Nomination for United Shoe Machinery Corporation Clubhouse

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

NPS Form 10-900 (7-81) United States Department of the Interior National Park 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 OMB NO. 1024-0018 EXP. 10/31/84 For NPS use only received0CT 14 1092 date entered historic United Shoe Machinery Corporation Clubhouse Beverly Golf and Tennis Clubhouse and/or common 2. Location street & number 134 Mckay Stfeet N/Fnot for publication city, town Beverly state Massachusetts 3. Classification Category Ownership _district X public X building(s) - private structure both site Public Acquisition object N/A in process being considered N/Avicinity of congrassianal distriot. code 025 county Essex code 009 Status X occupied unoccupied .

work in progress Accessible - yes: restricted X yes: unrestricted no Present Use _ agriculture _ commercial _ educational _ entertainment government X industrial - military museum park private residence religious scientific transportation _ other: Recreation 4. Owner of Property name City of Beverly street & number 191 Cabot Street city, town Beverly N/Avicinity of 5. Location of Legal Description state Massachusetts courthouse, registry of deeds, etc. Essex County Registry of Deeds street & number 32 Federal Street city, town Salem state Mass. 01970 6. Representation in Existing Surveys Inventory of Historical Assets title of the Commonwealth # 705 has this property been determined eligible? -yes Oct., 1979 date _federal _ state - county X no _ local depository for survey records Mass. Historical Commission, 294 Washington St. Boston, city, town state Mass. 02108 7.

Description United Shoe Machinery Corporation Clubhouse, Beverly Condition - excellent - good X fair _ deteriorated ruins unexposed Check one -X unaltered - - altered Check one -X original site _moved date N/A Describe the present and original (if known) physical appearance

Description of the property

The former United Shoe Machinery Corporation Clubhouse is located at the edge of a large open area (the Beverly Golf Course) on McKay Street, opposite Balch Street. The building is rectangular in plan, two-and-one-half stories tall, with a full basement mostly above grade and is substantially broader east/west than north/south. It is of stuccoed woodframe construction; the basement is cobblestone. The steeply pitched hip roof contains an array of gables and dormers with half-timbering and is punctuated by a chimney on the south side. The roof is sheathed in asphalt shingles and the rafters are ex- posed in the eave overhangs. es the building, with exterior stucco painted off-white and wooden trim (half-timbering, doors, window surrounds, and porches) painted dark brown. The window sashes are white.

A first floor porch/ver- anda extends along the building on the east, north, west and part of the south elevations, connecting the interior and adjacent ex- terior recreational spaces. The clubhouse sits on 16 of the original 300 acres associated with it. The area immediately adjacent to the building retains: much of its landscaping. The remainder of ac- companying acreage is still used as a golf course, which was laid out when the clubhouse was built. Woodland, now partially developed, made up the rest of the original 300 acres. The east elevation (facing McKay Street) is symmetrical, containing three bays, the central one wider than the side ones. A central broad stone staircase leads to a recessed porch which is supported by large stucco piers rising at rail height from a solid stucco wall.

The wide central entry is framed and surmounted by multipaned lights, and flanked by smaller multi-lighted doors. Above the porch in the roof pitch are two large end gables, connected by a central shed dor- mer- The gables each have a central window and half-timbering and a pendant at the peak; the connecting dormer has a row of four small- er windows. All the windows are 6/1 double-hung sashes. The west elevation is similar to the east in design, the major dif- ference being the porch treatment. Here the porch is a wooden pro- jecting structure rimmed by a balustrade and supported by pairs of narrow piers, with a flat roof and surrounding balustrade above. The northern roof gable contains a door, rather than windows.

The porch extends as an open veranda around the house and is accessible on the west elevation only from the interior via two wide door ways whose original double doors have been replaced with sliding glass. A tripartite, multi-paired windows marks each of the flanking bays. The north elevation (facing the driveway has a high stone basement and two wide stairways. The basement supports a veranda the length of the building, a large portion of which is roofed over as a porch (eastern end), echoing that on the west facade. The porch portion is symmetrical and five bays wide. Three small roof dormers with dia- mond pane windows are flanked at either end by a large gable. The building extends westward to include another dormer and gable, contin- uing the rhythm while breaking the symmetry. (Cont'd) 8.

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

Significance UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORP. CLUBHOUSE, BEVERLY Period - prehistoric 1400-1499 1500-1599 1600-1699 1700-1799 1800-1899 . 1900 Areas of SignificanceCheck and justify below -archeology-prehistoric X community planning - archeology-historic conservation _ agriculture _ economics X architecture _ education _art - engineering commerce _ exploration/settlement - communications X industry - invention landscape architecture _law literature military . music - philosophy politics/government - religion science _ sculpture social/ humanitarian theater - transportation other (specify) Specific dates CA. 1910 Statement of Significance

Statement of significance

(in one paragraph) Builder/Architect Henry Bailey Alden The United Shoe Machinery Corporation Clubhouse possesses integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, and association. It was built for Beverly's largest industry which was also the major producer of shoemaking equipment in the world at the time. Designed by a prominent local architect, it is an excellent example of a large scale, Arts and Crafts designed structure of the period. Perhaps most importantly, it represents, at a relatively early date, a new sense of responsibilities and cobperation between a large industry and its employees which was eventually to pervade American social ideals. The United Shoe Machinery Corporation Clubhouse thus meets criteria A, B, and C of the National Register of Historic Places.

In 1902, the United Shoe Machinery Corporation (USMC) decided to build a plant for over 2,500 men in Beverly. This was constructed in 1903 and added to at various times, especially in 1906. Employ- ment reached up to 5,000. One of the main architects was Ernest L. Ransome; a pioneer in reinforced concrete construction. This one company changed the face of Beverly and was Beverly's major employer. Not only was the company progressive in using reinforced concrete, but also was in the forefront of voluntarily undertaking actions for the improvement of the working and living conditions of the employees, in order to insure conditions of the highest in- dustrial efficiency.USMC's aim was to secure the best living and recreational conditions which would in turn pay off in productive work.

To this end, USMC hired a noted area architect, Henry Bailey Alden, to design a clubhouse for the Shoe Machinery Athletic Asso- ciation. Henry Bailey Alden studied architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology before joining the Boston firm of Parker, Thomas and Rice. In addition to the USMC Clubhouse, Alden was involved in the design of many outstanding buildings in Boston, noted by the Herala- Traveler building on Mason Street and the United Shoe Machinery Corp- oration Office Building at 140 Federal Street (NR). He also designed numerous other buildings in the area including The Public Library in Westwood and many private residences. He died August 21, 1939.

The Athletic Association was composed of men and women who worked in the factory and a few of the local Beverly people; just enough to give a "neighborly touch to the factory's social life." Any employee of the company was eligible for membership for one dollar a year. people took advantage of this. The management did not interfere with the running of the Athletic Association, who chose their own management. (Cont'd) UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION CLUBHOUSE 9.

The rest of the file

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

Major Bibliographical References Hertenly Eveniootssie Anlitetus1o v1 1, pp. 137-42. Beverly Evening Times, Dec. 6, 1933 Whitney, Henry F., editor, Biographical Dictionary of American Architecture (deceased) Los Angeles: Hennessy and Ingalls, Inc., 1970 10. Geographical Data Acreage of nominated property _Less than one acre Quadrangle name Salem, Mass. Quadrangle scale 1:25,000 UMT References A119/ L$4,4/43,0/ Zone Easting 14/7/43 9170 Northing LLLL Northing D Easting LILLL E F HLULLILLL LILALLLI Verbal boundary description and justification (See attached map for description). The golf course acreage owned by the City of Beverly may be eligible for inclusion in the Clubhouse nom- ination.

However, additional research needs to be done on the course's designer, original configuration, andthe impact of subsequent alterations in order to justify this; consequently, List all states and counties for properties overlapping state or county boundaries (continued) state code county code N/A state code county code 11. Form Prepared By name/title Virginia H. Adams, Program Assistant with Frank Garretson, Beverly organization Mass. Historical Commission date July, 1982 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 by the National Park Service. State Historic Preservation Officer signature Valerie Talmaga title Executive Director, Massachusetts Historical Com.date 9/28/82 For NPS use only I hereby certify that this property is included in the National Register roma Our. date 11/26/ Keeper of the National Register) Attest: date Chief of Registration NPS Form 10-900-a (3-82) OMB No. 1024-0018 Exp.

10-31-84 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form United Shoe Machinery Corp. Continuation sheet Clubhouse, Beverly Item number For NPS use only received date entered 7, 10 Page I Multi- paired and tripartite windows and doors (in the gables) on the floor open onto the porch balcony. Half timbering is found in the gable and dormer peaks. The south elevation essentially mirrors the north, although the ver- anda does not run the full length and has no roof (with the exception of a recent makeshift porch added at the end). A tall exterior stuc- co chimney projects from what would otherwise be the central dormer at the eastern end. Exterior alterations have been minimal. In addition to those mentioned above, some sections (at the corners) of the veranda balustrade have been replaced by a simpler railing.

The interior of the Clubhouse is comprised of numerous rooms on each floor which fullfill various club function needs. Originally, wall treatment was a combination of plain varnished woodwork and light col- ored plaster walls. The interior was always more functional than decor- ative. The building still retains its main front entry hall with two broad staircases, and its original stone fire places. some woodwork has been painted, partitions have been erected to form smaller rooms, and new kitchen facilities have been installed. However, these alterations have not significantly effected the sense of the building's original purpose as a social and recreational center. Section I0: Verbal Boundary Description this nomination is limited to the immediate environs of the clubhouse at this time.

NPS Form 10-900-a (3-82) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form United Shoe Machinery Corporation Continuation sheet Clubhouse, Beverly Item number 8 OMB No. 1024-0018 Exp. 10-31-84 For NPS use only received date entered Page I This early example of a "worker's clubhouse" was most successful in the view of the Company and employees. The Clubhouse was as attrac- tive architecturally as any country club anywhere. The Clubhouse con- tained a theater and auditorium, library, card and lounging rooms, billiard and pool tables, bowling alleys, locker rooms, and all the usual appurtenances. It was the center for the annual "Sam-Sam" Day, which brought workers, their families, and friends together each August for a day of fun and recreation.

In 1916, Calvin Coolidge, at that time Lieutenent-Governor of Massachusetts, was a special guest at the "Sam-Sam". His comments on the occassion included congratulations for "what may be done by cooperation.... through working of the welfare of all the employees... partaking in the ownership of a great industry." This is an excellent, early example of a new attitude between employ- er and employee. In 1913, Louis A. Coolidge, Treasurer of USMC wrote the following, "There is somthing after all in industry beyond giving a day's work and receiving a day's pay.

Intensive cooperation between employer and employee is possible; it works to the advantage of both, resulting on the one hand in a greater industrial efficiency, and on the other, in a development of the individual." United Shoe Manufacturing Company was the major producer of all shoe- making equipment in the world during the first half of the 20th cen- tury. It had a monopoly on shoe-making equipment. Thus, the company important internationally, as well as nationally. Between 1899 and 1960, USMC developed and marketed nearly 800 new and improved shoe machines and patented more than 9,000 inventions in a variety of areas. The Company was a major manufacturer in Massachusetts with a building for manufacturing of 1,300,000 sq. ft. in Beverly, and a major office building lopened in 1930, at 140 Federal Street, which was the tallest building in Boston at the time.

(USMC was Beverly's one major industry; the growth of Beverly follows the growth of USMC.) In recent history, the company has changed, in part, due to antitrust litigation. It had difficult times during the 1960's when its monopoly was broken up. Since then it has diversified, been sold to Emhart, and is doing well again. Sold to a private developer in 1971, the clubhouse and 168 acre golf course became the property of the city of Beverly during the spring of 1978. The remainder of the original 300 acres was retained by the developer for housing and conservation.

IATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES nited States Depara ncisel ational Park Servl SubatanEIva Zevien United ShoeMachinery Corporation Clubhouse Essex County MASSA CHUSETTS EYALUATION / RETURN SHEL rosubmission nomination by person or local government owner objection appeal Substantive Reviow: Roviower's comments: NoT SHOWN tO BE SKNIFILANT UNDER "8". Poc ing 2:/14/82-23444 Fod. Reg. Date:. Dato Due: Iuliz- =1/28/82 Action: ACCEPT 11/26/82 - RETURN - REJECT- Federal Agoncy:- sample - request - appeal - NR decision Recom. /Criteria. 4+C /Acupt Reviower- Discipline A. IF0 Date //-25- M continuation sheet -Nomination returned for: - technical corrections cited below .substantive reasons discussad bolow 1. Name 2. Location 3. Classification Prosont Ueo oodento 4. Owner of Property 5. Location of Legal Description 6.

Representation in Existing Surveys W property teon detemetned eltgieta? -Nº =' 7. Description Choek em noved 30 - - coinal (il laaual ptoyetd a summary paragraph completeness clarity alterations/integrity dates boundary soloction bornidavies. a appem de map drown tscale butur an fiver 8. Significance summary paragraph completeness clarity applicable criteria justification of areas checked relating significance to the resource context relationship of integrity to significance justification of excepticn other EAEABA THE SISNIFICANT PERSONS FOR WHILH THIS PROPENT IS ERRNEBE TO BE ASSOCIATEN WIRA ARE NOT SHOWN. IT I5, HQWEVEN, EHGIBLE FOR ITS AISTONICH ASSOCATIONS UNDER CRITERIAN A AND FOR C UNDER ANCHITELTURE. - 9. Major Bibliographical References 10. Geographical Data raao ol nomtnsad prosarty. wadrangto - VaIT Pesderanau Verbel boundo 11. Form Prepared By 12.

State Historic Preservation Officer Certification Toe ovetaatad olgnata noo ef tnta propparty suteoun ona crato la: -- leca: o Hletorte P marvetten Offloer elgnature 13. Other Maps -Photographs Other Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to . Signed - Date _ Phone: 202 272 - 350 Comments for any Item may be continued on an attached sheet 198/ BEVERLI, MA BEVERLY GOLFAND TENNIS CLDB 134 mcKAY ST. VIEW FROM United Shoe Machinery Corporation Clubhouse 134 McKay Street Beverly, Massachusetts Photograph by Frank Garretson Spring, 1981 Negative filed with Planning Dept., City Hall, Beverly View from S.E. 1981 BEVERLY, MA BErERLY GOLF XND TENNS 134 MCKA, ST. VIEW FROM NIW. United Shoe Machinery Corporation Clubhouse 134 McKay Street Beverly, Mass. CLUB Photo by Frank Garretson Spring 1981 Neg. filed at Beverly Planning Dept.

View from NW m <>I MASSACHUSETTS 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 September 29, 1982 Ms. Carol Shull, Chief National Register of Historic Places National Park Service Department of the Interior Washington, D.C. 20243 Dear Ms. Shull: Enclosed you will find the following nomination forms: LBeverly: United Shoe Machinery Corporation Clubhouse (local) Longmeadow: The Green (local) Malden: Waitt Brick Block (local) Weston: Post Road Historic District (state) All have been voted eligible by the State Review Board and have been signed by the State Historic Preservation Officer. Owners were notified of pending State Review Board consideration 30-75 days before the meeting and were afforded the opportunity to comment.

Conments received to date are attached to the nomination forms. Sincerely, Candace Jenkins Candace. Registration Director Massachusetts Historical Conmission CJ/sac enclosure RECEIVED DCT 141982> NATIONAL REGISTER LiTiO