Nomination for Laurel Hall

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

NPS Form 10-900 (3-82) MDNeS 1001-1-8 xpire: 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 enteredAr 6 1987 historic Laurel Hall and or common same 2. Location street & number 72-74 Patton Street N/A not for publication city, town Springfield state Massachusetts 3.

Classification Category Ownership district public X building(s) X private structure both site Public Acquisition object N/ Ain process being considered code N/A vicinity of 025 county Hampden code 013 Status - occupied X unoccupied 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 Xother: vacant 4. Owner of Property name Joseph Phillips street & number 36 Churchill Street city, town Springfield N/Avicinity of 5. Location of Legal Description Hampden County Registry of Deeds state Massachusetts 01108 courthouse, registry of deeds, etc. 50 State Street street & number city, town Springfield state Massachusetts 6.

Representation in Existing Surveys title Inventory of the Historic Assets of the Inventory #269 Commonwealth of Massachusetts nas this property been determined eligible X no date 1973 federal x state - county local depository for survey records Massachusetts Historical Commission, 80 Boylston Street city, town Boston state Massachusetts 7. Description Laure1 Hall, Sorinafield Massachusetts Condition _ excellent good X fair deteriorated ruins unexposed Check one unaltered altered Check one -X original site moved date Describe the present and original (if known) physical appearance

Description of the property

Laurel Hall, 72-74 Patton Street, Springfield, was built as a four-story apartment block in 1914. The apartment block is located one foot from the Patton Street line and occupies 63 feet of frontage. The building is sited on Tevel ground with wood framed single and multifamily homes to the east and north and the four-story Ethel Apartment House (also being nominated to the National Register) five feet to the west. Laurel Hall stands flush with other buildings along Patton Street. Once a tree-lined late nineteenth century residential and commercial neighborhood, the area has sustained a number of physical changes throughout the years. Presently, Interstate 291 runs to the south; to the east are mo dern office and institutional buildings.

However, the rema ining apartment blocks along Patton and Main Street as well as the one story brick commercial structures and handful of framed single homes nearby, give evidence of a once viable late nineteenth and early twentieth century neighborhood. The south (front), east, and west walls were constructed of yellow brick while the north (back) was built using common red br1ck. The south facade is divided into four bays. A brownstone ashlar skirt is present from the ground to the first level. The first floor level consists of dark yellow brick with recessed rows spaced about one foot apart giving a strong horizontal emphas is to the first floor level. A brownstone beltcourse separates the first and second floors.

From the second to the fourth floor, both light and dark vellow brick is used in a pattern that strengthens the verticality of the ouilding and balances off the brick banding of the first level. In addition, the brick patterning highlights the central entrance. A deta iled metal cornice with floral reliefs caps the building. The roof slants slightly to the north and consists of tar and gravel. Door stoops, window sills, and Tintels are brownstone. The centrally located double entry is accentuated by two pairs of windows separated by fluted wood mullions that exist on the second, third, and fourth floors. Basically, the same materials and design are exhibited on all but the north facade. A wooden porch in deteriorated condition exists along the west hall. Iron grate fire escapes, added at a later date are present on the west and east walls.

The original 1914 building permit refers to 72-74 Patton Street as a sixteen-unit apartment building in a rectangular plan. Abandoned in 1980, its interior has suffered from vandal ism and exposure to weather. The structure is presently undergoing rehabilitation for use as housing according to the Secretary of Interior's standard.

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

Significance Laural Hall, Springfield, Massachusetts Period prehistoric 1400-1499 1500-1599 1600-1699 1700-1799 1800-1899 X - 1900 Areas of Significance - Check and justify below archeology-prehistoric archeology-historic - community planning conservation agriculture economics X architecture education art engineering commerce communications exploration/settlement industry invention landscape architecture law literature military music philosophy politics/government Builder/Architect Bruno Wozny religion science sculpture social/ humanitarian theater _transportation _ other (specify) community de ve lopment Specific dates 1914 Statement of Significance

Statement of significance

(in one paragraph) Laurel Hall design, materials, and workmanship. er 12-sa Pattoor Straest, Spring beldairetainoeicatyysimtn because it is representative of early twentieth century apartment house construction on a small scale. The Classical Revival-style building is constructed of superior materials and is architecturally significant for the fine quality of its detailing. It is also one of a very few number of apartment houses in Springfield's North End built dur ing the building boom of the early 20th century, and holds associations with the industrial growth and expansion of Springfield, especially the North End. Laurel Hall thus fulfils Criteria A and C of the National Register of Historic Places on the local 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 Civi! War, Springfield exper ienced 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 landlay adjacent to the Connecticut River Railroad. The 1870 Springfield Atlas shows a change in the physical character of the North End that was occurring 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 well-known wholesaler dealer in "Yankee notions" whose avocation was real estate. In 1873, the Wason Manufacturing Co., which built railroad passenger cars and railroad items, relocated its business in the North End in what is now referred to as Brightwood.

Even though the Wason Co. was located manyblocks With the hundreds of labor jobs created by the Wason Sara ou ca ne increased hous ing demands;i thus, more streets and house lots were Continued 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 Less than one acre Acreage of nominated property Quadrangle name Springfield South, Mass-Conn. UTM References *L18 16l985010 1416|614|51710 Zone Easting Northing CLULLILLL LULL ELI GLULLIL LLILL Verbal boundary description and justification Quadrangle scale 1: 25,000 -L Llilul Zone Easting Northing -L LILu LLILu LILLL LLILL HLLILLILILE See assessor's map List all states and counties for properties overlapping state or county boundaries N/A state code county code state code county code 11. Form Prepared By name/title Joan R. Wiegel organization Preservation Consultant street & number 117 Middle Street date November, 1985 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 tothe criteria and procedures set forth by the National Park Service.

State Historic Praservation Officer signature - Arfo Daputy Massaciusctis Mistorical Comniosion =t DSHPO title State Historic Preservation Officer date 1/17/80 For NPS use only I hereby certify that this property is included in the National Register Velares the Dash egtster Kooper of the National Register date 3-6-87 Attest: Chief of Registration GPO 911-399 date NPS Form 10.900-a (3-82) United States Department of the Interior National ParkService National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form Laurel Hall Continuation sheet Springfield, Massachusetts Item number 8 For NPS use only recelved date entered Page By 1882, the pressure to develop the remaining large estates mounted and finally William Patton divided up his estate. He named the new east/west street after himself and began constructing "small cottage houses" on both sides of Patton Street.

The 1899 Spr ingfield Atlas shows Patton Street as a completely developed residential area with single family wood framed dwellings lining both sides. The Springfield Street Railway system began laying its tracks in the North End Soon after, the center for the entire street railway for Sur ingfteldwas locatedin emoraSauare the oeth Endcenter ndrea located just three blocks from Patton Street. As the street railway system developed with new trolley barns being constructed along Main Street, commer cial development also continued to expand. By 1900, the industrialized North End and urbanized way of life precipitated a great need for more housing that was affordable, close to the workplace, and accessble 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 evident on Patton Street where several wood framed one and two family structures were razed or moved to make room for apartmentblocks. In 1910, the first apartment block was constructed along Patton Street. Laurel Hall followed soon after in 1914, and by 1920, there were six apartment blocks along Patton Street. Apar tment 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 tyoe of residential construction.

was available for construction, the demand was there, and interest rates were Tow. At first, blocks were limited to prominent intersections and ma jor thorough fares, 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 epub lican commented favorably on the passina of a local ordinance to stor "the obnoxious, cheaply constructed three-decker." The quality of the early apar tment 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 sinaly. or in a small aroups on side streets. Laurel Hall is a cood examole of the latter and remains as one of a fen continued OMB No. 1024-0018 Expires 10-31-87 1 NPS Form 10-900-a (3-82) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form Laurel Yall Continuation sheet Springfield, Massachusetts Item number OMB NO. 1024-0018 Expires 10-31-87 For NPS use only received date entered 8 Page 2 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.

Laurel Hall is a good representative of the type of multiunit construction popular dur ing Springfield's "Apartment Era", a period of prosperity and rapid development that lasted from ca. 1910 to the Depression. It was built for Williams H. Cohen, a real estate broker, for the sum of $25,000. A wood-frame house that existed on the site prior to construction of Laurel Hall was razed. Cohen used one of the ground floor apartment units for his real estate office for five years. The architect for Laurel Hall was Bruno Wozny (1873-1923). Wozny emigrated to Baltimore, Maryland, from Germany at the age of fifteen. He was educated in Mar yland, Switzerland, and New York City before coming to Spr ingfield in 1902 and setting up an office at 381 Main Street. Bruno Wozny is known to have des igned only one other apartment block in Spr ingfield. This was The Kenson (since demol ished).

As a six-story twelve unit block built of brick and bluestone in 1902, The Kenson was located on one of the most prominent corners in the city of Springfield, on Chestnut and State Streets facing Merrimack Park. Wozny is also known to have designed the Northampton National Bank (1911) on Ma in Street in Northampton, the Hibernian Block (1909) at 345-349 Wor th ington street in downtown Springfield, a stucco house at 54 Randolph Street (1914) 1r the Forest Park neighborhood, a small apartment block at 116 Fort Pleasant All of these buildings are still standing. Laurel Hall represents Wozny's diversity as a designer and architect for a mix of building types. Laurel Hall also exists not only as one of a few of Wozny's apartment blocks, but one of a few apartment houses left in the North End from the "Apartment Era".

The early tenants of Laurel Hall included a chauffeur, mechanic, janitor, fireman, widow, clerk, and handyman. By the late 1960s, the apartment house ad bequn to lose tenants due to urban renewal efforts in the North End. Ir 1974, there was twelve listings; by the late 1970s, this had dwindled to three, and in 1982 the whole block was listed as vacant, a condition that has continued to the present. 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 Laurel Hall Continuation sheet Springfield, Massachusetts Item number For NPS use only received date entered Page Social, economic, and technological changes in the mid-twentieth century caused the ultimate downfall and deterioration of the North End area.

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 the 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 century. The train station and Hotel Charles remain on the southern boundary, and two multistory factories remain on side streets in the middle of the old neighborhood. Of the apartment blocks and tenament houses on Bond and Patton Streets, few survive. Laurel Hall stands as an important reminder of the "Apartment Era" and an important time in the industrial development and expansion of Springfield. 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 Laurel Hall Continuation sheet Springfield, Massachusetts Item number MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES OMB No. 1024-0018 Expires 10-31-87 For NPS use only received date entered Page 1 Primar y Sources Springfield Building Department: Building Permits Springfield Daily Republican, 1911-1916 Springfield Directories: 1912-1915 Spr ingfield Maps and Atlases: 1882-1920 Springfield Vertical file: photographs (Springfield Library) Se condar y Sour ces Clark, James Henry, Street of Springfield. Vol. II, p. 77. Springfield, Mass., 1947. Goff, Nancy, Springfield's Ethnic Heritage: The German Community. Spr ingfield, Mass.: American Bicentennial PubTication, 1976 Mercantile Illustrating Co., Picturesque Springfield.

New York, 1895. BOND 01 06 PATTON *1- 291 onzs - 125 0....O: 2215 Block plan of Springfield Scale: 1"=50' 21 Laurel Hall 72-74 Patton Street springfield, MA STREET :: 3742 3629 371 ezst- (30) STREET 32.18 9480 126.51 1205 *1S 1HOIMG DING L-ESE doworT o 87000355 ASO Form - 17 R" June 198 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET Laurel Hall Hampden County MASSA CHUSETTS - resubmission nomination by person or local government L owner objection L appeal Substantive Review: -sample Reviewer's comments: CSTBd -request -appeal FEB Working No. 2 1987 Fed. Reg. Date: 2-2:88 Date Due: _ 376/87 Actiona ACCEPT -..

33487 _RETURN REJECT Federal Agency: LNR 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 Lfair - deteriorated -ruins LJ unexposed yes Lno Check one -unaltered -altered Describe the present and original (if known) physical appearance - summary paragraph completeness 1 clarity alterations/integrity dates - boundary selection Status Accessible Present Use Check one LJ original 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 LJ clarity LJ applicable criteria Jjustification of areas checked - relating significance to the resource context J 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 13.

Other date LMaps - 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 LAUREL HALL 72-74 PATTON ST. SPRINGFIELD, MA. JOAN WEIGEL 3/85 CTRUMBULL RD. NORTHAMPTON. MA. #I OF 3 FOREINO NEST DOWN PATTON, 72-74 IN LAUREL HALL 12-74 PATTON ST. SPRINGFIELD, MA. OAN WEIGEL 3.8 TRUMBULL RD. NORTHAMPTON, MA #2 OF3 FRONT (SOUTH) FACADE THAT FACES PATTON ST. AUREL HALL 12-74 PATTON ST SPRINGFIELD, MA. JOAN WEIGEL 3/85 6 TRUMBULL RD. NORTHAMPION, MA. $3 OF3 LOOKING NORTH AT EAST FACADE