Nomination for Merrimack Associates Building

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

NPS Form 10-900 (Rev. 10-90) RECEMEB-2280 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service 436 MAY 08 2009 National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NAT. REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES NATIONAL PARK SERVICE This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations for individual properties and districts. See instructions in How to Complete the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form (National Register Bulletin 16A). Complete each item by marking "X" in the appropriate box or by entering the information requested. If any item does not apply to the property being documented, enter "N/A" for "not applicable." For functions, architectural classification, materials, and areas of significance, enter only categories and subcategories from the instructions. Place additional entries and narrative items on continuation sheets (NPS Form 10-900a).

Use a typewriter, word processor, or computer, to complete all items. 1. Name of Property historic name Merrimack Associates Building other names/site number_ Grad Building 2. Location street & number. 25 Locust Street - _ not for publication city or town. Haverhill - vicinity state Massachusetts _ code_MA countyEssex _ code 009 zip code01830 3. State/Federal Agency Certification As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1986, as amended, I hereby certify that this Enomination - request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of Historic Places and meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60. In my opinion, the property -meets -does not meet the National Register Criteria.

1 recommend that this property be considered significant - nationally O statewide locally. (- See continuation sheet for additional comments.) Brma. Jumm Signature of certifying official/Title Massachusetts Historical Commission Brona Simon, SHPO 1/30/0900 State or Federal agency and bureau In my opinion, the property meets - does not meet the National Register criteria. ( See continuation sheet for additional Comments.) Signature of certifying official/Title State or Federal agency and bureau 4. National Park Service Certification 1, hereby certify that this property is M entered in the National Register - See continuation sheet. - determined eligible for the National Register - See continuation sheet.

- determined not eligible for the National Register - removed from the National Register - other (explain): Date Co puiamayd, Beall Date of Action 6.17.09 Merrimack Associates Building Name of Property 5. Classification Ownership of Property (Check as many boxes as apply) x private - public-local - public-State -public-Federal Essex, MA County and State (Check only one box) x building(s) _district _site _ structure - object Number of Resources within Property (Do not include previously listed resources in the count.) Contributing 1 Noncontributing _building sites _ structures _objects Total Name of related multiple property listing (Enter "N/A" if property is not part of a multiple property listing.) N/A 6.

Function or Use Historic Functions (Enter categories from instructions) INDUSTRY/manufacturing facility 1 Number of contributing resources previously listed in the National Register 0 Current Functions (Enter categories from instructions) DOMESTIC/multiple dwelling 7. Description Architectural Classification (Enter categories from instructions) OTHER/paneled brick/early 20* century Classical Rev. Materials (Enter categories from instructions) foundationbrick walls_ brick, wood, metal roof other rubber concrete, aluminum Narrative Description (Describe the historic and current condition of the property on one or more continuation sheets.) NPS Form 10-900 (Rev. 10-90) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Merrimack Associates Building Haverhill (Essex), MA Section number 7 Page 7.

NARRATIVE DESCRIPTION The Merrimack Associates Building is situated in Haverhill, MA, a city located north of Boston along the Merrimack River. The property is near the center of the city, just north of downtown Washington Street in an area that typically was developed for industrial uses later than the majority of those on Washington Street (NRDIS, 10/14/76). Once characterized by shoe-related factories and businesses set shoulder-to-shoulder, the area has lost some buildings and retained a few of the significant factory buildings. To the east, the Merrimack Associates Building backs up to the Haverhill Board of Trade Building (NRIND 9/28/2007), a precursor to the Merrimack Associates Building, that was designed by the same architect, C. Willis Damon.

Among the remaining factories north of the Washington Street Shoe District, the Merrimack Associates Building's an intact example of an early 20"-century speculative industrial building. Built of red brick with concrete sills and flat-arched brick lintels, it is eight stories in height set on a low basement and rising to a flat roof. Rectangular in plan (seven bays wide by fifteen bays deep), the building occupies almost its entire lot. Located at the middle of the block on the east side of Locust Street, the lot slopes down from west to east approximately one-half a story. It is built of typical mill construction with brick masonry, load-bearing exterior walls and a heavy timber interior frame. Shrubs are now planted along the north and south borders of the lot.

A rehabilitation of the building, completed in 2007, created 32 residential units and rebuilt or restored some original features of the building, which are included in this description. Large windows, spaced regularly at each story, dominate every façade, greatly reducing the ratio of solid wall to window opening. The windows are aluminum replacements with insulated glass. (Photo 8) The secondary elevations (north, south, east) have 6/6 sash, reflecting the fenestration shown on the original 1913 architectural drawings and in historic photographs. A grand 2½-story rounded arch marks the main entrance to the building on the west façade, which also contains the only architectural details: decorative brickwork, storefronts, and a metal cornice.

Façade (West) Elevation The main entrance to the Merrimack Associates Building at 25 Locust Street is centered on the west façade, facing Locust Street. (Photo 1) A 2½-story entrance pavilion terminates in a round brick arch and projects very slightly from the plane of the façade. Two-story pilasters with capitals of corbel courses and a dentil course support the arch, which is also detailed with brick dentils. A recessed round arch framed with rowlock brick is set within the main arch. Below this arch is a relatively understated entrance, a rectangular opening capped with a brick flat arch. The wood-and-glass panel door, installed in 2007, has an upper glass panel based on the proportions of the original. The present entrance has a single door with sidelights to meet code; the original contained double doors.

The spandrel panel above the entrance is framed by a soldier course and filled with brick in Flemish bond with burnt headers. Two large window openings are stacked above the entrance beneath the arch. The upper window has a rounded upper sash to fit the shape (continued) NPS Form 10-900 (Rev. 10-90) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Merrimack Associates Building Haverhill (Essex), MA Section number 7 Page_2 of the arch; the lower window has 8/2 sash. A recessed brick spandrel panel sits between the upper and lower windows. (Photo 2) As the main stair is directly behind the center bay, the windows into the stair are offset from the rest of the windows by a half story. The windows above the arch are contained within a vertical recessed panel.

These windows are configured with 8/2 sash, with the exception of the uppermost window in the center bay, which contains a window mimicking its historic triple-hung sash and is taller than the others below because it is open to the top run of stairs. At street level, the entrance is flanked on either side by a storefront. The storefronts are framed by the entrance pilasters and matching two-story pilasters at the northeast and southeast corners of the building. The storefronts have been rebuilt to reflect the design on the original drawing and historic photographs. Framed in wood the storefronts mirror each other, with low skirt panels and large display windows topped by a transom window. The glazed transom contains etched glass to suggest the former multilight window that had been located in the originals.

The storefronts are spanned by a large, flat, cast-iron lintel, above which is a metal spandrel panel with rectangular raised panels. The second story has one large window opening in bays 1-3 and bays 5-7. A plain metal lintel caps each opening. The aluminum replacement windows reflect the originals with a central fixed light of glass flanked by 2/1 windows. The fenestration on either side of the central bay at stories 3-8 consists of three evenly spaced windows with brick mullions and a shared sill. The sills are cantilevered brick, capped with concrete. Decorative brick spandrel panels set between each story match that above the entrance consisting of a brick soldier course framing brick in Flemish bond with burnt headers. A projecting, denticulated brick beltcourse separates the sixth and seventh stories on the outer bays.

The stringcourse continues around the corners to either side for only about two feet. The façade is capped with an overhanging metal cornice that extends around the corners to the north and south by less than one bay. The north and south elevations of the building are very similar. (Photos 3, 4) There are fifteen bays on each of the eight stories. On the north elevation, the window openings had not been altered except for the replacement of the windows themselves. Now 6/6 aluminum sashes have been installed to match the original fenestration. The hinges from metal fire shutters are still attached to the wall on either side of the windows, but the fire shutters have been removed. The shutters may have been added when a bakery was located next door, to the north of this building.

At the first story, a storefront window is located at the northwest corner and contains a fixed display window and transom. The south elevation is identical to the north in the number of bays and replacement windows, although the south elevation does not show evidence of having fire shutters on the windows. Matching the north, the first bay on the first story was formerly a fixed storefront window. A door had been created later, but as part of the 2007 project, the sill was rebuilt to its original location. Also on the south elevation, the openings in the eighth bay on the second and third stories have been altered. The opening has been shortened on the second story and bricked up on the third. At the first story, the fifth bay from the left appears to have been converted from a door to a window. (continued) NPS Form 10-900 (Rev.

10-90) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Merrimack Associates Building Haverhill (Essex), MA Section number 7 Page The sill remains at the original height, while the remaining area has been filled with brick. Starting at the sixth bay from the left, the basement begins to be exposed with increasingly larger basement windows visible due to the slope of the site from west to east. There is an entrance to the basement in the eighth bay. The east elevation contains six bays. The third bay from the left contains the stair and therefore has windows that are offset a half story. (Photo 5) There is a door at basement level in this bay. The other five bays, with one window each, are level with the windows on the other facades. There is a freight entrance in the fourth bay from the left.

The openings in the sixth bay on the seventh story and fifth bay on the eighth story have been bricked up, along with the first and second bays in the basement. A short brick chimney extends from the roof at the northeast corner of the building. Interior The interior of the building rises eight floors from a basement. The two internal enclosed stairtowers are centered on the east and west ends of the building, with a freight elevator located at the east end. All floors have a central corridor running east-west. There are four units on each floor, two on either side of the corridor. The units are open with polished concrete floors, exposed wood beams and ceilings, and gypsum board partitions. (Photo 6) In each unit, an open kitchen and a bathroom are located toward the center of the building; the remainder of the floor area is open.

The exterior brick walls are exposed at the east wall of the rear unit and the west wall of the front unit. Typically, there is exposed brick adjacent to the bathroom. The square wood columns are partially exposed in the partition walls and in the corridor walls. The entrance lobby is located in the storefront to the south of the main entrance, with mailboxes are installed in the east wall. The north storefront is built out similar to the residential units, but could also serve as commercial space. The two stairs remain. The front stair had been altered between the basement and the second floor with a newer stair that had deeper treads. (Photo 7) The rear (east) stair is relatively intact. Paint has been removed from the exposed brick and underside of the stair, and the steps and beadboard partitions are painted.

The wooden landings remain painted and exposed, and pipe railings serve as handrails. Archaeological Description While no ancient Native American sites are located on the nominated property, it is possible that sites are present. Eight Native sites are located in the general area (within one mile) including three sites (19-ES-32, 550, 611) located within 1,000 feet to the south and southeast of the Merrimack Associates Building. All of the sites noted above are burial sites located on the northern shore of the Merrimack River in the vicinity of its confluence with the Little River. The Little River is currently channeled below ground in this area. The general area discussed above has been noted as the principal village of the Pentucket Indians in 1640. (continued) NPS Form 10-900 (Rev. 10-90) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service OMB Approval No.

1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 7 Page 4 Merrimack Associates Building Haverhill (Essex), MA Environmental characteristics of the property represent locational criteria (slope, soil drainage, proximity to wetlands) that are favorable for the presence of Native sites. While the Merrimack Associates Building is located in an area characterized by urban land deposits where the natural topography and soils have been altered or obscured by urban works and structures, the geology and soil types of surrounding locales indicate the Merrimack Associates Building originally occupied a well-drained, level to moderately sloping riverine terrace of the Little River.

The Little River, although now channelized below ground, was originally located within 1,000 feet south of the Merrimack Associates Building, and flowing southerly to the Merrimack River, also less than 1,000 feet away. The confluence of the Little and Merrimack rivers may represent an additional locational characteristic favorable for the presence of ancient Native American sites and a favored location for larger village/habitation type sites. While most ancient Native American sites in the nominated area would have been destroyed by urban construction activities, the documented presence of several burial sites in the area may indicate that similar deeply buried cultural features may survive on the Merrimack Associates Building property. Known burial sites in the area all share a southerly aspect along the northern shore of the Merrimack River near its confluence with the Little River.

These locational characteristics also exist for the Merrimack Associates Building property, which has a southerly to easterly aspect and location on the northern bank of the Little River near its confluence with the Merrimack River. Given the information presented above, a low to moderate potential exists for locating ancient Native American survivals on the Merrimack Associates Building property. Most potential Native American resources on the property would have been destroyed by 19th-and 20*-century urban construction in the area. The 1886 Sanborn Insurance map shows a carriage manufactory and wheelwright shed, both no longer extant, located on the 25 Locust Street property. The 1906 Sanborn map shows a livery and large wagon storehouse at the 25 Locust Street address.

While the footprints of the buildings shown on the 1886 and 1906 maps are similar, it is unknown whether they are the same building. The footprint of the existing building (1913), which has a basement, covers nearly the entire lot. Most potential ancient Native American sites that may have been located on the property were destroyed by construction of the Merrimack Associates building and earlier historic structures. Only burials and other deeply buried archaeological features may survive intact beneath historic land use. A low to moderate potential also exists for locating historic archaeological resources on the Merrimack Associates Building property. Structural evidence may survive from the Carriage Manufactory and Wheelwright shop identified on the 1886 Sanborn map and Livery and Wagon Store House identified on the 1906 Sanborn map.

Construction of the existing Merrimack Associates Building in 1913, however, likely destroyed each of the earlier buildings and related archaeological features described above at the 25 Locust Street address. (end) Merrimack Associates Building Name of Property 8. Statement of Significance

Statement of significance

Applicable National Register Criteria (Mark "x" in one or more boxes for the criteria qualifying the property for National Register listing.) x A Property is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history. _B Property is associated with the lives of persons significant in our past. x C Property embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values, or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components lack individual distinction. _D Property has yielded, or is likely to yield information important in prehistory or history. Criteria Considerations (Mark "x" in all the boxes that apply.) Property is: _A owned by religious institution or used for religious purposes. _ B removed from its original location.

_C a birthplace or grave. _D a cemetery. _E a reconstructed building, object, or structure. _ F a commemorative property. _G less than 50 years of age or achieved significance within the past 50years. Narrative Statement of Significance (Explain the significance of the property on one or more continuation sheets.) Essex, MA County and State Areas of Significance (Enter categories from instructions) Architecture Commerce Industry Community Planning and Development Period of Significance 1913-1959 Significant Dates 1913 Significant Person (Complete if Criterion B is marked above) N/A Cultural Affiliation N/A Architect/Builder Damon Bros., architects 9.

The rest of the file

Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.

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): HPCA#19413 Primary location of additional data: x 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 - Local government Register _ University _ designated a National Historic Landmark _ Other _ recorded by Historic American Buildings Survey Name of repository: # _ recorded by Historic American Engineering Record # NPS Form 10-900 (Rev. 10-90) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service OMB Approval No.

1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Merrimack Associates Building Haverhill (Essex), MA Section number 8 Page1 8. NARRATIVE STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE The Merrimack Associates Building at 25 Locust Street is an important building associated with Haverhill's continued industrial expansion in the early 20° 'century. The Merrimack Associates Building meets National Register criterion A for its association with this period of industrial expansion and with Haverhill's dominant industry: the production of shoes. Located just outside the Washington Street Shoe District (NRDIS 10/14/76), the Merrimack Associates Building reflects the symbiotic relationship between Haverhill's industrial development and its commercial businesses. As a speculative venture of three of Haverhill's businessmen (Ernest N. Gilman, John H. Tilton, and W.

Stillman Bartlett), it exemplifies the turn-of-the-century approach to economic development and the type of space that accommodated the various shoe- related businesses that made up the industry. The Merrimack Associates Building also meets National Register criterion C as an intact notable example of the work of local architects Damon Brothers, representing a well-conceived example of the Damon Brothers' industrial architecture and their solution for a medium-sized factory building. Built in 1913, it was originally, and remains today, one of Haverhill's prominent buildings specifically constructed for the shoemaking industry. It also represents an intact example of a multi-tenant factory building from the early 20* century. The period of significance is from the date of construction, 1913, to 1959, to conform to the 50-year cut off for National Register properties.

Retaining integrity of location, design, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association, the Merrimack Associates Building is significant at the local level. Haverhill's Development & its Shoe Industry Due to the abundant waterpower of the Merrimack River and the city's easy access to rail and water transport, a significant manufacturing district had developed along Washington Street by the 1870s. While the area was destroyed by fire in 1882, because of the immediate rebuilding of the structures, the Washington Street Shoe District has, according to the National Register nomination "... maintained its architectural integrity, without permanent intrusion, over 100 years." Between 1870 and 1880, the number of manufacturing ventures in the city had nearly doubled; and manufacturing continued to grow in importance to the local economy through the 1920s.

With this growth, Washington Street " continued as the center of Haverhill's shoe industry through the turn of the century, but expansion of the size of the firms and the space needed by them brought new and larger growth along Essex Street and beyond." From the outset, Haverhill industry was dominated by shoe production, with the city ranked third in the nation (behind Lynn and Brockton, MA) in total value of shoe production by the 1880s. According to the Washington Street National Register nomination, the city's building stock reflected the evolution of the industry. As machinery was invented to take over many of the previously hand-done procedures, manufacturers were able to centralize their work, and a number of brick factories were erected along Merrimack Street, east of Washington Square.

At the same time, Haverhill products gained an important reputation: Haverhill shoes, and particularly the fancy shoes for ladies known then as slippers, continued to win world-wide acclaim and recognition, with numerous medals going to local manufacturers at the Exposition of Paris in 1889 and the Columbian Exposition of 1892. In both the quality and quantity of shoes made, Haverhill earned the nickname of "Queen Slipper City of the World." (continued) NPS Form 10-900 (Rev. 10-90) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service OMB Approval No.

1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Merrimack Associates Building Haverhill (Essex), MA Section number 8 Page 2 Merrimack Associates Spurred by the city's seemingly unstoppable growth, in the second decade of the 20** century, three local businessmen formed the Merrimack Associates to continue to promote and attract industry. In January 1913, a group of investors organized as the "Merrimack Associates" purchased the land on which the present building now stands. In the Declaration of Trust, trustees Ernest N. Gilman, John H. Tilton, and W. Stillman Bartlett were empowered such that they "shall cause the erection construction and equipment of a building on the above described parcel of land," being the parcel now occupied by the building at 25 Locust Street.

The duties and powers of the trustees also stated that the trustees "shall lease the Trust property or any part thereof to one or more tenants for such term or terms of years as they may think fit..." Interestingly, the United Shoe Workers in Haverhill were on strike in January of 1913, when the Merrimack Associates purchased the property with the intent to build an industrial building. The shoe workers were attempting to unionize and were protesting against the shoe manufacturers who reportedly were blacklisting those workers who joined the union. 25 Locust Street Prior to the construction of the Merrimack Associates Building, the 1886 Sanborn Insurance map shows a carriage manufactory at 25 Locust Street, with a wheelwright and horse shed at the rear. The horse shed appears to have been located just east of the current lot line and thus outside the current 25 Locust Street parcel.

The 1906 Sanborn atlas shows a livery at the street edge of 25 Locust attached to a large wagon storehouse at the rear (east). Although the footprint appears similar, it is not clear whether the 1906 building is the same as the 1886 building. The eight-story building that stands today is the structure built in 1913. Damon Bros. Architects, a prolific Haverhill firm, was commissioned to design the Merrimack Associates Building. The trustees of the Merrimack Associates obtained a mortgage on this parcel in the amount of $45,000 dated August 6, 1913. Presumably the building was completed at that time. The 1913 Declaration of Trust and the professions of the Merrimack Associates trustees indicate that the Merrimack Associates Building was built as a speculative incubator building. It is presumed that these local businessmen intended to benefit from Haverhill's prospering leather industry.

Ernest N. Gilman was treasurer and general manager of the Carter Russell & Co. Express, John H. Tilton was a local insurance agent, and W. Stillman Bartlett was a lawyer. Following the lead of the Haverhill Board of Trade, which built the nearby Haverhill Board of Trade Building at 16 - 18 & 38 - 42 Walnut Street (1904 & 1906) (NR, 9/28/07), the Merrimack Associates constructed a building to be leased out, most likely to shoe-related businesses. The trustees clearly were looking to the success of their neighbors at the Haverhill Board of Trade and seemed to follow their model for an incubator factory building.

Despite its beginning at a time of unrest in the local leather and shoe industry, the Merrimack Associates Building is associated with a period of continued industrial expansion in Haverhill, which was feasible due to the willingness of investors to construct buildings such as the one at 25 Locust Street. The vast majority of Haverhill's growth came from its shoe industry, such that by 1919, 75% of Haverhill's 16,000 wage earners were employed by shoe companies. This type of speculative development for multi-tenant use was related to the nature of the shoe industry, which allowed operators to begin business with a small investment. Shoe manufacturing was unique among New England industries in that it did not entail a significant outlay of capital. This was due to the virtual monopoly exercised by the United Shoe Machinery Corporation over industrial shoe- manufacturing equipment.

United Shoe Machinery preferred to lease capital-intensive equipment on a per-shoe basis (continued) NPS Form 10-900 (Rev. 10-90) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Merrimack Associates Building Haverhill (Essex), MA Section number 8 Page3 rather than sell it outright. The leasing of equipment provided relatively easy access to the industry for small-scale local investors, a phenomenon that accounts for the proliferation of small-shop ventures operating throughout Haverhill in the late 19t and early 20" centuries. To get started, such businesses did not need, nor could they afford, to construct an entire factory. Most early businesses housed in the Merrimack Associates Building at 25 Locust Street were part of the shoe- manufacturing industry prevalent in the area.

A photograph dating to ca. 1915 shows the Haverhill Record occupied the first floor of the building. Other tenants at the time included Chas. E. Stevens, Soles & Leather, Wingate Shoe Corp., B.C. Davis & Co., Wentworth Swett Co., Shoe Manufacturers (which moved here from around the corner at 14-16 Walnut St.), and F.M. Shaw & Son, leather dealers. In 1930, tenants in the Merrimack Associates Building included: Goldberg Brothers, Inc., shoe manufacturers; Haverhill Top Lift; Bodwell Counters; and Taylor Specialties Co., manufacturers of blacking and shoe dressing. By the 1930s, Haverhill's shoe industry was facing stiff competition from cheaper imported products. Directories for that year show a general decline in shoemaking enterprises due to pressures exerted by new competitors, as well as by the challenges of the Great Depression.

Faced with the growing cost of labor and materials, local shoe manufacturers either closed their doors or moved their enterprises to areas characterized by staunch resistance to organized labor. By 1941, along with shoe-related companies, Casey Press printers occupied the Merrimack Associates Building. In 1946, Western Electric Company occupied the entire building for offices and manufacturing. Also, there were connectors at the upper floors from the Merrimack Building to the building at 14-36 Walnut Street (Haverhill Board of Trade, NR 9/28/07) and to the Winchell Shoe Factory. While the Merrimack & Winchell Buildings had the same owner at that time, the Haverhill Board of Trade was owned separately. The connectors did not exist in 2004 and presumably were related to the Western Electric occupancy in the mid 20# century.

As of 1963, however, Western Electric Company had moved away from Haverhill entirely. Pattern Company, manufacturers of shoe patterns, and the Charles Miller Company, dealing in leather goods, were occupants of the Merrimack Associates Building after the 1960s. It is interesting to note that despite the fact that the majority of the shoe industry had moved from Haverhill decades earlier, there were still some shoe-related companies that moved back into the building. The trust was terminated in 1919. At that time, the shareholders in Merrimack Associates were listed as Ernest N. Gilman and Mary E. Tilton. With the dissolution of the trust, ownership of the property passed to E. Paul Gilman and John H. Tilton (Trustee for Dorothy H. Tilton), most likely children of the previous owners.

According to the Haverhill Evening Gazette (August 26, 1919), Benjamin Grad, proprietor of Grad's clothing store in the Masonic Building on Merrimack Street, purchased the property one week later for approximately $100,000 and assumed an existing $35,000 mortgage on the building. At that time, Wingate and Kimball shoe companies and the Record Publishing Company occupied the building that contained approximately 50,000 square feet of floor space and was described as "recent construction with all modern improvements." The building was commonly referred to as the Grad Building for many years after his ownership. The property transferred to the Haverhill Savings Bank in December 1927 through a foreclosure on the mortgage to Grad. The bank owned the building until 1943, when it was purchased by the L.H.

Hamel Leather Company (NRDIS, 2009), transferring it to the Hamel Realty Trust one month later. The Hamel Realty Trust acquired the J.H. Winchell & Co. Shoe Factory (demolished some timeafter 1944) next door at 9-17 Locust Street at the same time. Hamel Leather apparently occupied both buildings for some time. Subsequently, several realty trust companies owned the building until 1986. Members of the Hamel family were trustees of many (if not all) of the trusts, including the Polymer Realty Trust that (continued) NPS Form 10-900 (Rev. 10-90) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Merrimack Associates Building Haverhill (Essex), MA Section number 8 Page 4 owned the building until 1986.

It is assumed that the Hamel family owned the building from 1943 until 1986 through various real estate trusts. Demolition of the Winchell building and other shoe industry-related buildings in the vicinity of the Merrimack Associates Building has left it in a relatively isolated setting, save for the Haverhill Board of Trade nearby. During Benjamin Grad's ownership, Grad still owned and ran the Pentucket Clothing Store in Haverhill. The building continued in use as a shoe- or leather-related building until the middle of the 20th century, when Western Electric Co., manufacturers of electrical equipment, occupied both the Merrimack Associates Building and the former Winchell Shoe Factory. Other occupants during the second half of the 20** century were involved in circuit-board assembly, electronics, supplies, and office space. Damon Brothers The career of architect C.

Willis Damon (1849-1916) meshes almost perfectly with Haverhill's greatest period of civic boosterism. Born in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, Damon graduated from the MIT School of Architecture in 1871 and joined his older brother, Charles Page Damon, at the Haverhill-based architecture practice in 1873; together, they operated as the Damon Brothers until the firm closed in 1915. C. W. Damon and his brother are responsible for numerous public, private, and industrial buildings in Haverhill. The MACRIS database lists C. Willis Damon and Damon Brothers as architects of eight shoe factories in Haverhill alone. A fire on February 17, 1882, destroyed ten acres of Haverhill's downtown. The surprisingly rapid reconstruction after the fire is notable as a coordination between C. Willis Damon and Josiah M. Littlefield, who together designed most of the Washington Street reconstruction.

The many commercial and industrial buildings of C. Willis Damon are a significant feature of Haverhill's downtown. He was involved in the design of municipal buildings, notably the Haverhill City Hall (1909). Damon was responsible for two schools in Haverhill, including the Romanesque Revival-style Peabody School (ca. 1895) at 170 Salem Street; now vacant, it was individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. His residential designs are characterized by Queen Anne-style massing and brick patterns. He also explored the Shingle Style in the residences he designed for Haverhill's elite in the Highlands section of the city. The latter include his own home, built in 1891 at 289 Mill Street. The Damon Brothers' work had enormous breadth and included the design of multi-family dwelling houses in the Acre district of Haverhill.

Examples include the Queen Anne-style Addison B. Jaques Double House (1887), 24-26 Cedar Street, and the Italianate-style Joel Butler House (1886) at 75 Auburn Street. Undoubtedly these and other dwellings provided housing for local shoe-industry workers. C. Willis Damon was also responsible for important buildings beyond Haverhill: for example, the Portsmouth Court House and the Tilton Seminary, both in New Hampshire. Recent Occupancy and Rehabilitation Beginning as a speculative industrial building, the Merrimack Associates Building appears to have been acquired by L.H. Hamel Leather Co. at a time when the company was in transition, becoming very involved in owning commercial/industrial real estate in Haverhill. The building continued to function as an industrial investment property through more than 40 years of Hamel-family ownership.

The building thus continued to attract various industrial, and later, office tenants to Haverhill's downtown through most of the 20th century. Its current owner acquired the building in 2005 from Frequency Devices; at that time, a local nonprofit organization also occupied space in the building. Rehabilitation of the building for use as loft-type apartments was completed in 2007. It currently contains 32 loft-type residential units, which are open flexible spaces, intended to attract artists and young tenants. (continued) NPS Form 10-900 (Rev. 10-90) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page 5 OMB Approval No.

1024-0018 Merrimack Associates Building Haverhill (Essex), MA Archaeological Significance Despite a long history of amateur and professional archaeology in Essex County, one of the higher site densities for counties in the state, and the location of Haverhill within the tidewater zone of the Merrimack River, patterns of ancient Native American settlement are poorly documented in the town. Any Native sites that survive in Haverhill could potentially be significant. Ancient sites in this area may contribute important information related to Native American subsistence and settlement activities in the Lower Merrimack River Valley, especially the downtown Haverhill locale between the confluence of the Little and Merrimack Rivers.

Recent study of artifact collections at the Haverhill Historical Society's Buttonwoods Museum have indicated the above area, which includes the nominated building, may be an important Native American core settlement area, possibly including ceremonial or burial functions. Any sites that survive on the Merrimack Associates Building property may contribute systematically controlled information to help better understand artifact collections from sites in the area. Native sites in the district may also contribute important information that indicates the role of the Merrimack River as a trade corridor with Native groups in more inland locales to the west. Historic archaeological resources described above may contribute important information related to Haverhill's settlement and industrial expansion during the 19t and 20" centuries.

Structural evidence from the 19*-century carriage manufactory, wheelwright shop, and later wagon storehouse may contribute important information related to 19t-century industrial architecture, transportation, and the manufacture of wagons and carriages. Additional historical research combined with archaeological testing may also determine whether the carriage manufactory and later large wagon store house arethe same building or ifthe wagon store house wasbuilt after the carriage manufactory was demolished. Structural evidence from outbuildings and detailed analysis of occupational-related features (trash pits, privies, wells) associated with the 19"-century manufactory and storehouse may contribute additional evidence of manufacturing activities conducted on the site, technologies in use, and products produced. (end) NPS Form 10-900 (Rev.

10-90) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 9 Page1 OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 Merrimack Associates Building Haverhill (Essex), MA 9. MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES City of Haverhill, Directories. 1911 - 1963. "Claims 450 Are Out," Boston Daily Globe, Jan. 2, 1913, p. 7. Damon, C. Willis and the Damon Brothers. Architectural Drawings.Public Drawings Collection, Massachusetts Historical Commission, 1890-1915. Essex County South District Registry of Deeds, Salem, MA. 2195/220; 3347/246; 3385/394; 8702/408; 11269/15 Insurance Maps of Haverhill, Massachusetts. Sanborn Map Company, New York, New York. 1886, 1906, 1944. National Register Nomination Form, Haverhill Board of Trade Building, 2005 National Register Nomination Form, Washington Street Shoe District, 1976. McDermott, Charles H.

A History of the Shoe and Leather Industry of the United States. Boston, 1913. O'Malley, Patricia Trainor and Paul H. Tedeso. A New England City: Haverhill, Massachusetts. Northridge, CA: Windsor Publication, 1987. Stone, Orra. History of Massachusetts Industries, Their Inception, Growth and Success. 4 vols. Boston: S.J. Clarke Publishers, 1930. "Timelines." A Comprehensive Historic-Preservation Plan for the City of Haverhill, Massachusetts. Unpublished Study. 2 Vols. Merrimack Associates Building Name of Property Essex, MA County, State 10. Geographical Data Acreage of Property - less than one acre UTM References See continuation sheet. (Place additional UTM references on a continuation sheet) 1. 19 Zone 329460 Easting 4737720 Northing 3. Zone Easting Northing 2. 4.

Zone Easting Northing Zone Easting Northing _ 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_Leslie Donovan, Rachael C.Nugent, Tremont Pres. Services, with Betsy Friedberg, MHC, NR Director organization Massachusetts Historical Commission _ dateApril 2009 street & number 220 Morrissey Boulevard telephone617-727-8470 city or town_ Boston stateMA _ zip code 02125 Additional Documentation Submit the following items with the completed form: Continuation Sheets 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- BC Haverhill Lofts LLC c/o Beacon Communities Development street & number 150 Federal Street, 5* fl. _telephone 617-574-1142 city or town Boston _state MA -zip code - 02110 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, NationalPark Service,P.0. 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 (Rev. 10-90) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 10 Page1 OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 Merrimack Associates Building Haverhill (Essex), MA 10.

GEOGRAPHICAL DATA Verbal Boundary Description One parcel of land situated in HA VERHILL in the County of Essex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, bounded and described as follows: WESTERLY by Locust Street, Sixty-Five (65) feet ; NORTHERLY by land now or formerly of Lucy, One Hundred Eleven (111) feet ; EASTERLY by land now or formerly of Haverhill Savings Bank, Sixty-Five (65) feet ; and SOUTHERLY by land of grantor, One Hundred Eleven (111) feet. Said premises are currently known as and numbered 21-25 Locust Street, Haverhill, Massachusetts. Boundary Justification The boundaries represent the lot associated with and originally acquired for the Merrimack Associates Building in 1913, and the current boundaries of the site have remained essentially the same since that date. NPS Form 10-900 (Rev.

10-90) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number_Photos Page1 OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 Merrimack Associates Building Haverhill (Essex), MA PHOTOGRAPHS Photographer: Leslie Donovan Date: 2008 1. West façade, looking east 2. Detail, entrance pavilion, facing southeast 3. 4. Southfaçade, facing north North façade, facing south 5 South, east (rear) façade, facing north 6. Interior: sample unit 7. Interior: front stairway 8. Interior: typical window treatment 9. 1905 view looking east Historic views, ca. 1944 (Haverhill Public Library) (end) CA. 1944 VIEW (HAVERHILL PUBLIC LIBRARY) CA. 1944 VIEW (HAVERHILL PUBLIC LIBRARY) BLLED 19 4

CLEMEN'S LUI Coca Cor UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: NOMINATION PROPERTY Merrimack Associates Building NAME: MULTIPLE NAME: STATE & COUNTY: MASSACHUSETTS, Essex DATE RECEIVED: DATE OF 16TH DAY: DATE OF WEEKLY LIST: 5/08/09 6/10/09 DATE OF PENDING LIST: DATE OF 45TH DAY: REFERENCE NUMBER: 09000436 5/26/09 6/21/09 REASONS FOR REVIEW: APPEAL: N DATA PROBLEM: N LANDSCAPE: N LESS THAN 50 YEARS: N OTHER : REQUEST: N PDIL: SAMPLE: N N PERIOD: N PROGRAM UNAPPROVED: SUR DRAFT: N NATIONAL: N N N COMMENT WAIVER: N V ACCEPT RETURN REJECT 6/7-09 DATE ABSTRACT/SUMMARY COMMENTS: Entered in The National Register of Historic Places RECOM./CRITERIA REVIEWER DISCIPLINE TELEPHONE DATE DOCUMENTATION see attached comments I/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.

EpSOl SO MERRIMACK ASSOCIATES BLDG. HAVERHILL (ESSEx) MA LESLIE DONOVAN plAto PHOTO 2 ENTRANCE PAVICION, facing SE EPSON SON CORDOVAN NOWRENTING 978.374.3744 TheCordovan.com ACNCNADTNTTNE MERRIMACK ASSOCIATES BLDG. HAVERHILC (ESSEX) MA LESCCE DONOVAN phOTO PHOrO 3 SOUTA FACADE, facing N PSON MERRIMACK ASSOCIATES BULLDING HAVERHILL (ESSEX) MA LESLIE DONOVAN phofo PHOTo 4 N FACADE, facing S EE EE CaRDS HAVE NOW REN 978.374 The Cordo NEW ERA MERRIMACK ASSOCIATES BLDG. HAVERHILL (ESSEX) MA LESLrE DONOVAN phOtO 5 SOUITH, BAST (REMR) FAcADeS, looking N MERRIMACK ASSOCIATES BLDG. HAVERHILL (ESSEX) MA LESLIE DONOVAN photo PHOTo 6 INTERIOR: sample UNIT INTEROR: typical window treatment EPSON MERRIMACK ASSOCS. BUDG.

HAVERHILL (ESSeX) MA 1905 VIEW LOOKING, EAST (HAVERIILL PUBLIC LIBRARY COLLECTION) PHOTO 9 NO April 30, 2009 The Commonwealth of Massachusetts William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth Massachusetts Historical CommiRECEIVED 2280 Mr. J. Paul Loether National Register of Historic Places Department of the Interior National Park Service 1201 Eye Street, NW, 8t floor Washington, DC 20005 MAY 0 8 2009 NAT. REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Dear Mr. Loether: Enclosed please find the following nomination form: Merrimack Associates Building, 25 Locust Street, Haverhill (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 properties were notified of pending State Review Board consideration 30 to 45 days before the meeting and were afforded the opportunity to comment. Sincerely, Betoy tredlng Betsy Friedberg National Register Director Massachusetts Historical Commission enclosure CC: Leslie Donovan, Tremont Preservation Services, consultant Beacon Communities Development James Fiorentini, Mayor, City of Haverhill Roy Wright, Haverhill Historical Commission William Pillsbury, Planning & Economic Development 220 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, Massachusetts 02125 (617) 727-8470 - Fax: (617) 727-5128 www.state.ma.us/sec/mhc