Art Deco – Historic Buildings of Massachusetts

Victory Theater (1919)

by Dan/December 31, 2016December 31, 2016/Art Deco, Holyoke, Neoclassical, Theaters

The Victory Theater (spelled “Theatre” in stone on the building itself) is a grand movie/stage show palace erected in 1919 by Goldstein Brothers Amusement Company at 81–89 Suffolk Street in Holyoke. It was named in honor of the Allied victory in World War One. The theater suffered fire damaged in 1942, but continued in operation until it closed in 1979. The building remained vacant for decades, its blade sign being removed in 1986 and marquee torn down in 1991. In recent years a restoration of the old theater has been undertaken by the Massachusetts International Festival of the Arts with plans to open in 2017.

Capitol Theatre, Pittsfield (1898)

by Dan/November 13, 2016/Art Deco, Commercial, Pittsfield, Theaters

The building at 328-330 North Street in Pittsfield was built c. 1898 as the New Mills Block. It later became the Capitol Theatre and has a nice c. 1922 Art Deco marquee. The theater closed in the 1980s.

Springfield Safe Deposit & Trust Company Building (1933)

by Dan/June 10, 2016June 10, 2016/Art Deco, Banks, Springfield

The Springfield Safe Deposit and Trust Company was established in 1886. After initially occupying quarters in the ground floor of the Hall Building on Main Street, in 1908 the bank moved to the ground floor of the new Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company building at the corner of State and Main streets. Continuing to prosper even in the midst of the Great Depression, the bank erected its own building at 127 State Street in 1933. Designed by the Boston architectural firm of Thomas M. James Company, the building is considered to be an outstanding example of the Art Deco style. This includes both the exterior and interior details, the latter having survived with only minor changes. The Springfield Safe Deposit & Trust Company later merged with other banks. In 1996, Fleet Bank donated the building to the Community Music School, which owns in today.

First National Bank, Northampton (1928)

by Dan/September 19, 2015/Art Deco, Banks, Northampton

The First National Bank building at 1 King Street in Northampton was built in 1928. A bank had existed on the site since 1865. The current impressive structure on the site was designed in the Art Deco/Art Moderne style by J. Williams Beal & Sons. Since 1993 the building has been home to Silverscape Designs, founded by jewelry-designer Denis Perlman, who loving restored the former bank.

Holyoke War Memorial Building (1936)

by Dan/August 12, 2015/Art Deco, Holyoke, Public Buildings

Built in 1936-1937 during the Depression under the auspices of the city and the Public Works Administration, the War Memorial Building (also called the Soldiers Memorial Building) in Holyoke was constructed to honor veterans of the First World War and to serve the city as a community center. The building contains a large auditorium and three meeting rooms. It is located at 310 Appleton Street. Continue reading “Holyoke War Memorial Building (1936)”

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.

New England Telegraph and Telephone Company Building, Holyoke (1931)

by Dan/October 28, 2013/Art Deco, Commercial, Holyoke

The New England Telephone and Telegraph Company, now Verizon New England, Inc., was founded in 1883. Am I right in assuming this is the same as the New England Telegraph and Telephone Company? Having just previously occupied (from 1902) a building at the corner of Maple and Suffolk Streets in Holyoke, that company moved into a new Art Deco structure, located two blocks south (at 322 Maple Street), in 1931. The building has lost much of its original ornament.