Nomination for Ethel Apartment House

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

NPS Form 10-900 (3-82) 021-0-88 Expires 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 FEB 2 1987 date entered MAR 6 1987 historic Ethel Apartment House and or common same 2. Location street & number 70 Patton Street N/A not for publication city, town Springfield N/A vicinity of Massachusetts state 3.

Classification Category Ownership district public * building(s) * private structure both site Public Acquisition object N/A in process -being considered 025 code county Hampden code 013 Status _ occupied * unoccupied work in progress Accessible X 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 Joseph Phillips street & number 36 Churchill Street city, town Springfield N/A vicinity of 5. Location of Legal Description state Mass. 01108 courthouse, registry of deeds, etc. Hampden County Registry of Deeds street & number 50 State Street, city, town Springfield state Mass. 6.

Representation in Existing Surveys Inventory of the Historic Assets of title the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Inventory # 2696 has this property been determined eligible? yes no 1973 date federal X state county local depository for survey records Massachusetts Historical Commission, 80 Boylston Street city, town Boston state Mass. 7. Description Ethel Apartment House, Springfield, Massachusetts Condition - excellent good X _fair deteriorated _ ruins unexposed Check one altered Check one original site moved date Describe the present and original (if known) physical appearance

Description of the property

Descr ipt ion 70 Patton Street, Springfield, known as the Ethel Apartment House, is located one foot from the Patton Street 1ine and occupies fifty feet of frontage. The building is sited on level ground with vacant lots to the west and north that have resulted from previous demolitions of earlier wood frame houses. Seventy Patton stands even with other buildings along Patton Street, including another apartment block, Laurel Hall, which is also being nominated to the National Register. Once a tree-lined fully residential late nineteenth century neighborhood, the area has given way to an elevated highway to the south and modern office and institutional buildings to the west and east. The remaining apartment blocks as well as the one story brick commercial structures nearby give evidence of a once viable late nineteenth and early twentieth century neighborhood.

This kuilding was built as a four story red brick apartment building in 1912. The south, or front facade, features two bowed windows flanked by a central entrance. A light gray rough cut simulated ashlar dressing is present on the front facade from ground level to the first floor level. The same precast stone was used for window surrounds on the front facade. The centrally paired windows are divided by fluted wood mullions. Above the fourth story central window is a decorative panel of brick that highlights the central entry area. noof us fhst constifing of tar and gravel The building is capped by a tin cornice with modillions on the frieze. The Both the east and west facades are five bays wide with the north (back) facade being divided into seven bays. The north facade also features a verandah of wood in deteriorated condition.

All the windows are presently missing; however, 1/1 wood components were probably the original window as is evident from similar surrounding buildings from the same period. Granite was used for sills on all but the front facade windows. The original 1912 building permit refers to 70 Patton Street as an eight unit apartment building which would have meant two apartment units occupied each floor. Presently, the interior is deteriorated due to vandalism and exposure to the weather. The owner plans to restore the building, tak ing advantage of the Economic Recovery Act of 1981.

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

Significance Ethel Apartment House, Springfield, Massachusetts Period prehistoric 1400-1499 1500-1599 1600-1699 1700-1799 1800-1899 X 1900 Areas of SignificanceCheck 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 Specific dates 1912 Builder

Statement of significance

/Architect Burton E. Geckler Statement of Significance (in one paragraph) The Ethel Apartment Building, 70 Patton Street, Springfield, retains integrity of location, design, materials, and workmanship. The building is historically significant because itis representative of early twentieth century apartment house construction on a small scale. The building is architecturally significant for the fine quality of its rather simple but carefully ar ticulated deta il ing. It is also one of a very few number of apartment 20th century, and holds associations with the industrial growth and expansion of Springfield, especially the North End. The Ethel Apartment Building thus fulfils Criteria A and C of the National Register of Historic Places on the Tocal level. The "North End" of Springfield was a name given to the northernmost area of the downtown as early as 1827.

The land that presently lies north of Interstate 291, and between the Connecticut River and Chestnut Street, was uneven and tended to be wet; thus the area was never developed into farmland. By 1837, the North End consisted of about fourteen estates and a fishhouse on the banks of the Connecticut River. In the 1840s, the Connecticut River Railroad was constructed running through the North End and parallel to the river. Al though the railroad did not initially effect the area, its importance grew considerably after 1870. In the years following the Civil War, Springfield experlenced rapid growth and development. One of the most significant aspects of this growth was due to the establishment of the U.S. Armory in the city as a government manufacturer.

The Armory's industry precipitated further_industrial and commercial expansion, which began to spread to the North End where open undeveloped land lay adjacent to the Connecticut River Railroad. The 1870 Spr ingfield Atlas shows a change in the physical character of the North End that was occurr ing at this time. Several of the large estates had given way to new streets and evenly distributed single family house lots. However, the area of Patton Street that lay between Main and Dwight Streets continued to remain as a large unbroken tract of land belonging to the Will iam Patton Estate. Dur ing the mid-nineteenth century, Mr. Patton was a wel1-known wholesaler dealer in "Yankee notions" whose avocation was real estate.

In 1873, the Wason Manufactur ing Co., which built railroad passenger cars and related railroad items, relocated its business in the North End in what is now referred to as Brightwood. Even though the Wason Co. was located many blocks away from the Patton Street area, it had a definite impact on the changing character-of the North End industrial ized one. , ompany came increased hous ing demands; thus, more streets and house lots were laid out. continued religion SCulpture humanitarian theater _ transportation *otherunpecity de ve lopment 9.

The rest of the file

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

Major Bibliographical References See continuation sheet 10. Geographical Data Acreage of nominated property less than one acre Quadrangle name Springfield, South, Mass. - Conn. UT M References Quadrangle scale 1: 25,000 - Lond Eap30 0I 1o616, 43,79 Northing dLLILL LILLL ELL LILL GLyLLILLU LILILL Verbal boundary description and justification BL Zone LILL Easting -LLL FLU LLILIL LILL Northing LLLL LLLLL Lillu See continuation sheet 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 name/title Joan Wiegel organization Preservation Consultant date November 1986 street & number 117 Middle Street telephone 413 - 253 - 7014 city or town South Amherst 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 Officer signature Daont DSAPO Deputy Massachuset Historical Commission title State Historic Preservation Officer date 1/16/87 For NPS use only I hereby certify that this property is included in the National Register lou ( tesoa he Maioma loaion 1800na7 date 3-6-87 Rogisteg Attest: date Chief of Registration GPO 911-399 NPSForm10-900-a (3-82) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form Ethel Apartment House Continuation sheet Springfield. Massachusetts Item number For NPS uea only raceived date anterec Page By 1882, the pressure to develop the remaining large estates mounted and finally Will iam Patton divided up his estate. He named the new east/west street after himself and began constructing "sma ll cottage houses" on both sides of Patton Street.

The 1899 Springfield Atlas shows Patton Street as a completely developed residential area with single family wood framed dwellings 1 ining both sides. The Springfield Street Railway system began laying its tracks in the North End dur ing the 1880s. Soon after, the center for the entire street railway for Springfield was Tocated in Memorial Square; the North End's center and an area Tocated just three blocks from Patton Street. As the street railway system developed with new trolley barns being constructed along Main Street, commercial development also continued to expand. By 1900, the industrialized North End and urbanized way of life precipitated a great need for more hous ing that was affordable, close to the workplace, and access ible to transportation routes.

The areas located near the industrialized zones where many single family homes had been built in the late nineteenth century were being redeveloped into higher density areas to accommodate for the housing needs of the expanding working class. This change in housing type and density become ev ident on Patton Street where several wood framed one and two family structures were razed or moved to make room for apartment blocks. In 1910, the first apartment block was constructed along Patton Street. The Ethel Apartment House followed in 1912, and by 1920, there were six apartment blocks along Patton Street. Apartment house construction in Springfield began in the late 1890s. The first blocks were built on the fringes of downtown by the local firm of Gangier and Angers. By the early years of this century, there were several other local firms involved in this type of residential construction.

Money was available for construction, the demand was there, and interest rates were low. At first, blocks were limited to prominent intersections and ma jor thoroughfares, but this quickly changed. In 1903, the Springfield Republican commented in their year-end building report that there was a decrease in the construction of the "cheap double tenement house, formerly so characteristic of the city" and that the apartment house was taking its place. In 1915, the Repub lican commented favorably on the passing of a local ordinance to stop "the obnoxious, cheaply constructed three-decker." The quality of the early apartment blocks built in Springfield dur ing the first third of the twentieth century established a precedent for future development. Most of these blocks featured decorative facade treatment consisting of projecting tin cornices, stone trim, and wire-cut or pressed brick.

Though there were several areas in the city that saw large groupings of apartment blocks, many of the early apartment blocks were built singly, or in a small groups on side streets. Laurel Hall is a good example of the latter and remains as one of a few continued OMB NO. 1024-0018 Expires 10-31-87 NPS Form 10-900-a (3-82) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form Far NPS use anly received date entered Ethel Apartment House Continuation sheet Sprinqfield, Massachusetts Item number Page apartment blocks of this type from this period for small developers, some of whom even lived in one of the apartments. The design of these blocks was spread among Springfield's large community of architects in the early twentieth century. OMB NO.

1024-0018 Expires 10-31-87 2 The Ethel Apartment Building is a good representative of a type of multiunit construction from the middle of Spr ingfield's "Apartment Era", a period of prosperity and rapid development that lasted from ca. 1910 to the Depression. The building was constructed in 1912 for Jacob Blisky for $14,000. An existing wood frame house that previously occupied the site was moved to the rear of the property and stayed there until about 1973, when it was demolished. Jacob Blisky was a successful North End retailer. In 1907, Blisky began a smal1 bus iness selling vegetables door to door. By 1910, Blisky rented space along Dwight Street where he sold wholesale dry goods. His business grew, unt1 1n 1930, Bl1sky opened up a department store at 595-597 Dwight Street where one could buy a housedress for 15 cents and a man's suit for $8.75.

The architect for the Ethel Apartment House was Burton E. Gechler (1881-1961). Gechler worked as an architect in Springfield for over fifty years. From 1905 to 1932, he was associated with John W. Donohue, the official architect for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield. According to his obituary, Gechler designed several churches and schools while associated with Donohue, including Our Lady of Hope Church and Holy Family Church in Springfield and Holy Cross Church in Holyoke. Dur ing the same period, Gechler worked alone. He is known to have designed a large apartment building at 145-51 Sumer Avenue (1916), stucco houses at 98 Bellevue Avenue (1914) and 335 St. James Avenue (1911), and an eleven-story office building at 95 State Street (1929) in downtown Spr ingfield.

The latter cost $54,000 to build and topped out at 125 feet, Springfield's height limit reached by only four other buildings in the early twentieth century. All of the above mentioned buildings are standing. Gechler had received a degree in architectural engineer ing from M.I.T. in 1905 and immediately moved to Springfield. After leaving the office of John W. Donohue, Gechler continued to practice in Springfield until his death in 1961. Social, economic, and technological changes in the mid-twentieth century caused the ultimate downfall and deterioration of the North End area. The old North End from Carew Street on the north to Liberty Street on the south, from the Connecticut River on the west to Chestnut Street on east was almost completely demolished dur ing the urban renewal efforts of the 1960s.

By the early 1970s, the area had been totally transformed except for a few landmarks and reminders of the industrial and apartment era of the late nineteenth and continued NPS Form10-900-a (3-82) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form Ethel Apartment House Continuation sheet Springfield, Massachusetts Item number For NPS use only received dale entered Page ear ly twentieth century. The train station and Hotel Charles remain on the southern boundary, and two multi-story factories remain on side streets in the middle of the old neighborhood. Of the apartment blocks and tenement houses on Bond and Patton Streets, the Ethel Apartment building is one of the few survivors.

The south side of Patton Street has been demolished, the sections of these two streets between Dwight and Chestnut Streets is gone, and there has been considerable demolition of individual buildings in the remaining sections. The Ethel Apartment House stands as a significant reminder of an important period in the industrial expansion of Springfield. In spite of the area's transformation, the Ethel Apartment Building en joyed full tenant occupancy until the mid-1970s. Since 1979, the building has stood vacant. OMB No. 1024-0018 Expires 10-31-87 3 NPS Form 10-900-a (3-82) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form Ethel Apartment House Continuation sheet Springfield, Massachusetts Item number OMB NO.

1024-0018 Expires 10-31-87 For NPS use only received date entered Page 1 MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES Primar y Sources Springfield Building Department: Building Permits Springfield Daily Republican, 1911-1916 Spr ingfield Directories: 1912-1915 Springfield Maps and Atlases: 1882-1920 Springfield Vertical file: photographs (Springfield Library) Se condar y Sources Clark, James Henry, Street of Springfield. Vol. II, p. 77. Springfield, 1947. Goff, Nancy, Springfield's Ethnic Heritage: The German Community. Spr ingfield, Mass.: American Bicentennial Publication, 1976 Mercantile Illustrating Co., Picturesque Springfield. New York, 1895.

NPS Form10-900-a (3-82) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form Ethel Apartment House Continuation sheet Springfield, Massachusetts Item number Location and Legal Description OMB NO. 1024-0018 Expires 10-31-87 For NPS use only received date entered Page 1 Beginning at a point in the Northerly line of Patton Street, distant six hundred twenty-three and 20/100 (623.20') feet Easterly from its intersection thence Westerly on last-named land and land now or formerly of Thomas P. Sheehan, fifty (50') feet; and thence Southerly at right angles with Patton Street, ninety-six and 08/100 (96.08') feet to the place of beginning. Subject to restrictions of record, insofar as they may be now in force and applicable. Being the premises numbered 70 Patton Street.

BOND "oer 6511 PATTON - 29| sarse 125 *21) Block Plan of Springfield Scale: 1"=50' Ethel Apartment House 70 Patton Street Springfield, MA 19 499.27 50 3.10 1C,266 STREET :: 6030 STREE' 01:5 87000353 NASO Form - 177 "R" June 1984) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET Ethel Apartment House Hampden County MASSA CHUSETTS resubmission nomination by person or local government - owner objection L appeal Substantive Review: Lsample Reviewer's comments: -request FEB 2 198T Working No. Fed. Reg. Date: 2-2:88 Date Due:3/6/82-3/12/67 LACCEPT 3-6-87 rgd in -RETURN A0na1 Regr Federal Agency: Lappeal -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? 7. Description Condition Lexcellent -good -fair - deteriorated -ruins LJ unexposed L yes -no Check one -unaltered Daltered 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 - moved date 8.

Significance Period Areas of Significance-Check and justify below Specific dates Statement of Significance (in one paragraph) Builder/Architect J summary paragraph - completeness L clarity J applicable criteria Jjustification of areas checked J 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: GPO 918-450 Comments for any item may be continued on an attached sheet THE ETHEL APARTMENT HOUSE 70 PATTON STREET SPRINGFIELD,MA. JOAN WEIGEL 3/855 GTRUMBULL RD. NOFTHAMPTON. MA. #| OF 2 LOOKING NORTH AT WEST WALL THE ETHEL APARTMENT HOUSE T0 PATTON STREET SPRINGFIELD, MA. NORTHAMPTON,MA #2 OF 2 RONT (SOUTH)FACADE THAT FACES ATTON S