Category Archives: Renaissance Revival

Burnside Building (1880)

Posted on February 12, 2013 by Daniel

At 339 Main Street in downtown Worcester is the Burnside Building, built in 1880. The structure is a five-story brick commercial building designed by the architects Bradlee, Winslow and Wetherell of Boston and built by the Norcoss Brothers in an eclectic Romanesque style with sandstone trim. The building replaced an earlier commercial block on the site and was erected by the heirs of lawyer Samuel Burnside. His daughter Harriet Burnside also left money for the construction of Burnside Fountain in Worcester.

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Phoenix Building, Holyoke (1910)

Posted on November 24, 2012 by Daniel

The large commercial building at 592-604 Dwight Street and 221-233 Maple Street in Holyoke was built in 1910 for the Phoenix Realty Company. Designed by Lucius L. Bridge, the Phoenix Building was constructed of steel and reinforced concrete to make the structure fireproof.

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Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Westfield (1910)

Posted on October 21, 2012 by Daniel

Holy Trinity Catholic Parish in Westfield was founded in 1903 by Polish immigrants, who first settled in the town in the 1890s. Bishop Thomas Daniel Beaven of Springfield had asked the Missionaries of La Salette to come to the aid of his Polish-speaking parishioners. As there were no Polish speaking La Salette Fathers at that time, five missionaries were sent at the Bishop’s expense to Poland to learn the Polish language. In 1906, the first La Salette Father arrived in Westfield to take charge of the new parish. Holy Trinity Catholic Church, on Elm Street in Westfield, was built in 1909-1910. A parish rectory was also built next to the church, followed by Holy Trinity School in 1921.

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Posted in Churches, Gothic, Renaissance Revival, Westfield | Tagged | 1 Comment

Holyoke Die Cut Card Company (1873)

Posted on September 8, 2012 by Daniel

At 439 Dwight Street in Holyoke a factory was constructed in 1873 by George W. Prentiss on land he acquired in 1871 for his Prentiss Wire Mills. His company produced piano, broom and industrial wire and produced the first wire stitcher for book binding in the United Stats in 1875. The building today looks different from that depicted in early illustrations. The current structure may have been significantly altered (with the removal of the original roof) or completely rebuilt (perhaps around 1900, which is the date given the building in the Holyoke On-Line Property Viewer). The factory was later home to the Holyoke Die Cut Card Company. Now vacant, the building, which is along Holyoke’s Canal Walk, may be restored in the future.

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Posted in Holyoke, Industrial, Renaissance Revival | 1 Comment

Hotel Nonotuck (1915)

Posted on September 5, 2012 by Daniel

The Hotel Nonotuck opened in Holyoke in 1915 and featured such amenities as a fine restaurant and the rooftop Indian Garden, advertized as a “Glass Enclosed Restaurant” that “Affords Comfort from Wind and Chill” and provides a “Wonderful View of the Picturesque Connecticut” with “Perfect Cusine” and “Dancing.” The building became a Roger Smith Hotel in the 1940s and from the ate-1960s was known as the Holyoke House. Continue on to see some more pictures of this historic building: (more…)

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Merchants’ Row, Amherst (1880)

Posted on July 17, 2012 by Daniel

On July 4, 1879, a line of buildings on South Pleasant Street comprising Merchants’s Row in downtown Amherst were all destroyed in a fire. According to The History of Amherst (1896), compiled by Carpenter & Morehouse,

The fire started in a shed in the rear of George Cutler’s store. It communicated quickly to the barns of Stebbins’ livery stable, and thence to the Amherst house. These buildings were all burned, together with the Savings bank block, Charles Adams’ block and the stores of O. G. Couch, J. H. Starbuck, Edwin Nelson, George Cutler and B. F. Kendrick. The origin of the fire was unknown. The loss was between $50,000 and $90,000, largely covered by insurance.

The new Merchants’ Row, completed in 1880, was built on part of the site of the lost buildings.

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Springfield City Library (1911)

Posted on November 30, 2011 by Daniel

Springfield’s City Library Association was formed in 1857. After occupying a room in City Hall, a red-brick Gothic style building was erected at the corner of State and Chestnut Streets in 1863. When this building was outgrown, plans were made to erect a larger structure. Andrew Carnegie donated funds to build the central library and three branches. In order to continue providing library service during construction of the new building, the old library was moved back 200 feet to make room for the new one. Charles R. Trask, one of the old library’s original builders, was hired to move it (it was later torn down). Christ Church also moved its Rectory to the other side of the church. The new library, designed by Edward Lippincott Tilton in the Italian Renaissance Revival style, was built of reinforced concrete with a pink granite base, white Vermont marble, and has a frieze of white terra cotta. The building was completed in 1911 and opened in January, 1912. (more…)

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