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 # 17186 - preliminary determination of individual listing (36 CFR 67) has been requested - previously listed in the National Register - previously determined eligible by the National Register _ designated a National Historic Landmark _ recorded by Historic American Buildings Survey - recorded by Historic American Engineering Record # Primary location of additional data: x Massachusetts Historical Commission/SHPO Other State agenc) - Federal agency X Local government: Springfield Bidg. Dept. - University x Other Name of repository: Connecticut Valley Historical Museum (Springfield, MA). 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 Calhoun Apartments Springfield (Hampden), MA Section number 8 Page 1 HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE The Calhoun Apartments block in Springfield, MA, is a four-story masonry apartment building that retains integrity of location, design, materials, setting, workmanship, feeling, and association. It meets vational Kegister Criterion A at the local level as a representative example of the modern multifamily housing that was erected in Springfield's streetcar neighborhoods in the early 20"* century. It also meets National Register Criterion Cat the local level as a well-preserved example of the work of James D. Long, a local architect and engineer. The Calhoun is a Classical Revival-style, multi family residential structure built in 1914.
The Calhoun meets National Register Criterion A for its association with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of Springfield history. As Springfield's central business district grew and prospered in the late 19" century, residential development radiated out from the city's core. Improved roadways and streetcar service made the North End a more accessible and desirable place to live, as single-family farmsteads and estates gave way to newly subdivided streets lined with two- and three- family wood-frame homes and masonry apartment blocks. The Calhoun was one of a number of bowfront, four-story, brick tenements that provided housing for clerical and industrial workers employed by downtown businesses.
The Calhoun's owners and tenants reflect Springfield's ethnic heritage, with first- and second-generation immigrants occupying the apartments throughout its history. The building's owners encompassed several immigrant groups, from Russian Jews to French-Canadians, to Italians, to Portuguese. The city's Jewish and Hispanic communities had the closest historical ties to the building. Built by a family of Russian Jewish immigrants and designed by a second-generation Irishman, for the first forty years of its existence the Calhoun provided income to a succession of members of Springfield's Jewish community. The Calhoun has links with significant persons and developments in Springfield's immigrant communities, particularly the city's Jewish and Hispanic communities, and so holds important associations with the city's 20" century growth.
In addition, the Calhoun meets Criterion C as a distinctive example of the work of a local architect (James D. Long) and local builders (Alpert family). The Alperts, a family of Russian Jewish contractors, constructed the building using designs by local architect James D. Long. The Calhoun is an example of the type of multi family residence that dominated Springfield's housing market through the early 20th century in response to both market demands and building safety concerns. It is the first of Long's buildings to be nominated to the National Register. Colonial & Federal Periods (1636 - 1840) In 1636, William Pynchon (1590-1662) led a group of English emigrants west from Roxbury, Massachusetts, to the Connecticut River Valley to exploit the area's potential for fur trading and to (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 Calhoun Apartments Springfield (Hampden), MA Section number 8 Page2 prevent Dutch settlement in the region. Settlement concentrated along what became Springfield's Main Street, which runs north-south and parallel to the river, with most early development occurring along the west side of the street, closer to the river. Springfield's strategic location on the Connecticut River midway between Boston and Albany was key to its later success as a center of trade and industry. During the Revolutionary War, Colonel Henry Knox selected Springfield as "the best place in all the four New England States for a laboratory, cannon foundry, etc." (cited in Rettig and Shedd, 1974).
A militia training field site was chosen, on a broad plain overlooking the town, and construction of the Springfield Arsenal [NHL] began in 1778 with a magazine, barracks, and ordnnce laboratories. In 1794, the Springfield Arsenal became a National Armory by an act of Congress. As in many communities, less desirable institutional development in Springfield was pushed to the edge of the village. In 1802, the town's Poor House Farm was sited between North Main Street and North Street, to the north side of the future Jefferson Avenue and near the present location of Calhoun Park. Springfield's population grew steadily from 1,574 in 1790, just a few years before the Armory's establishment, to 2,312 in 1800, to 2,767 in 1810 - an increase of nearly 75% over twenty years.
Springfield's growing significance as a commercial center was formally recognized in 1812, when Springfield became the shire town of the newly formed Hampden County. By 1820, Springfield had become a thriving manufacturing community with a population of 3,914. According to the census, about 58% of the population was engaged in industrial work, whether at the Armory or in home-based industries. Armory workers brought religious and ethnic diversity, as newcomers arrived to work in the new factory. New residents in the predominately Congregationalist community included Baptists, Methodists, Universalists, and Roman Catholics. Downtown development progressed rapidly during the early 19t century. The North End, however, was still a large expanse of rural land and scattered farms.
The present Jefferson Avenue was originally a short jog where North Street curved east to meet Springfield Street (which later became a northern extension of Chestnut Street) before the road headed northeast into Cabotville (Chicopee Center). Early Industrial Period (1840 - 1870) By the 1840s and 1850s, Springfield's location along the Connecticut River midway between Boston and Albany made it a crossroads community for New England. Railroads came to Springfield fairly early, with the Western Railroad (later the Boston & Albany) linking Boston and Albany in 1839 and the Connecticut Valley Railroad (later the Hartford & Springfield Railroad, then the Boston & Maine) running north and south in 1844. The two railroads ensured the area's prosperity. Springfield was on its way to becoming a vital and bustling town. The town's population jumped to 10,985 in 1840.
(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 Calhoun Apartments Springfield (Hampden), MA Section number 8 Page 3 Springfield continued to grow, reaching a population of 11,766 by 1850. The town retained an industrial and mercantile center that attracted many levels of workers, from unskilled laborers to educated professionals. By 1850, the central business district had a public reservoir and sewer system and gas lighting. Springfield began to perceive itself, not as a town, but as a city. In 1852, the perception became reality when the community obtained a city charter. Prior to the Civil War, the bulk of development in Springfield took place south of the Boston & Albany Railroad tracks.
By the mid 19" century, some of the farmland in the North End was converted to suburban estates by successful professionals, merchants, and businessmen who constructed stylish homes on large lots. The Civil War was a time of growth and prosperity for Springfield. The new city's population had reached 15,199 by 1860 and continued to grow through the war years. The Armory expanded during the war, manufacturing the famous Springfield rifle. The Springfield Daily Republican noted substantial additions to the Armory that year (Springfield Daily Republican, 8 Nov 1862, p. 4). Production increased from 1,000 guns per month in 1861 to 1,000 per day in 1864. Approximately 3,400 employees, nearly ne- quarter of Springfield's workforce, worked around the clock at the Armory to keep up with orders.
Vacant lots surrounding downtown Springfield were the focus of new development after the Civil War, and new streets were finally planned in the North End. Calhoun Street, one block north of Jefferson Avenue, was the northern boundary for this new web of development. After the Civil War, the Springfield Armory cut back its workforce greatly, keeping only skilled workers. However, the manufactory was still quite busy. In the private sector, manufacturers scrambled to transfer production from military products to other goods. Companies like Smith & Wesson (small arms) and the Wason Car Company (railroad cars) became leading employers in the postwar city. Banking, insurance, and publishing were also significant employers, with the Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company and Merriam-Webster taking the lead.
Late Industrial Period (1870 - 1900) By 1870, development in Springfield was increasingly dense, with construction extending east of the Armory and fanning out from the city center. In spite of fears of postwar stagnation, Springfield's population continued to grow, reaching 26,703 in 1870. Residential development throughout the city intensified through the 1870s and 1880s as developers saw opportunities in the North End when streetcar lines were laid out on Main, Dwight, and Chestnut streets. By 1875, Jefferson Avenue had been laid out on the south side of the former City Farm property. The proposed street was to be a broad avenue with homes set back from the road by a wide grassy treebelt (see 1875 bird's-eye view). In the 1880s and 1890s, the old City Farm was subdivided, with some lots sold off for private development.
The population increased steadily from 33,340 residents in 1880 to 44,179 in 1890. Developable land near thecity center was snatched up almost as soon as it became available. (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 Calhoun Apartments Springfield (Hampden), MA Section number 8 Page_ 4 Transportation and transportation-related industries supported the late 19"-century development of the North End. Springfield's position at a major railroad juncture made it an ideal site for the manufacture of railroad cars. The Wason Car Manufacturing Company, founded in 1845, exploited an international market for both passenger and freight cars ranging from the utilitarian to the luxurious.
At its peak, the company employed 700 workers at a sixteen-acre riverfront site in the North End. Real estate developers recognized the opportunity to make a profit building homes for Wason plant employees. Changes in local transportation also fostered the rapid expansion of the North End in the late 19'h century. In 1868, the Springfield Street Railway was organized and became a major force in enabling suburban development. The railway's first stables were sited on the corner of Main and Hooker Streets, in the North End. Within a few years, streetcar lines connected Springfield neighborhoods to downtown and to surrounding communities, allowing workers greater opportunities for employment, shopping, and entertainment outside their immediate neighborhood. When the street railway was electrified in 1900, the company had 400 employees and 68 miles of track.
The Railway Company's facilities expanded, becoming one of the North End's major employers. By 1897, the Springfield Street Railway facility was at its peak of prosperity and streetcar access along Main, Dwight, and Chestnut streets increased themarketability of house lots in the North End. The mid to late 19* century brought a number of new ethnic groups to Springfield, including French- Canadians, Germans, Italians, Swedes, Greeks, Poles, Russians, and other Eastern Europeans, in addition to the Irish immigrants alreadythere;manyofthe new residents settled in the North End. By 1870, the North End's Irish community had grown to such an extent that the newly formed Springfield Diocese contemplated organizing a new parish there.
Bishop Patrick O'Reilly commented that a new parish was needed for "the fast-growing section north of the railroad where many Irish families made their home..." (Cited by Burns, 1976, p. 21). By 1885, nearly one third of Springfield's Irish residents lived in the North End. In the 1870s, French-Canadian immigration to the Springfield area surged as new immigrants took advantage of employment opportunities. In the 1910s and 1920s, the neighborhood had a French- Canadian community large enough to vote one of their own, Emile J. Erard, into office on the City Council (The French and French-Canadian Community, pp. 25-30). Springfield had a small population of German Jews who had emigrated in the mid 19" century. From 1870 to the early 1900s, however, Russian Jews fleeing pogroms began to form a significant population in Springfield.
In 1883, a small community of Jewish peddlers settled in the North End on Liberty Street. The community grew slowly along side streets just north of the Boston & Albany Railroad lines. Henry Glickman, who operated a grocery store, developed some of the North End's first apartment blocks (Schatz, Jewish Community, pp 3-8). (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 Calhoun Apartments Springfield (Hampden), MA Section number 8 Page 5 Around 1885, Eleftherios Pilalas, Springfield's first documented Greek resident, settled on Calhoun Street in the North End. Pilalas got his first job at the Kibbe Candy Company and subsequently helped many of his compatriots get jobs at the factory. A second influx of Greeks arrived around 1905.
Between 1885 and 1895, Springfield's Polish population rose from eight individuals to 246. This new ethnic group settled in Indian Orchard and the North End. By 1915, Springfield had about 5,000 Polish residents distributed between the two neighborhoods. In the North End, while private funds constructed new homes and businesses, public funds provided amenities for the new residents.
In 1883, the city's first Board of Park Commissioners proposed a new park in the North End and suggested squaring off the corner of North Street (now Dwight Street) at Jefferson Avenue and creating a park on a portion of the almshouse site: We would...recommend that North street be extended from a point near the site of the former almshouse, in a line nearly parallel with Chestnut street, to Calhoun street, and that the land which will then lie between North street on the west, and Chestnut street on the east, and between Calhoun street on the north, and Jefferson avenue on the south, be set apart as a public square or park.
This will comprise about two and one-half acres of land which the city now owns, and nothing need be expended for improvements at present unless it should be thought best to do some filling and tree-setting, which could be done at small cost." (Springfield Municipal Register, 1884, p. 234) The new park was named after William Calhoun, who was mayor of Springfield in 1859, and served in both the Massachusetts and United States legislatures. By the turn of the 20th century, the area around Calhoun Park included schools, churches, and charitable institutions, and two hospitals. The late 19" and early 20" centuries were times of increasing industrial and commercial growth in Springfield. As downtown businesses prospered, the market grew for multifamily housing for clerical and retail workers in and adjacent to the downtown area.
To meet this demand, developers began to replace many older single- and two-family homes with large brick apartment blocks of eight or more units. Over the next 35 years, development density increased, until by 1930, four- and five-story apartment buildings were a common feature of the city's built environment. While the northwestern corner of the future Calhoun parcel was in city hands, the southern portion of the parcel was one of a large number of lots owned by Samuel Ames (1822-1889), a prosperous merchant in the wholesale produce and provision business. Samuel's son, Robert Ames, purchased a portion of the lot from his brother James for $1,000 in 1891. A month later, Robert Ames bought the northwestern portion of the Calhoun parcel from the city for $2,600.
The city placed the following restrictions on the parcel: no house could be built less than ten feet from Jefferson Avenue, and no house of a value lower than $3,000 could be built. It appears that the city wanted to encourage middle-class suburban development along the new avenue. (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 Calhoun Apartments Springfield (Hampden), MA Section number 8 Page6 Robert P. M. Ames went to Springfield public schools, then entered Jefferson Medical College, graduating in 1880. Over the next ten years, he served in a number of posts as a surgeon for the Marine Hospital Service. He retired from the service in 1889 as an assistant surgeon with the rank of captain.
In 1890, Ames returned to Springfield and opened an office as a general practitioner in the Cooley House Block. In 1892, using Springfield architect George R. Pyne (1853-1911) as an intermediary, Ames conveyed the property, along with three other tracts of land, to his wife, Mary Benson Ames. Between 1892 and 1896, a wooden single-family home was constructed on the northeast corner of the property. By 1899, the portion of the lot containing this house was sold to William Clogston. Mary Ames retained a large, undeveloped, L-shaped parcel that wrapped around the North Street/Jefferson Avenue corner, the eventual location of the Calhoun Apartments. Early Modern Period (1900 - 1930) By 1900, Springfield's population had reached 62,059.
The city boasted a diverse industrial and commercial base with more than 500 manufacturing plants, twelve banks, three insurance companies, a prosperous central business district, more than 30 schools and churches, three daily and eight weekly newspapers (Bauer 1975, p. 8). Trolley lines crisscrossed the city, allowing suburban commuters easy access to downtown jobs. While developers built single- and two-family homes in suburban neighborhoods, the density of residential development in the center of the city increased rapidly (D'Amato 1985, pp. 138-139). From 1900 to 1910, building activity climbed in Springfield. In its annual building reports, the Springfield Republican noted that building activity had increased by $1 million or more each year from 1904 to 1910 (Springfield Republican, Jan 1, 1911, p. 6-7). Factories were expanding and downtown businesses prospered, creating new jobs.
The Republican touted 1906 as a "banner year" for construction (Springfield Republican, Dec 31, 1906, p. 9). In 1908, development continued to hold steady, in spite of a brief business depression (Springfield Republican, Dec 28, 1908, p. 6). Even though rents rose, vacancy rates remained low. The grocery stores, retailers, and service businesses crowding the North End catered to the neighborhood's varied ethnic groups. Many new apartment buildings included first-floor retail space, and a number of homeowners converted their first floors or added street-level shops to the fronts of their buildings. In 1913, the Springfield Republican tried to capture the flavor of the North End's shops: It is hard to speak of this section of the city without constant reference to its picturesque element, for it is upon this quality that its reputation has been chiefly built in the past.
It comprises a city within a city in its customs, its religion, its people and its business, and its thoroughfares are as widely separated from the ordinary shopping streets as are the ends of the earth. Few people will forget the sight of crowds of women shopping, shawls (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 Calhoun Apartments Springfield (Hampden), MA Section number 8 Page7 over heads and perhaps a canvas sack in hand to take home the chicken and vegetables which are to form the evening's meal (Cited by Schatz, Jewish Community, 1976, p. 18). In 1909, the Republican reported $5,303,435 in new construction citywide. The newspaper attributed this to the adoption of a new building code, which was to go into effect in 1910.
Builders hoped to beat new fire codes, which they expected would increase construction costs. The newspaper noted rapid industrial growth accompanied by population increases of 2,000 a year over the past ten years. In 1910, the city's population reached 88,926. In 1909, many Springfield industries enlarged their plants - U.S. Envelope and Powers Paper Company, Hendee Manufacturing, and the Knox Automobile plant were a few of the firms that expanded. The electric, gas, and telephone companies also made additions to their plants in response to the increased demands on utility services made by growing industries and new residents (Springfield Republican, Jan 2, 1910, p. 10-11). To accommodate the new workers, developers constructed 97 apartment blocks of four or more units in 1909 -- double the number built in 1908.
The newspaper noted, "The class of tenants that prefers this sort of habitation [i.e., the new apartment blocks] is not the one that has many children." (Springfield Republican, Jan 2, 1910, p. 10-11). Census records confirm this trend: many of the households who rented new apartments in the North End were small -- usually two or three individuals. The new tenants tended to be factory workers and retail and clerical workers employed in downtown shops and offices. Growth continued through 1910, with many downtown improvements and factory expansions. From 1907 to 1910, there had been over $15,000,000 in new construction, making up one-sixth of the assessors' valuation for the city. Growth continued steady from 1911 through 1916, with low vacancy rates and high wages (Springfield Republican, Dec 31, 1911, p. 17; Dec 29, 1912, p. 17-20; Dec 31, 1916, p. 2-3).
With little open land available in the city's center, new apartment blocks replaced older, smaller homes that had been built in the 19" century. In the North End, vacant lots were quickly snatched up for new development. Four-story brick apartment blocks were becoming the most popular new multi family structures, enabling builders to increase the density of developments by building up and maximizing lot coverage. The Springfield newspapers endorsed the replacement of "out-of-date" buildings with new modern apartments as a sign of much-needed progress, but also noted that new development was drastically altering the nature of Springfield's neighborhoods. In1914, new construction in Springfield nearly surpassed the 1912 record.
The Springfield Sunday Republican reported: "If War had not entered as an influencing factor all past records might have been eclipsed." Total construction exceeded five million dollars, with "an amazing boom in the building of apartment and tenement houses." Although industrial and commercial construction had been sluggish, $1.5 million was spent on the construction of new apartment blocks. (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 Calhoun Apartments Springfield (Hampden), MA Section number 8 Page 8 In anticipation of a revised building code, which was expected to pass the next year, builders concentrated on masonry apartment blocks. Building Commissioner Fred Lumis was credited with setting high standards for new construction.
Sixty-three apartment blocks and fourteen combination retail/residential buildings were completed that year. Seventy-seven permits were issued for buildings of six or more units. Springfield led all other western New England cities in construction activity for the year, including Hartford, New Haven, and Bridgeport, CT. The newspaper paid particular attention to developments on North (Dwight) Street: "North St...is becoming a tenement-house street, and almost every side street in the North End has its share of tenement-houses" (Springfield Sunday Republican, Dec 27, 1914, p. 14). In 1915, a new building code was adopted in an attempt to improve fire safety. The new code prohibited the construction of wood-frame three deckers.
The four-story brick tenements that had become popular during the first decade of the century were seen as providing better natural light and ventilation and more fireproof construction than their wooden predecessors. Blocks like the Calhoun became the norm for new multifamily construction. City efforts to control and guide new development culminated in the creation of a 1922 zoning ordinance, which was followed the next year by a master plan that set guidelines and goals for future growth. "Springfield is growing faster than any other city in Massachusetts," the report noted.
"Several hundred subdivision plats have been laid out during the last fifty years mostly with streets that do not connect, streets of all widths and kinds, and blocks and lots of the greatest variety." Public garages and factories were located in residential neighborhoods and multi family tenements grew up side-by-side with single- and two-family houses - a situation typified by North (Dwight) Street. "Large buildings have been springing up amongst groups of low buildings, cutting off their light and air," the report lamented. Planners recommended widening several streets and extending Dwight Street north to connect with North Street (Springfield Planning Board, A City Plan for Springfield, 1923, pp. 14-15). In 1926, the extension of Dwight Street was completed, and North Streetofficially became part of Dwight. The addresses were renumbered to reflect the change.
By the 1920s, Calhoun Park needed sprucing up, and a safe play area for children was needed in a neighborhood that had become so densely settled over the past few decades. In 1926, a plan was laid out to renovate the park by filling in the central pond, adding landscaping, and improving play areas. The Springfield Union described the plan by landscape architect Herbert Wallace Headle to "remove the ugly barrenness of the present playground" by creating a central play area surrounded by trees, flowering shrubs, and flower beds to make "a pleasure spot for young and old alike." Plans were made to create a skating rink in the winter by flooding the center of the park (Springfield Sunday Union, Jun 27, 1926). In 1927, the park was reopened. Shrubs and flowers had been planted and new turf laid.
A six-foot-tall wire fence enclosed the play area, with vines planted to camouflage the fence (Springfield Union, May 31, 1927). (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 Calhoun Apartments Springfield (Hampden), MA Section number The Calhoun Apartments Page 9 In 1909, Mary Ames sold the North Street/Jefferson Avenue parcel to Chicopee fuel dealer Charles C. Abbey (1853-1919), the owner of the Springfield Coal and Wood Company. In addition to his fuel business, Abbey developed a number of streets in Springfield and Chicopee. Abbey also served as director of the Springfield National Bank, president of Chicopee Co-Operative sals "Wellknola redley Savniers Bantuary das diariles C.
Ftbeya, Spral Steld Compinny rich,May 26 'alls ("Well-known realty owner 1919, p.1). Over the next year, Abbey developed the southern portion of the lot along North Street with three closely spaced, wood-frame, three-story, multifamily dwellings (no longer extant). As Springfield's Jewish community prospered, successful merchants and businessmen began to invest in real estate. A family of Russian Jewish immigrants developed the remaining corner of the North/Jefferson Street parcel in 1914. In 1906, Michael Alpert, a Russian Jew, immigrated to the United States and by 1911, he had saved enough to send for his wife Mary and his two children. He settled in Springfield as a general contractor and builder. Carpenters Hyman and Max Alpert (relationship unknown) arrived in America in 1908.
Together with Nathan Alpert and carpenter Morris Alpert, they formed Home Realty Trust to develop real estate in the city. Michael served as president, Hyman as vice president in 1914, and Nathan as vice president in 1915. Another Russian Jew, mason and building contractor Max Ratner completed the partnership. In February 1914, they purchased the vacant land at the corner of North Street and Jefferson Avenue. Abbey added one more restriction to those placed on the property by the city; the new buyers could not build within ten feet of the property which Abbey retained (the southern parcel with the three wood-frame multifamily dwellings). The Alperts hired James D. Long to design the brick multifamily tenement that they built at 1391-1399 North (Dwight) Street.
The son of an Irish immigrant, Long listed himself in Springfield city directories as an architect and mechanical engineer for only three years. He was only twenty-four years old when the Alperts hired him to build the Calhoun. Before 1914 and after 1918, he is listed as a draftsman or teacher. In 1919, Long went to work for local manufacturer American Bosch. Four years later, he became a drafting and cabinetry teacher at Springfield's Vocational School, where he taught until about 1944. By 1935, Long had moved out of Springfield, commuting to his job from a house in Brimfield. Given the combined construction experience of the Alperts and Max Ratner, it is likely that they did the actual construction, although no builder is listed on the building permit. The total cost of the project was $27,000.
Long followed trends in Springfield multifamily construction by designing a four-story, Classical- Revival, bow front, brick apartment block. This was becoming the most popular mode of construction for (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 Calhoun Apartments Springfield (Hampden), MA Section number 8 Page10 new urban residential buildings. Construction was completed in November 1914, and the building was christened the "Calhoun" after the nearby park. Trimmed with local brownstone, the yellow-brick Calhoun was the only masonry apartment building fronting on the park until the conversion of the nearby Jefferson Avenue School in 1988. The new building included fourteen apartments and two stores.
The first commercial tenants were Jacob and Anna Nadich, Russian Jews who had been brought to America by their parents in the 1880s. (Jacob arrived in 1880, Anna in 1882.) According to their lease, the Nadiches ran a "grocery, fruit, stationery, tobacco, and soda store" in the ground floor of the building. From 1916 to 1920, the Nadiches rented an apartment in the new building along with their retail space. The other shop was rented by hairdresser Katherine Kennedy. The first residential tenants were a mixture of working-class residents, including teachers, Springfield Street Railway employees, factory workers, and shop clerks. Most worked at nearby downtown businesses within walking distance or a short trolley ride of their home. Last names reveal an ethnic mix of Irish, Eastern European, and French Canadian, along with a few Yankee names.
Besides the Nadiches, two business proprietors rented apartments in the Calhoun: Harry L. Berman, partner in the hardware and paint business Berman & Cohen, and Haskell Frank, partner with Barnett Frank in the Frank Brothers Paper Company. The Alperts did not retain their new building for very long. It was not even completed before they sold it to Jacob Magaziner (1880-1967), another Russian Jewish immigrant who ran a string of successful bakeries in Springfield. Magaziner opened his first bakery in 1912 had built the operation into one of the largest in the region. He had a flour brokerage and bakery supply business on Chestnut Street, and two bakeries, one on North (Dwight) Street and one on Chestnut.
He advertised his bakery as a model business, the "Largest Daylight Bakery in New England." The Magaziner Bakery continued to operate after its founder's departure in 1944; it remained a Springfield institution until it closed in 1981. After selling the Calhoun, Michael Alpert went on to run a hardware business, Morris founded Springfield Sash and Glass Company, and Nathan became a peddler. Hyman Alpert and Max Ratner continued in the construction trades. In 1918, Jacob Magaziner sold the Calhoun to scrap metal dealer Lisle I. Alport (1876-1956). Alport was a Russian Jew who immigrated to the United States in 1890. He started out as a junk dealer and eventually moved up to the scrap metal and iron trade, operating a scrap yard on Union Street. He prospered enough to become involved in property management and real estate.
By the 1940s, he was operating a real estate business as well as the metal yard. By 1920, Springfield's population had passed the 100,000 mark, reaching 129,614. Census records from 1920 continue to show a mixture of ethnic groups living at the Calhoun. Although most residents were (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 Calhoun Apartments Springfield (Hampden), MA Section number 8 Page11 born in the United States, nearly all has immigrant parents. Irish, French-Canadian, Russian, German, Swedish, and Austrian heritage were all represented by the building's tenants. Residents were primarily young families; only one resident was over forty years old, and only two apartments were rented by single tenants.
Eight of the thirteen households included one or two children; with Jefferson Avenue School right next door and Chestnut, Lincoln, and Carew Street Schools not far away, and a park across the street, Jefferson Avenue was a good neighborhood for young families. The Calhoun provided affordable housing for families who could not yet buy their own homes. Clerical and blue-collar workers predominated, although there was one attorney in residence. Late Modern Period (1930 - 1958) With the Great Depression, construction stalled throughout the city and many industries cut back their workforce. The city's population, which had trended upward throughout its history, saw its first decline, slipping to 149,554 by 1940. By the 1930s, the North End's identity had been well established as a mixed ethnic neighborhood.
Multifamily housing predominated, whether in the form of buildings specifically designed for apartments, or as old single-family homes converted to accommodate multiple dwelling units. When World War Il military production revived Springfield's manufacturers, the city began to pull out of the Depression. The Armory went into round-the-clock production, as did many of the city's other manufacturers. Companies that geared up or converted their facilities for wartime production included Indian Motocycle, Smith & Wesson, Van Norman Machine & Tool, American Bosch, Westinghouse, Monsanto, and Chapman Valve. After World War II, Springfield's population shifted toward new suburban developments in the eastern sections of the city.
As in many cities during the 1950s and 1960s, Springfield's industrial base was declining, with established manufacturing firms leaving town or shutting down altogether. The closing of the Armory in 1968 took away Springfield's third largest employer, leaving more than 3,000 workers unemployed The Jewish, Irish, French-Canadian, and Polish residents in the North End gradually dispersed to more suburban neighborhoods, leaving the North End's tenements and duplexes for a new generation of immigrants. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, a new wave of immigrants began arriving in Springfield. Puerto Ricans seeking manufacturing jobs in Springfield businesses and agricultural jobs in surrounding towns began moving to the city. Like many other immigrants, a large number found their first homes in Springfield's North End. (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 Calhoun Apartments Springfield (Hampden), MA Section number Page12 In 1950, about six percent of the North End's population was Hispanic (Urban Renewal Progress Report). This figure was to increase rapidly over the next few decades. By 1980, the number of Hispanic residents in the city overall had surpassed all other ethnic groups. Tenancy at the Calhoun reflected this trend. As early as 1947, the North End had become the target of proposals for clearance and rebuilding.
A 13 May 1947 Springfield Union article spoke of clearing the North End between Liberty Street and Morgan Street down to Columbus Avenue "of its present accumulation of old time, passé buildings of all types and substituting modern multiple housing." Planners at first hoped to keep new development concentrated near the city center, especially with the need for inexpensive new homes for returning Gls. Suburban subdivision development was criticized as being an expensive and inefficient use of city services. "The housing problem is now being met largely by erection of clusters of small cottages in more or less isolated areas of the city which will entail sometimes very heavy expenditures upon the city to lay the necessary water and sewer mains" (Springfield Union, May 13, 1947).
The Calhoun Apartments The residential mix at the Calhoun shifted slightly in 1930 with the addition of two Greek families. Perhaps because the recent financial crash made it more difficult for families to afford their own houses, family sizes at the Calhoun were larger, with some households including as many as four children. The tenants also included a few retirees. With the exception of one physician, who kept both his office and apartment at the Calhoun, residents continued to be primarily blue collar or clerical workers, usually employed by downtown or North End businesses. As in the 1920s, most residents were either first- or second-generation immigrant families. In the postwar years, the Calhoun went through a quick succession of owners, with few retaining the property for more than a year. In 1945, Lisle Alport sold the Calhoun to his brother-in-law Mandell Gutfarb.
That same day, Gutfarb turned theproperty over to his in-laws Albert and Libby Gutfarb Raffeld. Albert Raffeld (1893-1980) immigrated to the United States from Poland, moving to Springfield around 1930. Raffeld held a number of leadership positions in the Jewish community, including president of the Henry Lasker Lodge of B'nai B'rith, Western Massachusetts chapter of the Zionist Organization of America, and Kodimoh Synagogue Men's Club, and director of the United Hebrew School and Jewish Community Center. In 1973, he retired to Florida. The Raffelds held the property for barely a year before selling it to Morris Bennett, along with a parcel of landat Fort Pleasant and Warner Streets in the ForestPark area and one on Bancroft and Calhoun Streets, not far from the Calhoun. Bennett ran the Springfield Wrecking Company.
In March 1947, Bennett sold the three parcels to Welly and Emma Roy, who quickly sold them to Luigi Fresia (1895-1979). In 1948, (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 Calhoun Apartments Springfield (Hampden), MA Section number 8 Page 13 Luigi Fresia turned the property over to Tullio A. Francesconi (1911-1988) and Joseph R. Dragone (1916- 1996) of Pittsfield, doing business as Cavalier Realty. Born in Pittsfield to Italian immigrant parents, Dragone made a name for himself as a real estate developer and public servant in both Pittsfield and Springfield. Dragone moved to Springfield in 1958. His public career included service as a commissioner for the state Transportation Board under Governors Foster Furcolo, Endicott Peabody, and John A.
Volpe, as executive director of the Massachusetts Tramway Authority, and as a land appraiser for the U.S. Department of the Interior. He also ran for mayor when he lived in Pittsfield, and served as president of the Berkshire County Real Estate Board. Dragone developed residential and resort properties in the Berkshires and in Maine, and was a joint venturer in the Las Vegas MGM Grand Hotels. Toward the end of his career, he became known as an advocate for legalized gambling in Massachusetts, and worked as a consultant on a number of proposals to bring casino gambling into the state (Valley Advocate, Feb 20, 1980, p. 10). Tullio Francesconi was an Italian immigrant who came to America with his family in 1924. He grew up in the predominantly Italian South End of Springfield. A graduate of Technical High School, Francesconi became a lawyer in 1940.
He served in the Navy during World War II. Upon his return, he served on several city boards, including the Police Commission, Board of Public Works, and Planning Board, and made a living as a lawyer and real estate investor in partnership with Joseph Dragone. In 1967, Francesconi received the award of "Cavaliere" from the Italian government for his "outstanding spirit of cooperation and solidarity with the need and activities of the Italian community of this City." He was cited as "an example of an Italian-American citizen to be imitated." ("Francesconi Is Honored By Italian Government" Springfield Union, Dec 13, 1967) In 1970, he was appointed as Juvenile Court Judge, and was praised by his colleagues as "discerning, fair, objective and a good listener" ("Juvenile Judge Seen Fair, Firm," Springfield Union, Jan 3, 1970).
Recent History (since 1958) Springfield developed a new Master Plan in 1955, partly in response to the Federal Housing Act of 1949, and partly in anticipation of the passage of the highway legislation and construction of the Massachusetts Turnpike (1-90) and Interstates 91 and 291. Planners saw an opportunity to "eliminate deteriorating conditions, improve neighborhoods, produce new tax ratables and provide opportunities for new housing, commercial and industrial development" (Cited in Bauer, p. 133). Planners accepted the inevitability of suburban growth and noted deteriorating housing conditions in the city's older neighborhoods. Because the North End had the largest concentration of substandard housing, the plan set priorities for overhauling the neighborhood.
Property surveys conducted for the urban renewal project found that most of the housing in the neighborhood consisted of two- and three-story wood-frame homes. Ninety-one residential buildings were four-story masonry structures of a type similar to the Calhoun; about a quarter of those had more than (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 Calhoun Apartments Springfield (Hampden), MA Section number 8 Page 14 twelve units. Businesses of various kinds were intermixed throughout the neighborhood. The survey found 172 retail businesses, 52 service businesses, 77 wholesale businesses, and 72 industrial concerns.
A survey of residential properties in the North End found that more than half of the structures were "substandard." According to a 1958 Urban Renewal Progress Report, housing "lacks basic heating and sanitary facilities. Schools are ancient and obsolete. Streets are narrow and congested. Business and industry cause noise, odor, unsightliness and congestion in and near residential sections. Private capital is unwilling or unable to risk investment in the area." The mixture of residential and business use throughout the neighborhood was seen as a "major blighting factor." The urban renewal plan also recommended replacement of all the schools in the area and creation of more parks (Urban Renewal Progress Report, pp 4-7). Springfield's economic base continued to erode, and the city lost business and population to surrounding suburban towns.
From a peak of 174,463 in 1960, the city's population declined steadily over the next two decades, to 163,905 in 1970 and 152,319 in 1980. Since 1980, population has stabilized somewhat, fluctuating between 151,000 and 157,000. During the 1970s, a growing historic preservation movement caused Springfield civic and business leaders to recognize the importance of the city's architectural history. In the North End, historic preservation was less of a concern than overcoming the devastating effects of highway construction and urban renewal. In spite of urban renewal's promises of a revitalized city, by the 1970s, neglect, vandalism, and arson had caused serious damage to many urban neighborhoods, including the North End.
Because promised improvements were slow to take place, neighborhood residents began to view urban renewal as a plan to systematically destroy Springfield's Hispanic community. Racial and ethnic tensions complicated matters, setting neighborhood residents against Springfield police and government officials. Two shootings of North End residents by police in 1975 sparked a series of riots that resulted in the firebombing of a number of buildings between Jefferson Avenue and Hebron Street. The Calhoun was one of the few buildings on that section of Dwight Street to escape destruction. In 1974, the Jefferson-Brookline urban renewal plan and a 1976 amendment to that plan targeted the area bounded by Jefferson and Brookline Avenues and Chestnut and Dwight Streets for the construction of new two-family homes.
Nearly all of Allendale Street and the north side of Hebron Street were developed as the Bel-Air Homes project. The 1983-1984 Dwight Street plan involved construction of twelve new homes between Church and Bancroft Streets. Some new construction projects, such as the building of modular ranch-style homes, were not always visually compatible with the neighborhood's historic housing (Springfield Planning Department, Memorial Square Neighborhood Statistics). Perhaps because it had survived the 1975 fires and remained occupied, the Calhoun was spared demolition. (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 Calhoun Apartments Springfield (Hampden), MA Section number 8 Page _ Springfield's Hispanic community currently accounts for the majority of the North End's population. According to the 1990 census, 81% of the Memorial Square neighborhood's population was Hispanic, the largest percentage in the city. The median income for the neighborhood was the lowest in the city, with high unemployment continuing to be a problem. Homeownership was low, and 72% of the residential properties had absentee landlords; more than half of those were subsidized developers like BDC or the Springfield Housing Authority. Forty-eight substandard structures were identified, including eighteen multifamily buildings containing 156 units, or 15% of the neighborhood's dwelling units (Springfield Planning Department.
Memorial Square Neighborhood Statistics). While promotion of new commercial development is seen as key to the city's economic success, the need for affordable housing has also been identified as a critical issue for Springfield. Construction of new multifamily housing units declined significantly over the past twenty years, from 588 new units in 1987 to a low of only four units permitted in 2000. At the same time, average rents have risen, so that by 2004, 29.4 % of households were spending half or more of their income on rent (Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, pp 68-77). This ongoing crisis in affordable rental housing has created a critical need for new rental units for low- and moderate-income tenants, particularly in poorer neighborhoods like Memorial Square.
The Calhoun Apartments While the North End was in the midst of urban renewal, the Calhoun's ownership, by contrast, was relatively stable, with only two changes in ownership over the course of thirty years. Cavalier Realty held the property for four years before selling to Bradford R. (1916-1987) and Mabel F. Collins (1921-1992) in 1952. Collins was the first American-born owner of the Calhoun; his parents and grandparents were born in Massachusetts. Bradford transferred his interest in the property to his wife in 1958. A resident of West Springfield, Bradford Collins was a real estate broker in Springfield for Trevallian Real Estate. During the 1960s and 1970s, Collins ran the Western Massachusetts Mortgage Services Company in West Springfield, along with his real estate office. In 1963, Mabel Collins sold the Calhoun to Virginia and Abel Gomes (1926-2005) of Chicopee Falls.
They sold the property in 1964 to Harvey W. and Lorraine C. Moses of West Springfield. In the 1960s, Harvey Moses was an agent for Prudential Insurance. By the 1980s, Moses was working as a salesman for Harold Kent Ford in Chicopee, while Lorraine was driving a bus for the city of Springfield. Moses and his wife held the property for nearly twenty years. In 1982, the Calhoun became home to the Jefferson Market, a neighborhood grocery store run by Benjamin Ramos (1924-2004), a prominent leader in the Puerto Rican community. Born in Puerto Rico, Ramos moved to New York City, then to Springfield in 1968. Ramos was a community activist, President of the New North Citizens' Council from 1985 to 1993, Chairman of the Ward 1 Democratic Committee, Police Commissioner, and Springfield's first Latino Fire Commissioner. (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 Calhoun Apartments Springfield (Hampden), MA Section number 8 Page16 Ramos coordinated local Hispanic support for a number of state and national political campaigns, and was a founding member of many of the city's public service and political organizations, including the Spanish American Union, Western Massachusetts Political Action Committee, Western Massachusetts Latino Chamber of Commerce, and North End Educational Development Fund.
At his death, Ramos was lauded by both local and state officials: "He's the one you went to when you needed milk for your kids and you didn't have any money,' said Barbara Rivera, executive director of the New North Citizens Council...Rivera said Ramos was the backbone of the Hispanic Community" (Arbulu, Natalia E., "Hispanic leader dies at 79," Springfield Republican, Aug 13, 2004). In 1983, the Calhoun became part of a North End redevelopment project, along with the Verona (NR pending), a similar tenement located down the street at 1245 Dwight. The Springfield Redevelopment Authority bought out the Moses interest in the property and turned it over to Housing Rehab, Inc. (later renamed Brightwood Housing Trust), with the stipulation that the property would be developed in accordance with the Brookline-Jefferson Avenue Urban Renewal Project. F.
Austin Miller, who was president of the Brightwood Housing Trust, was also president of Brightwood Development Corporation. The renovations by Housing Rehab were not done with an eye to historic preservation. The project virtually gutted the interiors of both buildings, replacing any surviving original finishes with new sheetrock walls and ceilings and new floors. Some of the building's original wood trim was left in the stairways and on the entry surrounds of some of the apartment doorways. One of the Calhoun's storefronts was blocked up with masonry, and new aluminum and glass exterior doors and aluminum windows were installed. In 1985, Brightwood Housing Trust transferred the Calhoun and the Verona to Dwight Manor Associates, a for-profit limited partnership consisting of the same board members as the Brightwood Housing Trust for $160,000.
In 1989, a fire gutted a first-floor apartment on the Jefferson Avenue side of the Calhoun, causing about $35,000 worth of damage. A fiscal crisis in the city of Springfield resulted in the creation of a state-appointed Control Board to oversee city management in 2004. The Board set up a $1.8 million demolition fund to take down abandoned deteriorating buildings, particularly in the North End, South End, and Old Hill neighborhoods. In an effort to increase revenues, the city also stepped up efforts to confiscate and sell tax-delinquent properties. The Calhoun was one such property. When Dwight Manor Associates fell delinquent on its tax obligations in 1997, the city placed a tax lien on the Calhoun.In 2004, the city formally foreclosed on the property and took possession. By that time the building had been vacant for several years.
In 2006, the city conveyed the Calhoun and another apartment building, the Verona (NR pending), to the Jefferson Park Limited Partnership for rehabilitation into low- and moderate-income housing. The tax-advantaged rehabilitation of the Calhoun in 2007 preserves a building with links to Springfield's vibrant immigrant history while providing much-needed affordable housing in the city. (end) 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 Page1 Calhoun Apartments Springfield (Hampden), MA BIBLIOGRAPHY Maps and Views Atlas of Springfield City, Massachusetts. Boston, MA: George H. Walker & Co., 1882. Beers, F.W., surveyor. Map of the City of Springfield, Massachusetts. New York: Beers, Ellis & Soule, 1870. Bowles, Samuel. Springfield Map, 1827.
Colton, George. Plan of Springfield, 1835. Insurance Maps of Springfield, Massachusetts. New York: Sanborn Map Co., 1886, 1896, 1911, 1931, 1951. Map of the City of Springfield. Springfield, MA: Samuel Bowles & Co., 1868. Richards Map of the City of Springfield. Springfield, MA: L.J. Richards Map Co., 1899, 1910, 1920. Smith & VanZandt, surveyors. Map of the City of Springfield, Massachusetts. Philadelphia: McKinney & Smith, 1860. Smith, Marcus, and Jones, H.A. Map of Springfield, Massachusetts. New York: M. Dripps, 1851. View of Springfield, Massachusetts. Springfield, MA: Whitney & Adams, 1875. Walling, Henry F., surveyor. Map of Hampden County. Boston, MA: H.A. Haley, 1855. Publications & manuscript materials Agricola Corporation. Historic Preservation Certification Application for the Calhoun Apartments, Sep 2005.
"AIC Given Land, Buildings For Expansion on State St." Springfield Daily News, Nov 3, 1977. Bauer, Frank. At the Crossroads: Springfield, Massachusetts, 1636 - 1975. Springfield, MA: USA Bicentennial Committee of Springfield, Inc., 1975. Benjamin Ramos obituary. Sunday Republican, Aug 15, 2004. (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 Calhoun Apartments Springfield (Hampden), MA Section number 9 Page 2 Burns, Kathryne A. Springfield's Ethnic Heritage: The Irish Community. Springfield, MA: USA Bicentennial Committee of Springfield, Inc., 1976. Burt, Ralph E., Associates, compiler. Springfield 1852 - 1952. Springfield, MA: Springfield Centennial Committee, 1952. Clark, James Henry. "The Streets of Springfield" (scrapbook). Springfield, 1947.
Commerce, Manufactures and Resources of Springfield, Massachusetts. Springfield: National Publishing Company, 1883. Connecticut Valley Historical Museum. Local History Vertical Files. Connecticut Valley Historical Museum. "Springfield Scrapbooks." D'Amato, Donald J. Springfield - 350 Years: A Pictorial History. Norfolk, VA: Donning Co., 1985. Encyclopedia of Massachusetts. New York: The American Historical Society, Inc., n.d. Everts, Louis H. History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Some of its Prominent Men and Pioneers. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott & Co., 1879. "Francesconi Is Honored By Italian Government," Springfield Union, 13 Dec 1967. Frisch, Michael H. Town Into City: Springfield, Massachusetts and the Meaning of Community, 1840 - 1880. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1972. Gormally, Larry.
"Springfield's North End BridgeOver Peaceful Waters," Springfield Journal, Vol. 23, No. 10, Nov 20, 1997, pp. 1, 6-7. Green, Mason A. Springfield Memories. Springfield, MA: Whitney & Adams, 1876. Hampden County, Massachusetts, Registry of Deeds Records. Helms, Karl Conway. Ethnohistorical Research Methodology for Classroom Use: Development of a Social Portrait of Springfield, Massachusetts, 1850 - 1880. Dissertation. June, 1974. Hermenet, Argelia M. Buitrago. The Puerto Rican Situation of Springfield, Massachusetts: A Report to Mayor William Sullivan, with Historical Perspectives and a Proposal. (Typescript), 1973. Inland Massachusetts Illustrated. Springfield, MA: The Elstner Publishing Company, 1890. (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 Calhoun Apartments Springfield (Hampden), MA Section number _9 Page 3 Johnson, Clifton. Hampden County, 1636 - 1936. New York: The American Historical Society, Inc., 1936. King, Moses, editor. King's Handbook of Springfield, Massachusetts. Springfield, MA: James D. Bill, Publisher, 1884. Konig, Michael, and Kaufman, Martin. Springfield, 1636 - 1986. Springfield, MA, 1987. Leading Manufacturers and Merchants of Central and Western Massachusetts. Boston: International Publishing Company, 1886. Lonergan, Edmund; Mallory, Blaine; & Orfant, Joseph. Memorial Square National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form (typescript), 1977. New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 Pioneer Valley Planning Commission. A Demographic and Economic Analysis of the City of Springfield.
West Springfield, MA: Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, Sep 2006. Rettig, Polly, and Shedd, Charles E. Armory Square National Historic Landmark National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. 1974. "Robert Parker Marr Ames," Biographical Review. Boston: Biographical Review Publishing Company, 1895, p. 185-187. Schatz, Barry. Springfield's Ethnic Heritage: The Jewish Community. Springfield, MA: USA Bicentennial Committee of Springfield, Inc., 1976. Schatz, Barry. Springfield's Ethnic Heritage: The Polish Community. Springfield, MA: USA Bicentennial Committee of Springfield, Inc., 1976. Springfield City Directories, 1850-1988. Springfield Housing Authority. North End Project: Progress Report. Springfield, MA: Springfield Housing Authority, 1958. Springfield, Massachusetts, Assessors' Records. Springfield, Massachusetts, Building Department Records.
Springfield, Massachusetts, Municipal Registers, 1852-1952 (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 Calhoun Apartments Springfield (Hampden), MA Section number 9 Page_4 Springfield Planning Board. The City of Springfield Master Plan 1955. Springfield, MA: Springfield Planning Board, 1955. Springfield Planning Board. A City Plan for Springfield, Massachusetts. Springfield, MA: Springfield Printing & Binding Company, 1923. Springfield Planning Department. The City Profile: Springfield, Massachusetts. Springfield, MA; Springfield Planning Dept, 1983. Springfield Planning Department. Memorial Square Neighborhood Statistics. Springfield, MA: Springfield Planning Department, 1994. Springfield Public Schools and Springfield School Volunteers.
Springfield Public Schools: Students Look at the Past. Springfield, MA: n.p., 1986. Springfield Redevelopment Authority. Summary of the Final Plan: North End Urban Renewal Area. Springfield: Springfield Redevelopment Authority, n.d. (circa 1958). Springfield Republican (various articles on the North End), 1988-2007. Springfield Republican. Annual building reports, 1859 - 1916. Springfield's Ethnic Heritage: The French and French Canadian Community. Springfield, MA: USA Bicentennial Committee of Springfield, Inc., 1976. Springfield's Ethnic Heritage: The Italian Community. Springfield, MA: USA Bicentennial Committee of Springfield, Inc., 1976. Stamas, Christopher, H. (Rev) et al. "The History of the St. George Community." From St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral web page: http://www.stgeorgecath.org/pages/stgeorge_church.html United States Census Records.
Federal Census, 1850-1930 wWell-known realty owner [obituaryof Charles C. Abbeyl, Springfield Morning Union, May 26, 1919, Wright, Harry Andrew. The Story of Western Massachusetts. New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, Inc., 1949. (end) CALHOUN APARTMENTS Name of Property HAMPDEN COUNTY, MA County and 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. Zone 18 Easting 698100 Northing 4665230 _ See continuation sheet erbal Boundary Descriptio 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/titleMichele Plourde-Barker & Gregory Farmer (consultants) with Betsy Friedberg, NR Director organizationMassachusetts Historical Commission date_September 2009 street & number_220 Morrissey Boulevard _ telephone 617-727-8470 city or town Boston stateMassachusetts zip code_02125-3314 Additional Documentation Submit the following items with the completed form: Continuation Sheets Maps 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 Jeffrey P. Oldenburg, Jefferson Park LP street & number 69 Winter St...
city or townSpringfield telephone 413-732-4111 state MA _ zip code 01105 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.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 Calhoun Apartments Springfield (Hampden), MA Boundary Description Beginning at an iron pin in the ground at the intersection of the easterly line of Dwight Street with the southerly line of Jefferson Avenue and running thence easterly along Jefferson Avenue 63.84 feet to the southern property line of 95 Jefferson Avenue; thence southerly along said property 85.4 feet to the northeasterly corner of 1373-1375 Dwight Street; thence westerly along said property 83 feet to Dwight Street; thence on Dwight Street 90 feet to the place of beginning.
Boundary justification The boundary isthe same as the property line for 1391-1399 Dwight Street/85 Jefferson Avenue. (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 photos Page 1 OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 Calhoun Apartments Springfield (Hampden), MA Calhoun Apartments 1391-1399 Dwight St. & 85 Jefferson Ave. Springfield, Hampden County, Mass. Photographer: Gregory Farmer Date: February 2008 Digital Files: Agricola Corporation Photo # 1. Exterior view of Calhoun Apartments, showing north and west elevations. 2. Exterior view of Calhoun Apartments, showing east and north elevations. 3. Exterior view of Calhoun Apartments, showing west and south elevations. 4. Exterior view of Calhoun Apartments, showing south (rear) elevation. 5.
Interior view of Calhoun Apartments showing typical stairhall details. Attachments a) Assessors Map, Parcel #042220248 (1391 Dwight St.), City of Springfield, Mass. (2003). b) Aerial photograph of 1391 Dwight St. and surrounding neighborhood (2003) courtesy of Springfield Planning Dept. c) Map of Jefferson Ave. and Calhoun Park area from Walker, Atlas of the City of Springfield. Mass. (1882). d) Calhoun apartment block and surrounding neighborhood from Richards, Map of the City of Springfield, Mass. (1920). e) Calhoun apartment block and surrounding neighborhood from Sanborn Insurance Map of Springfield, Mass. (1931). Photographic views of the Calhoun Apartments from Springfield Code Enforcement Department files (1939).
(End of photographs and attachments) JEFFERSON AV 175.41 9°- 117.42 95.76 DWGHT ST Copyrig ht Springfiek, Massachuselts Planning Deparlment, 2003 Assessor's map showing the Calhoun Apartments (1391-99 Dwight/85 Jefferson Avenue) 64..33 175.65 SoCg 167.84 107.84 117.10 MEDFORD ST WAVERLY ST GREENWICH ST AIN ST HUNTINGTON ST GROVE ST E HOOKER ST. CALHOUN PL ALEXANDER ST CHAPIN TE SHELDON ST CALHOUN ST PASS AGEWAY JEFFERSON AV MONTMORENCI ST ARCH ST PASSAGEWAY Copyrig ht Springfiekd, MasachuselL: Planning Deparlment, 2009 Aerial view of the Calhoun Apartments (1391 Dwight/85 Jefferson Avenue) BANC ROFT ST DWIGHT ST OSGOOD ST BROOKLINE AV ALLENDALE ST HEBRON ST RINGGOLD ST PROSPECT ST MASSASOIT ST LEXING TON ST CALHOUN cetz Prop cue Proe ciw Prop JEFFERSON A Cile Proe N NNLICO 0 Fitzgerala 7:chalas Josiah Bumstead I ThomastIaLlen I S'coate.
MwAT Gardnerscollage Pitkin L J.P Woodwortnl ATENZZCS WrSumonas P R I.P stone R EWIada Z N G T Z W7L Brckmon G John ozmstead Atlas of Springfield City, Massachusetts. Boston, MA: George H. Walker & Co., 1882. Calhoun site outlined. M&Eschagm Massasait Farm Poole INGTON Poper E DJ Bardett Mooda Scharzaa IStedbis Wooa DJBA Richards Map of the City of Springfield. Springfield, MA: L.J. Richards Map Co., 1920 Calhoun Apartments (1299 Dwight Street/85 Jefferson Ave) outlined IN 56-8 6LN 62 Gix sF CALHOUN SQUARE PARK) 36IN AVE PL. 4 MÖNTMORENCE, JÉFFERSON AVE LEMENTAR CHOO CALHO LEXINGTON ADATH YESHURUN CÔN 5T 3l0000008030- 546 PROC .PROSPECT- CHESTNUT ST. SCHOOL PROS 06 PMP. ODH AWPIPE.- Apts THE pt. 95 JEFFERSON 29 AV. A17B FIF PARKSIDE 19 13 SHEO T.H 122 A.
87 108 C'MPLE 121 127 D D 3 --E'WPIE-R zaaM.2 8889 LEXINGTON FY BANCROFT 89 9/ 93-95 55 105 D. 57A DWIGHT 1010 SYNAGOGUE LSHEdI D 120 D. 20 maara 2 CHESTNUT_ Insurance Maps of Springfield, Massachusetts. New York: Sanborn Map Co., 1931, showing Calhoun Apartments, 1391-99 Dwight/85 Jefferson Ave. 52 1939 WPA photographs of the Calhoun Apartments, 1391-99 Dwight/85 Jefferson Ave. From the Springfield Code Enforcement Department files Massachusetts Historical Commission Photo Submission Form Please submit one form for each group of digital images NR nomination: The Calhoun Apts., 1391-1399 Dwight St.
& 85 Jefferson Ave., Springfield, MA About your digital files: Camera Used: Canon PowerShot A570 IS (Photos 1-4, 7 megapixels), Canon EOS Digital Rebel (Photo 5,10 megapixels) Resolution of original image capture (camera setting including resolution and file format): Photos 1-4: JPEG images 3072 x 2304 (2.3 MB); Photo 5: JPEG image 1536 x 2048 (1.3 MB) File name(s) (attach additional sheets if necessary) check here to refer to attached photo log: Calhoun01 jog: Exterior view, N. & W. elev. Calhoun02.jpg: Exterior view: E. & N. elev. Calhoun03 jpg: Exterior view: W & S. elev. Calhoun04.jpg: Exterior view: S. (rear) elev..
Calhoun05.jpg: Interior view: Common stairway About your prints: Printer make and model: Epson Stylus Photo R280 Paper brand & type: Epson Ultra Premium Presentation Paper - Matte Ink: Epson Claria High-Definition Ink, Cartridge 78 (six units: Cyan, Light Cyan, Magenta, Light Magenta, Yellow, Black) Signature: (By signing below you agree that the information provided here is true and accurate.) Signature: G.Farme Date: 2/6/08 JNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOE JATIONAL PARK SERVICI NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: NOMINATION PROPERTY NAME: Calhoun, Apartments, The MULTIPLE NAME: STATE & COUNTY: DATE RECEIVED: DATE OF 16TH DAY: DATE OF WEEKLY LIST: MASSACHUSETTS, Hampden 9/25/09 10/24/09 DATE OF PENDING LIST: 10/09/09 DATE OF 45TH DAY: 11/08/09 REFERENCE NUMBER: 09000881 REASONS FOR REVIEW: APPEAL: REOUESTN DATA PROBLEM: N LANDSCAPE: N LESS THAN 50 YEARS: PERIOD: PROGRAM UNAPPROVED: SAMPLE: N SLR DRAFT: N NATIONAL: COMMENT WAIVER: VACCEPT RETURN ABSTRACT/ SUMMARY COMMENTS : REJECT 11.5-O9OATE Entered in The Natlonal Register Historic Places 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.
MA_ HAMPDENCOUNTY(SPRINGFIELD)_ CALHOUN001. fff CALHOUN APARTMENTS SPRINGFIELD (HAMPDEN) MA GREG FARMER photogiopl EXTERIOR, N aud W ELEVATIONS I Photo ol: Calhonn Apte, Sprogfell, Hampden Caanty, MA. Open Pantry Community Services, Inc. (413) 737-5354 www.openpantry.org P.O. Box 5127 Springfield, MA 01101-5127 Helping our neighbors in need. MA_ HAMPDENCOUNTY(SPRINGFIELD)-CALHOUN 002.fff CALHOUN APARTMENTS SPRINGFIELD (HAMPDEN) MA GREG FARMER photograples EXTERIUR, E anad N ELEVATIONS PHOTO 2 Photo o2: Calhoun Apts, Springfeld, Hampden Counts, Mass. MA_HAMPDENCOUNTY (SPRINGFIELD) _ CALHOUN 003.fff CALHOUN APARTMENTS SPRINGFIELD (HAMPDEN) MA GREG FARMER photograph EXTERIUR, SItOWING WAnd S ELEVATIONS PHOTO 3 choto 03 : Calhonn Apts, Aprrigtrell, Hampden County, MA MA_HAMPDENCOUNTY(SPRINGFIELD)_ CALHOUN O04.
tff CALHOUN APARTMENTS SPRINGFIELD (HAMPDEN) MA GREG FARMER Mlotograples EXTERIOR, S(REAR) ELEVATION PIOTO 4 Photo 04: Calhoun Apts, Sprogfield Hampten Counts, M1 MA - HAMPDENCOUNTY(SPRINGFIELD)_CALHOUN O05. tff CALHOUN APARTMENTS SPRINGFIELD (HAMPDEN) MA GREG FARMER phOtograplis INTERIOR, TYPICAL STAIRHALL DETALLS PIOTO 5 220 Photo o5: Calboun Apta, Spriogfild, Hampden Courty, MA ETI The Commonwealth of Massachusetts William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth Massachusetts Historical Commission RECE September 18, 2009 Mr. J. Paul Loether National Register of Historic Places Department of the Interior National Park Service 1201 Eye Street, NW, 8" floor Washington, DC 20005 Dear Mr. Loether: Enclosed please find the following nomination form: Calhoun Apartments, 1391-1399 Dwight Street, Springfield (Hampden), MA L 2280 SEP 25 2009 NAT.
RECISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES NATIONAL FARK SERVICE 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 themeeting and were afforded the opportunity to comment. Sincerely, Betsy Friedkug Betsy Friedberg National Register Director Massachusetts Historical Commission enclosure CC: Gregory Farmer, Michele Plourde-Barker, consultants Jeffrey Oldenburg, Jefferson Park LP Mayor Domenic Sarno, City of Springfield Ralph Slate, Springfield Historical Commission Kerry Dietz, Springfield Planning Board 220 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, Massachusetts 02125 (617) 727-8470 - Fax: (617) 727-5128 www.state.ma.us/sec/mhc
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