Neoclassical – Page 5 – Historic Buildings of Massachusetts

Old South Building (1903)

by Dan/April 17, 2013/Boston, Commercial, Neoclassical

Adjacent to the Old South Meeting House (Church) in Boston, and surrounding it on the north and east, is the Old South Building, constructed as an office rental property by the church in 1903. Designed by Arthur Bowditch, it is located on the site of Gov. John Winthrop‘s second house, where he died in 1649. The house was used as the parsonage house of Old South, until it was demolished by the British during the Revolutionary War for firewood during the siege of Boston. The current building‘s address is 294 Washington Street and 10 Milk Street. The three postcards in this image (see link) show the area before the building was constructed (left) and after (center and right).

Worcester Five Cents Savings Bank (1891)

by Dan/April 13, 2013/Banks, Neoclassical, Worcester

At 316 Main Street (corner of Walnut Street) in Worcester is the Worcester Five Cents Savings Bank Building, which has a distinctive curved corner. Designed by Stephen C. Earle, the building‘s plate glass and iron store front on the first floor was replaced by a limestone front in 1949. The bank was incorporated in 1854.

The Rutland (1910)

by Dan/April 2, 2013/Apartment Buildings, Holyoke, Neoclassical

At 173-177 Elm Street in Holyoke is an apartment building called “The Rutland.” It was built circa 1900-1910.

Holyoke Masonic Temple (1922)

by Dan/January 31, 2013/Holyoke, Neoclassical, Organizations

The cornerstone of the Masonic Temple (also called Masonic Hall) in Holyoke was laid on September 11, 1920. Located at 235 Chestnut Street, the building is home to Mount Tom Lodge, which began in 1850 and occupied Lodge rooms in three different downtown blocks before before its Masonic Temple was completed in 1922.

Steiger Building (1899)

by Dan/November 13, 2012/Commercial, Holyoke, Neoclassical

The Steiger Building, at 259-271 High Street in Holyoke, is a Beaux Arts structure built in 1899. The elaborately ornamented building, designed by G.P.B. Alderman, housed Steigers Department Store. It has an asymmetrical facade due to the fact that the southern 25 feet were purchased by Albert Steiger in 1901 and thus that section was built two years after the rest of the building. Continue reading “Steiger Building (1899)”

Worcester Memorial Auditorium (1932)

by Dan/November 6, 2012/Art Deco, Neoclassical, Public Buildings, Theaters, Worcester

Built to honor the 9,000 citizens of Worcester who served in the First World War, the Worcester Memorial Auditorium was constructed in 1931-1932 and is located in Lincoln Square. The Classical Revival building was designed by Lucius W. Briggs of Worcester and Frederick C. Hirons of New York. The exterior features Art Deco-inspired bas-relief ornament. Inside are murals by Leon Kroll, installed in 1941. The interior has a large auditorium and a “Little Theatre” which share a single stage that can be opened up to join the rooms together. Recently used as an auxiliary courthouse, the Auditorium has been the subject of many renovation and redevelopment discussions over the years (see pdf), the city eventually plans to sell the building. Continue reading “Worcester Memorial Auditorium (1932)”

Park Building (1914)

by Dan/November 3, 2012/Commercial, Neoclassical, Worcester

The Park Building, at 507 Main Street in downtown Worcester, was built in 1914-1915 by the Park Trust Company, organized in 1915, which merged with the Worcester County Trust Company in 1927. The eleven-story structure was designed by two firms, Cross and Cross and D.H. Burnham & Company, both of New York. The Park Building is the largest of several office blocks that were constructed in downtown Worcester in the early twentieth century.