Nomination for Allen, William Russell, House

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

FHR-8-300 (11-78) United States Department of the Interior Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form See instructions in How to Complete National Register Forms Type all entries - complete applicable sections 1. Name For HCRS use only received MAR 3 1 1980 date entered MAY T 1980 historic William Russell Allen House and/or common Same 2. Location street & number 359 East Street _ not for publication city, town Pittsfield vicinity of congressional district First state Massachusetts 3.

Classification Category district xbuilding(s) structure site object Ownership - public private both Public Acquisition - in process being considered code 025 county Berkshire code 003 Status _ occupied X unoccupied - work in progress Accessible - yes: restricted _ yes: unrestricted .no Present Use agriculture commercial educational entertainment government industrial _ military - museum - park private residence . religious scientific transportation X other: vacant 4. Owner of Property name Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Administration and Finance street & number State House, Beacon Street city, town Boston - vicinity of 5. Location of Legal Description state Massachusetts courthouse, registry of deeds, etc. Berkshire County Registry of Deeds (Middle District) street & number 24 Wendell Ave. city, town Pittsfield state 6.

Representation in Existing Surveys Inventory of the Historic Assets title of the Commonwealth has this property been determined elegible? Massachusetts - yes x no date 1978 .federal x state county _ local depository for survey records Massachusetts Historical Commission city, town Boston state Massachusetts 7. Description Condition excellent X good fair deteriorated ruins unexposed Check one X unaltered _ altered Check one X original site moved date Describe the present and original (if known) physical appearance

Description of the property

The William Russell Allen House is located on East Street in down town Pittsfield, three blocks east of the Court Square Historic District (NR). When constructed, it occupied an ample one acre lot in the city's finest residential . neighborhood. Today it is flank- ed by former hospital buildings which were constructed in the early twentieth century. It is one of the few remaining structures which reflect the area's elegant residential character of the late nineteenth century. The Queen Anne style Allen House is asymmetrical in both plan and elevation. It is two and one-half stories in height and is enclosed by a complex pitched roof which is pierced near its center by a single chimney stack.

It's basement is constructed of rock faced granite blocks, the first floor is uncoursed rock faced Great Barrington bluestone and the upper floors are covered with a combination of patterned wood and terra cotta shingles, specifi- cally, a band of wooden shingles in a staggered butt pattern encircles the base of the second floor; the remainder of the second floor is covered with wooden shingles in a canted hexagonal pattern; terra cotta tiles in an arcaded pattern are used in the gables. Additionally, its porch which wraps around the southeast corner is trimmed with East Longmeadow sandstone and marble. Sash varies from a 1/1 to a multi-pane treatment. A continuous boxed cornice encircles the building forming pedimented gables. The facade (south) is dominated by a projecting gabled pavillion which contains a two- story, three sided bay.

The bay contains windows on all three faces at both the first and second stories and is topped by a balustrade to form a third story porch. East of the bay at the first story is an open porch whose entrance is approached by five granite steps. This entry is framed by short marble columns with sandstone plinths and carved foliate capitals. The entrance to the house is approximately eight feet behind this frame. At the second story the bay is flanked by square multipaned windows. At the third story a pair of doors flanked by square multi-paned windows opens onto the roof of the bay. The east elevation is dominated by a gabled pavillion at its northern end. This gable contains an open porch and two windows at the second story and a bank of three windows- and two doors flanked by patterned stucco panels in the gable.

The southern end of this elevation consists of an open flat roofed porch at the first story and a blank wall pierced by a single multi-paned window at the second story. The most prominent feature of the north elevation is a two story wood frame ell project- ing slightly west of center; a one story granite and sandstone structure is attached to the ell. A shed roofed addition obscures the first story east of the ell. The major feature of the west elevation is a tripartite oriel containing leaded glass windows with art glass transoms. It has two windows at the second story and surrmount- ed by a cross gable containing a bank of three windows. Fenestration of the first floor from north to south consists of a conventional rectangular window, two square windows beneath the oriel and a round arched windows containing leaded glass.

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 - Areas of SignificanceCheck and justify below -archeology-prehistoric _ community planning - archeology-historic _conservation agriculture economics x architecture education _ art engineering commerce exploration/settlement _ communications industry invention landscape architecture law literature military . music - philosophy - politics/government - religion - science - sculpture - social/ humanitarian theater transportation - other (specify) Specific dates 1886 Statement of Significance

Statement of significance

(in one paragraph) Builder/Architect H. Neil Wilson The Willlam kussell Allen House possesses integrity of location, design, materials, and workmanship and associations with prominent local persons. Additionally it is the example of Queen Anne design in Pittsfield and one of the finest in Berkshire County. William Russell Allen was the grandson of Thomas Allen, III who had given the town the Berkshire Athenauem, (located in Park Square National Register Historic District) the decade before. Allen was also the great grandson of Thomas Allen, the "Fighting Parson" of Revolutionary War fame. Even the land on which he built his new home, although bought from the estate of Dr. John Brewster, was part of the ancestrial lands of his grandfather.

Beyond his family connections, William Allen distinguished himself as the owner of the Allen Farm (in the eastern part of Pittsfield) where he raised horses on his 1250 acres. At the time of his death in 1916, Allen had raised and sold over 1,000 blooded horses, including the famous stallion "Kremlin" who was at one time the fastest horse in the United States. Allen brought a revolutionary idea to the Berkshires - that of raising fast horses in a cold climate. By the 1890's Pittsfield was enjoying a rep- utation, not only for stock farms, but for horse racing. Much of this interest can be traced to Allen's innovative idea. The William Allen House is the finest example of the Queen Anne style extant in Pittsfield and one of the most important examples in Berkshire County.

The style expressed in its asymmetrical plan and massing, and in the variety of materials used in construction to produce contrasts in texture and color. The extensive use of terra cotta tiles which is more common in the English interpretation of the Queen Anne is particularly note- worthy. Its architect was H. Neill Wilson, formerly of Cincinnati, Ohio, whose father, James Wilson, was a renowned authority on Gothic architecture. Wilson first came to Pittsfield to superintend the building of the Allen House, and stayed on. This then, is the first local work by an architect who was subsequently to become one of the most prominent and influential of Berkshire County architects in the late 19th century. and early 20th cen- tury, designing buildings such as Shadowbrook, (1892-94), the Wendel1 Hotel, (1898), the Red Lion Inn,Berkshire Place, and the town hall and library complex in Dalton.

The rest of the file

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

Major Bibliographical References Allen, Orrin Deer, The Allen Memorial, 1970, p. 168. "Pittsfield Sun" , January 8, 1885, February "Berkshire Eagle", September 13, 1916, July 7, 1926. 10. Geographical Data Acreage of nominated property less than one acre Pittsfield East Quadrangle name UMT References A [1,8/ Zone 6/414/1/610/ Easting L417/010/71810 Northing ACREAGE NOT VERIFIED UTM NOT VERIFIED Quadrangle scale 1:24000 LILI LILL Easting Northing Lu Lu LiLu E F G HLI Lllu Verbal boundary description and justification Please refer to the attached map. The boundaries are confined to the immediate environs of the house as it is flanked on either side by large modern structures. 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 Diane Nelson Pittsfield Historical Comm. organization Massachusetts Historical Commission date January 1980 street & number 294 Washington Street telephone (617) 727-8470 city or town Boston state 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 bythe Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service.

State Historic Preservation Officer signature alun LWeslowsk Executive Director, Massachusetts Historical Commission date 3/10/80 For HCRS use only I hereby certify that this property is included in the National Register sma hau } Tkeaper ot nhe Mailonot regitior Bruy Attest: Patuich Andrs Chief of Registration date 5/1/80. date 5/5/80 GPO 938 835 UNITED STATES POST OFFICE mrDoNnA EAST STREET PI#TSFIELD HIGH SCHOOL D weston housatonic street LUKE'S 920's Pittstield SI iderl :east-=street elm 0000000 sfreel Jaass MAR 3 1 1980 William RussellAllen House 359 East Street Pittsfield, Mass. Property alle Mtillian Ruseell tanee State ma- Berkshin working Number 3-3/-80 1039 TECHNICAL CONTROL Photos _ 4 Maps 2 Thes house is eligible for architectue as a fine example f Queenanne Htyle architectHISTORIAN cone of the fineat in the county).

Built in 1886 fora locally, frominent fanuly, the house is accept 2½ stories and fecitures the traditional Queen Anve elements - complex 100, asymmetrical massing, Patrick Andr varietuc constrction materials. The house is rich indetacling with some fine leaded-alass windows. leas than lacre 5/5/80 ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIAN ,ARCHEOLOGIST OTHER HAER Inventory Review REVIEW UNITCHIEF BRANCH CHIEF KEEPER National Register Write-up Federal Register Entry 2.3.81 Send-back Re-submit Entered MAY 7 1980 United States Department of the Interior - Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service William Russell, Allen House 359 Bast Street Pittsfie1d, MasEo- D. David Douilllet 1978 Pittsfield Historical Commissipn Photo #1 of 4 Front elevation facing north - 1980 MAY 7 1980 FRONT (SOUTH) ELEVATION AOTOGRSPHER - D.

DAVIO DOVILLET 1928 MASSACHUSETKS BERKSHIRE COUNT PMSFIELD THE WILLIAM RUSSELL ALLEN HOUSE 359 EAST STREET William Russel1 Allen House 359 East Street Berkshire Co. Pittsfield, Mass. D. David Douillet 1978 Pittsfield Historical Commission Photo #2of 4 East elevation facing northwest IM RASSELL ALLEN MOUSE #2 ST. COUNTY FTTS MAY T 1980 MAR 3 1 1980 ER - EAST ELEVATIÓN D.DAVID DOViLLET ATE N William Russell Allen House 359 East Street Pittsfield, Mass. Berteshire Co. Photo #3 pf 4 Rear elevation facing south D.I David Douillet 1978 Pittsfield Historical Commissinn #3 m RUSSELL ALLEN HOUSE MAY 7 1980 MAR 3 1 1980 E COUNTY 'SETTS POTOGRAPITER -D.DAVIO DOUILLET 1978 REAR (NORTH) ELEVATION N< > S William Russell, Allen House East Street Berkshure co. Pittsfield, Mass. D.

David Douillet 1978 Pittsfiedd Histoical Commission Photo #4 of4 West elevation facing northeast MAR 3 1 1980 MAY 7 1980 E WESP ELEVATION PHOTOGRAPHER - D.DAVO DOUILLET BERKSHiRE COUNTY MASSACHUSETTS PITTSFIELD 359 EAST ST THE WILLTY RUSSELL i #4 ENTRIES IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER STATE MASSACHUSETTS MAY Date Entered .7 1980 Name Location Farnum, Coronet John, House Uxbridge Worcester County Allen, W1ll1am Russel1, House Pittsfield Berkshire Couty Also Notified Honorable Paul Isongas Honorable Edward M. Kennedy Honorable Joseph D. Early Honorable Silvio 0. Conte State Historic Preservation Officer Mrs. Patricia L. Weslowski Executive Director, Massachusetts Historical Commission 294 Washington Street Boston, Massachusetts 02108 Byers/bjr 5/15/80 For further information, please call the National Register at (202)343-6401.