BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
FORM B - BUILDING MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 294 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02108 -- -- Area 3000 Form no. 129 PHOTO (3x3"' oI 3x5", black & white) Staple to left side of forn Photo number - SKETCH MAP Draw map showing property's location in relation to nearest cross streets and other buildings or geographical features. Indicate north. LTown_ Springfield Address 19 Bliss Street Historic Name_WCA Boarding House (DSMRA) Use: Original_ Boarding house Present Boarding house Ownership:[ Private individual Private organization Springfield Rescue Mission Public Original owner Women's Christian Association DESCRIPTION: Date 1884 Source Springfield Daily Republican Style_Eastlake/Queen Anne Architect Unknown Exterior wall fabric Brick Outbuildings none STOCKBRIDGE BLISS ST. 129 A CROSS ST. HOWARD ST. Recorded byMargo Webber Organization Anderson Notter Finegold Inc.
Date June, 1981 Major alterations (with dates) Upper stories of wooden porch removed in 1950's Moved No Date Approx. acreage Less than 1 acre . Setting Mixed use area; commercial buildings to the east, garage across the street, open lots and small church to west. Determined eligible by the Secretary of Interior Assessor's Map #308 UTM Ref: 18/699520/4663460 Springfield South Quadrangle (Staple additional sheets here) CRITERIA STATEMENT The WCA Boarding House possesses integirty of location, design, setting,materials, and workmanship. It is significant for its strong assoéiations with social/ humanitarian groups in the city - first the Women's Christian Association for which it was built, and since 1962, the Springfield Rescue Mission. Additionally, it is a fine local example of the Queen Anne style. It meets criteria A & C of the National Register of Historic Places.
ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE (describe important architectural features and evaluate in terms of other buildings within community) This is a good example, and one of the very few remaining examples, of late 19th century residential boarding houses in the downtown. The brick building is characteristic of the period. Three stories in height, the design includes corbelled brick piers and a patterned brick cornice on the facade. The most interesting feature is the wooden one-story porch, which is of Eastlake-type turned wood supports and bracing. There were two additional levels to the porch which were removed in the 1950's. The overall simplicity of massing and materials réflects the more, restrained design of residential/social institutions, when compared to period commercial and industrial structures.
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE (explain the role owners played in local or state history and how the building relates to the development of the community) This three-story brick boarding house was built by the Women's Christian Association, predecessor organization to the Y.W.C.A. The building was con- structed in 1884 to house 35 boarders as part of the WCA's program to provide a Christian environment for young women. This need corresponded directly to the city's growing demand for a work force to service customers, etc. in the expanding commercial climate of the downtown. Young women came to the city from surrounding communities and created a great need for good housing and social environments. The WCA's history dates back to its founding in 1875, but it became active in 1878. Its objective was to provide room and board at reasonable rates for respectable working girls.
It strove to provide the comforts of a refined home and Christian influence. The WCA began with a boarding house in the Shaw Block on Vernon Street, then moved to a larger Vernon Street block, built by D.L. Swan. The Bliss Street building of 1884 supplemented the earlier blocks and was run by Miss A.L. Barnes as superintendent. The WCA in the 1890's purchased the Sanderson House on Court Street as a household exchange and "noon rest" place for working girls, and later diversified into other humanitarian work, süch as day nursery, lectures and classes for women. When the new Howard Street building was completed in 1910, (#131) the Bliss Street boarding house was sold for use as a private boarding house. In 1962, it was acquired by the Springfield Rescue Mission, another charitable social organi- zation, and is now the sole remaining property associated with this group.
The Springfield Rescue Mission was founded in 1892 by Julius L. Cummings, a Salvation Army Captain, who had been urged by local businessmen to set up a private mission in the city. The Mission's purpose was to give "shelter, BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES Building Permits Springfield Daily News, Supplement, June 26, 1901 Springfield 1880-1901, p. 74 Historical Sketches of Clubs and Charitable Organizations, 1911, p. 533 Springfield Daily Republican, January 5, 1885, p. 5 Springfield Scrapbook, Vol. 7, pp. 109-111 20M-2/80 INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston Community : Form No: Springfield 129 Property Name: WCA Boarding House Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE (Continued) home, friends, bread and work" to local men.
At first, quarters were rented in a building on Sanford Street. A new Mission was built on Court Street several years later, only to be acquired by the City for Court Square Extension. The structure at 68 Court Street was built for the Mission, but the public complained that this was not an appropriate use for such a prominent Court Square location. The Mission moved in 1910 to its own building on Willow Street at Cross Street (demolished, 1981) , which was regarded as "one of the finest missions devoted to such work in the country".
Staple to Inventory form at bottom VATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES Inited States Dopartmer / she Interier Vational Park Service WCA Boarding House (Downtown Springfield MRA) Hampden County MASSACHUSETTS EYALUATION / RETURN SHEET resubmission nomination by person or local government owner objection appeal Substantive Review: Reviower's comments: Working WIN81-3020 Fed. Reg. Date Date Due: 12/9/82 -/2 578 Action: ACCEPT . RETURN_/ 2/22/82 REJECT_ Federal Agency: - sample - request - appeal - NR decision -Nomination returned for: Recom. /Criteria - Reviewer Discipline_ Date -so0 continuation sheet technical corrections cited below substantive reasons discussed below 1. Name 2. Location 3. Classification norehip blle do auttie 4. Owner of Property Aetue rasont Uao 5. Location of Legal Description 6.
Representation in Existing Surveys Mo thie property bon dntarmained olrgibia? - 7es - no 7. Description aodle ncette good tole eertorate ruins chack em unaitered Wtered Check ene _ moved acaroo the prosent and ertoimet (il kaoural ptoyeiaed anpesrano summary paragraph completeness clarity alterations/integrity dates boundary selection 8. Significance tarto Aroes of Stontteam and justily halder Arel tomont af Stonticenso fo 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 horoago of naminatod property buedrangle name UNIT Poterance d pastmcette wele 11. Form Prepared By 12.
State Historic Preservation Officer Certification The eratuated signiticence of thle property sutthin the etate le: ationa! - starte -- Be Mictonc Preservetton Offcer signeture 13. Other Maps Photographs Other Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to Signed D.1yua - Date12/20/82 Phone: 202 272-3504 Comments for any Item may be continued on an attached sheet NPS Form 10-900-a (7-81) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form Continuation sheet Item number For NPS use only received date entered Page szyí Multiple Resource Area Thematic Group p Name State Downtown Springfield Multiple Resource Area Nomination/Type of Review 41. Colonial Block Entered In the Matinnal Pegister 42. McKinney Building Entered In the National Register 43. Bangs Block Entered Im National Reglater 44.
Burbach Block Entered f National Reglater 45. Apremont Triangle Historic Cubstantive Review District 46. WCA Boarding House Entered In the National Register 47. French Congregational Church Entered In tha National Register 48. St. Joseph's Church enicred in the National Begister. 49. Milton-Bradley Company tcred in the Natiqnal Eogisben Date/Signature Keepe AbnBzun 2/24(r9 Attest fReeper Aelom1yen 4/41/83 Attest /Keeper 2lunBgew 124/r.
Attest /Keeper AelumByen 4/29/83 Attest Keeper taver ten ry $/27/85 Attest Keeper AelmBye 42183 Attest fKeeper dlomBye 4/24183 Attest fReeper AlelouaByus 2/24/83 Attest fukeeper Xlloneyen 444783 Attest Keeper Attest ATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES itted States Departme al ol the lnterier tional Park Servic WCA Boarding House (Downtown Springfield MRA) Hampden County MASSACHUSETTS EYALUATION / RETURN SHE resubmission nomination by person or local government owner objection appeal Substantive Review: Reviewer's comments: Working No. 1/10/82 - Fod. Reg. Date:, .84 Date Due: Action: - ACCEPT 2/21/83 Entered in the - RETURN National Regiater _ REJECT_. Federal Agency:- - NR decision Recom. /Criteria - Reviewer_ Discipline. Date - so- continuation sheet -Nomination returned for: - technical corrections cited below -substantive reasons discussad below 1. Name 2. Location 3.
Classification Medu ecoccl Prosoms Uoo wotc Aomatattion 4. Owner of Property 5. Location of Legal Description 6. Representation in Existing Surveys has toie property bemn toermenes 7. Description esceter pocx atenorae rume hoca eno . unartered - artered hgned (Il keereat peye summary paragraph completeness clarity alterations/integrity datss Chock one - orgmel site - moved dero 8. arle Significance wasd thowt 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 9. Major Bibliographical References 10. Geographical Data terbal boundery dessreatien aad fostmhoatien 11. Form Prepared By 12.
State Historic Preservation Officer Certification The evet agrotlcence of thie property woun ene somte la atianel loca Mietonic Preeervetien Omcer signeture 13. Other Maps - Photographs Other Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to- Signed - Date _ Phone: 202 272 -350 Dantewn Spring Fild MRA, Ma WCA Bowrding Hoese 19 Bliss St. 67 1614 192 63 6 8 44 62 60 AS.2s WCA Boardiny Hosc #129 19 Bliss St. ("=50' Springtield MRA 55. 61 147.701 111.42 56.9 38.45 5626 148.80 1482 053 110.67 48 5,6 53 5++ 52 149 70 307 5926 8/.01 68.55 10117 67.55 7.83 14 133 /5 6557 53.81 65.07 2269 66.A1 152 130 5938 STREET +9- 1.9.58 116.7 129 5881 6°21 5995 207.91 30392 131 votek clizeble but Oener rijectesi SPRINGFIELD Y.W.C.A. 2 STREET 103:00 5528 39.0 5325