Historic Buildings of Massachusetts

Holder Memorial (1904)

by Dan/August 5, 2014/Clinton, Colonial Revival, Organizations

Located at 210 Church Street in Clinton, the Holder Memorial building was built in 1904 to be the home of the Clinton Historical Society by Francis T. Holder as a memorial to his parents, David and Ruth Bassett Holder. A native of Clinton, F.T. Holder had risen to become president of the Alexander Smith Corporation, which manufactured carpets. You can learn much more about Francis T. Holder and the Holder Memorial in the book The Holder Memorial Given to the Clinton Historical Society, published in 1905.

Courant Item Building (1902)

by Dan/August 5, 2014August 5, 2014/Clinton, Commercial, Neoclassical

The building at 156 Church Street in Clinton was built in 1902 and is known as the Coulter Press Building or the Courant Item Building. It was the home of two newspapers published by the Coulter family: the Clinton Courant (published 1865 to 1962) and the Clinton Daily Item (published since 1893). The building continues as the home of the Coulter Press.

Saint Paul’s Universalist Church, Adams (1871)

by Dan/August 5, 2014/Adams, Churches, Romanesque Revival

Located at 63 Center Street in Adams is the former Saint Paul’s Universalist Church, built in the Romanesque style c. 1871-1872. In the later twentieth century the church was sold to Lodge #1335 of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. Continue reading “Saint Paul’s Universalist Church, Adams (1871)”

Miss Adams Diner (1949)

by Dan/August 5, 2014August 5, 2014/Adams, Art Deco, Commercial

A diner has existed at the site of the Miss Adams Diner in Adams since the 1930s. The current prefabricated diner, a 1949 Worcester #821, was delivered on December 7, 1949. The original porcelain panels had been replaced with faux stonework. The diner has had many owners over the years and been known by various names.

Park Street Firehouse, Adams (1900)

by Dan/August 5, 2014August 5, 2014/Adams, Public Buildings, Romanesque Revival

At 47 Park Street in Adams is a former firehouse that later served as the Adams Ambulance Service and is now the Firehouse Cafe. It was built in 1890.

Jonathan Lewis House (1780)

by Dan/June 28, 2014/Federal, Harvard, Houses

Built around 1780, the house at 212 Still River Road in Harvard is known as the Jonathan Lewis House after the man who constructed it. In 1801 it was acquired by Dr. Ephraim Stone, a major benefactor of the Still River Baptist Church, which is located across the road. After Dr. Stone retired to Boston in 1840, the house passed through several owners. From 1885 to 1901, the house was owned by James Harrod, a blacksmith and son of the noted blacksmith Major Henry R. Harrod.

East India Marine Hall (1825)

by Dan/June 18, 2014June 18, 2014/Federal, Greek Revival, Museums, Organizations, Salem

East India Marine Hall, on Essex Street in Salem, was constructed in 1824-1825 by the East India Marine Society. The Society had been founded in 1799 as a charitable and educational organization whose membership consisted of ship masters or supercargos who had sailed around either Cape Horn or the Cape of Good Hope. The Society also maintained a library and a museum, called a “cabinet of natural and artificial curiosities.” The Society rented rooms in the Stearns Block from 1799 to 1804 and, needing more space for its growing collections, in the Salem Bank Building from 1804 to 1825. Again needing more space, the Society moved into the new East India Marine Hall, which was dedicated on October 14, 1825. The building was designed by architect Thomas Waldron Summer. In 1867 the society deposited its collections with the newly established Peabody Academy of Science which also bought the East India Marine Hall. Additions were been made the the Hall over the years as the institution grew into today’s Peabody Essex Museum, but East India Marine Hall has maintained its original appearance. The building’s grand banquet hall is available to rent for events.