Nomination for Gardner News Building

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 FOR NPS USE ONLY NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY -- NOMINATION FORM RECEIVED 5 SEP 1979 NOV 1 4 1979 DATE ENTERED SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN HOW TO COMPLETE NATIONAL REGISTER FORMS TYPE ALL ENTRIES -- COMPLETE APPLICABLE SECTIONS 1NAME HISTORIC Gardner News Building AND/OR COMMON Same 2 LOCATION STREET & NUMBER 309 Central Street CITY, TOWN Gardner STATE N/A VICINITY OF CODE Massachusetts 3 CLASSIFICATION 025 - NOT FOR PUBLICATION CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 2nd COUNTY Worcoster CODE 027 CATEGORY DISTRICT XBUILDING(S) STRUCTURE SITE _OBJECT OWNERSHIP _PUBLIC XPRIVATE _BOTH PUBLIC ACQUISITION _IN PROCESS _BEING CONSIDERED STATUS XOCCUPIED _UNOCCUPIED _WORK IN PROGRESS ACCESSIBLE XYES: RESTRICTED _YES: UNRESTRICTED _NO PRESENT USE AGRICULTURE _MUSEUM X COMMERCIAL -PARK EDUCATIONAL PRIVATE RESIDENCE _ENTERTAINMENT _RELIGIOUS GOVERNMENT _SCIENTIFIC _INDUSTRIAL -TRANSPORTATION _MILITARY _OTHER: 4OWNER OF PROPERTY NAME Walter S.

and C. Gordon Bell STREET & NUMBER 309 Central Street CITY. TOWN STATE Massachusetts Gardner VICINITY OF 5 LOCATION OF LEGAL DESCRIPTION COURTHOUSE. REGISTRY OF DEEDS,ETC. Worcester County Registry of Deeds STREET & NUMBER 2 Main Street CITY, TOWN STATE Massachusetts Worcester 6 REPRESENTATION IN EXISTING SURVEYS TITLE Inventory of the Historic Assets of the Commonwealth #216 DATE 1977 DEPOSITORY FOR SURVEY RECORDS CITY. TOWN _FEDERAL XSTATE _COUNTY _LOCAL Massachusetts Historical Commission Boston STATE Massachusetts 7 DESCRIPTION CONDITION X EXCELLENT -GOOD -FAIR -DETERIORATED _RUINS CHECK ONE XUNALTERED ALTERED CHECK ONE XC ORIGINAL SITE -MOVED DATE. _UNEXPOSED DESCRIBE THE PRESENT AND ORIGINAL (IF KNOWN) PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Description of the property

The Gardner News Building stands at the corner of Central and Vernon Streets, a key intersection in downtown Gardner. It is trapezoidal in plan, with its main entrance located on the southern Central Street end. Because of a slightly sloping site, the rear elevation of this utilitarian brick building is two stories in height while the facade is three stories. It is surrounded by a mix of commercial and residential buildings but cannot be considered part of a district. The seven bay facade is loosly divided into three parts both horizontially and vertically. The first floor (separated from a low basement by a row of soldiers) contains a tripartite window with a sandstone architecture in the westernmost two bays. A small window and the simple entrance occupy the two eastern bays. The entrance is headed by a transom and framed by brick pilasters which carry a sandstone architrate.

Three slightly recessed windows linked by a single sandstone architrave are located in the center bay. The first floor is articulated by six horizontal brick bands. The second story is divided by brick pilasters with simple capitals which carry a stylized brick entablature. Copper oriels occupy the outer bays, while three windows occupy the center bays. Unframed windows occupy all seven bays of the third story. The building is capped by a decorative brick cornice and sandstone stringcourse and a parapet which appears to have been either repointed or rebuilt. The western elevation is composed in two parts. The southern section continues the decorative brickwork of the facade and has a shaped parapet. Fenestration is irregular. The eight bay northern part has somewhat simpler brickwork and a regular fenestration pattern.

The north and east elevations are without ornamentation and have irregular fenestration.

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

SIGNIFICANCE PERIOD _PREHISTOHIC _1400-1499 -1500-1599 -1600-1699 _1700-1799 _1800-1899 1900- ARCHEOLUGY-PREHISTORIC ARCHEOLOGY-HISTORIC AGRICULTURE X ARCHITECTURE -ART _COMMERCE XCOMMUNICATIONS AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE -- CHECK ANDJUSTIFY BELOW _COMMUNITY PLANNING -LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE CONSERVATION -LAW _ECONOMICS XLITERATURE XEDUCATION -MILITARY LENGINEERING -MUSIC _EXPLORATION/SETTLEMENT _PHILOSOPHY INDUSTRY X POLITICS/GOVERNMENT _INVENTION _RELIGION _SCIENCE _SCULPTURE X SOCIAL/HUMANITARIAN _THEATER _TRANSPORTATION _OTHER (SPECIFY) SPECIFIC DATES 1906 STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE BUILDER

Statement of significance

/ARCHITECT Fox & Gale, Boston, Massachusetts The Gardner News Building retains integrity of location, design, materials and workmanship and through its continuous role as the home of a major newspaper is strongly identified with the development of the city. The newspaper has been important to the community as its chronicler, educator, commentator, and voice. The Gardner News started publication on July 3, 1869, under the ownership of A. G. Bushnell, a former resident of Templeton. The first issue was a four page edition with 350 subscribers. The paper was published as a weekly until 1897 when it merged with the Gardner Daily. At this time one paper was printed on a daily basis while another edition was printed on Saturday as a weekly. This process continued until 1904. The present huilding was designed in 1906 by the Boston architectural firm of Cox and Gale.

It has served as the home of the Gardner News ever since.

The rest of the file

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

MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES Moore, E., History of Gardner Bell, C. Gordon, President, Gardner News 10 GEOGRAPHICAL DATA ACREAGE OF NOMINATED PROPERTY 3,906 sq. ft.

QUADRANGLE NAME Gardner UTM REFERENCES A|19/2154|15d ZONE EASTING CL LLILLL UTM NOT VERIFIED L411791d NORTHING LlLuJ Llilil dULLILILLI 1LLL VERBAL BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION QUADRANGLE SCALE 1:24000 *ZÓNE EASTING NORTHÍNG NORTHING -e LLiLu LULLLIL HWLLLULLL The boundaries are deliniated on the attached City Assessor's Map LIST ALL STATES AND COUNTIES FOR PROPERTIES OVERLAPPING STATE OR COUNTY BOUNDARIES STATE CODE COUNTY CODE STATE CODE COUNTY CODE 11 FORM PREPARED BY NAME / TITLE Candace Jenkins, National Register Coordinator ORGANIZATION Massachusetts Historical Commission STREET & NUMBER 294 Washington Street CITY OR TOWN Boston Eric Engelson, Gardner Historical with Commission DATE June 1979 TELEPHONE (617) 727-8470 STATE Massachusetts 02108 12 STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER CERTIFICATION THE EVALUATED SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS PROPERTY WITHIN THE STATE IS STATE_ LOCAL NATIONAL - 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 PRESEAVATION OFICER SIONATURE/AUMci RWeslousk 8/20/4 TITLE DATE Executive Director, Massachusetts Historical Commission OR NPS USE ONLY HATIWEPOPERYIMELGLOTREMATONAL PECHTER DEKEPEROF THENOL TEGISTER DATE ATTEST: maL DATE fu CHIEF OF REGISTRATION 1/-14-19 11/8/29 GPO 921-803 ELL Gardner, Mass. Gardner News Building City Enginaer's Map VS GREATER SAAOM K 485-1959--322 L-4019-P470 9049 N VERNON RICHARD 1973 94345 CHARLES GORDON WALTER SHANE B6LL ABS-1944-329 le-abbcr110 3906 F.E *309 REALTAL F307 CENTRAL 157.50 CHESTER N BEAURE SARD A0S-1970-F143 14-6020-/P574 026/54 sT. pes0 65 GARDNER SADINSS BANK AES- 1940- P.932 LAND COURT25940 CEcE 4 7459 21 10048 6-8 4070 5 F 164-B1Z 12,03 80:0 FRANK J. FICHERA A0S-1973-2 Duc.:29090 3K-42 CEET.& 8293 10.422 s.F ICHELMAN PARBOSE METAL CA.

L.A.D.253LA 6IOAS-P P451 92.91 92/47 #2-3 MARGARET RIARDAN A6S-190g - R 199 w-/896 - P/99 6/3266 22AL P 93 2155 104er LYNDE GLID GARBASE METAL 44R.D. 23344 OCERT. 5119-5/20 442/5.K L9.7 TAX TARIN6 &ARDNEN 0ABS-1972-PH: :00-5230-144 zA.rE 78.57 COODILOM - PENRSNOC 406-1958-P-243 w-3934-7.437 ZA6IS.F 6091 GOODNOW-PFARSON CO. ABS-1958-Re4T 60.4 RECEIVED : 5 SEP 1979/ NATIONAL REGISTER N NOV | 4 1979 Property Hhadner hews Burlding stateMass.(Warcestes)orking Mumber 9-5-79 2097 TECHNICAL Photos acrefcrs pot specified CONTROL Maps rat apice buierigh toe frapet aund gipapatile HISTORIAN accept aeas (last comner) may have been repoirtes or Oulus 11/2/24 sefuisl fhe int lea ip uistect.

ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIAN ARCHEOLOGIST OTHER HAER Inventory Review REVIEW UNIT CHIEF ACGET MAC DOUKAK 11/8/29 BRANCH CHIEF KEEPER National Register Write-up Federal Register Entry 12.179 Send-back Re-submit Entered NOV 1 4 1979 United States Department of the Interior - Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service Gardner News Building Gardner, Mass. Wocester County Eric Engelson Gardner Historical Commission Photo #1// Facade (south) 5 SEP 1979 NOV | 4 1979 ASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS Office of the Secretary of State 294 Washington Street Boston, Massachusetts 02108 617-727-8470 MICHAEL JOSEPH CONNOLLY Secretary of State August 20, 1979 RECEIVED Mr. Ronald Greenberg, Acting Chief Registration Branch OAHP, Heritage,Conservation & Recreation Service 440 G Street NW Washington, D.C. 20243 5 SEP 1979 NATIONAL REGISTER Dear Mr.

Greenberg, Enclosed you will find the following nomination forms: Gardner - First Minister's House Gardner -Gardner News Building Gardner - F.W. Smith Silver Co. The above have been voted eligible by the State Review Board and have been signed by the State Historic Preservation Officer. Sincerely, Chistre Boukhing Christine Boulding Survey Director CB/pm : ENTRIES IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER STATE MASSACHUSETTS Date Entered NOV 1 4 1979 Name (Gardner News Buslding First Minister's House Smith, F. W., Silver Company Location Gardner Worcester County Gardner Worcester County Gardner Worcester County - Also Notified Honorable Paul Isongas ionorable Roberd B. Dennad ?. Drina State Historic Preservation Officer Mrs. Patricia' L.

Weslowsk1 Executive Director Massachusetts Historical Cormission 294 Washington Street Bosten, Massachusetts 02108 (NR Byers/bjr 11/16/79 For further information, please call the National Register at (202) 343-6401.