Nomination for Wason-Springfield Steam Power Blocks

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

Form No. 10-300 REV.

(9/77) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE PH0625474 FOR NPS USE ONLY NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY -- NOMINATION FORM RECEIVED APR 1 8 1979 JUN 19 1979 DATE ENTERED SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN HOW TO COMPLETE NATIONAL REGISTER FORMS TYPE ALL ENTRIES -- COMPLETE APPLICABLE SECTIONS 1 NAME HISTORIC Wason/Springfield Steam Power Blocks AND/OR COMMON 2 Same LOCATION STREET & NUMBER and 27-43 Lyman Street; 25-50 Taylor Street CITY, TOWN Springfield STATE - VICINITY OF CODE 025 _NOT FOR PUBLICATION CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT Second COUNTY Hampden CODE 013 3 Massachusetts CLASSIFICATION CATEGORY DISTRICT BUILDING(S) _STRUCTURE _SITE _OBJECT OWNERSHIP XUBLIC _PRIVATE -BOTH PUBLIC ACQUISITION IN PROCESS -BEING CONSIDERED X STATUS _OCCUPIED _UNOCCUPIED _WORK IN PROGRESS ACCESSIBLE XYES: RESTRICTED - YES: UNRESTRICTED _NO PRESENT USE AGRICULTURE _MUSEUM Y COMMERCIAL _PARK _EDUCATIONAL _PRIVATE RESIDENCE -ENTERTAINMENT _RELIGIOUS -GOVERNMENT -SCIENTIFIC XINDUSTRIAL _TRANSPORTATION _MILITARY _OTHER: 4 OWNER OF PROPERTY NAME Geoffrey Riker, c/o J.W.

Real Estate STREET & NUMBER 2352 Menaon Road CITY. TOWN 5 Cumberlana VICINITY OF LOCATION OF LEGAL DESCRIPTION STATE Massachusetts COURTHOUSE. REGISTRY OF DEEDS,ETC. Harmden County Registry of Deeds STREET & NUMBER State Street CITY. TOWN Springfield REPRESENTATION IN EXISTING SURVEYS STATE Massachusetts TITLE DATE Inventory of the Historic Assets of the Cormonwealth 1978 _FEDERAL *STATE COUNTY LOCAL DEPOSITORY FOR SURVEY RECORDS CITY. TOWN Massachusetts Historical Commission Boston STATE Massachusetts 7-DESCRIPTION CONDITION -EXCELLENT XGOOD FAIR DETERIORATED RUINS CHECK ONE _UNALTERED XALTERED CHECK ONE XORIGINAL SITE _MOVED DATE. _UNEXPOSED DESCRIBE THE PRESENT AND ORIGINAL (IF KNOWN) PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Description of the property

The Wason/Springfield Steam Power Blocks are located on Lyman and Taylor Streets in the former manufacturing district of Springfield commonly referred to as the North Blocks. Several blocks north of the main commercial district, this area was developed for manufacturing because of its proximity to the train depot. The area behind and between the buildings is a service alley. A two story intrusion at the northern corner of the block has been excluded. The Wason/Springfield Steam Power Blocks consist of three brick buildings which date from the 1870's and 80's. Two of the structures, the Powers Block and the Bryan Block face northwest on Lyman Street (Nos. 27-37 and 39-43 respectively) while the third building faces southeast on Taylor Street (Nos. 26-50) directly south of the Lyman Street blocks.

The Powers Block was designed in 1873 as the warehouse and paper manufactory of the Powers Paper Company. The five-story structure was designed by the Springfield firm of Perkins and Gardner and was 50 feet wide and 100 feet deep. An 1881 addition to the southwest of the original building expanded the building width to 160 feet. Designed by either Jason Perkins or E.C. Gardner, who by then had established separate firms, the addition matches the original to give the appearance of a single facade. A sixth stony was added to the building around 1910. The Powers Block is 13 bays wide and 13 bays deep. The west half of the ground floor elevation facing Lyman Street retains the original raised entrance with decorated cast iron columns, a granite cornice and large plate glass windows, while the eastern half has been divided into two twentieth century storefronts with entrances at grade.

At the second through fifth stories, large Indiana limestone lintels connect to form courses across the facade. The piers between each bay have four panels of brick set at a 45 degree angle to form a decorative relief. All of the windows have two-over-two lights. The sixth story is divided into six three- window bays, framed by narrow stone sills and a stone string course in place of lintels. Each bay consists of three two-over-two lights. The building is capped by a yellow brick parapet with red brick coping. The southwest elevation has a uniform pattern of segmental arched windows with raised voisseurs and archivolts and narrow stone sills. This treatment still exists on the ground floor and in half windows in the granite basement. All openings have two-over-two lights. The Clark W. Bryan Company Block (Nos. 39-43 Lyman) stands northeast of the Powers Block.

It is a four-story brick block designed in 1889 for the Bryan Company. A two-bay addition was constructed to the northeast of the original within the next few years. The facade is eight bays wide and is capped by wide cornice with elaborate brick corbelling. The raised storefronts with granite trim have been partially concealed and aitered by twentieth century modifications. Above the first floor, the building retains its original appearance. At each story, the windows have narrow rough-hewn granite sill courses and wider lintel courses. are treated with narrow stone bases and caps where they abut the lintels and sills. Al1 window have two-over-two lights. Form No. 10-300a (Kev.

10-74) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY -- NOMINATION FORM FOR NPS USE ONLY RECEIVED APR 1 8 1979 DATE ENTERED JUN 19 1979 CONTINUATION SHEET ITEM NUMBER 7 PAGE 1 The Springfield Steam Power Company's Taylor Street Block (Nos. 26-50 Taylor) was con- structed in 1875 to designs of Jason Perkins. The building features fireproof walls which divide the block into 50-foot sections. It originally extended 75 feet further to the northeast than at present. The construction of the Post Office on Dwight Street in 1930 required removal of the end portion of the block. The northeast elevation and approximately 50 feet of the Taylor Street elevation were redesigned at that time. The brick block is three stories high, 26 bays wide and ? bays deep.

The facade is divided into three-bay sections, each with a separate raised entrance. Some of the original recessed first floor entrances above raised basements have been modified in this century. The bays are divided by brick piers which extend to the cornice. The fenestration at the upper stories consists of segmental arched openings with rowlock arches and smooth granite sills. This is also found on the original portions of the ground floor. Below each sill is a row of bricks set at a 45 degree angle. The cor- belled cornice rises above a frieze decorated with a recessed cruciform motif. The 1930 facade at the eastern end of the building is five bays wide with an entrance in the westernmost bay, followed by two paired-window bays and two triple-window bays. Concrete patterns in the brickwork above the second floor and in the parapet are used as decorative detailing.

At the northeast rear corner, there is a brick stack and a one-story brick addition which houses the power plant. The Wason/Springfield Steam Power Blocks are presently undergoing adaptive reuse as a major in-town housing development.

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

SIGNIFICANCE PERIOD _PREHISTORIC _1400-1499 -1500-1599 -1600-1699 -1700-1799 *1800-1899 .1900- _ARCHEOLOGY-PREHISTORIC ARCHEOLOGY-HISTORIC _AGRICULTURE XARCHITECTURE ART EOMMERCE -COMMUNICATIONS AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE -- CHECK AND JUSTIFY BELOW _COMMUNITY PLANNING; -LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE _CONSERVATION -LAW _ECONOMICS _LITERATURE LEDUCATION _MILITARY _ENGINEERING _MUSIC -EXPLORATION/SETTLEMENT _PHILOSOPHY xINDUSTRY -POLITICS/GOVERNMENT INVENTION _RELIGION _SCIENCE _SCULPTURE SOCIAL/HUMANITARIAN -THEATER _TRANSPORTATION _OTHER (SPECIFY) SPECIFIC DATES BUILDER

Statement of significance

/ARCHITECT Perkins and Gardner 1873-81, 1875, 1889 STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE The Wason/Springfield Steam Power Blocks possess integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association. The buildings are associated with events that made a significant contribution to the city's history; they are associated with the lives of prominent local businessmen; and the buildings embody distinctive characteristics of a type, period and method of construction typical of the North Blocks during its rise as a manufacturing district. The Wason/Springfield Steam Power Blocks are significant for their role in the continued growth and development of the North Blocks as a commercial/manufacturing district during the 1870's and 80's. The Blocks were developed by the J. W.

Wason Car Company and later by the Springfield Steam Power Company to encourage the growth of incubator industries in the city. The Blocks were built to house prominent businesses as well as growing young companies. Prime tenants included the Powers Paper Company, Clark W. Bryan & Co. Publishers and the Davis Level and Tool Company. Architecturally, these blocks are representative of the quality design and workmanship which characterized the North Blocks manufacturing district. The development of Springfield's North Blocks in the 1860's and 70's provided an oppor- tunity for many small manufacturers and tradesmen to establish themseives in close proximity to the train station. Springfield's role as a trading center depended heavily on its location at the junction of the Boston and Albany and Springfield-Hartford Rail- roads.

Land in the vicinity of the railroad station was drained, streets were laid out, and small wood and brick shops were built in the 1850's. Lyman and Taylor Streets, the two streets nearest to the railroad, played a particularly key role in this develop- ment pattern. Among early companies on Lyman Street was the shop of J. W. Wason, an enterprising young railroad car builder. Wason's property grew from a single wooden shed in 1853 to a large brick manufacturing building by 1870. The company became world famous for its quality railroad cars and made Springfield a leader in the railroad car industry. In 1860, it was the first American company to export cars to other countries. By 1872, the Wason Company had outgrown its space and moved to a sixteen acre industrual and residential area of the city known as Brightwood.

The Wason Company retained ownership of the Lyman/Taylor Street properties and rented them to small manufacturers. In 1873, the Wason Company constructed a five-story brick block on Lyman Street for the Powers Paper Company. Lewis J. Powers, president of the company, was a self-made man who had worked his way up from selling newspapers at the train depot to thè head of a large company. In 1879 he became the youngest mayor in the City's history and

The rest of the file

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

MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES Commerce Manufactures and Resources of Springfield, MA, Springfield: National Publishing 1883. Inland Massachusetts Illustrated, Springfield: Estner Co. 1890. King;s Handbook of Springfield, MA, edited by Moses King, Springfield: James D. Gill, 1884, p. 319-337. Proeressive Springfield, December 1890-92, vol 1-3. DD. 115-117. 10 GEOGRAPHICAL DATA ACREAGE OF NOMINATED PROPERTY 1.19 acres QU ADRANGLE NAME Springfield South QUADRANGLE SCALE 1:24000 UTM REFERENCES A[2,8] 16/9,8 |9,7,0 ZONE EASTING 14,6/6/3/9,9101 NORTHING 4LuJ ZONE EASTING ELII FLL HLLJ L NORTHING LALIL IJLLILI JLulul VERBAL BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION Please refer to the attached assessor's map on which the boundaries are deliniated in black.

LIST ALL STATES AND COUNTIES FOR PROPERTIES OVERLAPPING STATE OR COUNTY BOUNDARIES STATE CODE COUNTY CODE STATE CODE COUNTY CODE FORM PREPARED BY NAME / TITLE Margo Weber Anderson, Notter, Feingold Candace Jenkins, National Register Coordinator ORGANIZATION DATE Massachusetts Historical Conmission STREET & NUMBER 294 Washington Street ERLEPHONY 1979 (617) 727-8470 CITY OR TOWN STATE Boston Massachusetts 12 STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER CERTIFICATION THE EVALUATED SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS PROPERTY WITHIN THE STATE IS: NATIONAL - STATE - LOCAL As the designated State Historic Preservation Officer for the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Public Law 89-665). I hereby nominate this property for inclusion in the National Register and certify that it has been evaluated according to the criteria and procedures set forth by the National Park Service.

STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER SIGNATURE/ Patuu hwsbuski TITLE 43/19 DATE Executive Director, Mass. Historicai Conmission FOR NPS USE ONLY 1 HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS PROPERTY IS INCLUDED IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER XOtE REEPER OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER ATTEST: DATE DATE CHIEP OF*RECISFRATION 6.15-29 6/18/11 GPO 921-803 Form No. 10-300a (Kev. 10-74) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY -- NOMINATION FORM FOR NPS USE ONLY RECEIVED APR 1 8 1979 DATE ENTERED JUN | 9 1979 CONTINUATION SHEET ITEM NUMBER 8 PAGE 1 was acclaimed for his liberal leadership during his two terms in office. He also served on the Board of Aldermen and was a member of the Governor's Council for two years. Powers also was active in civic affairs.

He served as a president of the Connecticut River Paper Company, was a director of Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, the Hampden Savings Bank and the Union Trust Company. The Powers Paper Company was involved in the sale ot paper, stationary, notions ana The company had branch offices in New York, San Fancisco, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Chicago and was a de- signated agent for the Glasgow Paper Company which did over $750,000 in annual sales. A fire in 1875 levelled most of the remaining buildings of the old J. W. Wason Company. The company quickly announced plans to build a three-story brick block on Taylor Street, divided into 50-foot sections for separate tenants. This block (No. 26-50 Tay1or Street) housed numerous small companies which developed from incubator industries to prominent local firms.

Among early tenants in the bullding were the Davis Level and Tool Company, Cheney Bigelow Wire Works and the Bemis Car Company. The Davis LeveL and Tool Company occupies large quarters in the building used for the manufacture of hardware specialists, machinists tools and railway supplies. The Cheney Bigelow Wire Works, which later moved to another company building on the south side of Taylor Street, patented the Dandy Roll, which was used to produce water marks on fine papers. Bemis Car Company patented an item to eliminate triction in car wheel Journals which was used by all the principal horse railroads in the country. In 1881, the owners of the Wason Company formed a new company, the Springfield Steam Power Company, to supply power to the manufactures in the Lyman-Taylor Streets area.

The transfer of real estate to the new company, which had the same directors as the Wason Company, was reported to be the largest single real estate transaction in the city's history. The Springfield Steam Power Company installed a central steam power supply which could generate enough power to supply a densely developed manufacturing area. They advertised that they would erect additional buildings as rapidly as tenents demanded. The company retained ownership of the buildings in the block through the 1920's. The Clark W. Bryan Publishing Company was one of the companies which contracted with the Springfield Steam Power Company for a brick block in the late 1880's. The present building at Nos. 39-43 Lyman Street was built for them in 1889. Clark W. Bryan came to Springfield in 1853 as a partner with Samuel Bowles in the Samuel Bowles Company which published the "Springfield Republican".

When the partnership disbanded in 1873, Bowles retained the newspaper publishing and Bryan acquired the printing and binding departments. Bryan expanded his company over the next twenty years, primarily in the field of Journals. Bryan established the magazine Paper World in 1880, a trade journal with international circulation, and the popular Good Houskeeping in 1885. Form No. 10-300a (Kev.10-74) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTOR Y -- NOMINATION FORM FOR NPS USE ONLY APR 1 8 1979 RECEIVED DATE ENTERED JUN 1 9 1979 CONTINUATION SHEET ITEM NUMBER 8 PAGE 2 Library Bulliten and Amateur Gardening were other well-known journals published by the company. The buildings are also significant architecturally.

They are remaining examples of the Blocka areack typical brick manufacturing blocks of the 1870's and 80's which once filled the North Blocks area. They are fireproof buildings designed by local architects and representa- tive of popular vernacular designs. The buildings on Lyman Street were particularly decorative in their lavish use of granite trim and cast-iron storefronts. The design of the Powers Block was considered to be "the most commodious and best appointed paper warehouse in New England". 1 The functional design of the Taylor Street block reflects its use as a starting place for small businesses to establish themselves. With the exception of certain storefront alterations, the buildings retain their original design and feeling and serve as reminders of the North Blocks' former role as one of the city's primary manufacturing districts. 1.

The Paper World, Clark Bryan Co: Springfield, 1882, PP 11-13. Property Wacon Spiingliell steam Power Blocke stateMass. (Hampeen Working Number 4.18.22.854 TECHNICAY Photos Maps 1, Sketch CONTROL 4.18.79 HISTORIAN ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIAN ARCHEOLOGIST OTHER HAER Inventory - Review THK BLOCKS NOMINARED ARE SUGNIFCANT FOR THEUR ASSOCLATION WITH REVIEW UNIT CHIEF DEUELOPMENT DF INOUSTKY IN THE NORTAGAN END DE SPRIUGHIELD IN THE 182D'S 4ND 8O S. FURTHER THEY RESLELT THE INDLSERIAL CRMMERCILL STYLES PRENALENT IN TUIS PERLOD. ACCEPT NAc DauGAr 6/18/19 BRANCH CHIEF KEEPER National Register Write-up Federal Register Entry 7-3-79 Send-back Re-submit Entered JUN 19 1979 United States Department ofthe Interior -Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service FRANKS FILIPPO BERIO SOLIVE OL Wason/Springfield Steam Power Blocks Springfield, MA Margo Webber 1978 Anderson, Notter, Feingold Inc.

Boston MA Hampder JUN 1 9 1979 Photo #1 Looking southeast at Lyman St. blocks APR 1 8 1979 lason/Springfield Steam Power B10cks Springfield, MAS Margo Webber Lampden o. Anderson, Notter, Feingold Inc. Boston, MA APR 1 8 1979 Photo #2 .JUN | 9 1979 Looking northeast at Taylor St. block MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS Office of the Secretary of State 294 Washington Street Boston, Massachusetts 02108 617-727-8470 MICHAEL JOSEPH GONNOLLY Secretary of State April 10, 1979 RECEIVED APR 1 8 1979 NATIONAL REGISTER Mr. Charles Herrington, Chief Registration Branch National Register Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service U. S. Department of the Interior Washington, D.C. 20243 Dear Mr.

Herrington: Enclosed you will find the following nomination forms: Concord - Parkman Tavern Norfolk - Josiah Ware Tavern Springfield - Wason Steampower Company Winchester - Winchester Savings Bank All have been voted eligible by the State Review Board and have been signed by the State Historic Preservation Officer. They have also been reviewed by our professional staff re- presenting the disciplines of architecture, architectural history, archeology and history.

Sincerely, chustine sonsdis, Christine Boulding Survey Director Massachusetts Historical Commission Enclosures CB/pg ENTRIES IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER STATE MASSACHUSETTS Date Entered JUN I9 1979 Name Wason-Springfield Steam Power Blocks Winchester Savings Bank Parkman Tavern Ware, Josiah, Tavern Location Springfield Hampden County Winchester Middlesex County Concord Middlesex County Norfolk Norfolk County Also Notified Honorable Paul G. Tsongas Honorable Edward M. Kennedy Honorable Edward P. Boland Honorable Edward J. Markey Honorable James M. Shannon Honorable Margaret M. Heckler State Historic Preservation Officer Mrs. Patricia L. Weslowski Executive Director Massachusetts Historical Commission 294 Washington Street Boston, Massachusetts 02108 NR Byers/bjr 6/21/79 For further information, please call the National Register at (202)343-6401.