross streets and
other buildings. Indicate north.
Fi
ent use residence
ent owner_
ription:
c. 1855
puree Maps
Architect
Exterior wall fabric asbestos shakes
Outbuildings (describe)
Other features
Altered sided
Moved
Date m^ %0th c.
Date
5. Lot size:
One acre or less x Over one acre
Approximate frontage
Approximate distance of building from street
6. Recorded hyE-Lonergan
Organization NEC
Date June 1980
(over)
37M-7-77
N*TH.tfr*|
7. Original owner (if known)
Original use residence
Subsequent uses (if any) and dates_
8. Themes (check as many as applicable)
Aboriginal
Agricultural
Architectural
The Arts
Commerce
C ommunication
Community development
x
_
Conservation
Education
Exploration/
settlement
Industry
Military
Political
Recreation
Religion
Science/
invention
Social/
humanitarian Transportation
9. Historical significance (include explanation of themes checked above)
This small Greek Revival styled cottage was built during the middle of
the 19th century. The first known owner and occupant was E.L. Smith who is shown here
on the 1866 map. A business advertisement on the same map lists Mr. Smith as a carpen-
ter and joiner, so perhaps he built the house himself.
The house is one-and-a-half stories in height with gable end to the street
and an over-sized, Greek Revival-styled entrance. A projecting cornice caps a full entab-
lature and plain door surrounds, with the door and its flanking sidelights recessed within.
The first floor windows on the facade have nine over nine sashes and are as tall as the
doorway. The eastern side has a small porch with turned posts and decorative brackets.
10. Bibliography and/or references (such as local histories, deeds, assessor's records,
early maps, etc.)
1831 Town Map,
1854 and i860 County Maps.
1873, 1884 and 1895 Atlases.
L