Nomination for Lyman Block

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 date entered MAR 1 8 1982 APR 15 1982 historic Lyman Block and/or common 2. Location same street & number 83,91 Main Street NA not for publication city, town Brockton N'A vicinty ot congressional district 11th state Massachusetts 3. Classification code 025 county Plymouth code 023 Category _ district X building(s) .structure site object Ownership public X private .

both Public Acquisition in process being considered Status - occupied _ unoccupied X 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 other: 4. Owner of Property name Brockton Centre Associates street & number 77 North Washington Street city, town Boston N/A vicinity of Massachusetts 5. Location of Legal Description state 02114 courthouse, registry of deeds, etc. Plymouth County Registry of Deeds street & number Russell Street city, town Plymouth 6. Representation in Existing Surveys state Massachusetts title Inventory of the Historic Assets of has this property been determined elegible?

the Commonwealth date _ federalX state 1976 - yes X no _ county - - local depository for survey records Massachusetts Historical Commission city, town 294 Washington Street Boston, state MA. 02108 7. Description Condition X excellent good fair deteriorated ruins unexposed Check one .unaltered x altered Check one X original site -moved date Describe the present and original (if known) physical appearance

Description of the property

The 1876 Lyman Block is located in downtown Brockton at the corner of Main Street and Legion Parkway. It is a four story, twelve bay wide structure constructed of red brick with brownstone lintels and sills which are surmounted by a console bracketed sheet metal cornice. Two elongated brick panels form an additional horizontal element between the top floor windows and the cornice. The brownstone lintels are articulated by incised floral ornaments and the console brackets are highlighted with acanthus decoration. An additional embellishment to the main facade is a stone panel between the third and fourth floor with incised letters indicating the name of the building. The use of these materials and motifs is repeated in the adjoining Howard Block which is stylistically similar to the Lyman Block and also erected in 1876.

Together they consti- tute half of the intact 19th century Main Street block between High Street and Legion - o oron lie sero ni locem ! Parkway. The central bay of the Lyman Block is denoted by its larger size and variation of seg- mental lintels. The windows were originally double hung, 2/2 but are now fixed sash with hopper. The Lyman Block is shorter than the Howard Block because of the latter's upper story public hall. The granite quoins which visually delineate the separation of the Lyman Block from the Howard Block also indicate the existence of a party wall between them. These granite quoins, which are also at the corner of the Lyman Block, enframe its facade. The first floor along Main Street was originally open, with storefronts. Seven granite columns and a 12" x 12" timber beam supported the masonry above. The center bay served as the entrance to the floors above.

With the creation of Legion Parkway, this storefront At this time, access to the upper floors was shifted to a new entry on Legion Parkway, while the space occupied by the original entry bay on Main Street was taken over for commercial use. The Legion Parkway facade is more modest with simple limestone lintels and sills. Some larger scale openings were made in this wall shortly after it was exposed to view by the construction of Legion Parkway, and these openings have concrete lintels and sills which match the originals in color. Today,the building remains largely unalteredwith its post-LegionParkway modifications. Most of the original granite colums have been removed over the years by the succession of shopkeepers who continually remodeled their stores.

(See photo) A small, two story addition at the rear of the building built c.1910 was removed in 1979 when the upper floors were converted into elderly housing, thus restoring the structure to its original 1876 size.

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

Significance Period - prehistoric 1400-1499 1500-1599 1600-1699 1700-1799 X 1800-1899 1900 Areas of Significance - Check and justify below - archeology-prehistoric community planning archeology-historic conservation agriculture economics architecture education art engineering X 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 1876 Builder

Statement of significance

/Architect Unknown Statement of Significance (in one paragraph) The Lyman Block is an excellent example of 19th century commercial development. Constructed in 1876 to serve as the new home of the prominent furniture and casket manufacturers Howard Clark & Co., it forms an integral part of the largest and most prominent block of 19th century build- ings remaining in Brockton. With the destruction of the historic Bixby Block/Home Bank Building (Iormer NR) by fire in 1979, this group of buildings has become one of the focal points of the Main Street business district. The building therefore meets criteria B and C of the National Reigster of Historic Places. Lyman Clark, Rufus Kimball, E.G, Rhodes, and W.H. Savage were the owners of Howard, Clark & Co., at the time of construction, but Clark, for whom the building was named, must have held a major interest.

At age 70 when construction began, Clark was the oldest partner. He had founded the firm in 1829 with Samuel Howard, the furniture maker, to whom Clark was apprenticed at age 16. Clark became active in real estate, and was the owner of many of Brockton's buildings by the tim of his death in 1885. Lyman Clark must have used his first name to identify the 1876 structure because a "Clark Block" already existed, standing at the corner of Main Street and Centre Street, directly across from the Lyman Block._ The Clark Block, erected five years earlier, was three stories in height, but identical to the Lymar and Howard Buildings in architectural detail The quoins, brownstone, structures lintels, and bracketed cornice were copied directly from the earlier no demolished). Howard Clark & Co., was a prominent furniture manufacturer long before construction of the Lyman Block.

"Having removed to the new brick block on Main Street" ,they advertised in 1876, "We are prepared to fill all orders for rich and fashionable furniture." But they did not occupy the entire building. The upper floors of the Lyman Block were tenanted by numerous businesses. References are made to Lyman Block merchants in an 1878 business directory under puch diye rand apinlstes Bird an deardst, ,y loorein, and casce oe feace, np a tary were also listed. The mix probably typical of the merchants one would find in any com- mercial building along Main Street at that time. used for elderly housing.

The rest of the file

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

Major Bibliographical References 1. Kingman, Bradford, The History of Brockton, Syracuse, 1895 2. Plymouth County Registry of Deeds 3. Mercantile Illustrating Co. Brockton and Its Points of Interest New York, 1895 (See continuation sheet) 10. Geographical Data Acreage of nominated property - 6720 sf Quadrangle name Brockton ACREAGE NOT MAT VEDEIED S heib Quadrangle scale 1:25000 UMT References UIM NOT VERUFIED A121 BB21999 KéKPBRO Zone Easting Northing CLL E Zone Easting -LULILLI FLIJ LLILLL Northing LiLu Verbal boundary description and justification The Lyman Block occupies part of the block bounded by Main Street to the east, High Street to the south and Legion Parkway to the north. It is bounded by the Howard Block to the south 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 Edward J. Halligan, Preservation Planner, with Miguel Gomez-Ibanez, Associate Vice President, Endevor, Inc., Architects organization Massachusetts Historical Commission date December 1980 street & number 294 Washington Street telephone 727-8470 city or town Boston, Massachusetts state 12. State Historic Preservation Officer Certification The evaluated significance of this property within the state is: national Xlocal As the designated StateHistoric Preservation Officer for the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Public Law 89- 665), I hereby nominatethis property for inclusion in the National Register and certify that it has been evaluated accordingto the criteria and procedures set forth by the Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service.

State Historic Preservation Officer signature PatuuhWeslouski title Executive Director, Massachusetts Historical Commissiorate 2/25/82 For HCRS use only 1 hereby certity that this property is included in the Natioa Register in the Natione.l - Legister ~Reeper of the National Register date 7/15/82 Attest: Chief of Registration date GPO 938 835 FHR-8-300AR (11/78) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR HERITAGE CONSERVATION AND RECREATION SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY -- NOMINATION FORM FOR HCRS USE ONLY RECEIVED DATE ENTERED MAR 18 1982 CONTINUATION SHEET ITEM NUMBER 9 PAGE 4. Board of Trade Manual of the City of Brockton, Brockton 1899 5. Greenough & Company Brockton & Bridgewater Directory, Boston 1872-1909 6. Caldwell, WH, Brockton, Historical, Descriptive & Picturesque, Brockton, 1898 7. J.D. Hall & Co. Brockton Commercial Bulletin, Vol.

1, Brockton 1894 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES PROPERTY MAP FORM FOR NPS.USE ONLY RECEIVEDMAR 181982 DATE ENTERED SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN HOW TO COMPLETE NATIONAL REGISTER FORMS TYPE ALL ENTRIES -- ENCLOSE WITH MAP NAME HISTORIC Lyman Building AND/OR COMMON - same LOCATION CITY. TOWN Brockton MAP REFERENCE SOURCE sketch map SCALE no scale REQUIREMENTS TO BE INCLUDED ON ALL MAPS 1. PROPERTY BOUNDARIES 2. NORTH ARROW 3. UTM REFERENCES - VICINITY OF COUNTY STATE Plymouth MA DATE March 1980 ili! - PAVED~ HIGH STREET CURTIS GOLOTHWAITE ELOCK HOWARD ProcK LYNAN Prock.

LEGION PARKWAY MAINSTREET NORTH NATIONAL REGIST EVALUATION / RETURN SHEET Property:- Lyman Block State, County:_ MA, DlyMouth Federal Agency: OF HISTO IC PLAC resubmission nomination by person or local government owner objection appeal Substantive Review: Reviewer's comments: United States Department of the Interior National Park Service Working No. 3.18.82.817 Fed. Reg. Date: Date Due:. a///578z - 5/2/62 Entered An ee ACCEPT 415/82 RETURN National Register REJECT- photos maps -_ sample - request _ appeal - NR decision Recom. /Criteria Reviewer_ Discipline- Date. _ see continuation sheet -Nomination returned for: - technical corrections cited below .substantive reasons discussed below 1. Name 2. Location 3. Classification ormarahio Pulbllc Aoouteition 4. Owner of Property Matus Aocosalale procam Uao 5. Location of Legal Description 6.

Representation in Existing Surveys nos the property boan etsarminad elgible? - roe - no 7. Description Denuttler excellent good tair deteriorsted .ruins unexposed Chock ene unaitered .attered artbe the proeent and artginel (ilknowm) phyeieel a summary paragraph completeness clarity alterations/integrity dates boundary selection Check one original site - moved date arance 8. Significance Perto roas of 8 nilicanoe Igoalfe dates atemont ef sionitleanas (in eno pe nd poetiy beler cllder Archbtee summary paragraph completeness clarity applicable criteria justification of areas checked relating significance to the resource context relationship of integrity to significance justification of exception other 9. Major Bibliographical References 10. Geographical Data Aoreage of nominated property Quedrangle name - UNIT Roterences Varbel boundery doecrlation and juatinication 11.

Form Prepared By 12. State Historic Preservation Officer Certification The eveluated significance of thie propperty wlthin the atate le: . national sate local ate Mlstorie Pre pervatien Officer sieneture 13. Other Maps Photographs Other Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to- Signed - Date. Phone: 202 272-3504 Comments for any Item may be continued on an attached sheet NO TURN ON RED KEEP RIGHT MAIN Lyman Block Brockton, MA Miguel Gomez-Ibanez Endevor, INC. 77 N. Wasnington, St., Boston March 1980 Photo #3 of 4 Legion Parkway & Main St. elevations LYMAN BLOCK MAIN ST. E LEGION PARKWAY ELEVATIONS BROCKTON, MA TRAVEL ( AGENCY Lou Lyman Block Brockton, Ma Miguel Gomez-Ibanez Endevor, INC. 77 N.

Washington St., Boston Photo # 4 Of 4 Rear elevation looking south Marck 1980 LYMAN BLOCK REAR ELEVATION PROCKTON, MA Missing Core Documentation Property Name Lyman Block County, State Plymouth, Massachusetts Reference Number 82004430 The following Core Documentation is missing from this entry: Nomination Form X Photographs (#s: 1-2) _ USGS Map endevor inc 77 NORTH WASHINGTON STREET - BOSTON - MASSACHUSETTS 02114 - 617/523-7040 January 26, 1982 RECT' VED JAN -O MASS. HIST. COMM. Ms. Patricia L. Weslowski Executive Director Massachusetts Historical Commission State Historic Preservation Officer 294 Washington Street Boston, MA 02108 Dear Ms. Weslowski: Re Golathwaite Block Howard Block Lyman Block This will confirm that the owners of the above referenced project are firmly in accordance with having our buildings listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

We believe that this nomination as well as designation would act us to assist us in preserving these buildings. In addition, it will act as a significant factor in the revitilization oi downtown Brockton. Again I would like to reconfirm enthusiastically our listing of our buildings for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. If you have any questions I would be very happy to appear in person or to do whatever is necessacy to assist your organization in the completion of this important work. Yours very truly, 1.Moro- Gilbert V. Boro Managing General Partner Brockton Centre Associates GVB/kf SAVED MAR 18 OE NATIONAL REGISTER CC: Miguel Gomez-Ibanez Ray Faulkner Gerard F. Doherty, Esq.

Edward Fish ENTRIES IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES STATE MASSACHUSETTS Date Entered APRIL 15, 1982 Name Camp Atwater Lyman Block Curtis Building Goldthwaite Block Howard Block Location North Brookfield Worcester County Brockton Plymouth County Brockton Plymouth County Brockton Plymouth County Brockton Plymouth C6unty Notified Honorable Edward P. Boland Honorable Brian J. Donnelly Honorable Edward M. Kennedy Honorable Paul E. Tsongas Mid-Atlantic Regional Office, NPS North Atlantic Regional Office, NPS State Historic Preservation Officer Mrs. Patricia L. Weslowski Executive Director, Massachusetts Historical Commission 294 Washington Street Boston, Massachusetts 02108 For further information, please call the National Register at (202) 272-3504