Nomination for Mills--Hale--Owen Blocks

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 SEP 30 1985 date entered OCT 3 / 1985 historic Mills/Hale/Owen Blocks and or common 2. Location Mills/Hale/Owen Blocks street & number 959-991 Main Street N/A not for publication city, town Springfield N/A vicinity of state Massachusetts 3. Classification Category district building(s) structure site object Ownership - public 4 private both Pyblic Acquisition L in process being considered code 025 county Hampden 013 code 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: vacant 4. Owner of Property name South Commons, Inc. street & number 1111 Main Street city, town Springfield N/A vicinity of 5. Location of Legal Description state Massachusetts courthouse, registry of deeds, etc. Hampden County Registry of Deeds street & number 50 State Street city, town Springfield 6. Representation in Existing Surveys state Massachusetts title South End Neighborhood Survey has this property been determined eligible? yes 4 no date 1983 #2882, #2886, #2887 federal state countyX local depository for survey records Springfield Historical Commission city, town Springfield Massachusetts State cont/ 7.

Description Mills/Hale/Owen Blocks, Springfield, MA Condition _ excellent X 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 Wiias/Hale/Owen Blocks consist of three, multi-story, brick buildings. Each was constructed during the late nineteenth century, and had retail stores on the first floor and tenement space above. Together, the three form a continuous block on the east side of Main Street in the South End. The Mills and Hale Blocks were built in 1874 by a local builder and are similar in appearance. A one-story storefront building, built in the first decade of the twentieth century, connects the turn-of-the-centruy Owen Block to the Mills and Hale Blocks. The Mills Block is the northernmost of the three buildings and is located at the south corner of Union Street. It is three stories in height, eight bays wide, seven bays deep, and has afacade of pressed brick with yellow sandstone trimmings.At present, the brick and sandstone are painted.

The first story of the facade is composed of two, three-bay storefronts flanking a central entrance to the upper stories. The store- fronts currently have mid-twentieth century show windows, with "mirror wall" bases, and early-twentieth century transoms.: The transom for the north storefront has leaded glass.. A stone beltcourse extends across the facade, capping the storefronts, and separating the first story from the upper stories. The entrance to the upper stories is recessed, and reached by three granite steps. Its door is capped by a transom. The facade's second and third stories have eight arched windows with stone hoods and sills. The hoods all have slightly projecting keystones. The Mills Block is cappedby a projecting,painted tin cornice with modillions, dentils, and a shallow paneled frieze.. Behind the cornice is a flat roof.

The second and third stories of the Union Street 'side of the building feature windows which are identical to those on the second and third stories of the facade. The first story has a one-bay section of the facade's show window, with tiled base, leaded- glass transom, and stone cornice. One bay in from the rear is an arched doorway with double doors, transom, and one granite step. The next bay in has a small, bricked-in window opening with stone sill and keystone hood. The facade's decorative cornice also continues on this side for one bay. The rear of the building is eight bays wide. The rectangular windows have stone sills and lintels. Half of the window openings have been bricked up, while the others are boarded over. Two interior brick chimneys are visible from the rear of the building. The south side of the building is a firewall, which is shared with the Hale Block.

The Hale Block is in the middle of this grouping of three buildings. It is three stories in height, sixteen bays wide, and has a facade of pressed brick with granite trimmings. The first story of the facade has four storefronts, four entrances to the upper stories, and is capped by a granite beltcourse. Three of the three-bay store- fronts have original, recessed central entrances. The fourth storefront had its original entrance removed in the early twentieth century. Three of the storefronts currently have mid-twentieth century show windows with tile bases, and transoms cov- ered with plywood or cement-and-wire-mesh. The other storefront is entirely boarded over. The entrances to the upper stories are recessed and reached by three granite steps. Each doorway is framed with granite and has a tall door with transom.

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 MILLS/HALE/OWEN BLOCKS Continuation sheet Springfield, MA Item number 6 OMB No. 1024-0018 Exp. 10-31-84 For NPS use only received date entered Page 1 Representation in Existing Surveys Inventory of the Historic and Archaeological Assets of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Survey done at State level. 1983. Forms +2882, #2886, #2887. Massachusetts Historical Commission, 80 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts. NPS Form 10-200-a (3-82) OMB No. 1024-0018 Exp.

10-31-84 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service For NPS use only National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form received date entered MILLS/HALE/OWEN BLOCKS Continuation sheet Springfield, MA Item number 7 Page 1 The second and third stories of the facade each have sixteen arched windows. A continuous granite sill links all of the windows on each story. Brick dentils and corbel table are added details of each sill. The window hoods, each of which has a raised, granite keystone and granite shoulders, are linked by shaped, granite stops. The stops are further ornamented with brick dentils and short corbel tables. All of the upper-story windows are currently boarded up. The Hale Block is cappedby a projecting painted tin cornice with modillions, brackets, dentils, and a shallow, paneled frieze. Behind the cornice is a flat roof.

The south side of the building has four windows on each of the second and third stories. Those on the second story have been blocked in with cement blocks. Four end chimneys project upwards from the top of the wall. The first story has a fire- wall, which is shared with the Owen Block's monitor. The north side of the building is also a firewall. This one is shared with the Mills Block. The rear of the building Ieatures arched window openings with brownstone sills, and doorways with brownstone Iintels. Each of the four divisions of the building has three windows and a door per floor. On the upper stories the openings remain, while on the first story they have been blocked in. The Owen Block is the southernmost of the three buildings and is located at the north corner of Hubbard Avenue.

It is four stories in height, three double bays wide, five bays deep, and has a facade and south side of yellow brick with brownstone trim. The building has a one-story brick addition on its northern end, adjacent to the Hale Block. Including the addition, there are three, three-bay storefronts on Main St., each with central, recessed doorway. Each storefront has a paneled base and transom. Ihe storefronts are capped ofi and linked together by a continuous tin frieze and cornice. Currently, all three are vacant and boarded up. The upper stories of the Owen's Block facade are divided into bays by Ionic, yellow brick pilasters with brownstone bases and capitals. Each bay has two windows per floor. These windows have cut brownstone sills and lintels. None of the window frames remain. The facade is capped by a projecting, painted tin cornice with modillions and festooned frieze.

Above, is a flat roof. The south side, or Hubbard Avenue facade, of the building features two, three-story oriel windows sheathed in tin. Each has a brownstone base, paneled spandrels, and projecting cornices. Individual windows on the bays are separated by attenuated, Corinthian columns. The first story of this side has no windows and is unadorned except for a short return from the corner storefront, and a tall, thin doorway near the rear corner. A thin, brownstone beltcourse caps the first story, and yellow brick pilasters extend up three stories from this beltcourse. This side is capped by a cornice and frieze identical to the ones on the facade. There is also a three- story fire escape on this side. Continued OMB No. 1024-0018 Exp.

10-31-84 NPS Form 10-300-a (3-82) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service For NPS use only National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form received date entered MILLS/HALE/OWEN BLOCKS Continuation sheet Springfield, MA Item number Page 2 The rear of the building is five bays wide and composed ofred brick. Full-height wooden porches, in poor condition, cover most of the rear. The north side of the Owen Block is also composed of red brick, and is six bays deep. It features a three- story oriel window, sheathed in tin. There also is a three-story fire escape on this side. The first story is a firewall, which is shared with the one-story addition. ARCHAEOLOGICAL

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

SIGNIFICANCE While no prehistoric or historic archaeological sites are recorded within the property, the potential for significant sites does exist. The property's location on the terrace above the Connecticut River and in close proximity to several confluence points makes it a likely spot for prehistoric sites. Inaldition, the property is located within the area settled during the 17th century and contain features or foundations from 17th through mid 19th century. As no historical archaeology has been conducted in Springfield, any surviving remains would be significant. 8.

Significance Mills/Hale/Owen Blocks, Springfield, MA Period prehistoric 1400-1499 1500-1599 1600-1699 1700-1799 X 1800-1899 1900 Areas of SignificanceCheck and justify below - archeology-prehistoric community planning archeology-historic conservation y- 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 X other (specify) Commnity Development Specific dates 1874, 1899 Builder

Statement of significance

/Architect Warren Mills, Frank W. Owen Statement of Significance (in one paragraph) The Mills/Hale/Owen Blocks possess integrity of design, setting, location, and materials, as well as important associations with the development of late-nineteenth century conmerical architecture in Springfield. The blocks form a significant com- ponent of the South End neighborhood's Main Street streetscape. In addition, the Mills and Hale Blocks are two of the finest remaining Italianate commercial blocks in Springfield. Built in 1874 at a combined cost of $50,000, they were the southernmost "urban" buildings on Main Street at the time of their construction. They are the oldest conmercial buildings on Main Street in the South End, and also rank among the oldest conmercial buildings standing in the city. The Owen Block is a good example of a small, turn-of-the-century, conercial block in Springfield..

Built in 1899 at a cost of $30,000, it features Classical Revival detailing, and is representative of the building boom that changed the appearance of Main Street in the South End during the late-nineteenth century and the early-twentieth century. As such, the Mills/Hale/Owen Blocks meet criteria A and C of the National Register of Historic Places. The six stores of these two buildings were occupied by neighborhood groceries, druggists, liquor dealers, laundries, and furniture dealers. The upper stories of the Mills Block were originally used as a boarding house, while those of the Hale Block were used for tenements. The 1880 U. S. Census lists fourteen families here, with the heads of the households listed as being: druggist, banker, clerks, cigar maker, baker, furniture dealer, mechanics, and bread peddler.

The stores of the Owen Block were described as being a grocery and dry goods emporium in the 1909. House Directory, and there were six tenements upstairs. The residents included a barber, plumber, realtor, mechanic dressmaker, and conmercial traveler. In 1919 each of the tenements was sub-divided in three, and the resulting eighteen rooms were rented out. Until the post-Civil War period, Main Street was a residential street in the South End. The last quarter of the nineteenth century and first quarter of the twentieth century completely transformed the street. The Mills and Hale Blocks are the first examples of the new, mixed-use, brick blocks that were to be built over the next fifty years, featuring stores atstreetlevel and residential rooms or apartments above.

The blocks were all built to the lotline on the sidewalk, which also contributed to the developing urban character of the area. Union Street was one of the few streets in the neighborhood to extend easterly up the hill from Main Street to Maple Street, giving it a place of relative importance. The east side of Main Street, because of its more favorable exposure to the sun, was also more highly developed. Continued 9.

The rest of the file

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

Major Bibliographical References Springfield Directory, 1875-76, P. 411 Springfield Daily Republican, Dec 30, 1899 Springfield Vertical File: Springfield Builders: Mills, Warren; Owen, Frank E. Springfield Maps & Directories: 1860 - 1930 10. Geographical Data Acreage of nominated property .4 acre Quadrangle name Springfield South UT M References A 1,81 Zone 699710 Easting 4663380 Northing Quadrangle scale 1 : 25000 18 699750 Zone Easting 4663350 Northing C D E F GLULLILLU LILILLL HLULALEULIILLLI Verbal boundary description and justification - Begin at the southeast corner of Main and Union Streets, then extending 198.66 feet southerly along Main Street to the north corner of Hubbard Avenue, then easterly 82 feet along the northerly side of Hubbard Avenue to a point..

From here extend 87.59 feet northerly, then 6.25 feet easterly, and then 110.20 List all states and counties for properties overlapping state or county boundaries (continued) state . N/A code county code state N/A code county 11. Form Prepared By Sarah J. Zimmerman, Director, Preservation Planning, with name/title Edmond P. Lonergan, Preservation Consultant code organization Massachusetts Historical Commission date August, 1985 street & number 80 Boylston 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 state is: national state X 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 according to the criteria and procedures set forth by the National Park Service. State Historic Preservation Oflicer signature Vdlue A Talmage Executive Director, Massachusetts Historical Conmission title State Historic Preservation Officer date 9|23185 For NPS use only ! hereby certity that this property is included in thenterd lan ter Melo Fkatoper of the Natonal Register National Register.

date 9 DR eDc 10-31-85 Attest: date Chief of Registration GPO 894-785 NPS Form 10-200-8 (3-82) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form MILLS/HALE/OWEN BLOCKS Continuation sheet Springfield, MA Item number 8 OMB No.1024-0018 Exp. 10-31-84 For NPS use only received date entered Page 1 The Mills and Hale Blocks were built by Warren Mills, a carpenter and builder who practiced his trade in Springfield for almost fifty years. He is first listed in the local directories in 1846, but little is known of his work here. These blocks are his only known surviving buildings. The Owen Block was built by Frank E. Owen, a carpenter and builder who worked and lived in Springfield for over thirty years. Again, little is known of his work.

The Mills/Hale/Owen Blocks are currently being rehabilitated to become apartments, under the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation, taking advantage of the tax incentives provided by the 1981 Economic Recovery Tax Act, as amended in 1984. NPS Form 10-900-8 (3-82) OMB No. 1024-0018 Exp. 10-31-84 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service For NPS use only National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form received date entered MILLS/HALE/OWEN BLOCKS Continuation sheet Springfield, MA Item number 10 Page 1 feet to the south side of Union Street. From this point extend westerly 66.20 feet along the south side of Union Street to the point of beginning. The nominated property consists of the three buildings shown on the accompanying Springfield Building Department map (Assessor's Block Plan 612) and outlined in red.

The Mills/Hale/Owen Blocks, though constructed as separate buildings, are being nominated as a complex. This is because they present a unified and cohesive appearance, and because they occupy the entire eastern side of one block in Springfield's South End. Furthermore, all three share a common function with retail storefronts on the ground floor and rental residential space above. Inaldition, the blocks are closely similar in size, scale, massing and materials and were constructed within twenty- five years of each other. By the early twentieth century, the three blocks presented a completely unified street floor of storefronts.

WASO Form - 177 ("R" June 1984) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET Mills-Hale-Owen Blocks Hampden County MASSACHUSETTS resubmission nomination by person or local government owner objection appeal Substantive Review: Reviewer's comments: -sample -request SEP 3,0 1985 Working No.. Fed. Reg. Date: 2 1/82 Date Due: 0/31/55 -11/4/85 Action: LACCEPT 10-31-55 Entered National Registien -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 J original site moved date 8. Significance Period Areas of Significance-Check and justify below Specific dates Builder/Architect Statement of Significance (in one paragraph) 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 M:lls| Male/Owen Blocks - 959-991Manst, SpringfieldMA Photoy: E. Laneigen Jai85 Neg: EL. Photo: lot6 ViewSouthaMaintrumUhion M.ils|Male/Owen Blocks - SpringfeldmA 959-991MamSti- Photog: E. Loneryen Phato 2bomeren etanen anfielit Tmnnhn Mills| Hale/ Owen Blocks - 959-991 Mainst.

SpringfieldmA- Photoy: E Lonergen Jan85 Neg:EL Photo: 3086 Detail: Mills|Male facades DAVES FURKIURE IA/E DIIV AAIN CFIT mils|Hale Owen Blocks - 959.991 Maist. SpringfreldMA Photog: ELonergan JanO5 NegiEL Photo: 4066 Detail: Ower farade Mills|Hale/owen Blocks - 959.991 Mainst SpringtialdmA- - Pottayi El orecen Uals NegiEL _Mills/Hale/ Owen Blocks 959.991 Maists SpringtetaMA- Phte Elaegen rin Ngiiln Halebibcns