Major Bibliographical References (Cite the books, articles, and other sources used in preparing this form on one or more continuation sheets.) Previous documentation on file (NPS): Primary location of additional data: - preliminary determination of individual listing (36 x State Historic Preservation Office CFR 67) has been requested - Other State agency - previously listed in the National Register _ Federal agency - previously determined eligible by the National x Local Government Register - University - designated a National Historic Landmark X Other : Lynn Historical Society and Lynn Public - recorded by Historic American Buildings Survey # Library _recorded by Historic American Engineering Record # K°S Fami 10-900e 83-80 United States Department of the Interior Nationai Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number _ 8 Page - Lynn Memorial City Hall and Auditorium Lynn (Essex), MA 8.
STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE The Lynn Memorial City Hall and Auditorium building is architecturally and historically significant as a landmark civic center that is the focal point of City Hall Square. Built in 1948-49 on the site of the previous city hall, the building combines Art Deco and Early Modern exterior features with an advanced and unique mid-20# century interior plan. Designed by M.A. Dyer and Company, its style and limestone exterior complement the earlier New England Telephone Building to which it is adjacent. The last of several Art Deco style buildings constructed in Lynn, and only recently reaching 50 years of age, most of its original interior finishes and fixtures are intact.
The building has served the city as the seat of local government, as a memorial to those who served in all wars, and as a venue for entertainment, public celebrations, and political events for over half a century. Lynn Memorial City Hall and Auditorium retains integrity of design, location, setting, materials, feeling, workmanship, and association; and fulfills National Register criteria A and C at the local level. Brief History of Lynn One of the oldest municipalities in the Commonwealth, Lynn was settled by colonists from Salem's New England Company in 1629. It became a city in 1850. Initially, agriculture and shell fishing drove the economy. During the Colonial period, the focus of civic and economic activity developed along Lynn Common (NR district 1992), which opens into City Hall Square on the west.
Although Lynn is a coastal community, its harbor was relatively shallow and bordered by a vast marsh. This prevented the town from becoming a maritime port like its North Shore neighbors Salem, Marblehead, and Newburyport. Instead, Lynn created wealth by manufacturing shoes. By 1775, leather tanning had become an important industry with tanneries located along the Black Marsh Brook to the harbor. As a result of the tanneries, industrial activity became concentrated in what is now the Central Square area (NR district 1985), south of City Hall, with Market Street becoming the commercial thoroughfare. From the leather tanning industry it was a short step to shoemaking, and Lynn developed into one of the nation's leading shoe manufacturing centers during the 19th century. By 1831, well over half of Lynn's population was engaged in some aspect of shoemaking.
In 1838, the arrival of the Eastern Railroad, which ran from Boston to Salem, with a depot in Lynn's Central Square, further stimulated development of the shoe industry. By 1856, over half of the city's manufacturers were concentrated near the depot because of its importance in the receiving of raw goods and the shipping out of finished products. Over the course of the 19"" century, shoemaking evolved from a cottage industry to a full scale manufacturing enterprise concentrated in large factories. The economy boomed in the post-Civil War era, with the city's greatest period of industrial prosperity occurring from 1890 to 1925. The Great Lynn Fire, which occurred in 1889, completely destroyed a large swath of the central business district, but because of the city's booming economy, it was seen as a major opportunity, and new buildings rose to take the place of those that had burned.
Many of the new buildings were five- and six-story brick shoe factories. By 1900, there were 101 shoe firms operating in Lynn. Lynn's shoe industry went into decline after 1925 as the general industrial depression gripped manufacturing cities across New England. But as the shoe industry waned, General Electric, headquartered in Lynn, rose to fill the void. By (continued) OMG Approval No. F02 MTS Famm 10-900 e 63-8G United States Department of the Interior Nationai Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet OMAG Approrel Na. I8: section number _ - Page-< Lynn Memorial City Hall and Auditorium Lynn (Essex), MA the end of the 1920s, employment at General Electric surpassed all of Lynn's remaining shoe factories combined. Both General Electric and Lynn's remaining shoe factories flourished during World War II.
While defense contracts were pouring into G.E., the shoe shops made footwear and other leather goods for the military. By 1942, Lynn had been declared the 16" most important defense area in the United States. Workers moved to Lynn for jobs, and many appear to have stayed on after the war ended in 1945. By 1947, Lynn's population stood at 125,000, the highest in its history, and General Electric was the leading manufacturer of most types of electrical equipment in the nation. History of Lynn Town and City Halls The present Lynn Memorial City Hall and Auditorium is the fourth building in Lynn used for local government purposes, and it stands on the same parcel of land as its predecessor. The first and second municipal buildings, however, stood to the west in the Common area. The first, the Old Tunnel Meeting House (ca.
1682; not extant) stood in the middle of the Common and served throughout the 18" century, being used for both religious and civic purposes, as was the custom. In 1814, a town hall was constructed at the corner of South Common and Blossom Streets, becoming a city hall in 1850. That building, which contained a jail, was destroyed in September of 1864 when a Mr. Bond, who was in the lockup, set fire to it, killing himself in the process. Discussion about the need to replace the 1813 building was, however, well underway by the time it was destroyed. In the late-1850s, a referendum to replace it had been defeated, but by 1864, the momentum for a new city hall was gathering steam. In January of that year, nine months before the building burned down, mayor Peter M.
Neal's inaugural remarks to the city council included the following: "Several matters of great importance will be likely to claim our attention at some time during the present municipal year. Among the first will probably be the construction of a new City Hall. A pressing necessity has long been felt for a more commodious building in which to transact the business of the city, than the one we now occupy." Neal, who served as mayor from 1862 to 1865, went on to describe the purchase of a $15,000 parcel of land that he considered one of the most desirable sites in Lynn for a city hall.
He commented that while the price might appear high, "...when we consider the many advantages of the location, its proximity to one of our principal business streets [presumably Market Street], its delightful situation in respect to the Common, and its being so near the center of population, I think it will be pronounced a wise movement...." Mayor Neal commented on the fact that even though the country was engaged in the Civil War, which demanded human and financial resources, Lynn's population and wealth were on the rise, signaling a growth process that was sure to continue. " The building," he said, "should therefore be constructed not for our convenience only, but in view of this future increase....
It should be at once large, convenient, chaste, and an ornament to the city, without vain display, and in keeping with the character of our people." Mayor Neal presided at the laying of the cornerstone of Lynn's third municipal building on November 23, 1865. The city dedicated the building two years later during the mayoralty of Roland G. Usher (1866-1868), who had served in the Civil War. Conceived during wartime, it appears to have served as a tacit Civil War memorial containing a time capsule housing a picture of Abraham Lincoln, the Emancipation Proclamation, and a list of those who served in the. war 1861-1865. These and other objects and documents removed from the 1865 time capsule are now in possession of the Lynn Historical Society.
(continued) KºS fami 10-900 -4 85-80 United Statec Department of the Interior Nationai Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number _ 8 Page - OMG hapraral No. 102 Lynn Memorial City Hall and Auditorium Lynn (Essex), MA Designed in the most fashionable architectural style of the day, Lynn's new city hall was an ornate three-story Second Empire-style brick building with a tall central clock tower capped by a weathervane. The impressive building providec a commanding presence in the new location, which would eventually be called City Hall Square. The architects were Gridley J. F. Bryant and Arthur Gilman, esteemed Boston architects who also designed Boston's City Hall of the same era (extant as an office building at 41-45 School Street).
Prior to construction of the 1867 city hall, the site contained numerous dwelling houses standing in a row along Park Square (now City Hall Square). In 1852, members of the Johnson family, from whom the land for city hall was purchased, and for whom the street behind city hall is now named, owned most of the houses. The land behind the houses (north) was undeveloped, but the land to the south, east, and west was densely settled. According to a marker placed on the lawn to the left of the building in 1898 by the Lynn Historical Society, the site had once been occupied by "The Old Tavern" ca. 1675. The 1867 city hall was erected at a cost of $311,000, which outraged many citizens because it was three times the original appropriation, a figure to which the city council had reluctantly agreed after bitter debate.
While some of the price increase has been attributed to post Civil War inflation, construction of the building was considered unnecessary by some, too expensive by others, and the issue effectively divided the city of approximately 19,000 people. Nevertheless, once it was standing, the building became the pride of the Essex County and was hailed as the finest city hall in the region, save Boston's. The impressive brick building at the geographic and population center of Lynn paved the way for a succession of masonry buildings that stand in the vicinity today. To connect the all-important Lynn depot in Central Square with the new city hall, Central Street was put in 1870. The 1879 bird's eye map of Lynn shows that the previously undeveloped area to the north of the building had begun to evolve into a dense residential enclave, particularly in the blocks closest to city hall.
Over the years, the 1867 city hall was home to Lynn's first high school, public library, and police court. Originally, the building had a fairly deep front lawn enclosed by an ornate cast iron fence. The latter was moved to the Pine Grove Cemetery, perhaps during one of several campaigns in which the lawn area was reduced to widen the City Hall Square intersection (1905, 1930, and possibly other dates). In 1920, a World War I monument was erected on the lawn, but was subsequently moved to the Lynn Common. Gradually, the building became too small and antiquated to meet the needs of city government, even after finishing spaces in the attic and basement as offices. The building stood for 83 years, before it was torn down to erect the present Lynn Memorial City Hall and Auditorium. It is fitting that its Civil War era timbers were salvaged for reuse in the construction of veteran's housing.
By the time of its demise, the 1867 city hall had become a beloved landmark, and its replacement was just as controversial as its construction had been. Lynn Memorial City Hall and Auditorium Like its predecessor, the present building rose from the ashes of war during a booming local economy, but the building was intended as much more than a facility to house government offices. It would be a memorial civic center with a grand ceremonial lobby and public auditorium dedicated to Lynn's veterans. Nationally, there was tremendous (continued) KES form 10-900-e (3-86) United States Department of the Interior Nationai Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number - Page - 4 Lynn Memorial City Hall and Auditorium Lynn (Essex), MA OMG dpprevel Ma.
MIt forward-looking, post-war energy, and in Lynn, a new city hall was a significant part of the vision of the future and a manifestation of progress. According to remarks made by former mayor Albert Cole at the dedication of the building in 1949, the concept of a memorial city hall had first been discussed on Armistice Day of 1928. Cole, a World War Il hero, believed that the dedication of the new City Hall and Memorial Auditorium was a fulfillment of a promise made to the veterans of Lynn. While many people were involved in making the new city hall a reality, Mayor Albert Cole was the driving force in its creation. Born in 1905, Cole grew up in the Lynn neighborhood known as the Brickyard. The youngest of seven brothers, he attended St. Mary's Parochial School, Cobbet Junior High School, and Lynn English High School. He went on to Suffolk Law School, graduating in 1929.
From 1934 to 1940, he served in the State Senate. He was listed in the 1941 Lynn city directory as a lawyer with an office at 7 Central Square, room 510, and a residence at 31 Church Street. Elected in 1939 and beginning his first term in 1940, Cole was the first new mayor in a decade. One of the 18,898 men in Lynn who had registered within a month after the Selective Service Act became law, Cole entered the army as a private on April 14, 1942. At that point Arthur J. Frawley, president of the City Council, became mayor, serving throughout the war (and again 1952 to 1954). By the close of World War II, Cole had risen to the rank of major and was stationed in the Philippines. His army record included such honors as the American Theatre Ribbon, the Asiatic-Pacific Ribbon with stars for the Luzon and New Guinea campaigns, the Victory Ribbon, and the Philippine Liberation Medal.
While still in the Pacific, Cole ran for mayor against Frawley, and was reelected in a campaign conducted by his brothers in Lynn. Cole is the only man in uniform in the photo in the gallery of Lynn mayors in the city council chamber. In his 1946 inaugural address, Cole spoke of the need for a new city hall, for which he had advocated prior to the war. He believed the new building should contain an auditorium for the people of Lynn and that it should be a memorial to Lynn veterans. During his term, Cole's vision began to take shape as he presided over the closing of the old city hall and selection of the architects for the new one. After a single term, however, he declined to run again, supporting Stuart A. Tarr, a city councilor who was also a strong supporter of the new city hall.
Tarr became mayor in 1948 and was reelected in 1949 in a landslide victory boosted by his rescue of a 15-year-old boy who nearly drowned in Sluice Pond. It was under Tarr's mayoralty (1948 to 1952) that the cornerstone of the present city hall was laid and the building completed. Stuart A. Tarr (1908-1997) was born and raised in Lynn, graduating from Lynn Classical High School. He went on to Boston University, receiving a Bachelor of Science in business administration in 1930. For most of his career, he was personnel manager for the Employees Commercial Union and Insurance Company. He became president of the Lynn city council at the age of 27, and mayor at age 40. He also served at various times as an election commissioner and member of the licensing board. He was an energetic mayor, who oversaw numerous veterans' housing projects and was the first to occupy the present city hall.
The formal process of building the new city hall began in March of 1946 with a request for applications from architects. By April 26", the Lynn City Council and Mayor Cole had agreed on the firm of M.A. Dyer Company of Boston for the architectural and engineering work. The lead architects from the firm appear to have been Michael A. (continued) K3S fom 10-900-e 03-8G United States Department of the Interior Nationai Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number _ 8 Page - Lynn Memorial City Hall and Auditorium Lynn (Essex), MA Dyer and Fred Dyer. Consulting engineers listed on the original plans were Hayden, Harding & Buchanan of Boston. The Dyer Company was on a short list of twelve candidates recommended by the superintendent of buildings, J. Wallace MacDonald.
Among the competing architects were such notable firms as Cram and Ferguson; Kilham, Hopkins & Greeley; and Perry, Shaw & Hepburn. According to newspaper accounts of the day, the Dyer Company had a long list of projects that influenced their selection including Medford City Hall, Woburn City Hall, and the Webster Municipal Group, which included a town hall, junior and senior high schools, and an auditorium. The firm had also designed schools in Boston, Holliston, Medford, Malden, Southbridge, Marlborough, and Fitchburg, as well as a courthouse, police and fire station in Marlborough, and housing developments in South Boston and Lawrence. Approximately 20 of Dyer's building are listed in MACRIS, the database of historic resources that have been documented in Massachusetts. The Dyer Building was a combination theatre and commercial building designed by Michael A. Dyer for his father.
At the time he designed the Dyer building, Michael A. Dyer of Medford was employed by J.D. Leland & Co., an architecture firm for which he worked for two years. During World War I, Dyer was the chief architect of the U.S. Housing Board. By 1922, Dyer had established his firm. Thus by 1946 when the firm was selected to design Lynn Memorial City Hall and Auditorium, it had impressive credentials. The cost of the building was initially estimated at $1,600,000 to $1,700,000. As noted by Superintendent MacDonald, who oversaw the project for Lynn, the city would incur additional costs of $90,000 to $100,000. These costs would be associated with relocating the furniture and functions of city hall into temporary quarters, which were to be spread around the city, and then moving back into the new building once it was completed.
By July 1946, the Dyer Company had produced several preliminary sketches for consideration, and the project was expected to cost $2,000,000. The initial proposals included the memorial lobby and auditorium as well as a 1500 seat banquet hall that could also be used as a gymnasium. The proposed floor plan was described as umbrella-shaped with the auditorium being the handle jutting toward Johnson Street and the city offices fanning out from it like a canopy. The present plan evolved in response to city councilors requests that the auditorium seating space be increased. The banquet hall/gymnasium was to be located beneath the auditorium in the sub-basement, but that aspect of the plan was eventually eliminated. Two versions of the plans are on file at the State Archive - one with and one without the gymnasium/banquet hall.
According to local sources, the gym was to be used by students at nearby St. Mary's School. Parking was a major concern because the building footprint covered most of the lot. Councilors noted that there was no room for employee parking, and that the parking issue was compounded by the fact that the building would contain a large auditorium for civic and private events. In fact many groups including the Chamber of Commerce urged that the auditorium be built on another site to solve the parking problem. Mayor Cole, believed that the intent of the memorial would be lost if the auditorium were separated from the municipal building, and he opposed making the building footprint smaller to allow for a parking lot. Cole contended that the adjacent streets would have to do, adding that a separate lot for parking could be considered in the future.
By February of 1947, the construction plans were ready and the price tag stood at $2,300,000. A few months later building contracts were awarded to the lowest bidders including John Bowen Company of Boston (129 Newbury (continued) OLLG Approval No. 102 KOS form 10-900-e 8-86) United States Department of the Interior Nationai Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page. 6 OME Syproval No. 102 Lynn Memorial City Hall and Auditorium Lynn (Essex), MA Street) as the general contractor, who would manage demolition of the old building as well as construction of the new one. Other major contracts were awarded to C.H. Craven (or Cronin) Company of Boston for plumbing, heating, and ventilation, and Carlisle Electric of Boston. In November, Mayor Cole and others signed the contract for razing the old city hall and building the new one.
The old city hall was vacated in December in preparation for demolition. City departments dispersed throughout the city, generally moving into schools and such other municipal buildings as the police headquarters, libraries, water services and GAR buildings. The mayor's office relocated to the Harrington School. Tearing down the old building proved more difficult than anticipated because of its solid construction and heavy foundation stones. Ground for the new city hall was broken in the late spring of 1948, and in July erection of the steel frame commenced. Former mayor Albert Cole presided over the laying of the cornerstone on September 15, 1948. The ceremony included placing a metal box, or time capsule, into the cornerstone.
The time capsule contains photographs of mayors Cole and Tarr along with their inaugural addresses, city council records pertaining to the new city hall, currency and stamps, photographs of the old city hall, books on the history of Lynn, a list of the contents of the cornerstone removed from old city hall, a roster of Spanish-American War survivors, a copy of school rules for 1948, and group photographs of the city council. Also included among numerous other documents were portraits of six Lynn men who survived the notorious Bataan Death March in the Philippines. One of these men, considered the city's preeminent war hero, was Sergeant Sam Moody, who testified against alleged Japanese war criminals at the International Military Tribunal.
With the building nearing completion in the spring of 1949, dedication exercises were set for August 19, the fourth anniversary of V-J Day, and the end of World War II. By June, however, it was clear that the memorial lobby and veterans' auditorium would not be completed in time to make that date, but the mayor and others, including John Cavanagh, director of Veterans' Services, were able to move into their new offices by mid August. Lynn dedicated the new building, decked out in bunting, on September 7, 1949. Crowds at the opening were estimated at 8,000 people, far exceeding expectations and the capacity of the new auditorium. In addition to the formal dedicatory exercises that were held in the auditorium, visitors could view the grand memorial lobby and tour the municipal offices where city employees were on duty to guide tours.
Hailed as a civic and cultural center for the city, the building was carefully planned so that it would be functional for 100 years. For example, the design included interior spaces that could be turned into offices as the needs of the future dictated. The Daily Evening Item, Lynn's main newspaper, crowed that "no finer or well equipped building of its type exists in the East." Nevertheless, it was also considered a fairly utilitarian and low maintenance building.
Congratulatory remarks in the Item capture the mood of the era: "With civic pride and yet humility, the Item dedicates this issue to our new Memorial City Hall and Auditorium - a real and practical monument to that priceless thing...individual liberty." "A fitting monument to the courage and selflessness of Lynn men and women in the wars they fought to preserve our way of life." "Lynn citizens have reason to be proud of their new Memorial City Hall and Auditorium which is being dedicated today.
It is but another step forward in the development of our progressive city, and will serve as a fitting memorial to veterans of all wars for generations to come." (continued) KºS famm 10-900e p3-8Q United States Department of the Interior Nationai Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number - Page - Lynn Memorial City Hall and Auditorium Lynn (Essex), MA OMG Approrel Na. 1C The actual cost of the building was $2,500,000. Although the architect and general contractor were from Boston, city officials stressed the need to employ local companies for the subcontracting, but they were also bound to select among the lowest bidders. General Electric handled the electric appliances and lighting, which was mostly fluorescent. Allen Stationery Company of Lynn provided all the metal furniture, office accessories, and wooden desks, chairs, and cabinets.
Washington Plate Glass Company of Lynn provided the mirrors in dressing rooms and restrooms. The phone system was installed by New England Telephone & Telegraph Company, which occupied the building next door to the west. T.F. McCann & Sons of Somerville made the bronze memorial tablet. Heywood-Wakefield Company of Boston provided the upholstered chairs in the auditorium. National Theatre Supply Company handled the curtains, stage and projection equipment. Other contracts went to Cutler Mail Chute Company of Rochester (NY) and Venetian Blind Sales and Service Company of Lynn. As reported in various newspaper articles of the day, two oil-fired Spencer boilers and a smaller boiler for hot water heated the building. Two, ten thousand-gallon oil tanks were located outside the building, which was expected to use 100,000 gallons of oil per year.
The sub-basement, 20 feet below grade, was waterproofed, insulated, and acoustically treated to be sure no mechanical noise reached the auditorium. In addition to the boiler room, the sub-basement contained the elevator controls and a Diesel engine for emergency power. There was also space for document storage and a vast unfinished area under the auditorium. (Most certainly the area that was considered for a gym.) The general plan of the offices was to place those departments that the public would visit most frequently on the lower floors and near the entrances to the building. Departments with interrelated functions were designed with connecting doors so that staff could move efficiently though the building without going into the corridors.
The Memorial Lobby was described in the Item as having, "the richly sedate atmosphere of a top Hollywood production set with its gleaming marble...." The Veterans' Auditorium, with a capacity of 2,072, was three times the size of the English High School auditorium, which had previously been the city's largest municipally-owned venue. The stage, certainly the largest in Lynn, was reported to equal any in Boston. While the auditorium was designed to be a state-of-the-art theatrical space, it was also designed to show motion pictures. As a test of the acoustics, said to be the finest on the north shore, Superintendent MacDonald stood on the stage and whispered to members of the City Council who heard him perfectly from their seats in the back row of the balcony.
The first performers in the auditorium were the singers Henry and Ruth Ellison of Roxbury, who provided the entertainment for the dedicatory exercises. This husband and wife team had won top honors in at the North Shore Music Festival in June of 1949, and had gone on to receive championship medals at the Chicago festival in August. The following day, the auditorium hosted a band concert by the American Legion, Post 6, and one by the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 507. Lynn Memorial City Hall and Auditorium contained many innovations that were part of the original construction. According to the General Electric Company, it was the first municipal building in the nation to include x-ray equipment. Part of the health department and clinic, the x-ray machine was housed in a lead-lined room on the first (ground) floor.
Offices handling money were burglar proofed, and vaults were wired into the police station. Each floor was also equipped with police and fireboxes as well as fire extinguishers. The assessor's office included a two-story vault so that older records could be stored out of the way but be readily accessible via an iron ladder. The building was equipped with a lounge for female employees, referred to in articles of the day as "the city hall girls." The lounge had a (continued) KnS famm 10-900e $3-86) United States Department of the Interior Nationai Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number _ 8 Page - 8 ORCa Aoproral No. 102 Lynn Memorial City Hall and Auditorium Lynn (Essex), MA small kitchen so that the women would be able to prepare their lunches in the building rather than going home as apparently had been the custom.
The building also had its own telephone system, hailed as the most modern in any city hall in the east. Equipped with a switchboard and telephone operator, city hall had one phone number rather than separate numbers for each department, as had been the case. Within the building, the various departments could directly dial each other, rather than taking the time to go in person. The pay phones were also considered innovative in that they were placed in banks rather than in booths. The mayor's office and the council chamber were equipped with air conditioning, and the auditorium had a ventilation system called "washed air." The building was hailed as fireproof, given its structure of steel and reinforced concrete, metal doors and window casings, its finishes of marble, tile, granite and limestone, and its asbestos curtain in the auditorium.
The Architecture: Art Deco and Modern The design of Lynn Memorial City Hall and Auditorium is at once aggressive and conservative, monumental and contextual. Articles of the day referred to the style as "Modern Classic." Today architectural historians consider it a paired down example of the Art Deco style that incorporates principals of the modern movement, which eschewed extraneous ornament. Art Deco-style buildings, of which the New England Telephone building next door is a good local example, were popular, particularly for commercial buildings, from 1925 to 1940, with the peak of popularity being the early 1930s.
Art Deco designs are characterized by symmetry, geometric and linear forms, stepped rooflines, low-relief and stylized decoration, monumental portals, and metal window sash -- all of which are seen on the exterior of Lynn Memorial City Hall and Auditorium, making it a conservative design for 1949. Following close on the heels of Art Deco was Modern architecture, which began to appear in the eastern U.S. in the late 1930s. This was largely due to the arrival of Walter Gropius, who emigrated from Europe in 1937 to become Chairman of the Department of Architecture at Harvard's Graduate School of Design. Gropius, a founder of the modern movement, a preeminent practitioner of modern architecture, and a revered teacher of the modernist philosophy, had founded a school of architecture known as the Bauhaus in Germany in 1919.
One of the underlying philosophies of the Bauhaus and the modern movement was a concept known as "functionalism." In essence, the design of the building is based on form and materials, which are dictated by its function. Decorative details, if they existed at all, were kept to a minimum. Minimal architectural detail is indeed characteristic of Lynn Memorial City Hall and Auditorium, as seen in on the paired-down Art Deco exterior as well as in the simplicity of the common hallways, municipal offices, and auditorium. The Memorial Lobby appears decorative, but the impression of ornament comes largely from the lavish use of heavily veined marble rather than from applied decoration. World War II created a hiatus in building and design unless it was related to the war effort.
At the conclusion of the war, there was a great need for new housing, particularly for the returning veterans, many of whom were starting families. The simplified designs characteristic of the modern movement were perfectly suited to creating the affordable housing then in demand. The fundamental concepts of modern architecture were also appropriate to Lynn's new city hall, which the architect said was "designed with durable materials and with minimal ornamentation" so that it would be economical to build, maintain, and operate. (continued) KºS Famm 10-900 e p3-8G United States Department of the Interior Nationai Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number _ 8 Page.
OMB Aprovel Na if Lynn Memorial City Hall and Auditorium Lynn (Essex), MA The concept of form following function is clearly apparent in the plan of the building, where the auditorium, which needed few windows, occupies the core of the structure. Placing the auditorium inside an envelope of offices also avoids the common problem of unfenestrated walls that usually characterize such buildings as auditoriums and gymnasiums, making them display blank expanses of outside wall, which can detract from the streetscape. Modern architecture is often accused of ignoring the context is which it stands, but Lynn Memorial City Hall and Auditorium is a clear exception in that even though it is monumental in scale, it does not overwhelm its neighbors, and it complements other limestone buildings nearby, including the Telephone building next door and the Lynn Public Library to the west.
Given that new construction came to a standstill for most of the 1940s due to World War II, it is understandable that the designs of buildings constructed immediately after the war would be retarditare, reflecting what was being built in the 1930s. Lynn Memorial City Hall and Auditorium may well be the last major Art Deco-style building constructed in Massachusetts. It is also likely that Lynn Memorial City Hall and Auditorium is one of the first (if not the first) city hall's built in Massachusetts following the War, since the effort to construct it began immediately in 1946. Further research across the state is needed for confirmation of these suppositions. At present, most communities have not yet documented their post WWII buildings.
Now that these buildings are fifty years old, thus meeting the standard National Register age requirement for a certified historic structure, documentation is beginning. The past 50 years When Lynn Memorial City Hall and Auditorium opened in 1949, the city was producing over 185 million dollars worth of goods in 369 manufacturing plants. The optimistic mood of the immediate postwar period, was however, beginning to wane. The very month that Lynn's new city hall was dedicated, Americans learned that the Soviet Union had tested an atomic bomb. Ever present fears of communism and nuclear attack were heightened, becoming a part of the current of life across America. In the "duck and cover" era of 1950s, the basement of Lynn Memorial City Hall and Auditorium became a fall-out shelter as part of Lynn's civil defense planning.
Like most densely built-out urban and industrial cities, Lynn saw its population decline in the post-war period. Returning veterans who were starting families wanted single-family houses with private back yards, but there was little room to build it in Lynn. The availability of the car, highway construction, and the home mortgage made the move to new suburban neighborhoods feasible. By 1950, the population of Lynn was under 100,000, down by 25,000 in just three years. It was the first time in its history that the city experienced "out migration." Nevertheless, Lynn was the largest city in Essex County, and by 1954 it was the 8" largest city in Massachusetts. Today Lynn's culturally diverse population stands at approximately 82,000. The community is proud of its industrial heritage, revitalized downtown, and renovated buildings, many of which serve as office space for high tech companies.
General Electric remains the city's major employer. Lynn Memorial City Hall and Auditorium has served its residents well for the last half-century. The center of local government, it also contains an office for Lynn's congressman. All major city departments are located in the building including the assessor's office, building department, legal department, engineering and planning, public works, comptroller, tax collector, treasurer and purchasing department among others. (continued) M°S fomm 10-900 e (3-8Q) United States Department of the Interior Nationai Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page_10 OMa Aaprovel No.
102 Lynn Memorial City Hall and Auditorium Lynn (Essex), MA Over the years, the auditorium has been a venue for local as well as nationally notable entertainers including Fats Domino, Victor Borge, Arthur Fiedler, and Roy Orbison. Such visiting dignitaries as President Jimmy Carter have spoken on front steps of the building, as well as in the auditorium. From the beginning, the auditorium was viewed as a source of income for the city. When it opened, the rental rates were set at $150 a night for veterans, charitable, labor, and educational organizations. The fee for other purposes was set at $400. The advent of television, which became widely available shortly after the building was completed, gradually lessened the use of the auditorium as a venue for motion pictures.
Nevertheless, the auditorium continues to be used for civic inaugurations, dance recitals, graduations, and other community events. Interestingly, while the building was designed to make it possible to close the city hall office wings off from the auditorium, a former building commissioner with an institutional memory going back forty years does not recall that ever having been done. On Veterans Day in 1976, a second time capsule was buried on city hall property by order of the Lynn Bicentennial Commission. The capsule, a casket made by local undertaker, David Solimine, Sr., was filled with hundreds of objects (letters, cookbooks, directories, records, tapes, newspapers, clothing, etc.) donated by students, Lynn residents, politicians, city officials and others. The mayor at the time was Antonio J. Marion and the president of the city council was William R. Fallon.
The marker for the capsule is inscribed 1976 to 2029 to indicate that it should be opened in 2029 as part of the 400" anniversary celebration of the settlement of Lynn. The current mayor is Edward J. "Chip' Clancy, Jr., whose term began in early 2002. He and his staff, particularly James M. Marsh, Deputy Chief of Staff, are eager to see Lynn Memorial City Hall and Auditorium listed on the National Register of Historic Places, both to establish its historic significance and to assist the community in raising the funds needed to update and preserve the building. Lynn Memorial City Hall and Auditorium was built as a living monument to Lynn veterans. It embodies the gratitude of the citizenry to those members of what we now call the greatest generation who served in the war and to those who did not return.
The building stands today as a reminder of the commitment that sustained America during the war, a testament to the optimism and pride that characterized the country at the end of World War II, and a monument to the progressive spirit of the City of Lynn in the immediate post-war period. Archaeological Significance Historic archaeological resources described above may contribute important information related to Lynn's early period of settlement, the specific land use history of the city hall site and the social, cultural and economic history of 19th century residents in the area. Historic and archaeological research may contribute evidence that identifies the exact site of "The Old Tavern" on the city hall property or another site, possibly nearby.
Archaeological evidence of the tavern structure, associated outbuildings and the contents of occupational related features may contribute architectural details of 17" century tavern buildings, the lives of individuals that frequented and operated the tavern, the larger 17" century population, and the emergence of a municipal and residential city center. Documentary and archaeological evidence of residential structures may document the growth of 19" century neighborhoods and exactly when their (continued) OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 NPS Form 10-900-a (3-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number _ 8 Page - 11 Lynn Memorial City Hall and Auditorium Lynn (Essex), MA development began.
Archaeological sites, of 19" century residential structures may also contribute important information on the population of Lynn during its initial stage of urban growth and the architectural characteristics of buildings characteristic of that development. Structural evidence of the 1867 city hall may contribute architectural details of that building and the extent that the existing structure occupies the same site or reused portions of the foundation from the earlier building. (end) NPS Form 10-900-a (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 Section number - Page - 1 Lynn Memorial City Hall and Auditorium Lynn (Essex), MA 9. MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES City of Lynn.
Application to the Massachusetts Historical Commission for Nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. Prepared by the Mayor's Office. July/August 2003. (on file at the MHC) Cushing, Elizabeth Hope, ed. No Race of Imitators: Lynn and Her People. Lynn: Lynn Historical Society. 1992. Cushing, Elizabeth Hope. The Lynn Album: A Pictorial History. Lynn Historical Society. 1990. Dawley, Alan. Class and Community: The Industrial Revolution in Lynn. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. 1976. Faler, Paul G. Mechanics and Manufacturers in the Early Industrial Revolution: Lynn, Massachusetts, 1780-1860. Albany: State University of New York Press. 1981. Grover, Kathryn. The Lynn Album II: A Pictorial History. Lynn Historical Society. 1996. Krim, Arthur. Lynn Final Survey Report. 1993. (On file at the Massachusetts Historical Commission.) Lynn: One Hundred Years a City.
Prepared by the Lynn Public Library and the Lynn Historical Society. 1950 Quirk, Lawrence J. "The Mayors of Lynn: 1850 to 1950" The Daily Evening Item. 1950. (Called "An Item Centennial Feature", this is a series of articles on Lynn mayors that ran in the city's centennial year. They are on file at the Lynn Historical Society.) Shephard, Diane. Lynn, Massachusetts. Charleston, SC: Arcadia. 1998. Newspaper Clippings (multiple articles in the City Hall file at the Lynn Public Library; a few are listed below): Daily Evening Item. Lynn Memorial City Hall Edition. (72 pages) September 7, 1949 Haley, Paul A. "End of Municipal Building Brings Light to its Beginning." Daily Evening Item. March 26, 1948. McGuire, Tom. "Ceremonies Impressive." Daily Evening Item. September 8, 1949. Penniman, Edward G. "Farewell to City Hall Said by City Employees. Daily Evening Item. November 20, 1947.
Primary Sources: Building Permit for Memorial City Hall and Auditorium. Jan. 29, 1948 (on file in City Hall, building department). Interview with James Sterratt, former building commissioner. 2004. (continued) Lynn Memorial City Hall and Auditorium Name of Property 10. Geographical Data Acreage of Property1-1/3 acre Essex, MA County and State UTM References (Lynn Quad) (Place additional UTM references on a continuation sheet) 1. 19 339540 Zone Easting 4703020 Northing 2. Zone Easting Northing Zone Easting "Zone Easting _ See continuation sheet Verbal Boundary Description (Describe the boundaries of the property on a continuation sheet.) Boundary Justification (Explain why the boundaries were selected on a continuation sheet.) 11. Form Prepared By name/title Karen L.
Davis, Consultant, with Betsy Friedberg, NR Director, MHC organization_ Massachusetts Historical Commission _date December 2004 street & number 220 Morrissey Boulevard telephone617-727-8470 city or town Boston _state_MA _ zip code_02125 Additional Documentation Submit the following items with the completed form: Continuation Sheets Northing Northing A USGS map (7.5 or 15 minute series) indicating the property's location. A sketch map for historic districts and properties having large acreage or numerous resources. Photographs Representative black and white photographs of the property.
Additional items (Check with the SHPO or FPO for any additional items) Property Owner (Complete this item at the request of the SHPO or FPO.) name City of Lynn street & number 3 City Hall Square telephone 781-598-4000 city or town_ Lynn state_MA zip code 01901 Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: This information is being collected for applications to the National Register of Historic Places to nominate properties for listing or determine eligibility for listing, to list properties, and to amend existing listings. Response to this request is required to obtain a benefit in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended (16 U.S.C. 470 et seq.).
Estimated Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this form is estimated to average 18.1 hours per response including the time for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining data, and completing and reviewing the form. Direct comments regarding this burden estimate or any aspect of this form to the Chief, Administrative Services Division, National Park Service, P.O. Box 37127, Washington, DC 20013-7127; and the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reductions Project (1024-0018), Washington, DC 20503.NPS Form 10-900 1024-0018 (Rev. 10-90) NPS Form 10-900-a (8-86) Inited States Department of the Interio lational Park Servic National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number - 9/10 Page- 2/1 OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 Lynn Memorial City Hall and Auditorium Lynn (Essex), MA Lynn City and Town Reports: Mayor's Address for 1864 and 1865.
(Bound volumes at the State Library). Lynn City Directories: Various years-1940 to 1954 (no directories for 1947 to 1953 at State Library). Lynn City Documents: 1939 to 1956. (note these do not contain any narrative reports. Limited to assessor's lists, auditors reports, etc.) MACRIS. Maker index to the documented historic resources on file at the Massachusetts Historical Commission. 2003. MHC inventory forms: Dyer Building (mdf.101); Lynn City Hall (lyn.9); Goodman Building (lyn. 10); Telephone Building (lyn.11); Co-op Bank (lyn.24) Plans and elevations. Department of Public Safety. At State Archives. Maps and Atlases Sanborns: 1887, 1893, 1908, 1938, 1938 (1950), 1972 1852: Mclntyre 1872 and 1884: Essex County Atlases 1879: Bailey's Bird's Eye Map 1905 and 1924: Richards (end) 10.
GEOGRAPHICAL DATA Verbal Boundary Description The building stands on a tri-corner lot bound by City Hall Square, Essex Street, and Johnson Street. Containing 57,578 square feet of land, the lot is shown as map 21, parcel 22 (21-22) on the assessor's map for the City of Lynn. Verbal Boundary Justification The nominated property includes the entire parcel historically associated with the building. (end) : RPSFom 10-900-g United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number _photos Page - OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 Lynn Memorial City Hall and Auditorium Lynn (Essex), MA LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHS Photos 1 and 2 Photographer: Karen L.
Davis Date: June 2004 Location of negative: Mayor's Office, Lynn City Hall Photo 1 - Façade, south elevation Photo 2 - East elevation Photos 3 and 4 Photographer: Mayor's Office, City of Lynn Date: September 2003 Location of negative: Mayor's Office, Lynn City Hall Photo 3 - Memorial Lobby, looking at the east (right as you enter) wall Photo 4 - Memorial Auditorium, looking south from the stage (end) Lynn Memorial City Hall and Auditorium Lynn (Essex), MA DATA SHEET LYNN MEMORIAL CITY HALL AND AUDITORIUM December 2004 Name Lynn Memorial City Hall/Auditorium Flagpole Flat granite marker - time capsule Upright granite marker - Snow Date 1949 ca. 1949 1976 ca.
1987 Type B Status C C N/C N/C Total: 1 contributing building, 1 contributing object, 2 non-contributing objects R 8) 10 /26/2422 2°% 28/26/24 12.20 18 1614 10) 118|16|14/12/10 10 12 1414) 10 "/M/2 VA 12 10 6 A 8 6 24 262422/20 18 24/22/20 16 18 1270 6 108 12) 8 1210 A J A 6 24/22/20 22/20/1816/ VA /16/14/12 22/20/18 12220/1816/ G 16 16) 18 1412 16(4) 18 1210 11644 10 18 24/22/20/18/16 12) A 12422/20/18/6/ R P 13A1921501278126/24 /2/20 18.16 N14 42/10/09/06/106/107/ 134(82/10/28/26/242120118116.14/12/10 108/06/04/02/ 101 /105/105107109/11 /13115 17 19 /121 123/25127/29/191/139 (24132150)128161242420484 20 08061012 101 103/105/107/909 11 /13 (15 (11 /19 /21 /23125 /271/129/131/133 126 /241/17212018 16 014/12/10/108/106/01/102 N 101(103105/47/1091/1/13/05 4119/21/23/25/127129/131/93 126124/12120 118 06V/12/0/0B206 204/o2 M (101/03/10500109/11/13 485 17/19 121 /23/125 125/24 /12/20 UB (6 14/42/10.08106/104/1022 L 101 (103005 107/109 011 |K3 015 /17/019/121 123/125 /11 /03 105/07/104 01 /13 (15(W7 /19 /12 |123/25 124/2/12118/16014/12/10/108/06/104/102 122/120 /18/16 V4112 k10 10106104/02 J 1101 /03/05/07/09|111 (13 115|17/19 /121/123 122/(20 Ms mb/14/112 110/108l10b104/M2) H 1101 /03/105 107 |09/01 |13/115 |17|119|121 120118 16014/12/10108/106/164102 G 101 |103/ 105/107/169/11 113|15/17/14/121 120(18|61742/10/08/106 00 /12) F 101|103/105/01/109/11/13/45/17/119 /0 103 (o5 107/09 M *3(5 79 S R 2) 2 4/2 122/120 118/16/14/112/110108/ 106/184|102 122/20(18)N6/14 P12./10/108/06/104/1021 1120 118 /06 14/12/110 108 106/10/03/ K20(18/614/12/0|/08/06/104/D2/ 1118/1614/12/10/108/106/108/102/ E lei 103 105 |07/109/ D (11 U3/15 |017 009121 /101/103/105710/M1/13/1517/19/21 101 103//05 /07/109 B 1 1 1 [ 13 15| 014 A 1401 105/15/7/001 /13/15/7/19 (ai 0e3 (05)/07/09 11 /13 351/2 5 17 1357 19 19 13 /15 17/9 13/15 7/9 11 1315 113/15 (") 15 J 12/21 17/22 Rs 23 N 2, 25 15 P3Rs R3 13 19 /15 12) 23 12 15 17 19 21 13 15 17|19 21 //3 15 13 15 /3 /15 21 19 21 // 29 Jls 1/9 11/13/15 /13 |15 |7 19 /2/21 23 1 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 8 SEATING- PLAN.
OF BALCONY. FLOOR - LYNN. MEMORIAL: AUDITORIUM- - CADACITV. A27. SEATS.
4 GG 28*614310'0'41412 FF 384133"01614121618 16 4 232230'8'<'4/12/10 8 76 cC 2k 24/22/20/18/16/14/12/101 6 24/22 20/18 16141210 8 64 2 18161412108642 2 24/22/20 2 141 22 2018|16/14/12/10/8/6/42 20/18/16 114 12/10|8 6 4 Pol8/6 2018/16/14/12/201 8 4 2 6 16 14/12/101 2 18 16 18 1B 1A12 10 16) 8 2 12 16 16 12 8 12 16 6 10 12 112 8 10 8 10 6 14) 10 1712 6 12 10 6 E 8 10 14 12 GG 331320'343'3"8"6"4"2 1ºcf0z/02 FF j'lelslanlea", Mgl"s14 41212/2513/24 133'3'2433a"o"42"03 EE 13P3|4336""42"a| DD 133%22"o""4½9 1141o2 K3z43"642 N° 130131%/2/33/61614/2 128126124122/20|u8/116/14|1/240/108806/101102 K3134/3212 % "6'4 "z 10l0g1o6 2402 BB AA Z Y 213"6 2624V22/20 UB116 144 "2 "10) log 1%'4 3 3/3K08Y6"412 Y8(eloz E122'%% "s"'4½ % 84'2 120/3/20/186"4"ao'o6/0/22 122 120 18 "6"42o W V U T S R 1z/20 "8"6"4'z"o81 120'B "6 "4"'2 o "og'o62/02 112 "2 12048 2l"al"6"4 'zl'o 10g/96/9,102 N M "g""4 --z "o lºg|%ea|ºz K "6l4"zo [4"z" '8 1g% og 10g%)2 1%4 A Fo,loslosronl'a"', "s"'s "7 9 12, 23/23/21) Me, log l'eslag laa lr, "g s 7 4g/2/133/25/22 1o, loglos (ogpog, 13 15 49 13)/3125/21 1o, loglag loylog(21 43 l15 117/49 /121/123 125) Loy 103 lo5407/109/11 /113/15 417 #9121 123/25 101/1053/105107/104/11/13571M/21/23/125 101 |103/ 105 10 ] 109 111 183 /15 17/19 /21|/23/ pa1 103/105/07109111113115U719/21/123 1B1V03105/107109/11/113115017/44|121/23 101/103185107/109/111/113|115 /17/19:121/ 101/103/05/107/109/11/115/115/117/119/21 L01183105107109111113115/17/19/21 N01 103/|05 /107/69/11 /13 /15 /17 1194 101 /03/205/107/109/111 /13115/17119 101 /103/05/107/109/11 113 115 417/49) 101/103|105 107/109/16 11/3 401|103|105/107/109|111/113 11|103 105/107 109/111 151S7 |101 |103|105 |1-7 |109|111 Il3 /115 1 *3/105/107/109/111 1/3|115 V01(15/105)-7|109111/19/115 101(03) 105/07 0g''113 /13 denlogogoloa' Moy'slloso l'2l 1341/15 1l's 1'% 19/09/4, te, log'os lay'og"s 14 /o3 /o5 13/ºs/% 8 A 8 DRCHESTRA.
PIT. -SEATING PLAN. OF. AUDITORIUM FLOOR- -LYNN. MEMORIAL: AUDITORIUM. Caprcity 1245 5 5 /3 9/11) 3 5 79 u 15 R3ps 2729 31 2, 19/1/13 /13/15 15 13 /11 13 /15 15 15 115 2/ 23 25 2129 2123252121.20 1'9 25 21 23 2129 23/25 BB 2) 23 19 Rs GG FF 119 23 13 13 15 1'3 15/1219 (21 23 2 19 Rs 12 23 /13 /15 1/4/2 RI U is ]5 = FFE 3 I 15 113 15 113 ICXP 11.867 3180 4761 22 $510 27.631 OLO'OL FRANKLIN PUBUIC LIBRARY II 39,162 70° -1020 NORTH COMMON ST. LYVN COMMON SOUTH COMMON ST. 7:65 38,761 PLEASANT BOND 305.6001 12,:03 . c)) 14.803 64.069 PARCEL ' 125.585 1 202) ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP CORP. SOLE OF BOSTON 576 ENEMPY LC 204,715 TOTAL LYNN ANTHONSING 12 7C 7834 10.72 -3-3-4- 10550 641 W0O0D CITY HALL SO.
BISZ9ITE 5427 16.397 14,472 15,676 40,760 57,578 CITY HALL MARKET 397.41 TREMONT [730 24,36 CITY ENGINEERS OFFICE 1.533 SHEET 22 REVISED: OCTOBER 2003 643 644 3380 OYD 5512 6186 g 1010 JOHNSON 303 25,189 33895 12.402 2''219" TA WASHNGTON 637 36i2 16.319 41.388 12065 636 SUTTON 1950 .109 23,936 L POLICE STAL S013 3419 11 3712 2 10,740 1916 10,967 82 63 184 30 LIBERTY 5110 79 59 632 12310 MUNICIPN PARKING 13,286 12 4322 SCALE- 658 657 ROGERS 1250 ANTON M 14 AVE STREET sias 1S 4593 STEWART aios STREET 19 63 3213 7,38 5365 4500 ST. 17,800 AVENUE 2881 476 .W 6642 566° ANDREW 631 ST 15.057 10,173 188,991 1000 BONELLI SROTE 12.50 640 3,080 *905Y 3569 25gg JAMES 1852-1 Buoio 16.440 17210 5590 19:76 ST. e6 - LIBERTY 23,009 ,T0T BARK BARKER: 523 2862 4 Sr 23059 634 32.216 WILLOW 622 U.S.
POST OFFICE 00113 N013 3573 > 5980 - OXFORD ST 623 SHEET 19 REDUCED COPY - 1" 160 LYNN,MASS.
- ASSESSORS MAP UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: NOMINATION PROPERTY NAME: Lynn Memorial City Hall and Auditorium MULTIPLE NAME: STATE & COUNTY: MASSACHUSETTS, Essex DATE RECEIVED: 1/11/05 DATE OF 16TH DAY: 3/01/05 DATE OF WEEKLY LIST: REFERENCE NUMBER: 05000082 DATE OF PENDING LIST: 2/14/05 DATE OF 45TH DAY: 2/24/05 REASONS FOR REVIEW: APPEAL: N DATA PROBLEM: N LANDSCAPE: N PERIOD: REQUEST: N SAMPLE: N SLR DRAFT: N COMMENT WAIVER: N ACCEPT RETURN REJECT ABSTRACT/SUMMARY COMMENTS: LESS THAN 50 YEARS: PROGRAM UNAPPROVED: NATIONAL: 2/24/05 DATE Entered in the National Begistex RECOM./CRITERIA REVIEWER - DISCIPLINE TELEPHONE - DATE DOCUMENTATION see attached comments Y/N see attached SLR Y/N If a nomination is returned to the nominating authority, the nomination is no longer under consideration by the NPS.
Lynn memcor,al City Hasl &Audetori Lynn, MA Facade: South elevation 2.004 Lynn Memorial City Hall& Auditorin Lynn, MA fast elevatioi 2004 Lynn Memorial Cety Halet Qua Lynn, MA. nfemorial Lobby 2003 Lyan Manorial City Hellt Audute LyNu, MA Auditorium, lookeig south tho 2003 Uhe Cummunwrealth uf Massarhusetts Huuse uf Representatiues State Huuse, Rustun NZ133-1020 I'SCRIDD NOV 18 2004 MA"Committees: Housing and Urban Affiisml Vice Chairman Ways and Means ROBERT F. FENNELL STATE REPRESENTATIVE 10TH ESSEX DISTRICT ROOM 36, STATE HOUSE TEL. (617) 722-2470 FAX (617) 626-0587 THOMAS D'AMARIO ANNA WACLAWICZEK LEGISLATIVE AIDES November 8, 2004 Cara Metz State Historic Preservation Officer Massachusetts Historical Commission The Massachusetts Archives Building 220 Morrissey Boulevard Boston, Massachusetts 02125 Dear Ms.
Metz, I am writing to you to recommend that Lynn City Hall and Auditorium, located in Lynn, Massachusetts, be nominated for a place on the distinguished National Register of Historic Places. Lynn City Hall and Auditorium, constructed in 1948 by the M.A. Dyer Company, is a civic and state of the art entertainment facility, and vital to the Lynn community. The Auditorium itself is a 2075 seat venue within the confines of City Hall. Over the years, the auditorium has hosted many cultural performances, including school plays, pageants, and musical concerts. Just a few of the national acts that have performed there are The Beach Boys, Jay Leno and the Boston Ballet. I would also note that the structure is one of only ten Art Deco buildings in the city. It replaced the Old City Hall of 1867, and is the most important civic and municipal centerpiece of the downtown area.
Citizens of Lynn are extremely proud of its history, and it is my hope that we can protect this legacy by having it piaced on the National Register of Historic Places. Thank you in advance for your time and attention. Should you have any questions for me about this or any other matter, please feel free to contact my office at your earliest convenience. Sincerely Ju tamell State Representative 10th Essex District - Lynn COMMONWEALTH Of MASSACHUSETTS MASSACHUSETTS SENATE STATE HOUSE, BOSTON 02133-1053 Nf pl RECEIVED NOV 30 2004 MASS. HIST. COMM LIBERTATI OVL SENATOR THOMAS M. MCGEE 3RD ESSEX AND MIDDLESEX DISTRICT ROOM 74, STATE HOUSE TEL. 617 722-1350 FAX: 617 722-1005 November 24, 2004 Mr. William Francis Galvin Secretary of the Commonwealth Massachusetts Historical Commission State House, Rm. 337 Boston, MA 02133 Dear Mr.
Secretary: COMMITTEES: CRIMINAL JUSTICE - CHAIR COMMERCE & LABOR - VICE CHAIR GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS HUMAN SERVICES TRANSPORTATION CHILDREN'S CAUCUS - CHAIR We are writing to express our wholehearted support for the listing of Lynn City Hall and its Auditorium within the National Register of Historic Places. City Hall is located at the peak of the City's downtown area. It is an impressive mid-century structure facing Market Street, the main City road that extends through the downtown area to the ocean front section of our City. Constructed in 1948, Lynn City Hall and Auditorium is an Art Deco building, built by M.A. Dyer and Company as a civic and state of the art entertainment facility. The Auditorium itself is a 2075 seat venue within the confines of Lynn City Hall and Auditorium is one of only ten Art Deco buildings in the city.
It replaced the Old City Hall of 1867, and is the civic and municipal centerpiece of the downtown area. Thank you for your consideration of this important matter. We firmly believe recognition of the historical significance of this structure will not only assure its preservation but provide the citizens of Lynn with a greater sense of pride in their community. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. Thomas M. McGee Ricrfemell Robert F. Fennell State Senator State Representative First Essex District Tenth Essex District auglae N.Attesn Douglas W. Petersen State Representative Eighth Essex District State Representative Eleventh EssexDistrict adrachp Mark V. Falzone State Representative Ninth Essex District Cc. Cara H. Metz, State Historic Preservation Officer PRIVATELY PAID FOR City of ynn, Massarhusetts OFFICE OF THE MAYOR James M.
Marsh Chief of Staff William Bochnak Deputy Chief of Staff RECEIVED DEC 13 2004 MASS. HIST.COMM City Hall 01901 Tel: (781) 598-4000 Fax: (781) 599-8875 Edtuard J. Clanry, Ir Mayorr December 8, 2004 Secretary of the Commonwealth Massachusetts Historical Commission 220 Morrissey Boulevard Boston, MA 02125-3314 Degserfery Galvin: In the City of Lynn, diversity is a tradition, with many different ethnic groups calling this great city home. City Hall and the Veterans Memorial Auditorium stand as a permanent tribute to the great sacrifices many in this City have made, and note its symbolic dedication after the end of World War II in 1949. It is in the public interest of the City of Lynn, that we preserve this great structure enabling future generations to reflect and appreciate the essence of freedom and the sacrifices made to protect our democracy.
For this reason, it is our request that Lynn City Hall and Veterans Memorial Auditorium be placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The discussions of the present building began on Armistice Day of 1928, but the ground was not broken for the new building until the spring of 1948. When it was dedicated, The Daily Evening Item stated, , "no finer or well equipped building of its type exists in the East." Although offices have moved around, administrations have changed; this Art Deco Structure and many of its attributes remain the same. Just recently, for the first time in a long time, families came downtown to see a movie.
Gone are the days of multiple theaters in the downtown area, but now, in our attempts to revitalize City Hall Square and the greater downtown area, we are working diligently to be able host the Lynn community in City Hall Memorial Auditorium, which has the capacity to seat 2075 people, on a regular basis. Excitement is in the air here, to create new residences, new shops and restaurants, but it is our hope that this City Hall and Veterans Memorial Auditorium remain for years to come as a tribute to those before us. Thank you in advance for your thoughtful consideration in placing City Hall and Veterans Memorial Auditorium on the National Register of Historical Places. Mayor, City of Lynn cc.
Massachusetts Historical Commission MAILZOISND LVA LIAEATAY The Commonwealth of Massachusetts William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth Massachusetts Historical Commission December 31, 2004 Ms. Carol Shull National Register of Historic Places Department of the Interior National Park Service 1201 Eye Street, NW 8'" floor Washington, DC 20005 JAN TIF Dear Ms. Shull: Enclosed please find the following nomination form: Lynn Memorial City Hall and Auditorium, Lynn (Essex), MA The nomination has been voted eligible by the State Review Board and has been signed by the State Historic Preservation Officer. The owners of the property were notified of pending State Review Board consideration 30 to 45 days before the meeting and were afforded the opportunity to comment. Three letters of support have been received.
Sincerely, Betay Fredleg National Register Director Massachusetts Historical Commission enclosure CC: Karen Davis, preservation consultant Carl Greenler, Lynn Historical Commission Mayor Edward J. "Chip" Clancy, Jr., City of Lynn State Senator Thomas M. McGee State Representative Mark V. Falzone State Representative Robert F. Fennell State Representative Douglas W. Petersen State Representative Steven M. Walsh James M. Marsh, Chief of Staff Stephen Harausz, Community Development Director 220 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, Massachusetts 02125 (617) 727-8470 - Fax: (617) 727-5128 www.state.ma.us/sec/mhc
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