BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
AREA FORM B - BUILDING MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 80 BOYLSTON STREET, BOSTON, MA 02116 FORM NO. 323 Towa_North Adams MRA Address_521 West Main Street Historic Name Sykes House PHOTO: (3x3" or 3x5", black & white) staple to left side of form Photo number SKETCH MAP Show property's location in relation to nearest cross streets and/or geographical features. Indicate all buildings between inventoried property and nearest intersection. Indicate orth. Use: Present residence .Original_ residence DESCRIPTION: Date ca. 1890 Source_City directories; 1894 Atlas Style_ Queen Anre Architect Porter & Hannum, builder Exterior wall fabric clapboard Outbuildingsnone Major alterations (with dates) Iwo- story sleeping porches added on east side ca. 1920. Moved no Date N/A Approx.
acreage_less than one acre Recorded by Betsy Friedberg Setting The house sets on a large lot on OrganizationMass, Historical Commission Date_July, 1985 a nineteenth-century residential street. Known as Braytonville, this neighborhood also contains the nineteenth-century mill after which it was named. Williamstown Quadrangle UTM Reference: 18/652920/472884(staple additional sheets here) ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE (Describe important architectural features and evaluate in terms of other buildings within the conmmity.) The Thomas Sykes House is architecturally distinguished as an intact example of the Queen Anne style. It was constructed by Porter & Hannum, one of the leading building firms in North Adams. The design for the house, which may have originated either in a mail-order catalogue or with Porter & Hannum, is atypical of Queen Anne-style architecture in North Adams.
The massing and plan is more compact with fewer projecting gable ends than is commonly found even on smaller lots. The small porchhas turned posts and decorative grillework. Above each window the lintels have incised designs in a floral pattern, and the chimney is paneled and ornamented with terracotta designs. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE Explain the role owners played in local or state history and how the building relates to the development of the commmity.) This house was originally the home of Thomas Sykes, the superintendent of the North Adams Manutacturing Comapny. Thomas Sykes started his career in dyeing and woolen manutacturing in Cavendish, Vermont. In 1867, he came to North Adams, where he remained for three years working in several woolen mills.
He then went on to important positions in Great Barrington mills and returned to North Adams in 1873, asthe superintendent of the North Adams Manufacturing Company. For over 25 years he gave devoted service to the company and was thought of as one of the best citizens of his community. Sykes located his house in Braytonville near the mill where he worked. By locating near his place of employment rather than in the more fashionable neighborhood of Church St. ar Cady Hill, Sykes departed from the usual practice of the city's wealthier citizens. He may, however, have been anticipating the growth of a new suburban development to the south of West Main Street. That area grew slowly in the early part of this century. BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES (name of publication, author, date and publisher) North Adams Directories for 1889-90, 1893 Atlas of the Towns of Adams, No.
Adams & Williamstown, D.L. Miller, N. Adams, 1894 North Adams and Vicinity, H.G. Rowe, No. Adams, 1898 - 10M - 7/82 INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET Commmity: North Adams Form No: 323 MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston Property Name:Sykes House Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. Criteria for Evaluation The Thomas Sykes House retains integrity of setting, design, location, material, workmanship, feeling, and association. The building is a stylish, yet compact, example of the Queen Anne style. With associations with North Adams' thriving mid 19th century industrial past (the home of a mill superintendent located close to his place of employment), the structure fulfills Criteria A and C of the National Register of Historic Places.
Staple to Inventory form at bottom NPS Form 10-900-a (3-82) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form Continuation sheet Item number OMB NO. 1024-0018 Expires 10-31-87 For NPS UND Cn caived 4/r-/8 date entered Page 2/z Multiple Resource Area Thematie Group Name State North Adams MRA Bershire County, MASSACHUSETTS Nomination/Type of Review 11. Hathaway Tenement Habered in tic Tational Register 12. Johnson School Entered in tee Notlonal Register Date/Signature freoper duluBayun Npst05 Attest f Keeper Aeenuasen1012/85 13. Johnson Manufacturing Company Attest fKeeper Entered Ix National Hogisber HhemuByu 10/25/80 14. Norad Mill Entered in the National Register 15. Sherman, William B., Farm Attest foKeeper Attest fKeeper eerByun 0/25/6. Entered in the National Rogister AuuByu10/2% 16.
Sykes House Attest fKeeper AlnesBgen21/25/05 Entared 1n tla ational Regtetex Attest 17. Wells House Keeper DeluuBgenl10/25/05 Intered in the Netional Register Attest 18. Phelps House Keeper 5. Run Attest 19. Keeper Attest 20. Keeper Attest WASO Form - 177 ('R" June 1984) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET 85003420 Sykes House (North Adams MRA) Bershire County MASSACHUSETTS resubmission nomination by person or local government owner objection appeal Substantive Review: Reviewer's comments: J sample -request Working No. SEP 1985 Fed. Reg.
Date: 22 Date Due: 10/20/85 10/27/ Action: ACCEPT- 16-25 Entered in the -_RETURN -REJECT - Matiortal RegiatPederal 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 Loriginal site - 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 title date 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 Sykes House 521 West Main St. North Adams, Mass. Southeast view. Photo by R.Reed, Negative at NAHC 1983. 110×645.5 Sykes House 521 West Main Street North Adams, Mass. North Adams MRA Sketch Map FUUL RTE eloped) 100.9 285.9 52, 203.9 140.5 147.70- 53 / North Adams Assessors' Map, ca. 1915 1"=40' Sykes House 521 West Main Street Nort Adans . MRA Sykes Hoase WEST MAIN S 225 TREET 9.165.7525° 64.16 129