Nomination for Times and Olympia Buildings

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

NPS Form 10-900 (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 See instructions in How to Complete National Register Forms Type all entries-complete applicable sections 1. Name For NPS use only received JUN 8 1983 date entered historic Slocum and Olympia Buildings and/or common 2. Location Times and Olympia Buildings (preferxed) street & number 908-912 and 880-898 Purchase Street N/A not for publication city, town New Bedford N/A vicinity of state Massachusetts code 025 3.

Classification county Bristol code 005 Category district X building(s) structure site object Ownership - public X private both Public Acquisition N/A in process - being considered Status X occupied unoccupied X work in progress Accessible X yes: restricted - yes: unrestricted - no Present Use agriculture X commercial educational entertainment government industrial military _ museum - park - private residence _ religious - scientific transportation other: 4. Owner of Property name Olympia Associates Trust street & number 628 Pleasant Street city, town New Bedford N/A vicinity of 5. Location of Legal Description state Massachusetts courthouse, registry of deeds, etc. Bristol County Registry of Deeds street & number 11 Court Street city, town Taunton 6.

Representation in Existing Surveys Inventory of the Historic Assets title of the Commonwealth #311, 308 has this property been determined eligible? state Massachusetts yesx no date 1978 federal X state - - county local depository for survey records Massachusetts Historical Commission city, town Boston state Massachusetts 7. Description Times and Olympia Buildings, New Bedford, Massachusetts Condition excellent X good, fair 0 deteriorated _ ruins unexposed Check one - unaltered X altered Check one X original site _ moved date N/A Describe the present and original (if known) physical appearance

Description of the property

The Times Building (1897) and Olympia Building (1921) are abutting masonry commercial blocks which occupy the western half of the block tormed by Purchase Street (west), Middle Street (north), Acushnet Avenue (east) and Elm Street (south) adjacent to the Central New Bedford Historic District (NR; 1980). Both buildings conform to the topography of their site which slopes to the rear (east); the lower eastern half of the block, presently vacant, is not included in this nomination. They are adjacent to the Central New Bedford Historic District, but have lost much of their sense of physical connection through urban renewal activities. Originally known as the Slocum Building, the Times Building of 1897 stands five stories high and Purchase Street and 100 feet/extends 40% feet (three bays wide) on leight bays wide) down Middle Street.

It is rectangular in plan and occupies the southern portion of the Purchase Street Block; its design is the work of local architect Nathaniel Cannon Smith. Essentially unaltered since its construction, the Times Bulding (Purchase Street and Middle Street elevations) was described in an Evening Standard news article of 1897 in the following manner: It is to be built of grey Roman brick 12½ inches by 4 inches with trimmings of Berea, an Ohio limestone. The foundation will be of Rockport granite. . . The first and second story windows are especially arranged for exposition purposes, the first story has five large French plate glass windows which will excell in width any show window in New Bedford. . .

The windows of the upper story are arranged with an arcade treatment nanged vitn resting on Doric pilaster caps which lose themselves on the construction surface of the brick and as the building is surmounted by a rich loverhangingl cornice, its exterior will be very pleasing to the eye. The windows of the upper three stories are 1/1 arranged in pairs, each surmounted by a splayed limestone lintel with keystone. At the upper (fifth) story, a moulded stringcourse spans the building below the windows. Both the Purchase Street elevation storefronts (recently restored) and the Middle Street facade retain their original simple brick piered window treatment. The two secondary elevations (south and east) are simply and functionally designed exhibiting a coarser brick construction material which is punctured with irregularly placed segmentally arched windows and service entrances.

Occupying the southern three-quarters of the block, the Olympia Building of 1921, designed by Mowl and Rand of Boston, also stands five stories (Continued) NPS Form 10-900-a (3-82) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form Times and Olympia Buildings, Continuation sheet New Bedford, Massachusettltem number 7 OMB No. 1024-0018 Exp. 10-31-84 For NPS use anly recaived dale entered Page 1 tall, although slightly shorter than the Times Building. Constructed of pressed red brick with limestone trim, it follows an L-plan, fronting 143 feet on Purchase Street and 100 feet on Elm Street. Together with the Times Building, it forms a U-shaped structure whose rear elevations form a service court with vehicular access.

The Olympia Building's primary elevation is basically symmetrical and contains storefronts at ground level (see below) separated from the upper four stories by a moulded limestone stringcourse. Supported on the string course are bas-relief limestone urns which delineate six major bays with groups of three 1/1 rectangular windows on each story. Ornamentation of the second, third and fourth story windows creates a rythmnic pattern and consists of limestone sills and lintels with brick voussoirs and limestone keystones; fifth story windows are framed above and below by narrow limestone stringcourses. The building is finished at the roof line with limestone decorative panels and a dentilled overhanging cornice. Located slightly off-center to the right on Purchase Street, the main entry consists of a fairly narrow arched recessed doorway with coffered intrados.

The second story window above the entry displays limestone trim with a broken segmental arch; the fourth story window is surmounted by a decorative carved swag motif, also of carved limestone. The Olympia Building's polished granite storefronts have been altered several times since the 1920s. Current renovation plans include removal of later additions and restoration of the original storefronts. Since the interior of the Olympia building has changed very little, it is worth quoting the original description the paper gave: The entranceway will have a terrazo floor with marble wainscotting in the hallway running to the center of the building, where will be located two elevators furnishing service to the occupants of the building. On each floor the elevator landing will admit to a large hall. The halls and corridor floors will be of ceramic tile, while the office floors will be of marble.

The stairways in the building will be of iron with marble treads. 8. SignificanceTimes and O1ympia Buildings, 908-912 and 880-898 Purchase St., New Bedford, Mass. Period prehistoric 1400-1499 1500-1599 1600-1699 1700-1799 X _ 1800-1899 X 1900 Areas of Significance - Check and justify below _ archeology-prehistoric _ community planning archeology-historic _ conservation agriculture _ economics 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 (specity) Specific dates 1897; 1921 Statement of

Statement of significance

(in one paragraph) Builder/Architect Nathaniel Cannon Smith (Times Bldg.) Mow1 and Rand (Olympia.Bldg.) The Times and Olympia Buildings possess integrity of location, design, materials, workmanship, feeling and association. The Times Building, designed by a prominent local architect, Nathaniel C. Smith, was the home of the Times newspaper from 1909 to 1932. The Olympia Building, important on its own merits as a fine local example of Georgian Revival architecture designed by the firm of Mowl and Rand, takes on added importance when considered in relation to Times Building. Both buildings were considered of special significance to New Bedford at the time of their construction and played a linking role in the northward development of the downtown at the turn of the 20th century.The Times and Olympia Buildings thus meet criteria A, B and C of the National Register of Historic Places.

Construction of the both the Times and Olympia Buildings reflects New Bedford's second era of prosperity at the end of the 19th century, when a well entrenched cotton textile industry rejuvenated the city's failing whaling economy.. This new wealth produced a, building. boom which lasted from the 1890s through the 1920s, creating a new commercial district set back from the waterfront. Both buildings were constructed on the site of the Greek Revival Parker House Hotel (1834, Russel1 Warren), which by 1896 comprised a full block from Elm to Middle Streets with a main entrance facing Purchase Street.

The Parker House was built for John Avery Parker, New Bedford's first millionaire; a contemporary account cited it as "the finest house ever built in the city" and "the most successful adaption of Greek temple architecture as applied to a dwelling, to be found in this country." Converted to commercial use in 1842, the Parker House was one of two grand hotels in a then cosmopolitan New Bedford. During 1874 both President Ulysses S. Grant and King Kalakaua of Hawaii stayed there on visits to the city. Later, the hotel was the site of a yearly ball for whaling captains before the fleet departed for a season in the Arctic. By 1897, however, the hotel had seen its best days and a wing of the complex, located on the corner of Purchase and Middle Streets, was sold to Francis R. Slocum, a local furniture merchant, for develop- ment to house his expanding business.

Slocum demolished this wing and on Friday, February 19, 1897, the Evening Standard announced plans for a new $40,000 building on the site. Over an architect's rendering of the building, the headline read, "The Slocum Building Will be the Tallest Edifice in the City." The location was (Continued) 9.

The rest of the file

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

Major Bibliographical References City of New Bedford Building Department Records. New Bedford Standard Times Library. The Centenary of the Merchants National Bank, Zephaniah W. Pease, New Bedford, Mass. 1925, Pp.12-13. (Continued) 10. Geographical Data Acreage of nominated property less than one Quadrangle name - New Bedford North, Mass. Quadrangle scale 1:25000 UT M References ^1119/ 3 39 5130 Zone Easting 46/10 91810 Northing B ELL LILuL Zone LiliLiliL Easting Northing DiLILLiLL FL LLILLLI HLULLILLL Verbal boundary description and justification The nomination consists of the Times Building and Olympia Building structures only. Please refer ,to assessor's map. List all states and counties for properties overlapping state or county boundaries state code county code N/A State code county code 11. Form Prepared By Virginia A.

Fitch, Preservation Planner, with Peggi Medeiros, name/title Office of Neighborhood and Historic Preservation, New Bedford organization Massachusetts Historical Commissiodate March, 1983 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 is: national 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 acortung e ta eritnand roctuas ae arti eytha lalernl Pan Serice. State Historic Preservation Officer signature ateu.

Leolowki State Historic Preservation Officer title Massachusetts Historical Commission date 5/26/83 For NPS use only I hereby certify that this property is included in the National Register Delore Entered in the National Register date 7/1/83 Attest: Chief of Registration date NPS Form 10-900-a (3-82) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form Times and Olympia Buildings, Continuation sheet New Bedford, MassachusettStem number 8 OMB No.1024-0018 Exp. 10-31-84 For NPS use anly received date entered Page 1 called "without doubt one of the best in the city," and "the second most valuable location on Purchase Street." The architect for the project was Nathaniel Cannon Smith, New Bedford's premier designer of the period.

In addition to the Times Building, Smith designed the New Bedford Textile School, the Dunbar and Greene Schools, the Carnegie Library in Brockton, the YMCA in Fall River and numerous private homes. His most important work was renovations in the Egyptian Revival. style of the Town Hall and Market Place (now the New Bedford Free Public Library) after a fire destroyed the interior of the building in 1905. Slocum's furniture store remained a fixture on Purchase Street until 1908 when it closed, and a year later the Times newspaper moved into the building. The Times was founded in 1902 by Boston interests as a Sunday paper; on March 25, 1905 it became a daily edited by Charles E. Wood (later Federal Labor Arbitration Commissioner). Soon there- after, according to a Standard Times library clipping, "the growing newspaper took over the Slocum Building, as it was then called . ..

- This became the Times Building, a landmark fondly remembered by the many newspaper men who worked there in times past and have gone elsewhere. The removal to its enlarged home was encompassed at one jump, on a linotypes, desks, pastepots and scissors all moved bodily over to the Times Building." In 1932 during the height of the Depression, the Times was purchased by Basil Brewer, publisher and owner of its competitor, the Evening Standard; the papers merged to form the Standard Times, which is today the only newspaper of any size in New Bedford.

The Times ceased publication, stating proudly, "In all its vicissitudes, the staff takes pride in - in its viciosat Er Psoistu ds Ea Bie recalling the Times never missed an edition from the day of its start." The Evening Standard remarked, "The loyalty of Times men has been a by-word in newspaper circles." During the 1920s, the Times Building lost the Parker House as its neighbor and gained the Olympia Building. On February 4, 1920, the Evening Standard headline read, "Parker House Has Been Sold/Property Bought by the Gordon Interests/Owners of Several Theaters." The paper went on to say, "It is assumed that ultimately the buildings on the site will be razed and a modern business and theatrical block erected. The Gordons are owners of the Olympia theater which is across the street from the Parker House." The hotel closed its doors forever on March 20, 1920.

On March 14, 1921, the newspaper announced plans for the Olympia Building on the front page; headlines ran under a sketch of the building and read, "Will be Four Stories High/Olympia Building to Contain Six Stores Fronting On Purchase Street/Three Stories Will Have 24 Offices in Each (Continued) NPS Form 10-900-8 (3-82) United States Department of the Interior NationalPark Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form Times and Olympia Buildings, Continuation sheet New Bedford, Massachusettätem number 8 OMB No.1024-0018 Exp.

10-31-84 Far NPS use only received date entered Page 2 Floor -/To Cost $500,000." After explaining that the Olympia Con- struction Company would build the complex for the Olympia Theatres Incorporated from a design of Mowl and Rand, architects, of Böston, the paper described the impact the new building would have on downtown New Bedford: "This will be one of the largest office buildings in the city and in its completeness modern in every way. The building complete will represent an investment of about $500,000, and will be an important link in connecting up the center of the city and in the extension of the business center toward the north." Although early reports had indicated that a theater would be included in the new building, this proved not to be the case. The Olympia Theatre directly across the street must have made a second theater's success seem unlikely.

From the time of its completion the ground floor shops and seventy- two offices of the Olympia Building have been one of the most popular commercial rental locations in New Bedford. Presently the ground floor stores contain two restaurants, a newspaper office and, on the corner of Purchase and Elm Streets, the Olympia Market, which is the last grocery store in the downtown. The Times Building was sold in 1954 to Charles Elias, a local businessman, who operated the Whale Furniture store on the first floor. In 1957 Elias renovated the office space and in January 1958 ran a large newspaper advertisement inviting businessmen to "Establish Your Office at the Busy Corner Diagonally Across from the Central Bus Station and from the Olympia Theatre." The Times Building was billed as having the "Most Modern Offices in Southeastern New England." Mr.

Elias had installed new heating and air conditioning systems, new elevators which were "automatically operated day or night," acoustic ceilings and "dis- tinctive wood paneling" in the offices. Both the Times and Olympia Buildings narrowly survived early 1970s urban renewal plans which resulted in the demolition of the Olympia Theatre and the bus terminal, along with several other blocks on Purchase Street. NPS Form 10-900-a (3-82) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form Times and Olympia Buildings, Continuation sheet New Bedford, Massachusettstem number 9 OMB No.1024-0018 Exp. 10-31-84 Far NPS use only received dale entered Page 1 Major Bibliographical References (Continued) "The Olympia Times Building," Unpublished report, New Bedford Office of Neighborhood and Historic Preservation, 1982.

On file at MHC. NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES nttod States Degertm al ol the latario ational Park Serric Times and Olympia Buildings Bristol County MASSACHUSETTS EYALUATION / RETÜRN SHE resubmission nomination by person or local government owner objection appeal Substantive Review: Reviower's comments: JUN 8 1983 Working No. Fed. Reg. Date: 2-7-84 Dato Due: 1/7/83-7/238 Action: -L ACCEPT 1/2/83 Entered inthe RETURN lationa1 Regieter . REJECT. Federal Agency: _ sample - request i appeal - NR decision Rocom. / Criteria Reviewer. Discipline Date se continuation sheet -Nomination returned for: technical corrections cited below _substantive reasons discussad below 1. Name 2. Location 3. Classification u Ve 4. Owner of Property 5. Location of Legal Description 6. Représentation in Existing Surveys -de prosty ton oe 7.

Description Mertor vine - and erigioe summary paragraph completeness clarity alterations/integrity dates boundary selection bock en 8. Significance Pored Pes of solfe dates o ef st ter hrenteet 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 loreage of nominater Quedrengie neme UMT Reterences Verbal boundary deecrietion and justificatie 11. Form Prepared By 12. State Historic Preservation Officer Certification The eveluated significance of this property within the state is: - . stace . local tate Historie Preeervation Olficer signaturi bets 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 Puby Cchrist The Olympia Building Purchase Street New Bedford, Mass. Photographer H. Jay Carney May 1983 - Negative at Claremont Company, New Bedford, Mass. Photo #1 of 4 Purchase & Elm St. Facades Olympia Building -888Purchase St. Times Building - 930 Purchase St. New Bedford, Mass. Photographer H. Jay Carney May 1983 - Negative at Claremont Company, New Bedford Photo # 2 of 4 - Olympia Bldg. foreground - Times at far left Echristys mar e.... 28 The Olympia Building 888 Purchase Street New Bedford, Mass. Photographer H. Jay Carney May 1983 - Negative at Claremont Company, New Bedford, Mass. Photo # 3 of 4 Detail restored store corner Purchase & Elm LY1 MPLA -BUILDING Christuis mete... The Olympia Building 888 Purchase Street New Bedford, Mass. Photographer H.

Jay Carney May 1983 - Negative at Claremont Company, New Bedford, Mass. Photo #4 of 4 Detail Restored entrance Olympia building LUCEN DIPTUNDO 1204 Purchase Street City Hall Annex New Bedford, Massachusetts 02740 (617) 999-2931 December 2, 1982 City of New Bedford HISTORICAL COMMISSION RECIVED Ms. Candace Jenkins DEC -. 1102 Registration Director The Massachusetts Historical Commission 294 Washington Street MASS. HIST. COMM. Boston, Massachusetts 02108 Dear Ms. Jenkins: The New Bedford Historical Commission at a Public Hearing held on Wednesday, December 1, 1982, voted unanimously to recommend that the Times/01ympia buildings be added to the National Register Central New Bedford Historic District. Both buildings are of significant historical and architectural importance and the Commission feels they are worthy of inclusion in the adjacent historic district.

A full report recently prepared by the Office of Neighborhood & Historic Preservation is attached to this letter for your information. If you have any questions on the buildings please contact our Commission Secretary, Peggi Medeiros, who conducted the research for the Office of Neighborhood & Historic Preservation. Verytruly yours, Biched C. Kigler Richard C. Kugler Commission Chairman RCK/b1 Attachment GF The CLAREMONT Company, Inc. CLAREMONT DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATES, INC. CLAREMONT MANAGEMENT COMPANY, INC. THE DUFF BUILDING 628 Pleasant St. Box. 6001, New Bedford, MA 02742 (617) 992-4200 April 25, 1983 RECEIVED APR 2 9 1983 MASS. HISI. COMM. Ms. Valarie Tälmage, Executive Director/ Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 294 Washington Street Boston, MA 02108 RE: OLYMPIA AND TIMES OFFICE BUILDINGS NATIONAL REGISTER NOMINATION Dear Ms.

Talmage: We are in receipt of your March 28, 1983 notification that the Massachusetts Historical Commission will be considering the above referenced properties for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places at the May 11, 1983 Commission meeting to be held in Salem, Massachusetts. As Owner and Property Manager of both buildings, please be advised that we wholeheartedly endorse these nominations. Further- more, if these buildings are placed on the National Register, it is our intent to perform a massive restoration of both structures and to apply for a Historic Certification Application. We are enclosing for your review a brochure on our Firm, along with additional background information. To date, The Claremont Company, Inc. has successfully completed ten buildings with final historic certification approval and has an eleventh pending in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

If any additional information is required from the Owner of these buildings, please do not hesitate to contact us. CONTINUED ..- Ms. Valarie Talmage, Executive Director/ Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION April 25, 1983 - 2 - Yours truly, OLYMPIA ASSOCIATES TRUST by: by carhey, Txustee by: Claire T. Carney, Trustee by: Mark Carney, Trustee THE CLAREMONT COMPANY, INC. by: Patrick Carney, President CLAREMONT MANAGEMENT COMPANY, INC. by: Peter R. Rioux, Director ENCLOSURES /bs 14A.20