Nomination for Memorial Town Hall

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 APR | 8 1984 date entered historic Memorial Town Hall and/or common Town Hall 2. Location street & number Main Street- N/A not for publication city, town Monson N/A vicinity of state Massachusetts 3.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 code 025 county Hampden code 013 Status X occupied unoccupied work in progress Accessible - yes: restricted yes: unrestricted no Present Use - agriculture commercial educational entertainment .

government industrial - military X museum park private residence religious scientific transportation other: 4. Owner of Property name Town of Monson street & number Town Hall Main Street city, town Monson N/A vicinity of 5. Location of Legal Description state Massachusetts courthouse, registry of deeds, etc. Springfield Registry of Deeds street & number East Colurbus Avenue and State Street Springfield Massachusetts city, town state 6. Representation in Existing Surveys Inventory of the Historic Assets of title the Commonwealth, #250 has this property been determined eligible? - yes X no date 1982 _federal X state - county local depository for survey records Massachusetts Historical Commission city, town Boston state Massachusetts 7.

Description Memorial Town Hall, Monson, MA Condition x excellent good fair deteriorated ruins unexposed Check one X unaltered altered Check one X original site moved date na Describe the present and original (if known) physical appearance

Description of the property

Monson Memorial Town Hall is located on a one acre lot facing west on Main Street in the town's commercial/civic center. Set back 100 feet from the street on a site which slopes to the east, the building stands on property donated in 1884 by the Reynold's family, Monson's leading industrialists in the 19th century. This large stone structure stands out from its commercial and residential neighbors as an important local landmark. In keeping with its memorial character, two cannons- one from the Civil War, the other from World war I- and a monument grace the front lawn. Memorial Hall was designed in 1885 in the Victorian Gothic style by local architect George Potter.

Although rather complex in its roofline and massing, the Town Hall is basically T shaped in plan with a four story rectangular tower at its northwest corner, an octagonal turret at its southwest corner, a gabled pavillion centered on the facade (west elevation), and a cross gable on the south elevation. This two story structdure is constructed of rock faced random laid granite ashlar. Decorative trim used throughout the building includes heavy stone modillions at the roofline and alternative blue and white granite voussoirs forming the gothic arches which frame most entries and window openings and are a noted feature of the structure. The building is covered by a slate roof which consists of three components. These include a front hip portion which is broken by a cross gable on the west elevation, a gambrel roof mid-section, and a gable roof at the rear of the building.

These roof components also delineate the use of interior space which from front to back are: town offices and GAR Hall, auditorium and balcony, and a stage area. All ridges of the roof are trimmed with copper cresting. Windows generally appear in clusters of two, three and five openings, and contain double or triple hung, single paned sash. They are headed either by simple stone labels or the polychromatic pointed arches already described. All elevations are asymmetrical. The west elevation is the facade of the building and features the structure's most disting- uished elements. Centered on this elevation is the main entry contained within a 2} story gabled pavillion highlighted at its apex by a checkerboard pattern of blue and white granite. This element is further enhanced by a gothic arch which frames a cluster of three windows at the second story.

The entry is protected by an open one story portico with pointed arches and buttresses. Fenestration on this elevation is arranged in pairs on either side of the pavillion. Other architectural elements of note on the facade are the tower and turret which are located respectively at the elevationsnorthern andsouthern corners. The square faced tower rises four stories and is capped by a pyramidal hipped roof which is supported by granite columns. It contains openings in each of its faces. Those on the first and third story are framed by arches, and except for an entry on the west face, they enclose pairs of windows. Openings on the second level are in groups of three and are capped by flat stone lintels. At the facade's southern corner is a 45 foot octagonal turret which features a statue of a Civil War soldier at its peak.

Arched windows are located at the height of the building's second story and plaques, framed by sharply pointed arches are inset at the first story level The north and suth elevations form the walls of the building's auditorium and stage area. The dominant features on these two faces are two rows of five stained glass windows with those on the lower level highlighted by arches of blue and white granite blocks. At the eastern end of these elevations cross gables are placed where the gambrel roof portion of the building meets the gable roof section. Below these gables are two rows of window s placed in groups of three.

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

Significance Memorial Town Hall1, Monston, MA 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 commerce - exploration/settlement communications .industry _ invention landscape architecture law literature X military X music philosophy x politics/government _ religion science sculpture _social/ humanitarian -x theater transportation other(specify) Specific dates 1885 Builder

Statement of significance

/Architect George E. Potter Statement of Significance (in one paragraph) Monson Memorial Town Hall posseses integrity of location, design, materials, workmanship, setting, and association. It is significant as the community's most important piece of public architecture built of a material (granite) quarried locally, and endowed by a family prominent in Monson during the 19th century. In addition, it possesses enduring associations with the civic development of the community. Thus, the Memorial Hall meets criteria A, B, and C of the National Register of Historic Places. A cornerstone building in the center of Monson, the Memorial Hall building stands as a credit to the town and an honor to the patriot soldiers in whose memory it was designed and built.

The Reynold's family who proposed the project were generous and public-spirited; they conceived of the building to be a lcoal landmark, constructed by local builder's with local materials, for local war heroes. The idea for the Memorial Hall originated at the annual town meeting in 1884. A proposition was made by Rice M. Reynolds to donate a site and along with his brother Ted, both offered to donate $5,000 to the building fund. Their father, Joseph Reynolds, also offered a like sum, on the condition that the town contribute $20,000. It was further stipulated that the building be a memorial structure, be constructed of granite and be completed before May 1, 1885. The Reynolds family holds a distinguished place in Monson's history; its members were astute businessmen and industrialists and generous, public-spirited citizens. Joseph Reynolds, the patriarch, came to Monson in 1821.

He was at the forefront of the industrial revolution, and in his youth, had worked under Eli Whitney, inventor of the cotton gin, at Whitneyville, CT. He owned and operated a number of mills in Monson which produced satinet and cotton jeans. Active in public life, he filled many town offices and in 1854 was elected State Senator. His sons Rice and Theodore also played important roles in Monson's history. At age 16 Rice went into business with his father. He too was active in town politics and served as selectman, water supply commissioner and district representative to the state legislature. He was one of theoriginal incorporators of the Monson Savings Bank and later became a trustee. Theodore, less dominant in business and less publicly active than his brother, is best known as a collector. Among his acquisitions were rare books, paintings, plants. Coins and international playing cards.

Dedicated on Memorial Day in 1885, Memorial Hall, as stipulated by the Reynold's family, was constructed of local granite from the Monson quarry. Opened by the Federal government in 1809 to obtain stone for building the Springfield Armory, ( NHL; 1974) the quarry had become by the mid-19th century an important privately operated local resource which produced the largest amount of granite in the Connecticut River Valley. Monson granite quarried by William Flynt in the late 19th century was used locally as a building material for a number of structures which included the Universalist Church (1888) and Town library (1882).

The rest of the file

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

Major Bibliographical References "Articlds of Agreement between the Town of Monson and Building Committee." Monson, November 23, 1883. Eddy, Charles W. Monson. Illustrated by Charles W. Eddy. Ware, Ma, 1884. (Continued) 10. Geographical Data Acreage of nominated property - Quadrangle name Monson UT M References A L1,8/ Zone 17/2/2|1,8,0 Easting .9l acres 14/6/6,3/8,8,0 Northing EL Quadrangle scale 1:25,000 Zone Easting bity Northing F LLIL LILILLL LLLud Lua Lu LILILLI Verbal boundary description and justification Deed Description: "A certain tract of land situate on the Easterly side of Main Street in said Monson bounded and described as follows viz: Beginning at an iron bolt driven (Continued) List all states and counties for properties overlapping state or county boundaries state N/A code county code state code county code 11.

Form Prepared By Kathryn, Kubie, Preservation Planner, Massachusetts Historical Commission with name/title Bette B. Roberts, Monson Historical Commission and Antoinette E. Tomasik, LPVRPC organization Massachusetts Historical Commission date January 1984 street &number 294 Washington Street telephone 727-8470 city or town Boston state Massachusets 12. State Historic Preservation Officer Certification The evaluated significance of this property within the state is: national _ state X local Patu RWeslousta 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 thee criteria and procedures set forth by the National Park Service.

State Historic Preservation Officer signature State Historic Preservation Officer title Massachusetts Historical Commission date (/ 1o/84 For NPS use only I hereby certify that this property is included in the National Register elares Entered in tha National Register Keeper of the National Register date 5/17/84 Attest: Chief of Registration date 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 For NPS use only received date entered Continuation sheet Memorial Town Hall Item number 7& 8 Page The enterior of Memorial Hall remains intact from its time of construction and reflects its multiple use in community life.

The front portion of the building contains meeting rooms and display space on the first floor, a GAR Hall on the second floor, and the town vault and lock-up in the basement. To the rear of these municipal rooms is the auditorium and stage. This portion of the building was altered in 1902 when the roof was raised and the stage arearebuilt. 8. Significance (Cont'd) It was also used in buildings as far west as Topeka, Kansas, and Keokuk, Iowa as well as locally in many cities and towns in Hamden County, MA and the rest of New England. noted and documented example of its use as a building material is the 1880s H.H. Richardson designed railroad station in Ware, MA. Since its construction, Memorial Hall has stood as a prominent landmark in the compact commercial/civic center of Monson and has been the local center for political, social, civic, and charitable activities.

Althought to date little is known of the architect, Goerge E. Potter, except that he was a resident of Monson and during the 1870s designed a number of commercial buildings and brick townhouses in nearby Springfield, this is clearly a monumental design. As intended when constructed, the building continues to house the town's municipal offices as well as the town safe and lock-up. Until recently, the buila- ing's auditorium was used for town meetings, high school graduations, and also provided a facility for local concerts and theatricals which were often sponsored by charitable groups such as the Red Cross, the King's Daughters, and the Masons. NPS Form10-900-a (3-82) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form Continuation sheet Memorial Town Hal1 Item number OMB No. 1024-0018 Exp.

10-31-84 For NPS use only received date entered 9 &10 Page 9. Major Bibliographical References (Cont'd) Monson Hisiorical Society. History of Monson, Massachusetts. Monson, 1960. Springfield Registry of Deeds. Book 397, page 276. The Springfield Union Supplement. October 22, 1885. Everts, Louis. History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts. Philadelphia, J.B. Lippincott & Company, 1879 10. Geographical Data (con'd) in the ground in the Easterly line of said street at the South Westerly corner of land of Edward P. Newton. Thence Easterly on said Newton's land about 29 3} feet to a stone monument. Thence Southerly on land of Solomon F. Cushman abot 162 and 3/4 feet to a stone monument. Thence Westerly on land of said Cushman about 33} feet to a stone monument Thence N. 79 14' W. 70 and 9/10 feet onland of Alvin A. Gage. Thence S. 89 4' W.

116 and 8/10 feet on land of said Gage to an iron bolt driven in the ground in the Easterly line of said Main Street. Thence N. 25 7' W. about 146 feet on said street to the place of beginning. Subject to a right of way conveyed to said CUshman his heirs and assigns across said land from said street near the home of said Gage to his land in the rear of said premises for agricultural purposes only. This deed is upon the express condition however that the Inhabitants of Monson shall erect said premises and complete the same on or before May lst A.D. 1885 a Town House the same to be known as a Memorial Hall in honor of our "Patriot Soldiers." chuwich pot oefice porit station Monsan Hovse MAIN Fown Hall 7%,3 STE 909 346 0. 455 247 205.6 123,2 cUs 20.8 73.3 Annert F/R.M Rynold Da:8 5488~ 1628 1856 Fire Dopt.

136,3 33.5 5399a/i8 220,2 Noveross N High way tept Monsime Towne Assessont Map fin 1980 Scale 1"=100 ft. Farl Colema N WASO Form - 177 ('R" June 1984) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET Memorial Town Hall Hampden County MASSACHUSETTS resubmission nomination by person or local government owner objection appeal Substantive Review: Reviewer's comments: -sample L request Working No. APR | 8 1984 Fed. Reg. Date: 2.5-85 Date Due: 5/17/84- 6/2/84 Action: ACCEPT - 5/17/84 Entered in Mational Register - RETURN _REJECT_ Federal Agency: - 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 Category Ownership Public Acquisition 4.

Owner of Property 5. Location of Legal Description 6. Representation in Existing Surveys Has this property been determined eligible? yes no 7. Description Condition excellent good fair deteriorated ruins unexposed Check one -unaltered altered Describe the present and original (if known) physical appearance summary paragraph completeness clarity alterations/integrity dates boundary selection Status Accessible Present Use Check one -original site I moved date 8. Significance Period Areas of Significance-Check and justify below Specific dates Statement of Significance (in one paragraph) Builder/Architect 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 Acreage of nominated property Quadrangle name UTM References Verbal boundary description and justification 11. Form Prepared By 12. State Historic Preservation Officer Certification The evaluated significance of this property within the state is: national state local State Historic Preservation Officer signature date title 13. Other Maps Photographs Other Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to _ Signed - Date - Phone: - Comments for any item may be continued on an attached sheet Monson Town Haul main St. Monson, Ma. 01057 #l 0f#1 hoc. ssm, French Funt-rt-Side Monson. PHOTOGRAPHY by French & Son 413-283-3261 @I9 82 FRENCH& SONI