CBAC Design GuidelinesDesign Guidelines Manual
Downtown Northampton Central Business District
Northampton, Massachusetts
April 8, 1999
This manual provides designers a set of guidelines to ensure that building
rehabilitation and new construction contribute to downtown Northampton's
pedestrian-scale, historical, and architectural character. For many projects,
there may be alternative designs that would contribute to the downtown's
character. This document contains guidelines only.
Any applicable regulations, including exemptions and legal standards, should be
obtained and reviewed prior to any construction in the central business
district. Applicable regulations are available at the Northampton Office of
Planning and Development, Forbes and Lilly Libraries, and on the internet at
city.northampton.ma.us.
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Design Guidelines Manual
Downtown Northampton Central Business District
April 8, 1999
Prepared for:
The City of Northampton, Massachusetts
Office of Planning and Development
Wayne Feiden, Director of Planning and Development
Peg Keller, Senior Planner, Housing & Community Development
City of Northampton Downtown Historic District Study Committee
Thomas Douglas
Douglas Kohl
David A. Murphy
Lynn Posner Rice
Gerrit Stover
Joan Welch
Susan Well
Prepared by:
Walter Cudnohufsky Associates, Landscape Architects/Planners
Walter Cudnohufsky, Principal
John Saveson, Project Manager
Bonnie Parsons, Preservation Planner, Pioneer Valley Planning Commission
This document contains guidelines only. Any applicable regulations should be
obtained at the City of Northampton Office of Planning and Development, and
reviewed prior to any construction in the downtown district.
This project was funded in part by a Municipal Incentives Grant awarded by the
Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development.
This manual has been financed in part with federal funds from the National Park
Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, through the Massachusetts Historical
Commission, Secretary of the Commonwealth William Francis Galvin, Chairman.
However, the contents and opinions do not necessarily reflect the views or
policies of the Department of the Interior, or the Massachusetts Historical
Commission.
This program receives Federal funds from the National Park Service. The U.S.
Department of the Interior prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color,
national origin, age, gender or handicap in its federally assisted programs. If
you believe you have been discriminated against in any program, activity, or
facility as described above, or if you desire further information, please write
to: Office for Equal Opportunity, U.S. Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street
NW, Room 1324, Washington, DC 20240.
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Table of Contents
I. Introduction
Purposes of the Design Guidelines Manual 1
Downtown Northampton's Historic Character 1
II. Definitions
What is a Historic Building? 6
Definitions of Building Types
1. Theme Buildings 6
2. Landmark Buildings 7
3. Transitional Residential Buildings 8
4. Anomaly Buildings 9
III. Applicability
Demolition of Historic Buildings 10
Alterations to and Renovations of Historic Buildings 10
Alterations to non-Historic Buildings 10
New Buildings 10
Downtown District Boundaries 11
Distribution of Building Types 11
IV. Design Guidelines
1. Building Setbacks 13
2. Building Height and Width 15
3. Renovations to Anomaly Buildings 17
4. Buildings on Corner Lots 19
5. Roofs 21
6. Building Articulation 23
7. First Floor Facades 24
8. Upper Floor Window Arrangements for Theme Buildings 26
9. Upper Floor Window Design for Theme Buildings 29
10. Facade Materials 32
11. Cornices on Theme Buildings 34
12. Facade Detailing 36
13. Mechanical Equipment 38
14. Drive-Through Commercial Services 39
15. Signs Located Above the First Floor 40
V. Appendices
1. Downtown Northampton: Character-Defining Features 42
2. Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation 44
3. Commonwealth of Massachusetts MGL Chapter 40C Standards 46
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Index of Photographs
All photographs in this manual were taken in Northampton's downtown district
during January, 1999.
Cover: 11-29 Pleasant St.
p. 6 247-273 Main St.
p. 7 Academy of Music, 274 Main St.
p. 8 71 King St.
p. 9: Police Station, 29 Center St.
p. 14 99-189 Main St. (top)
79 King St. (bottom)
p. 16 227-241 Main St. (top)
84-90 Main St. (bottom)
p. 17 4 Main St.
p. 18 90-92 King St.
p. 19 SW corner of Main St. & Pleasant St.
p. 20 SW corner of Main St. & Strong Ave.
p. 22 99-207 Main St. (top)
297 Main St. (bottom)
p. 23 29 Pleasant St. (left)
Hampshire Co. Hall of Records, 33 King St. (right)
p. 25 155-159 Main St. (top)
Masonic St. (bottom)
p. 28 227-241 Main St. (top)
Hampshire County Courthouse, 15 Gothic St. (bottom)
p. 30 SW corner of Main St. & Old South St.
p. 31 28 Main St.
p. 33 24-34 Pleasant St. (top)
Hampshire Co. Hall of Records, 33 King St. (bottom)
p. 34 183-193 Main St.
p. 35 175 Main St.
p. 36 37-41 Main St.
p. 37 Hampshire Co. Hall of Records, 33 King St.
p. 38 Rear facades, 96-104 Main St.
Downtown Northampton Design Guidelines
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I. Introduction
Purposes of The Design Guidelines Manual
Present day Northampton enjoys a social, cultural, and economic vitality rare
among American towns and small cities, in no small way due to its downtown's
outstanding and irreplaceable architectural heritage. While the downtown has
been blessed in recent years with some exemplary new buildings which compliment
the existing architecture, and with restoration and renovation projects which
preserve and enhance historic buildings, there are also examples of incompatible
and damaging new development, remodeling, and additions. No regulatory means
currently are in effect by which the city can protect its downtown character
from such degradation. There is no guarantee that new development or future
alterations of existing historic buildings will respect and enhance the downtown
built environment. It is the primary intention of this manual to help protect
and reinforce the architectural heritage, inviting character, and economic
viability of the downtown.
The manual includes guidelines for the rehabilitation and protection of historic
buildings as well as for new construction. The manual is meant to serve as a
helpful aid for design and review of these downtown projects. The guidelines it
contains represent timeless design principles derived from an analysis of
Northampton's historic buildings and streetscapes--principles which are still
suitable for today's building and commercial needs.
The physical character of downtown Northampton is largely defined by the
continuity of historic multi-story commercial buildings built at the sidewalk's
edge. This thematic backbone makes the downtown streets linear rooms of
walkable public space linking a large variety of businesses and public
amenities. This pattern is instrumental to the city's strong community
identity, and to the notably vibrant downtown retail economy which draws
customers from far beyond Northampton. A particular aim of the guidelines is to
reinforce the downtown's pedestrian-friendly character by protecting and
augmenting the stock of quality thematic, multilevel buildings with storefronts.
Downtown Northampton's Historic Character
Background: The Architectural Legacy of a Vital Community
Residents of Northampton have long been conscious that the city's importance to
the region is greater than its size would suggest, perhaps since its beginnings
in the 17th century, but certainly from its development into an institutional
and commercial center in the 19th century. As a home to scholars,
Abolitionists, artists, suffragists, a President of the United States, the
inventor of the Graham cracker and others, Northampton has been one of western
Massachusetts' most important social and intellectual centers.
One of the ways we know this consciousness or civic pride has existed is its
expression through architecture: the way in which the city's architecture has
been created, maintained and preserved. There have been lapses in judgment, to
be sure, and times when razing whole blocks of the downtown seemed both
progressive and inevitable. But whether by reason of collective wisdom or of
uncooperative economics, the lapses were minimal and what we have today in the
Northampton downtown district is an extraordinarily fine collection of 19th and
20th century residential, institutional and commercial buildings which continues
to assert the city's significance.
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The Serendipitous Effect of Plan and Topography on Character
Northampton's downtown district has a definable character shaped by its street
layout and topography as well as by its architecture. Buildings follow an
irregular street layout that evolved in the expansion west of both houses and
stores from Market Street during the late 18th and 19th centuries. While Main
Street, a relatively flat thoroughfare through the district, was the primary
commercial street, buildings also went up on the slopes of side streets which
curved and bent to follow the hills or simply the logic of their early uses.
Much of the character of the district is a result of this irregular plan and
uneven topography. The row of buildings from 202-204 Main street curves and
descends to follow those of 2-8 and 12-24 Crafts Avenue, others keep to the high
ground above Old South Street. The Columbia Building at Main and Old South
Streets makes its corner in a curve to follow its sloping lot; the Rust, Pierce
and Wright Blocks on Main Street between Cracker Barrel Alley and Masonic Street
neatly conform to its bend.
For the pedestrian, the plan and topography of the district make it far more
interesting than a grid, with its secondary walks and connections to be
discovered in a Button Street, a walkway between Gothic and King Streets, or a
narrow set of stairs to Main Street beside the First Congregational Church; a
passage between buildings on Main Street, Cracker Barrel Alley, that dips down
to mural-decorated parking spaces and an unexpected residential building. Small
shops open in exposed basements on sloping Old South Street buildings, and
basements become useable shop space on Main Street. Clearly, the element of
surprise created by the landscape contributes to the district's character.
Residential Buildings and the Picturesque Architecture of the 19th
Century
The mixture of building types and styles contributes to this character as well.
Off Main Street, residential buildings, dating mainly after 1850, are Greek
Revival, Italianate, Gothic Revival, Queen Anne, Mansard and Colonial Revival in
style. Most have kept their residential appearance even when they are in
commercial use. Their smaller scale and domestic origins contribute to the
district a neighborhood feeling, enhanced by the visual pleasure of their
architectural detailing on brackets, turned porch posts, worn clapboards, fine
window muntins and decorative brickwork.
They make an important historical contribution, as well, by documenting the
development of the city as it progressed from a rural residential area to a
commercial/residential center during the second half of the 19th century. Good
examples of these residential buildings are the two designed by Northampton
architect William Fenno Pratt: the Greek Revival style James House, at 42 Gothic
Street that dates ca. 1850, and the 1866 Italianate style, Catholic parsonage at
71 King Street. Not only do they document the work of architect Fenno, but they
are part of Northampton's commercial and social history, and continue to satisfy
our eyes.
Two rows of multifamily houses from the 1890s in the Queen Anne style, the Cook
Block, at 34 New South Street, and the workers housing at 30-42 Hampton Avenue,
reflect the city's growing population and again temper the district's
monumentality with their frame construction and domestic Queen Anne detail.
Other houses have fared less well, having been altered over time, built around,
had fenestration and entries closed and opened, and their exteriors sided, but
nevertheless contribute their historic presence to the district. The house at
40 Center Street has lost its original entry and had a bay window unit installed
on its street facade, but its flush-boarded pediment and broad corner pilasters
continue to convey much of its Greek Revival origins. Three houses on Center
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Court that have seen many alterations date between ca. 1840 and 1855 and remain
from the city's 19th century residential street pattern of seemingly haphazard
cart lanes and semi-rural lot development.
Institutional Buildings from Romantic Victorian to 20th Century Revivals
The city's pride is clearly expressed in its institutional buildings, both civic
and cultural. These institutional buildings are key elements of the downtown
district's character. They establish its high architectural standards and
represent some of the best of the Gothic Revival, High Victorian Gothic,
Romanesque Revival, and Classical Revival styles. Most, if not all, are
architect-designed, and carefully-considered siting often enhances their impact
on the streetscape. They are detached, often rise above the majority of the
district's buildings in height, are frequently set on rises, may provide a
terminus to a street vista, occupy corner lots with stylistically developed
street facades, or may be set back from the street line to distinguish them from
commercial neighbors.
William Fenno Pratt's Gothic Revival City Hall of 1849 is probably the most
idiosyncratic and imaginative. His Smith Charities Building of 1865 is a
landmark in an historically accurate Renaissance Revival style. Memorial Hall,
designed by James McLaughlin in 1872, brings a mansard roof and the large
proportions of the French Second Empire to Main Street.
Peabody and Stearns, prominent Boston architects, designed the First
Congregational Church of 1877-78 in the High Victorian Gothic style, followed by
Henry F. Kilburn's Richardsonian Romanesque designs for the Hampshire County
Courthouse of 1884-1886.
William Brocklesby, architect, was responsible for designing the Classical
Revival style Academy of Music in 1891 that contrasts in scale with the
Classical Revival D. A. Sullivan School on the opposite corner. The Sullivan
School was constructed in 1896 by Gardner, Pynne and Gardner, architects of
Springfield.
Not all the institutions are found on Main Street. The Home Culture Club or
People's Institute on Gothic Street in the Colonial Revival style of 1904 and
the BPOE Hall, a Classical Revival building of 1914 on Center Street are both
substantial buildings architecturally. On or off Main Street, all these
institutional buildings have been locations of defining events in the social,
cultural and civic history of the city.
Commercial Buildings from 19th Century Revivals to American Movement
Styles
Commercial buildings in groups, rows or pairs, collectively form the
architectural equivalent of the backbone of the downtown district. Within their
overall consistency of masonry construction, plan and elevation, scale and
proportion, they show a remarkable amount of variety and detail, so that
monotony is avoided, and a consistently high level of craftsmanship is
demonstrated. Much of the variety occurs at the ground floor level, but the
19th century's segmentally arched windows, multi-paned sash, ornamental lintels,
sills, brickwork and occasional pressed metal cornices have been retained on the
upper stories, and offer considerable variety as well.
Northampton's downtown commercial buildings encompass more than a century of
construction, dating from ca. 1820, and represent an unusually complete history
of the technology of commercial construction. The Isaac Damon granite stores
(ca. 1826-28) at 108-112 Main Street were built using the post-and-beam
construction technique followed since the country's settlement, but was
transposed from wood into granite in the early 19th century for commercial
buildings.
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It may have been William Fenno Pratt who brought the next commercial building
innovation to town, the cast iron facade, when he remodeled the first
Northampton National Bank in 1866. Masonry, load-bearing construction -
sometimes with cast iron storefronts - prevailed for the majority of the
district's commercial buildings, until steel frame construction appeared, as
represented by the Calvin Theater at 19-26 King Street, ca. 1900 or the second
Northampton National Bank, 132-134 Main Street, of 1913.
It would be difficult to find another city whose commercial district was as
single-handedly shaped stylistically by one architect as Northampton's was by
William Fenno Pratt. Fortunately, he was versatile, creative and au courant:
his architectural work set a high standard for others to follow. Pratt's
commercial buildings are largely Italianate in style and are distinctive for
their pendant-shaped, corbeled brick cornices, for the regularity of their
pedimented or segmentally arched window lintels, and for their use of a locally
made, deep red brick.
With new construction came a series of styles that continued into the 20th
century. The Beaux Arts-derived classical revival is represented by architect
J. M. Miner's 1871 Fitch Brothers Block at 179-181 Main Street. The prominent
central metal cornice has a broken pediment and building corners have brick
quoins, both of which are references to classical forms in commercial terms.
Fire in 1870 gave Pratt and a series of other architects an opportunity to
reconstruct a number of buildings along Main Street, and prosperity allowed them
to extend construction along the side streets.
In 1911, Karl Scott Putnam updated the Classical Revival in the IOOF block, 24-
28 Center Street, a brick block with quoins and a Chicago School-influenced
broad cornice. Classicism took a more academic and imposing form in the
Northampton National Bank, 132-134 Main Street, 1913, with its colossal,
engaged, and fluted columns. In 1916, Thomas M. James from Boston introduced to
Main Street the dignified Renaissance Revival with his brick and sandstone
building at number 109.
At 1 King Street J. Williams Beals and Sons took into account the raking light
of a north east corner site, and designed in 1928 the Art Deco Pioneer National
Bank with its smooth surface and incised ornament. The Hotel Northampton at 36
King Street, a Neo-colonial style building of 1927 designed by the architectural
firm of H. L. Stevens Company in New York is the largest single building in the
district, yet its bulk is broken up with an angled facade and southern colonial-
inspired portico.
At the opposite extreme of scale, but contributing to the city's commercial
character nonetheless, is the Miss Northampton Diner, 8 Strong Avenue, ca. 1924.
Stylistically the diner brings us into the Art Moderne era with its stylistic
allusions to mobility and although unintentional, its setting beside the
railroad is quite appropriate, since diner design grew out of the compact
railroad cars of the 19th century.
Threaded through these widely varied styles is the Victorian era's interest in
picturesque effects and interesting interior volumes. The bays, towers, and
oriels, pressed tin cornices favored by the period's designers show up in
Northampton's commercial buildings from 1850 to about 1910. In particular,
corner buildings offered an opportunity to incorporate those features. The Cook
Block, at 29 Pleasant Street, took up the challenge in 1895 and used both a bay
and a corner tower in its elevations. Benjamin Seabury designed fanciful metal
bays for the Dewey-Hammond block 33-41 Main Street of 1896, and the same year
Curtis Page designed an ornate metal oriel for the Hampton Hotel at 79-83
Pleasant Street. The most extensively picturesque composition is found at the
railroad depot, whose conical tower, rusticated stonework and widely overhanging
eaves achieve the era's desired romantic appearance.
No matter what the overall style of the building, commercial storefronts, more
often than not, follow one of several traditional configurations. Most common
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is a center, recessed entry flanked by glass storefronts seen, for instance, at
51 State Street. For narrower lots, a slightly recessed entry adjacent to a
single glass storefront is used, as at 14 Masonic Street. For corner sites, an
angled corner entry behind its supporting post with storefronts on each street
facade is the most traditional arrangement.
These traditional storefront systems, of both metal and wood framework, follow
the street line, are set on paneled bases, and may incorporate high glass
transoms as in the 1895-1915 building at 38-42 Pleasant Street, or 23 Main
Street, which has leaded glass transoms.
Industrial Buildings and the Character of Vernacular Architecture
Included in the commercial category are several former industrial buildings that
add their distinctive shapes to the streetscapes. The earliest of these is the
gas works roundhouse at 244 Main Street which dates from 1856, one of only three
such buildings remaining in Massachusetts. Together with its partner, the
asymmetrically roofed gas plant, the roundhouse exemplifies the happy
convergence of history and architecture that characterizes much of the district.
A second industrial building, the ca. 1865 Hayden Foundry and Machine Company at
196 Pleasant Street manages to stand out in its mixed commercial neighborhood by
virtue of its singular elevation and jerkin head roof. A more standard
industrial elevation repeated in mill towns throughout the commonwealth - a low,
front-gabled roof above multiple stories of segmentally arched windows - is
found at the E.N. Foote Button Shop, 32 Masonic Street, built ca. 1880. The
varied and purposeful history that these few industrial buildings convey adds a
full dimension to the district's character.
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II. Definitions
What is a Historic Building?
For the purposes of this manual, a "historic" building is hereby defined as a
building, or portion thereof, constructed prior to 1945 that retains significant
original features which are either presently visible or which may be made
visible through rehabilitation efforts.
Definitions of Building Types
Buildings in Northampton's downtown district can be grouped into four general
types. These building types, as defined below, will be referred to throughout
this manual.
1. Theme Buildings
"Theme" buildings are typically Victorian period, 2-5 story masonry commercial
buildings with no front or side setbacks, highly glazed first floor storefronts,
rhythmic arrangements of vertical upper story windows, decorative cornices, and
other historically appropriate articulation and detailing.
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2. Landmark Buildings
Landmark" buildings are architecturally distinctive, usually free-standing
buildings, with significant property setbacks and landscaped spaces on one or
more sides. Often, they display distinctive, visible roofs or roof features.
They were frequently built(and are still often used for(civic, religious, or
cultural purposes. This category also includes some high quality historic
residential buildings.
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3. Transitional Residential Buildings
"Transitional residential" buildings are those within the district which were
originally constructed as residences, and continue to display features typical
of residences, although many have been converted to commercial use. Such
buildings are usually of wood frame construction, have front and side yard
setbacks, and retain original stylistic features or proportions.
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4. Anomaly Buildings
"Anomaly" buildings are those which do not fit into any of the three prior
categories, and in many instances do not "fit" stylistically or visually in the
fabric created by the other three building types. They are usually modern
(post-1945) one-story buildings. Others are "trademark" buildings (those of a
design unique to a particular franchise business), or are multi-story buildings
with features, scale, massing, or materials which are not compatible with the
character of downtown Northampton. However, some anomaly buildings are early
20th century single story structures with historic or visual value. Still
others are those which--if designed more appropriately--might otherwise be
considered landmark buildings because of their civic or religious use, cultural
prominence, or siting.
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III. Applicability
Demolition of Historic Buildings
Demolition of historic buildings (those built prior to 1945) should be
considered only after all reasonable alternatives--especially rehabilitation--
have been fully considered. For historic landmark or theme buildings,
demolition should be considered only when the building is unusable or is
functionally and structurally obsolete, and when an appropriate new building has
been designed to replace it. Demolition of historic transitional residential or
historic anomaly buildings should be considered only when the building is
unusable or is functionally and structurally obsolete, and when an appropriate
new building has been designed to replace it; however, an approved new theme
building may replace a transitional residential building regardless of its
condition.
Alterations to and Renovations of Historic Buildings
Alterations to and renovations of historic buildings should incorporate measures
to protect and preserve historic character and features. The Secretary of the
Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation of Historic Buildings, outlined in
appendix II, provides helpful reference guidelines for historic rehabilitation.
Alterations to non-Historic Buildings
Alterations to non-historic buildings that nevertheless display architecturally
significant design features should be made in ways which are stylistically
compatible with the existing building.
Alterations to anomaly buildings should be directed towards making such
buildings more consistent with "theme" buildings, in accordance with guideline
no. 3 of the following section in this manual.
New Buildings
A new building's architectural character should respect the existing historic
character of adjacent buildings and of the downtown as a whole. Its character
should be consistently developed throughout its design, articulation and
detailing. By closely following the design guidelines presented in this manual,
a building should result which blends compatibly into the downtown architectural
fabric.
It is one of the purposes of this manual to encourage the creation of "theme"
buildings in new construction for the downtown district. Achieving and
maintaining a critical mass of theme buildings is key to retaining and enhancing
the well defined street spaces which give the downtown its distinctive, coherent
character. Construction of new theme buildings is appropriate for most building
sites in the downtown district.
Because of the importance of maintaining and creating a critical mass of "theme"
buildings on downtown streets, construction of new landmark buildings is
discouraged for any locations where they would interrupt the continuity of
existing theme buildings, or in areas dominated by historic residences.
Historic transitional residential buildings provide character, variety, and
historic significance to the downtown. New buildings of this type are
appropriate for sites already dominated by these buildings, but are not
appropriate elsewhere in the district. Renovations and additions to existing
historic residences should be compatible with the historic styles and features
of those buildings. Nothing in this paragraph should be interpreted as
discouraging new theme commercial buildings within clusters of transitional
residential buildings.
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"Anomaly" and "trademark" buildings are incompatible with the historic, vital
character of downtown Northampton.
Downtown District Boundaries
The Downtown District to which this manual applies shall coincide with the
Central Business Zoning District (CB), and shall change to coincide with any
future CB district changes. Current boundaries are indicated by the insert map.
Distribution of Building Types
Approximately 85 theme commercial buildings line major downtown streets, and
comprise 43% of all buildings. Approximately 29 landmark buildings are sited
prominently on important streets, and comprise 15% of all buildings.
Approximately 35 transitional residential buildings occur mostly in small
traditional groupings along side streets, and comprise 18% of all buildings. 47
anomaly buildings are randomly distributed throughout the district, and comprise
24% of all buildings. See insert map for distribution patterns of buildings in
the district.
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IV. Design Guidelines
All photographs reproduced in this section were taken in Northampton's downtown
district during January, 1999. They are meant to provide readers with familiar
examples of both desirable and undesirable aspects of design and construction.
Illustrated conditions which are represented as undesirable in this manual ("not
this") have often resulted for good reasons in the past. Their inclusion here
is meant only to help identify design attributes for present and future
construction. In no way should the reader associate an illustrated undesirable
building condition with the building as a whole, or with any owner or tenant who
now occupies the building.
1. Building Setbacks 13
2. Building Height and Width 15
3. Renovations to Anomaly Buildings 17
4. Buildings on Corner Lots 19
5. Roofs 21
6. Building Articulation 23
7. First Floor Facades 24
8. Upper Floor Window Arrangements for Theme Buildings 26
9. Upper Floor Window Design for Theme Buildings 29
10. Facade Materials 32
11. Cornices on Theme Buildings 34
12. Facade Detailing 36
13. Mechanical Equipment 38
14. Drive-Through Commercial Services 39
15. Signs Located Above the First Floor 40
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Guideline 1: Building Setbacks
• Existing building setbacks for historic buildings should be preserved on
all street sides, and on all sides containing park or public gathering spaces.
• For theme commercial buildings, there should be no front or side building
setbacks except when necessary to preserve high quality views or to create
quality public spaces.
• For landmark buildings, setbacks may vary depending on the need to
preserve high quality views or to create quality public spaces.
• For transitional residential buildings, setbacks should align with typical
existing setbacks in the neighborhood.
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THIS:
NOT THIS:
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Guideline 2: Building Height & Width
• The existing height and width of a historic facade should be preserved.
• New theme buildings should be at least 30' and two stories high to any
street, but not more than 55' tall. Street facade fenestration should be
designed to appear to be at least 2 stories high, even if a building has only
one interior story.
• New theme building facade heights should generally approximate those of
adjacent buildings where feasible.
• New theme buildings which are wider than tall should be visually divided
on street facades into one or more divisions, each taller than wide. Divisions
should be defined by piers built into the facade at least 12" wide and 4" deep,
or of equivalent separation, on street facades.
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THIS:
NOT THIS:
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Guideline 3: Renovations to Anomaly Buildings
• Historic anomaly buildings, including single-story early 20th century
commercial buildings, should be renovated so as to retain historic
features, such as original storefront elements and facade detailing.
• Renovations to existing anomaly buildings should normally follow all
guidelines which tend to convert their character into that of theme
buildings (see definition), unless such guidelines would be clearly
incompatible with the character of existing features of the building which
are to be retained.
• Renovations to existing one-story anomaly buildings should add additional
stories when feasible, in ways which are compatible with existing features
that are to be retained. If such added stories are not feasible,
renovations should incorporate a visually compatible raised front parapet
wall which is at least 4' above the front roof eave height, and is at
least 16" thick.
THIS:
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NOT THIS:
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Guideline 4: Buildings on Corner Lots
• Existing historic features present on corner buildings should be
preserved. These may include towers, rounded masonry corners, or angled
corner entrances with corner support columns.
• All buildings on corner lots should present high quality and
architecturally related front facades to both streets, in accordance with
all other guidelines herein described. If one street is more heavily
used, then the facade of a new or renovated building facing that street
may be more highly articulated and/or detailed than the facade which faces
the side street.
• A new or renovated theme or anomaly building on a corner lot should have
highly glazed first floor facades with recessed entrances on both streets,
in accordance with guideline #7, or, a traditional angled corner entrance
with a corner support column, and additional entrances for any facade
walls that are more than 30' wide.
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Guideline 5: Roofs
• Traditional roof features of historic buildings should be preserved where
visible. These include roof style and pitch, historically authentic
materials in good repair, overhang proportions and details, and corbeled
masonry or pressed metal cornices.
• Roofs for new theme buildings should not usually be visible from streets,
and should normally be screened by raised parapet walls with decorative
cornices. Mansard roofs which encompass the top floor may be used for
theme buildings of at least 3 stories.
• Roofs for new landmark or transitional residential buildings, or for
additions thereto, should be traditional configurations of gables (between
8:12 and 12:12 pitch), hips, mansards, gambrels or sheds in keeping with
the general style of the building.
• For any building, visible roofs should not rival or exceed walls in their
respective visible proportions from street views.
• Roofing materials which are significantly visible from streets should be
traditional materials such as slate, metal, tile, or reasonable facsimiles
thereof, used in appropriate traditional combinations.
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Guideline 6: Building Articulation
• Historic building features which articulate the form of a building's
facade should be preserved when present. Such features include bays,
turrets, oriels, columns, roof pediments, dormers, large arched openings,
etc.
• New buildings or additions may be articulated by means of bays, turrets,
recesses, columns, large arched openings, etc., designed in a
stylistically consistent manner. Such articulations should be designed to
be compatible with other downtown historic buildings, especially those
which are adjacent or nearby.
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Guideline 7: First Floor Facades
• Existing historic storefront elements such as cast iron pillars,
bulkheads, original display windows, transoms, doors, and wall sign
fascias should be preserved. New storefront designs and renovations are
encouraged to incorporate and respect those elements.
• Historic landmark and transitional residential buildings should retain
their traditional patterns of fenestration on the ground floor.
• First floor street facades of theme and anomaly buildings should have at
least half their surface area in clear, non-mirrored, non-opaque glass.
Bulkhead base walls should be built below first floor glass and should not
rise less than 12" above outside grade, nor more than 30".
• Theme or anomaly street facades should have at least one doorway every
40', recessed at least 36" from the sidewalk.
• Replication of a storefront which is as historically authentic as possible
to its building is encouraged, but not required.
• Exterior security bars or shutters on storefronts should be avoided where
possible. Installation of any security measures should not damage
historic materials or features.
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Guideline 8: Upper Floor Window Arrangements for Theme Building Street
Facades
• Historic window arrangements, including lintels, sills, and masonry
surrounds, should be preserved when present.
• Windows for new theme buildings should be organized so as to create
rhythmic, symmetrical patterns. Windows should be aligned vertically and
horizontally.
• On new theme building facades, windows should cover a minimum of 20% and a
maximum of 40% of the facade area above the first floor (coverage based on
window outer frame size).
• New window header heights should align horizontally with those on at least
one adjacent building where feasible.
• On new theme building facades, windows should be evenly spaced in the
horizontal direction, with no more than 1.25 window frame widths between
windows or from windows to building corners. Exceptions may be made if
windows are arranged in groups.
• New horizontal window groups should form rhythmic, symmetrical patterns on
the building. Within groups, there should be a wall space between window
frames of not more than 1/2 window width. Such wall spaces shall be of
masonry materials the same as or compatible with other facade materials.
Wall spaces between or next to new window groups should be no more than 6'
wide.
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• New windows may be symmetrically ganged without intervening masonry wall
spaces if the total width of a set of ganged windows is not more than 6'.
• If sets of ganged windows are evenly spaced on the facade, the distance
between them should be no more than 1.25 times the width of an individual
window in the gang. Exceptions may be made if ganged windows are arranged
in groups.
• New ganged windows may be grouped if there are wall spaces between ganged
groups of not more than 1/2 the width of an individual window in the gang.
The distance between window gangs or between a ganged window group and the
vertical edge of the facade should be no more than 6'.
• New window bays may be used if they are designed and applied in a
historically appropriate manner, are arranged symmetrically or centrally
on the building, and are not individually wider than 1/3 of the overall
facade width. Spacing of window bays should follow the preceding two
guidelines for ganged windows.
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Guideline 9: Upper Floor Window Size & Design for Theme Building Street
Facades
• When present, historic window components should be preserved, or
replicated if replacement is necessary. Such elements include rectangular
or arched wood-framed windows, divided light sash, ornamental and
structural lintels and sills, and special masonry surrounds. Replacement
may be with different materials if visually equivalent.
• Windows for new buildings should be of a size and design compatible with
nearby buildings, using clear (not mirrored) glass.
• Typical new windows should be vertically oriented rectangles or arched
tops with a frame height-to-width ratio between 1.67 and 3.0 (5:3 to 9:3).
There should be some traditionally appropriate horizontal division within
the frame, but not snap-in grilles. Divisions should be equal, or nearly
equal, in size. Ratios, shapes, orientations, and divisions may differ
for small windows below the cornice, on storefront facades, and in some
other special locations.
• The width (outside of frame) of new window openings should be between 2'-
0" and 3'-0".
• New windows should have visible, historically compatible masonry sills and
lintels (or masonry arched tops). Sills or lintels may consist of
decorative brick accents in brick facades, with vertical orientation or
color.
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• New window openings on a given floor should be no taller or wider than
those on the floor below.
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Guideline 10: Facade Materials
• Historic building materials should be preserved when present. Such
materials include wood, stone, brick, cast stone, cast iron, and pressed
metal.
• For theme and landmark buildings, wall surfaces which are visible from
streets should be predominantly brick and/or traditional varieties of
stone. Ornamental metal detailing may be used if historically
appropriate. Facsimile materials which replicate an appropriate historic
appearance of brick, stone, or metal are also acceptable. Stucco is an
acceptable surface for walls not fronting on a street.
• For transitional residential construction on side streets, traditional
wood clapboard siding and wood trim should be used. These buildings may
incorporate other building materials which are historically compatible
with wood clapboards. Vinyl siding is inappropriate. When siding is
applied, it should leave all existing trim and structural features, such
as brackets, corner boards, hoods, etc., undisturbed and visible.
• Mortar joints for new masonry construction should be no more than 3/8"
thick for brick, or 1/2" thick for other masonry elements if they are at
least 8" high x 16" wide. Mortar color should not significantly contrast
with the masonry in hue or darkness.
• Windows for new transitional residential construction should be consistent
in appearance with those of historic residential buildings in the
neighborhood.
• For all construction, materials should be combined in historically
appropriate combinations.
• Materials which are to be painted, such as previously painted facade
materials and window frames, should be repainted in colors which
complement the materials of surrounding historic buildings.
• Unpainted facade materials on historic masonry buildings should be painted
only after careful consideration.
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Guideline 11: Cornices on Theme Buildings
• Historic cornices of corbeled brick, pressed metal, or wood should be
preserved when present.
• Decorative cornices at least 2' high should be built on the street facades
of new theme buildings, and should reflect the detailed, pendant-like
patterns or other rich patterning apparent in adjacent and nearby historic
buildings. Such cornices should be corbeled or otherwise in horizontal
relief to the street.
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Guideline 12: Facade Detailing
• Historic facade details should be preserved when present. Such details
may include quoins, brackets, decorative brickwork, incised ornament,
carved columns, etc.
• New construction should respond to the small scale detailing of
surrounding historic buildings by displaying stylistically consistent,
compatible detailing on street facades.
• "Trademark" building details (conspicuous "signature" architectural
elements other than signs which are unique to a particular franchise
business) are not consistent with the historic character of downtown
Northampton.
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Guideline 13: Mechanical Equipment
• For historic buildings, fire escapes, window-mounted air conditioners, or
other mechanical features should not be installed in ways which
irreversibly damage historic features or materials. On masonry buildings,
mounting hardware should be attached to mortar joints rather than to the
masonry itself.
• Rooftop mechanical equipment should not be visible from street views.
• Where feasible, fire escapes, window-mounted air conditioners, or other
mechanical features should not be located on facades which front major
streets.
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Guideline 14: Drive-Through Commercial Services
• Stand-alone drive-through commercial services are incompatible with the
historic character, pedestrian activity, and restricted traffic patterns
of the downtown district, and should therefore not be located so as to be
visible or accessible from downtown streets.
• If access can be provided for a drive-through by means other than a
downtown street, then a stand-alone drive-through may be located in the
district, but should only be located so as not to be visible from downtown
streets.
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Guideline 15: Signs Located Above the First Floor
• Historic sign fascia bands above first floor storefronts should be
preserved when present.
• Northampton's Zoning Ordinance provides regulations on sign quantity,
size, and placement. Those regulations normally limit signs in the CB
district to one main wall or awning sign per facade per establishment.
These regulations are compatible with the downtown district's character.
• New business signs should normally be placed in the flat fascia band above
first floor glazing, or should be contained within a fabric (not rigid)
awning. Signs should not be placed so as to obscure special historic
features or detailing.
• Signs should be mounted so as to avoid irreversibly damaging historic
building features or materials. Mounting hardware for masonry buildings
should be attached to mortar joints rather than to the masonry itself.
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V. Appendices
1. Downtown Northampton: Character-Defining Features 42
2. Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation 44
3. Commonwealth of Massachusetts MGL Chapter 40C Standards 46
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I Downtown Northampton: Character-Defining Features
In order to determine whether historic regulations should be developed for the
downtown district, and if so, which features were significant, the Northampton
Historic District Study Committee analyzed the Downtown District and composed
the following list of features they considered character-defining. Their
observations have been incorporated and used as the aesthetic foundation for the
design review guidelines.
The full text of this 1998 document follows:
The rich mixture of commercial, institutional and religious buildings is
enhanced by prestige residential areas that developed along major entry
corridors. The architectural fabric and the history of Northampton are
inseparable. A wide range of architectural styles compose the fabric of the
streetscape. It is this eclectic mix of buildings of distinction that justified
the architectural importance of the district (1991 Historic District Study
Committee Report). The district is the heart of Northampton and is the center
of institutional and commercial activity in the city.
The best of the character defining features that should be maintained in all
existing buildings and in all new construction in Downtown Northampton include:
1. An irregular shaped downtown street pattern. Following the natural
topography of the area, Main Street's curved shape creates a sense of
the intimate town center. At every turn vistas are framed by the
irregularity of this street and those that lead off it, resulting in
something like a large outdoor room defined through the shapes of
varying scale and material.
2. A downtown that is the embodiment of the transition of an early 19th
century New England village to a busy late 19th century commercial
center. It is primarily made up of an eclectic collection of well-
designed historic buildings from the 19th and 20th centuries that
complement an outstanding collection of landmark buildings and each
other. Although the Victorian era dominates, many other styles and
periods are represented.
3. Buildings are primarily of masonry construction (especially brick) on
Main Street and upper Pleasant Street and masonry and wood-frame
construction on side streets. Buildings incorporate exterior building
materials to complement the brick, granite and masonry facades of
historic buildings in the core downtown. In the fringe areas of the
district, where traditional wood frame buildings with wood clapboard
siding predominates, buildings may incorporate exterior building
materials that are compatible with wood frame facades.
4. Buildings respect and are compatible with older buildings and the
detail and historic character of downtown. They do not necessarily
match other buildings in style or materials. Materials are used,
however, in an appropriate scale for the particular material, appear to
be used in the way in which they would have been used historically and
structurally, and respect the pre-existing materials of surrounding
buildings.
5. Rich and consistent detailing on buildings, including trim, cornices,
lintels, materials, corners, and ornamentation. These details divide
the basic material of the building and provide texture on the building
facades. Lintels (decorative or structural) and cornices are
especially important, with cornices in relief from the building.
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6. Hierarchy of small design elements within the whole building. These
are generally organized with the largest elements at the bottom of the
building and smaller elements as the building rises vertically.
7. Buildings have a balanced vertical and horizontal rhythm to their
design. Larger buildings have a horizontal grouping which helps to
organize and break up the building.
8. Windows are vertically oriented and in a size and design compatible
with other buildings. Windows use clear or opaque (not mirrored)
glass. Windows are organized on the building. Windows cover a minimum
of 15% and maximum of 40% of the wall area above the first floor.
Windows are vertically oriented in a ratio between 3:5 (1:1.16) and 3:9
(1:3) width to height. Ratios and orientations may differ for small
decorative windows below the roof and in some other limited locations
and storefront facades. Except for small decorative windows and first
floor storefronts, windows have some horizontal division within the
glass and a decorative or structural lintel/sill on the top and bottom
of the window. Except between groups of windows, when windows are
grouped, there is a spacing of less than one window width horizontally
between windows.
9. Construction design, building alignment, setback, height, and
articulation are consistent or compatible with traditional patterns of
surrounding buildings. Generally there is no front setback, except
when necessary to preserve high quality views of landmark buildings or
to create special opportunities for quality public spaces.
10.Appropriate scale of buildings. Buildings are designed to not
overwhelm their neighbors. Typically building massing is limited to be
compatible with neighboring buildings, but often appropriate scale is
maintained by providing special detail to design elements to keep large
buildings from overpowering smaller buildings.
11.The first floor facades of commercial buildings have glass storefronts
with views inside the buildings, except for historic masonry landmark
buildings where such facades would be inconsistent with the design of
these buildings. The first floors of these commercial buildings
generally have a minimum of 50% clear, non-mirrored and non-opaque
glass.
12.Masonry first floor facades of historic masonry landmark buildings.
13.Preservation of all historic buildings (defined herein as built prior
to 1945). Historical buildings are not demolished nor are historical
features destroyed until they are carefully analyzed to ensure there are
no practical alternatives. Functionally obsolete or otherwise inadequate
buildings are carefully analyzed to ensure they cannot be adaptively
reused and are aggressively marketed before demolition of buildings or
historical features is considered. The design of a new building is
approved before a safe existing historical building is demolished.
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II Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation
Originally published in 1977 and revised in 1990, the Standards for
Rehabilitation of Historic Buildings, established by the Secretary of the
Interior, represent our country's first principles of historic preservation.
They were considered in drafting Northampton's downtown district design
guidelines. The Standards, summarized below, were drawn up by the Federal
Government with an eye to balancing the protection of a building's historic
features with consideration for its economic viability and efficient
contemporary use. They are included for those who want to know more about
national standards for historic preservation, and for building owners who elect
to rehabilitate their historic building in a manner qualifying for Federal
investment tax credits. Their inclusion here is not intended to serve any
regulatory function in Northampton's downtown district. Complete texts of the
Standards are available at Northampton's Office of Planning and Development and
are discussed on the internet at www2.cr.nps.gov/tps. A general outline of the
Standards follows:
1. A property shall be used for its historic purpose or be placed in a new
use that requires minimal change to the defining characteristics of the
building and its site and environment.
2. The historic character of a property shall be retained and preserved. The
removal of historic materials or alteration of features and spaces that
characterize a property shall be avoided.
3. Each property shall be recognized as a physical record of its time, place,
and use. Changes that create a false sense of historical development, such
as adding conjectural features or architectural elements from other
buildings, shall not be undertaken.
4. Most properties change over time; those changes that have acquired
historic significance in their own right shall be retained and preserved.
5. Distinctive features, finishes, and construction techniques or examples of
craftsmanship that characterize a property shall be preserved.
6. Deteriorated historic features shall be repaired rather than replaced.
Where the severity of deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive
feature, the new feature shall match the old in design, color, texture,
and other visual qualities and, where possible, materials. Replacement of
missing features shall be substantiated by documentary, physical, or
pictorial evidence.
7. Chemical or physical treatments, such as sandblasting, that cause damage
to historic materials shall not be used. The surface cleaning of
structures, if appropriate, shall be undertaken using the gentlest means
possible.
8. Significant archaeological resources affected by a project shall be
protected and preserved. If such resources must be disturbed, mitigation
measures shall be undertaken.
9. New additions, exterior alterations, or related new construction shall not
destroy historic materials that characterize the property. The new work
shall be differentiated from the old and shall be compatible with massing,
size, scale, and architectural features to protect the historic integrity
of the property and its environment.
10.New additions and adjacent or related new construction shall be undertaken
in such a manner that, if removed in the future, the essential form and
integrity of the historic property and its environment would be
unimpaired.
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III Commonwealth of Massachusetts MGL Chapter 40C
MGL chapter 40C, referred to as the Historic Districts Act, promotes the
preservation and protection of historically significant buildings and places
within defined historic districts. Such districts are overseen by a local
Historic District Commission, whose main responsibilities are outlined in 40C:7,
below:
40C:7 Factors to be considered by commission.
Section 7. In passing upon matters before it the commission shall
consider among other things, this historic and architectural value and
significance of the site, building or structure, the general design,
arrangement, texture, material and color of the features involved, and the
relation of such features to similar features of buildings and structures in the
surrounding area. In the case of new construction or additions to existing
buildings or structures the commission shall consider the appropriateness of the
size and shape of the building or structure both in relation to the land area
upon which the building or structure is situated and the buildings and
structures in the vicinity, and the commission may in appropriate cases impose
dimensional and ordinance or by-law. When ruling on applications for
certificates of appropriateness for solar energy systems, as defined in section
one A of chapter forty A, the commission shall also consider the policy of the
commonwealth to encourage the use of solar energy systems and to protect solar
access. The commission shall not consider interior arrangements or architectural
features not subject to public view.
The commission shall not make any recommendation or requirement except for
the purpose of preventing developments incongruous to the historic aspects or
the architectural characteristics of the surroundings and the historic district.
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