Nomination for Berger Factory

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 JAN 2 9 1980 DATE ENTERED SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN HOW TO COMPLETE NATIONAL REGISTER FORMS TYPE ALL ENTRIES -- COMPLETE APPLICABLE SECTIONS NAME HISTORIC Berger Factory AND/OR COMMON Same 2 LOCATION STREET & NUMBER 37 Williams Street CITY, TOWN Boston STATE - VICINITY OF CODE 025 3 Massachusetts CLASSIFICATION CATEGORY -DISTRICT XBUILDING(S) STRUCTURE SITE _OBJECT OWNERSHIP _PUBLIC XPRIVATE _BOTH PUBLIC ACQUISITION -IN PROCESS -BEING CONSIDERED STATUS _OCCUPIED _UNOCCUPIED XWORK IN PROGRESS ACCESSIBLE XYES: RESTRICTED - YES: UNRESTRICTED _NO OWNER OF PROPERTY NAME School House Associates STREET & NUMBER 50 Franklin Street -CITY.

TOWN Boston - VICINITY OF LOCATION OF LEGAL DESCRIPTION COURTHOUSE, REGISTRY OF DEEDS,ETC. Suffolk County Registry of Deeds STREET & NUMBER Pemberton Square CITY. TOWN Boston REPRESENTATION IN EXISTING SURVEYS TITLE -NOT FOR PUBLICATION CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT Ninth COUNTY Suffolk CODE 025 PRESENT USE _AGRICULTURE _MUSEUM _COMMERCIAL _PARK _EDUCATIONAL XPRIVATE RESIDENCE -ENTERTAINMENT _RELIGIOUS _GOVERNMENT _SCIENTIFIC _INDUSTRIAL -TRANSPORTATION _MILITARY _OTHER: STATE Massachusetts STATE Massachusetts Inventory of the Historic Assets of the Commonwealth DATE 1979 DEPOSITORY FOR SURVEY RECORDS Massachusetts Historical Commission CITY. TOWN _FEDERAL STATE COUNTY _LOCAL Boston STATE Massachusetts 7 DESCRIPTION CONDITION XEXCELLENT _GOOD _FAIR i CLDETERIORATED _RUINS _UNEXPOSED CHECK ONE _UNALTERED ALTERED CHECK ONE XORIGINAL SITE _MOVED DATE.

DESCRIBE THE PRESENT AND ORIGINAL (IF KNOWN) PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Description of the property

The Berger Factory is located on Williams Street in Roxbury between Shawmut Avenue and Washington Street. It is a few blocks away from the Dudley Station commercial and transportation center. The main block of the Berger Factory, constructed in 1902, is a three-story brick structure, measuring approximately 100' x 45'. The ene-story brick wing added in 1907 is approximately 60' x 40' and forms an ell with the main block. Both sections have flat roofs. The Berger Factory is simple but well proportioned, a typical factory building of its period. The facade faces southwest on Williams Street and consists of three stories and a basement. There is no door on this side. Each floor has a band of ten windows; those of the first and second floors have stone sills and segmental brick arches, and those of the third floor have stone sills and lintels.All are eight over eight.

The bay at the extreme lett contains stairs and is difterentiated from the rest of the facade in several ways. There is one window at the first Iloor level (tour over tour), which has a stone will and segmental arch, and there 1s a round window at the third-floor level. Between the two, the Berger Factory sign is displayed at right angles to the building. At second and third-floor level, there are two brick pilaster strips, and there is corbelled brick detailing near the cornice and at the base of the pilaster strips. The courtyard elevation of the original wing has two doors at either end. They are of different types and are at slightly different levels: one has a segmental brick arch and the other a heavy cast stone lintel (not original). On the third floor level, there is a door with a bracket to support a pulley for hoisting up freight.

The windows are of the same type as on the facade but vary in size. The other elevations of this building are of minimal interest and have no significant decorative detail. There have been no important exterior alterations to the Berger Factory. Currently, it is being converted into housing. One other structure exists on the Berger Factory site. It is square in plan, measuring 52'x 49'. It is two stories in height, with a flat roof and is con- structed of brick and concrete with some timber. It was erected in 1924 and was used for light manufacturing.

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 -COMMERCE -COMMUNICATIONS AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE - CHECK AND JUSTIFY BELOW -COMMUNITY PLANNING -LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE _CONSERVATION -LAW -ECONOMICS _LITERATURE _EDUCATION' - -MILITARY XENGINEERING _MUSIC XEXPLORATIONZSETTLEMENT _PHILOSOPHY XINDUSTRY*4 _POLITICS/GOVERNMENT -INVENTION _RELIGION SCIENCE -SCULPTURE -SOCIAL/HUMANITARIAN _THEATER -TRANSPORTATION _OTHER (SPECIFY) SPECIFIC DATES BUILDER

Statement of significance

/ARCHITECT 1902; 1907 George Moffette; Henry I Preston STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE The Berger Factory retains integrity of location, design, setting, materials, and workmanship. It is a typical turn-of-the-century vernacular factory building. Little is known about either George Moffette, the architect of the main building, or about Hentry J. Preston, the architect of the wing, except that both practiced in Boston from about 1865 to 1912. The few buildings attributed to them include stores, banks, houses and tentments. Although the Berger Factory is an attractive building, it is significant primarily for non-architectural reasons. Roxbury has had a long history of industrial development, and the Berger Company was an important part of a late phase of that development. The Berger Company, manufacturers of engineering and surveying instruments, was founded in 1871 by Christian Louis Berger.

Berger was born in Germany and served as an instrument-making apprentice with the firm of Cooke, Troughton and Simms in England. The firm was first located in downtown Boston and was known as Buff and Berger. In the 1890's, Buff and Berger dissolved their partnership, and the firm was known as C.L. Berger and Sons. In 1902 they moved to Roxbury and built the building at 37 Williams Street, which was occupied by the firm until it moved to Mattapan in 1976. Before 1871 precision engineering and surveying instruments were nearly all imported from Germany or England. The Berger Company was one of the first American firms to manufacture them, and it quickly became the leader of the field. Berger Instruments were used in the surveying and construction of the Panama Canal and in the construction of many New York City skyscrapers.

They were also used in the polar expeditions of Byrd and Perry and in the United State Coast and Geodetic Survey. During World War II, the firm established design level standards for engineering instruments. Berger Instruments were also used at the highest point in North America during Bradford Washburn's expedition to Mount McKinley. Another important use was in the construction of the Boulder Dam and the Tennessee Valley Authority.

The rest of the file

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

MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES Boston Building Department: Applications for Permits to Build, July 14, 1902 and April 25, 1907. Telephone interview: Mr. Lyn R. Narins, President, Berger Instruments, 4 River St., Mattapan, Mass. March 5, 1979. IM NOT VERIFIED 10 GEOGRAPHICAL DATA ACREAGE OF NOMINATED PROPERTY 23,780 sq. ft. QUADRANGLE NAME Boston South UTM REFERENCES A[1,9| L3|2,81 3,810 ZONE EASTING ACREAGE NOT VERIRIED QUADRANGLE SCALE 1:24000 L4,6/ 81 8/ 61 010) NORTHING BLJ ZONE EASTINC Ll, Lu NORTHING LlybuiLi ELI FLULILULLILL GLI ! VERBAL BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION HLUL LILULILILN Please refer to the attached map on which the boundaries are deliniated.

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 With ORGANIZATION Massachusetts Historical Commission STREET & NUMBER 294 Washington Street CITY OR TOWN Boston Cynthia Zaitzevski, Consultant School House 77 Associates DATE April 1979 TELEPHONE (617) 727-8470 STATE Massachusetts 12 STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER CERTIFICATION THE EVALUATED SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS PROPERTY WITHIN THE STATEJS NATIONAL - STATE LOCAL As the designated State Historic Preservation Officer for the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Public Law 89-665), 1 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 Ktun LWestowski- 1/7/80 TITLE Executive Director, Mass. Historical Commission DATE FOR NPS USE ONLY I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS PROPERTY IS INCLUDED IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER ATYEST.

KEEPER OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER CHIEF OFREGISTRATION DATE DATE 49/80 GPO 921-803 9694 1456 1448 1348 STREET 55g 178 1786 AVENUE Berger Factory Williams Street' 1297 1806 WILLIAMS DADE28 GARY 4405 7705 2855 5790 Scale 1" = 100' STERLING 156 * Idemolished.see phone report & 4/4/d 1924 1900 21,040 14,983 1902 6499 1804 600 3906 1993 1645 3105 15 CTN STREET 129223221 218K3 24.66 1271 STREET 1871 255 1245 8067 27.516 11,328 STREEI 2143 IWINSLOTN -2142 247 TELEVATEOI 2840 2:50 3645 13,981 37,625 PARKING STREET AUTHORITY 5090 14,1116 17,553 983, ioll 2 1968 4062 9549 654/ 7225 12,467 3602 114 1249 3595 PALMER 2259 2255 2257 3200 2277 2275 3283 1262 226 5 4408 10.839 3000 RENFREW ST 20,39/ RECEIVED JÂN 2 S 1980 NATIONAL REGISTER Property Benger, Foctor 80000677 State Ma Sullalk Working Number 1-29-80 302 TECHNICAL CONTROL Photos Maps 2 Bielt in 1902 (with a 1a0r ell) this typical vernaculai factory building is eligible lo engineering, explozation, and idusty, Bult ly a German immegrant, the Berge factor was one & the furst amercop fums to build precesion engineering and surveying instrements .

Benei mbura poyo polie p dem eel ntereia o to penaete en gel, Besery Dam, HISTORIAN accept PatrickAndus 4/4/80 tor fleeing. America from having to import such instuments ARCHITECTÚRAL HISTORIAN fumGermany, along with the 2 ston factory is a smaller brick bldq-(see phone reportd 41180) ARCHEOLOGIST OTHER HAER Inventory Review REVIEW UNIT CHIEF BRANCH CHIEF KEEPER National Register Write-up Federal Register Entry 2.3,8 Send-back Re-submit Entered United States Department of the Interior - Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service BERGER Berger Factory soston, Mass Suffolkco, Randolph Phoulds 1978 144 Moody St., Waltham, Mass. Photo #1 ofz View from Williams St. looking northwest APR 9 1980 JAN 2 9 1980 C. L. BERGER & SONS INC ENGINEERING eN SURVEYING INSTRUMENTS Berger Factory Boston, Mass- Rando1ph Phoulds 1978 144 Moody St., Waltham, Mass. Photo #2 of2 Suffolk co.

View from Williams St. 1o0king east APR 9 190 JAN 2 9 1980 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR HERITAGE CONSERVATION AND RECREATION SERVICE IDATE 4/3/80 TIME OF CÁL TELEPHONE REPORT AM PM 1. CALL TO: FROM (Name) 2. ADDRESS (Tel. No. if needed) Candy-enkins SUBJECT, PROJECT NO., ETC. Mass. S.H.P.O:'o ffice Berger Jactory. Suffolk co. MA. 4. DETAILS OF DISCUSSION Jasked hen to try to find out some more info, on the add brilding- was it brilt by the berges firm? was it related to the prececion instrument busniess? this? aloo, there appears to be a third building on the map. What is 4/4/80 - on the ad building she can add little info. other than that it was built by the Berger firm, She has not beenable to ascertain What soit of light maneyfacturing was inolved in this building. There once was a third structive on the lot- it was demolished jears ago.

PERSON PLACING/RECEIVING CALL trich Anduus FHR-8-227 June 1978 TITLE OFFICE ENTRIES IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER STATE MASSACHUSETTS APR Date Entered 9 1980 Name Location Echo Bridge Swetland-Pease House Rice, Capt. Peter, House First Baptist Church Oakes, Edward, House McG111, John H., House Dillaway School /Berger Factory Town of Needham, City of Newton Norfolk and Middlesex County East Longmeadow vicinity Hampden County Marlborough Middlesex County Framingham Mi.ddlesex County Medford Middlesex County Medford Middlesex County Boston Suffolk County Boston Suffolk County Also Notified Honorable Paul Tsongas Honorable Edward M. Kennedy Honorable John J. Moakley Honorable Robert F. Drinan Honorable Edward P. Boland Honorable Joseph D. Early Honorable Edward J. Markey State Historic Preservation Officer Mrs. Patricia L.

Weslowsk1 Executive Director, Massachusetts Historical Commission 294 Washington Street Boston, Massachusetts 02108 NR Byers/bjr 4/17/80 For further information, please call the National Register at (202)343-6401.