Nomination for Page, Thomas D., House

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

NPS Form 10-900 (Rev. 8-86 OMB No. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service AUG 3 1 1987 National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NATIONAL REGISTER This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations of eligibility for individual properties or districts. See instructions in Guidelines for Completing National Register Forms (National Register Bulletin 16). Complete each item by marking "x" in the appropriate box or by entering the requested information. If an item does not apply to the property being documented, enter "N/A" for "not applicable." For functions, styles, materials, and areas of significance, enter only the categories and subcategories listed in the instructions. For additional space use continuation sheets (Form 10-900a). Type all entries. Name of Property historic name Thomas c.

Page house other names/site number BeTcher Lodge - Masonic Temple 2. Location street & number city, town state Massachusetts 105 East Street Chicopee code 025 county. Hampden code JyA not for publicatior T/Al vicinit 013 zip code 01021 3. Classification Ownership of Property private public-local public-State public-Federal Category of Property building(s) district site structure object Name of related multiple property listing: Number of Resources within Property Contributing Noncontributing buildings sites structures . objects 1 0 Total Number of contributing resources freviously listed in the National Register - 4.

N/A State/Federal Agency Certification As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, I hereby certify that this Xnomination request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of HistoricPlaces and meetsthe proceduraland professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60. In my opinion, the propertyXmeets valuni t Yalmage 8,24,87 SasSac husetts HistoricaltonmissictoState Historic Preservation Officer Date Commission, State or Federal agency and bureau In my opinion, the property meets does not meet the National Register criteria. See continuation sheet. Signature of commenting or other official Date State or Federal agency and bureau National Park Service Certification 1, hereby, certify that this property is: entered in the National Register.

See continuation sheet. determined eligible for the National Register. See continuation sheet. determined not eligible for the National Register. removed from the National Register. other, (explain:) Signature of the Keeper Date of Action 6. Function or Use Thomas C. Page House, Chicopee, Massachusetts Historic Functions (enter categories from instructions) Current Functions (enter categories from instructions) domestic; single dwelling social; meeting hall 7. Description Architectural Classification (enter categories from instructions) Queen Anne vacant/not in use Materials (enter categories from instructions) foundation . brick walls. wood, terra cotta roof _ other asphalt shingles N/A Describe present and historic physical appearance.

The Page House is located on the north side of East Street, just southeast of a steep hill extending from the Chicopee River's southern bank at Chicopee Falls, in Chicopee, Massachusetts. The section of East Street on which the Page House sits is fairly level. The property itself is situated on a flat lot. The landscaping has been neglected for some time. There appear to have once been flower beds on the western lawn. Some foundation plantings of pachysandra and a large white spirea bush remain from an earlier 1andscaping sch eme . The most dominant elements of the lot are three huge trees which shade the building. The Page House sits nearly in the center of its lot at 105 East Street. It is bounded on three sides by streets: East Street to the south, Fuller Street to the east, and Linden Street to the west; its southern boundary is the lot line of the neighboring property.

The building is set back nearly 30 feet from Fuller Street and over 50 feet from the lot's three other boundaries. The broad setbacks and large size of the lot add to the imposing appearance of the Page House. The Page House is the largest and most imposing structure in a neighborhood of one and two family houses. The other homes on the street are predominantly modest Greek and Colonial Revival houses, and are set closer to the street than the Page House. The Page House is the most unaltered in its neighborhood; many of its neighbors have had siding or new windows added. There are no out buildings. The Page House's plan is rather irregular, largely because two wings were added to the rear of the house during its history. The main block is nearly square, with an off-center pavilion projecting from the front facade and two rectangular bay windows on the east and west sides.

The first addition, which was built shortly after the Masons acquired the property in 1909, projects to the east from the rear of the building, with a small vestibule where the main block and east wing join. A later addition also extends from the rear of the building, this time to the west. This wing is much smaller than the eastern one, and is linked to the main block and east wing by small enclosed porches. The main house is three stories high; it appears to be two-and-a-half stories, but has a full attic above the third floor. The eastern rear wing, which the Masons used for meetings, has two stories, as does the smaller western rear wing. The building has a full basement. x See continuation sheet NPS Form 10-000-e (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Thonas C.

Page House, Chicopee, Massachusetts Section number - Page. The Main Block (See Photograph 1) The Page House's most dominant decorative feature is the entrance pavilion, which projects from the front of the building. The front or south facade is four bays wide. A projecting pavilion forms the center two bays, and is surmounted by an off-center gable and a square tower with pyramidal roof. Awooden, four-bay, first-floor porch runs across the length of the front facade. The porch sits on a lattice work skirt and is ornamented with astickwork balustrade, while chamfered posts and fan-shaped brackets support the shed roof. A gable extranceway with fishscale shingled pediment projects from the main porch which is reached by a set of well-worn sandstone Small modillions appear under the porch roof eaves.

The elaborately paneled wooden double doors in the entrance pavilion have a brownstone 1intel and granite sills while the windows are 1/1 flanked by long narrow windows to each side, have brownstone sills and lintels. Ornamented panels flank these doors on both sides. To the left is a sandstone panel with the Masonic symbol, while to the right is a red floral terra cotta panel bordered with white terra cotta squares. The brick sheathed first florr is decorated with terra cotta and ornamental brick work. A course of square white terra cotta panels, bordered above and below by black brick stretchers, extends along the first floor just below the level of the door and window 1intels. A course of corbelled brick work, also bordered with black stretchers, runs along the building at the level of the porch. The foundation is made of brick, with a brownstone water table.

The upper floors of the main block and pavillion are sheathed in wood clapboards, with stickwork and ornamental fishscale shingles. Small modillions form a narrow overhand just above the gable windows and between the tower's second and third stories. The gable windows are small paired 2/2 windows with stained glass transom. The tower's third-floor windows are like those on the first and second floor. A row of square staned-glass windows sits over the tower windows. Brick work and windows on the remainder of the ma in block are similar to those on the front facade. Rows of shingles separate the first and second floors, while clapboards ornamented with stickwork sheath the second-story. The building's east side is five-bays wide, including the two-story rear addition (see Photograph 2).

The first-floor east elevation of the main block is distinguished by a rectangular bay window lit by narrow 1/1 windows with brownstone lintels and sills. A second floor porch with woodwork like that on the front porch sits on top of the bay window. OMB Approvel /to. 1024-0018 S/31/87 continued VPS Form 10-000-e (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet 2 Thomas C. Page House, Chicopee, Massachusetts Section number Page From the front the main roof of the house appears to be hipped, with gab le-roofed dormers on the southern, eastern, and western sides. However, at the rear, the roof of the main block takes on a gambrel shape. The roof is presently sheathed with asphalt shingles. The original roofing mater ial was probably slate.

Two interior chimeys project from the western slope of the ma in roof, and one interior chimney breaks through the roof's eastern slope. The roof is supported on alternatinglarge and small brackets. also appear in the gable eaves and at the cornice of the tower's roof. eornice df the toe o rma det The Additions At the angle where the main block and the eastern rear wing meet, a one story brick vestibule with shed roof and matchboard door allows entry to both the old and new sections of the building. The newer wing complements the older section of the house, but its ornamentation is simpler. The wing still has a brick first floor and wooden Stick Style second story, but where the main block had rows of terra cotta and corbelled brick, the wing has courses of white brick and plain stretchers.

A molded brick water table replaces the brownstone one, and segmental arches of double rowlock courses of brick surmount the windows, rather than brownstone lintels. The roof of the eastern wing is hipped, with a gable dormer in the center of the eastern slope. Stained glass windows light the second story. Narrow rectangular windows appear in the second-floor walls, and the 8/1 paired windows in the dormer are decorated with the Masonic symbol. The Page House's west side is quite similar to the east. The main block has a similar bay window and the same brick, terra cotta, and wooden ornamentation to the eastern side. A small enclosed porch connects the main block with the This newest addition to the house is a simple two-story, three-bay clapboarded structure with a flat roof and 1/1 w indows.

story projects slightly over the first, and a small one-story windowless shed is attached to the north side of the wing. The roof on the western addition is flat. At its northern side, the Page House is eight bays wide, and includes another addition at the northwest corner. The main block appears to have a gambrel roof from this side, with a round attic window. The east wing has the same. features on this side as on its eastern facade. The Inter ior Overall, the most notable feature of the interior is that it has been relatively unchanged over the years. Original or early windows, woodwork, fireplaces, and fixtures are intact throughout the building. continued OMB Approval No.

1024-0018 8/31/17 NPS Form 10-900-d (8-00) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number _ / Page - 3 MB ADorOVal NO 1024001 31/57 Thomas C. Page House, Chicopee, Massachusetts The basement, which is partially finished, is now used for storage. The finished section has a pressed metal ceiling and the remnants of an old bowling alley. The unfinished sections have brick walls and floors. On the first floor, elaborate woodwork and built-in cabinets characterize the rooms in the main block. Elaborate paneled doors with original hardware and heavily molded surrounds allow access to four front rooms. The plan of the main block consists of a central foyer leading to the main staircase. Four rooms are symmetrically arranged on either side of the foyer.

Elaborate god on othor siãe woodwork, including heavily paneled doors, molded baseboards, door and window surrounds with exaggerated patera cornerblocks, massive wooden fireplaces, and built-in cupboards distinguish these four rooms. The southeastern billiard room is reached through pairs of sliding doors which connect it to the foyer and to the library. The bay window in the eastern wall forms a sury alcove framed by a molded surround with decorative brackets. In the room's nor thwest corner is the fireplace with its heavy wooden mantel and brick blue-and-gold tile surrounding the opening. Even the metal fireplace cover is still intact, as are those in several of the rooms. Across the hall, the southwestern parlor (See Photogrpah 3) is similarly ornamented, but with darker woodwork and an even more ornate fireplace in the northern wall.

Underneath the windows in the bay are gilded panels depicting birds, flowers, and sunburs ts. continued NPS Form 10-800+ (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet MB Aporoval No 1024-001 5/31/87 Section number - Page - Thomas C. Page House, Chicopee, Massachusetts North of the billiard room is the library, with built-in shelves and cabinets. The living roam, which is north of the parlor, also has built-in cabinets. They are located in the large wooden mantel, and are etched with figures of animals and birds. A huge banquet room (See Photograph 4) with pressed-metal ceiling and patterned wood floor occupies most of the first floor east wing. The molded door and window surrounds in this section are much simpler than those in the front of the house.

The western wing is cut up into kitchens and bathrooms, with very little ornamentation. Moldings and door and window surrounds are plain, and in some rooms suspended ceilings and new walls have been added. Three stairways provide access to the second floor. The main stairway in the foyer is separated fran the front section of the foyer by a spindle screen supported on chamfered posts and brackets. In an alcove on the landing is an unusual light fixture, which consists of a statue of Venus holding a lamp. In a i addition to the main staircase, there are two narrow stairways at the rear of the building. The room arrangement on the second floor is similar to that of the first (See Figure 3). The two front rooms have heavily molded door and window surrounds with patera cornerblocks which are simpler than those on the first floor.

A marble fireplace and a marble sink set in a little alcove distinguish the southeast room (See Photograph 5). (Marble is also used for radiator caps in many rooms.) As in all the other rooms, the original shutters are also still in place. The Masonic Lodge office leads fran the southeast room to the Lodge room (See Photograph 6), a huge meeting hall once furnished with massive wooden chairs and benches upholstered in royal blue velvet. The room itself is shaped somewhat like a truncated pyramid. The bottom sections of the walls are covered with matchboard wainscoting, while pressed metal covers the upper sections and the ceiling. Stained glass windows high in the walls cast a subdued and eerie light on the room. At one time, high-backed chairs sat on plat forms at either end of the roam, while rows of benches provided seating along the sidewalls.

Two preparation rooms located off the western side of the Lodge room provided space for the Masons to change. continued (°s Fom 10.000 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number - Page . 1024-0018 831/8° Thomas C. Page House Chicopee, Massachusetts Like the back rooms on the first and second floors, those on the second are sma 11 and simple. The bedrooms on the third floor (See Figure 4) are also simple, though larger than those in the western wing. Windows are set high into the walls, but several rooms have small platforms or stages below the windows so that one can reach them. At the front of the house is an na ne the frant or the nause , irregularly shaped room formed by the front pavilion with its tower; this space contains the stairway which is by stained glass windows.

On the whole, the interior, as well as the exterior has been changed very Tittle over the years. Room configurations and decorative features have been retained and are in fairly good condition. Besides the c. 1909 east wing and c. 1925 west wing, which have already been mentioned, there have been a few changes to the Page House. When he sold the house to the Masons, Thomas Page reserved the right to remove the mantels in the parlor, living room, and dining room and replace them with others that would harmon ize with the rooms' finishes. not original to the building, they date from a significant period in the house's history, and complement the original woodwork and finishes. Ar chaeology While no prehistoric sites are currently recorded on the property, several have been recorded that are in close proximity (within 1 mile).

The physical characteristics of the property, a large flat terrace originally near a stream and the Chicopee River would have made this an attractive location for native settlement and subsistence activities. East Street which abuts the property ma y have also been a connecting trail between Springfield and the Chicopee River over at Squisnnaqunick (Chicopee Falls) area. While it is 1ikely that sites were present, the intense level of development and relatively small size of the lot suggests that the likelihood of significant prehistor ic survivals These factors also suggest that the potential for significant historic sites is 1ow. Ear ly historic settlement was present in this area with East Street probably used as a Plantation Period trail or roadway.

structure predated the Masonic Temple on the property, though ar chaeological remains of it may have been destroyed during construction of the present structure. Occupations-related features (privies, trash pits, wells) may exist from the existing structure which could add significantly to the understanding of the towns social, cultural and economic development dur ing the late 19th century. In particular, an opportunity could exist to study the role of early fraternal organizations in Chicopee as they contribute towards the development. 8. Statement of Significance

Statement of significance

Thomas C. Page House, Chicopee, Massachusetts Certifying official has considered the significance of this property in relation to other properties: nationally statewide Xlocally Applicable National Register Criteria Criteria Considerations (Exceptions) Areas of Significance (enter categories from instructions) Architecture Industry Social History JE Period of Significance 1875-1937_ Significant Dates 1909 1925 Cultural Affiliation Significant Person Thomas C. Page Architect/Builder N/A State significance of property, and justify criteria, criteria considerations, and areas and periods of significance noted above. The Thomas C. Page House retains integrity of location, design, setting, materials,workmanship, feeling and association. The building is historically significant both for its associations with Thomas C.

Page, an important industrialist in Chicopee in the late nineteenth century, and for its later associations with the Belcher Lodge of Masons. The structure is also architecturally significant. The Page House is a remarkably intact example of the Queen Anne/Stick Style in a city that has only a handful of Stick Style buildings. Its imposingtower,lavish variety of materials and ornament, and the high quality of 1ts interior finishes make it one of the most, if not the most, outstanding houses of its periodand style in the city. The Thomas C. Page House meets criteria A, and C of the National Register of Historic Places on a local level. The Page House has a number of significant historical associations which make the building an important reminder of Chicopee's development as a community. The Page House was built in the 1870s for one of Chicopee's leading industrialists, Thomas C. Page.

Page played an important role in the devel opment and success of the textile, machine tool, and bicycle industries in Chicopee in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. Page was also a charter member of the Belcher Maurice Lodge in Chicopee. In 1909, Page sold his home to the Masons. Thomas C. Page came to Chicopee in 1867. Born to a farming family in Maine, Page was among the thousands of Americans who turned from farming to manufacturing in the post-Civil War decade. In 1865, Page bought a share of the patent rights to the Lamb Knitting machine.

Lamb knitting mach ine was an important innovation that, according to one nineteenth century source, "revolutionized the art of knitting." This knitting mach ine could produce a variety of stitches and would also combine several complicated stitch patterns with tremendous speed, where previously such complicated patterns were only possible in hand knitting. * See continuation sheet NPS Form 10-000 (8-86) OMB Approvel No, 1024-0018 $3/87 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number Page. 1 Thomas C. Page House, Chicopee, Massachusetts The first factory where Page and the other owners of the Lamb patent began manufacturing the Lamb knitting machine was located in New York state.

However, in 1867, Page gained control of the patent rights and moved operations to Chicopee, Massachusetts, where he purchased some of the Massachusetts Arms Company buildings in Chicopee Falls and organized the Lamb Knitting Machine Company. Page served as the tirms treasurer and managing agent for much of the company's history. His importance in the industrial and commercial life of Chicopee Falls is indicated by the prominent positions held 15 is tndi ca te d by thar in the Chicopee Falls Savings Bank, where he was a vice president for many years, and the Chicopee Falls Building Association, of which Page was director for a time. The Lamb Knitting Machine Company succeeded for many years on the strength of the Chicopee textile industry. Textlles, especially cotton products, were the dominant industry in Chicopee in the early decades of the Late Industrial Period (1870-1915).

In 1875, cotton goods accounted for 75% of the town's total manufactured product. However, as the period advanced, the machine tool industry took on: a life of its own in Chicopee, and several subsidiary products began to be manufactured. Foremost among these products were bicycles. In the late 1880s, during the bicycle craze, local machine tool companies began producing bicycles. Thomas Page's Lamb Knitting Machine Company began producing 1ow-priced bicycles for a Hartford bicycle maker, Albert Overman. In 1890, Overman opened a factory of his own in Chicopee, and three years later the Lamb Company began manufactur ing 1ow-priced bicycles for Overman's competition, A. G. Spaulding. Before long, Spaulding took control of the Lamb Company and turned the firm exclusively to bicycle production.

Following the collapse of the bicycle craze in1901, Lamb Company was converted by Spaulding to the production of other athletic and sporting goods. Thomas Page was instrumental in attracting new industry to Chicopee, and thus had a lasting impact on the community long after production of the Lamb Knitting mach ine ceased. The rich detail ing of the Page House, both inside and out, reflects the wealth and prestige that one of Chicopee's leading manufacturers enjoyed. Page built himself the most fashionable and elaborate houses he could afford, using a style that had only recently come into fashion. continued NPS Form 10-900- (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number - 8 Page 2 MB ApprovalNo. 1024-0018 S/31/Y7 Thomas C.

Page House, Chicopee, Massachusetts The Belcher Lodge of Masons was founded in 1870, and Page was one of the founding members of the lodge. The Belcher Lodge is probably named after another important Chicopee industrialist, Bildad B. Belcher, owner of the Belcher Company, an agricultural implement manufacturer. The Belcher Lodge was most likely an association of wealthy industrialists and bus inessmen in Chicopee, and like other Masonic lodges was a society in which secret rituals played an important part in the members' activities. In 1909, Page sold the house to the Belcher Lodge of Masons; though, by agreement, he continued to live in the front part of the house. The same year, the Masons added theeastern rear wing, which they used for meetings and social events. The Page House is a very early example of the Queen Anne and Stick Styles of architecture.

The house was built around 1875, just when the two styles were beginning to become popular. The stickwork on the upper floors reflects the interest in expressing the structure of the building on its exterior which John Ruskin advocated, and which was carried to its extreme in the Stick The use of a variety of materials - wood, brick, terra cotta, and stone - is another element popular ized by Ruskin's writings. Although the exterior was fairly modern for its day, however, the plan was still basically a central hall, four-room plan. The builders did not make use of the innovations possible for creating a more open or complex plan. The lavish ornamentation inside the building certainly kept up with the latest trends in architectural fashion. Except for the west wing, the rooms display the bestmaterials and craftsmanship available.

The opulent detailing in the banquet hall and the meeting hall reflect the wealth of the Belcher Lodge. As was mentioned above, most of the building's original fabric is intact. Page did remove some of the original mantelpieces around 1909, but replaced them with the heavy wooden ones present today. The new fireplaces complement the rooms' woodwork, and date from a significant period in the building's history - the time when the Masons purchased it. Other changes to the house are relatively minor, and tend to involve the covering, rather than the removal of features. These alterations are, for the most part, reversible. Except for the 1875 fireplaces, there are no key features which have been adversely affected by alterations.

continued NPS Form 10-900-e (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number . Page _ 3 OMB Approvel No. 1024-0018 8/31/x7 Thomas C. Page House, Chicopee, Massachusetts There are few other Queen Anne/Stick Style houses in Chicopee of comparable scale or quality to the Page House. Out of only eleven examples of Stick Style architecture identified in the 1984 inventory, the Page House shows the most exuberantuse ofstickwork and varietyof materials. The only comparable house is the brick Saint John's Lodge on Center Street, which, although not strictly in the Stick Style, is reminiscent of the earlier Page House in its enthus iastic use of brick, stone, shingling, and stained glass.

At present, there is no information available on the architects, builders, and craftsmen who constructed the Page House.

The rest of the file

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

Major Bibliographical References Previous documentation on file (NPS): preliminary determination of individual listing (36 CFR 67) has been requested previously listed in the National Register previously determined eligible by the National Register designated a National Historic Landmark recorded by Historic American Buildings Survey # recorded by Historic American Engineering Record # 10.

Geographical Data Acreage of property less than one acre QUAD: Springfield North SCALE 1:25000 ATL Rgterenpes ,01,4,0 140697 14,0 Zone Easting Northing X See continuation sheet Primary location of additional data: X State historic preservation office Other State agency Federal agency Local government University Other Specify repository: MHC Survey #178 B D Zone Easting Northing See continuation sheet Verbal Boundary Description X See continuation sheet Boundary Justification The boundary of the property to be nominated is the same as the lot lines of the parcel of land on which the building is located. See continuation sheet 11. Form Prepared By David Zarowin/MHC with Michele Plourde-Barker/Community Development Adminstrator nameritte Massachusetts Historical Commissior organization date - 4/24/87 street & number 80 Boylston Street telephone 727-8470 city ortown- Boston .

state Massachusetts_ zip code 02116 WPS Form10-000 8-86) OMB Approvel/No. 1024-0018 5/3./81 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number Page - 1 Thomas C. Page House, Chicopee, Massachusetts MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES Bogdanovich, Karen R. Massachusetts Historical Commission Survey Form, "Thomas C. Page House" (typewritten). Chicopee, Massachusetts, August 4, 1976. Chicopee City Directories. 1873-1910. Chicopee Maps, 1870, 1894. Chicopee Voting Lists. 1938-1983. Copeland, Alfred Minot, editor. Our Gountry and Its People: A History of Hampden County, Massachusetts, Volume I. (no city): The Century Memor iaT Pub Tishing Company, 1902. Everts, Louis H. History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, Volume II. Philadelphia: Louis H. Everts, 1879.

Hampden County Registry of Deeds, 247:288, 252:405, 269:562, 379:460, 379:465, 778:191, 1772:47, 2425: 170, 2662:214; Book of Plans 53:46. Quinn, Thomas C. Massachusetts of Today. Boston: Columbia Publishing Company, 1892. Shlakman, Vera. Economic History of a Factory Town: A Study of Chicopee, Massachusetts. New York: Octagon Books, 1969. Szetela, Thaddeus M. History of Chicopee. Chicopee, Massachusetts: Szetela and Rich, n.d. Narner, Charles F., editor. Picturesque Hampden: Part I - East Northampton, Massachusetts: Picturesque Publishing Company, 1891. NPS Form 10-900- (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 10 Page - 1 OMB Approve/ No. 1024-0018 8/3//87 Thomas C.

Page House, Chicopee, Massachusetts The boundary of the property to be nominated is the same as the lot lines of the parcel of land on which the building is located, described in a mortgage deed recorded in Hampden County Registry of Deeds, Book 2662, Page 214, as Bounded southwesterlyby East Street, one hundred and eighty-four and forty one-hundredths (184.40) feet; northwesterly by Linden Street, one hundred and seventy-two and seventy-one one-hundredths (172.71) feet; northeasterly by land conveyed by the Chicopee Falls Masonic Home Association to Robert Therrien by deed dated October 4, 1955, and recorded in Hampden County Registry of Deeds, Book 2425, Page 170, one hundred and sixty-six and forty-eight one-hundredths (166.48) feet; and southeasterly by Fuller Street, two hundred and eight and eighty one-hundredths (208.80) feet.

The boundary 1ines are shown on the attached assessor's map. 117.0 / 7616 8 659 85.0 :1.5 LINDEN 40' E 29.0 N. 75.0 ~ 15 44.78 - Coroulos 149.51 100.50 ANGELOS 5376 CYEAN A COPOULOS ETUX ETUX 26,62 75,48 / 3870 20 52 95,92 75.92 11.84 E APPROXIMATE LOCATI0N OK: BARN/CARPIAGE 16916 HOUSE 89.65 HOUSE 11.64 GE G. JEAN ETUX 100.0 166,48 38946 MASONIC - FALLS HomE ASSC 2, ./ 208. 80 FULLER 919 6 101 90.09 AUSTiN D ScoTTETUX 88.0 543 DONET DUBES ET.UX 27-31 79,95 EILZEN PLOURDE 76.48 FULLERST SHEETA 150 SE S 7 113.75 Crit.

B 8700 1782 -WASO Form - 177 ("R" June 1984) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET Page, Thomas D., House Hampden County MASSACHUSETTS resubmission nomination by person or local government owner objection appeal Substantive Review: Reviewer's comments: Lsample subetantive Rovder request Jappeal AUG 31 1097 Working No. Fed. Reg. Date: Date Due: _ 10/1/87-10/15782 Action: -_ ACCEPT LRETURN 10-15-87 _REJECT_ Federal Agency: DNR decision Recom./Criteria Reviewer Date netualHistary _ 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 Iexcellent 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 moved date 8. Significance Social history very Period Areas of SignificancesCheck and justify below weak for the lode Specific dates Statement of Significance (in one paragraph) Builder/Architect assaiation, the ptatement of rifuigicame lo pesunptmiou Porthis. 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 Cuit.

B is not cheched, out Dage listed under sig. puson and industry as an applicable area appears linked to hiw. Page w0/ industry . Please nevise eccadinply. 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 conerming this nomination may be directod 1o ßetk Sawage (202) 343-9540 Signed. latrich Anduus - Date _ 10/15/87 Phone: Comments for any item may be continued on an attached sheet GPO 918-450 OMB No. 1024-0018 NPS Form 10-900 (Rev.

8-86) RECEIVED United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Registration Form JUN 1 3 1988 NATIONAL REGISTER This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations of eligibility for individual properties or districts. See instructions in Guidelines for Completing National Register Forms (National Register Bulletin 16). Complete each item by marking "x" in the appropriate box or by entering the requested information. If an item does not apply to the property being documented, enter "N/A" for "not applicable." For functions, styles, materials, and areas of significance, enter onlythe categories and subcategories listed in the instructions. For additional space use continuation sheets (Form 10-900a). Type all entries 1. Name of Property historic name other names/site number Thomas C.

Page House Belcher Lodge = Masonic Temple 2. Location street & number city, town state Massachusetts 105 East Street Chicopee code 025 N/Anot for publication N/Avicinity county Hampden code 013 zip code 01021 3.

Classification Ownership of Property Xprivate public-local public-State public-Federal Category of Property X building(s) district site structure object Name of related multiple property listing: N/A Number of Resources within Property Contributing Noncontributing 1 buildings sites structures objects 1 Total Number of contributing resources previously listed in the National Register - State/Federal Agency Certification As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, 1 hereby certity that this Inomination Jrequest for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of Historic Places and meets the proceduraland professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60. In my opinion, the property does not meet the National Register criteria.

icilma Lni3 198 Signature of certifying official Date Executive Director, Massachusetts Historical Commission; State or Federal agency and bureau State Historic Preservation Officer In my opinion, the property meets Jdoes not meet the National Register criteria. see continuation sheet. Signature of commenting or other official Date State or Federal agency and bureau 5. National Park Service Certification I, hereby, certify that this property is: Jentered in the National Register. See continuation sheet. determined eligible for the National Register. See continuation sheet. determined not eligible for the National Register. removed from the National Register. other, (explain:) Signature of the Keeper Date of Action 6. Function or Use Thomas C.

Page House, Chicopee, massachusetts Historic Functions (enter categories from instructions) Current Functions (enter categories from instructions) Domestic/single dwelling vacant/not in use Social/meeting hall 7. Description Architectural Classification (enter categories from instructions) Queen Anne Materials (enter categories from instructions) foundation walls roof other brick wood, terra cotta asphalt shingles N/A Describe present and historic physical appearance. The Page House is located on the north side of East Street, just southeast of a steep hill extending from the Chicopee River's southern bank at Chicopee Falls, in Chicopee, Massachusetts. The section of East Street on which the Page House sits is fairly level. The property itself is situated on a flat lot. The landscaping has been neglected for some time. There appear to have once been flower beds on the western lawn.

Some foundation plantings of pachysandra and a large white spirea bush remain from an earlier landscaping scheme. The most dominant elements of the lot are three huge trees which shade the building. The Page House sits nearly in the center of its lot at 105 East Street. It is bounded on three sides by streets: East Street to the south, Fuller Street to of the neighboring property. The building is set back nearly 30 feet from Fuller Street and over 50 feet from the lot's three other boundaries. The broad setbacks and large size of the lot add to the imposing appearance of the Page House (see attached site plan). The Page House is the largest and most imposing structure in a neighborhood of one and two family houses. The other homes on the street are predominantly modest Greek and Colonial Revival houses, and are set closer to the street than the Page House.

The Page House is the most unaltered in its neighborhood; many of its neighbors have had siding or new windows added. There are no out buildings. The Page House's plan is rather irregular, largely because two wings were added to the rear of the house during its history. The main block is nearly square, with an off-center pavilion projecting from the front facade and two rectangular bay windows on the east and west sides. The first addition, which was built shortly after the Masons acquired the property in 1909, projects to the east from the rear of the building, with a small vestibule where the main block and east wing join. A later addition also extends from the rear of the building, this time to the west. This wing is much smaller than the eastern one, and is linked to the main block and east wing by small enclosed porches (see attached site plan - Figure 1).

The main house is three stories high; it appears to be two-and-a-half stories, but has a full attic above the third floor. The eastern rear wing, which the Masons used for meetings, has two stories, as does the smasedeonthGatidnesHeet wing. The building has a full basement. NPS Form 10-900- 8-861 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 7 Page. Thonas C. Page House, Chicopee, Massachusetts 1 The Main Block (See Photograph 1) The Page House's most dominant decorative feature is the entrance pavilion, which projects from the front of the building. The front or south facade is four bays wide. A projecting pavilion forms the center two and is surmounted by an off-center gable and a square tower with pyramidal roof. A wooden, four-bay, first-floor porch runs across the length of the front facade.

The porch sits on a lattice work skirt and is ornamented with a stick work balustrade, while chamfered posts and fan-shaped brackets support the shed roof. A gable extranceway with fishscale shingled pediment projects from the main porch which is reached by a set of well-worn sandstone Small modillions appear under the porch roof eaves. The elaborately paneled wooden double doors in the entrance pavilion have a brownstone 1intel and granite sills while the windows are 1/1 flanked by long narrow windows to each side, have brownstone sills and lintels. Ornamented panels flank these doors on both sides. To the left is a sandstone panel with the Masonic symbol, while to the right is a red floral terra cotta panel bordered with white terra cotta squares. The brick sheathed first florr is decorated with terra cotta and ornamental brick work.

A course of square white terra cotta panels, bordered above and below by black brick stretchers, extends along the first floor just below the level of the door and window 1intels. A course of corbelled brick work, also bordered with black stretchers, runs along the building at the level of the porch. The foundation is made of brick, with a brownstone water table. The upper floors of the main block and pavillion are sheathed in wood clapboards, with stickwork and ornamental fishscale shingles. Small modillions form a narrow overhand just above the gable windows and between the tower's second and third stories. The gable windows are small paired 2/2 windows with stained glass transom. The tower's third-floor windows are like those on the first and second floor. A row of square sta ined-glass windows sits over the tower windows.

Brick work and windows on the remainder of the ma in block are similar to those on the front facade. Rows of shingles separate the first and second floors, while clapboards ornamented with stickwork sheath the second-story. The building's east side is five-bays wide, including the two-story rear addition (see Photograph 2). The first-floor east elevation of the main block is distinguished by a rectangular bay window lit by narrow 1/1 windows with brownstone lintels and sills. A second floor porch with woodwork like that on the front porch sits on top of the bay window. OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 31/87 continued a NPS Form 10-000e (8-85) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet 7 2 OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 8/31/17 Thomas C.

Page Holrse, Chicopee, Massachusetts Section number Page From the front the main roof of the house appears to be hipped, with gab le-roofed dormers on the southern, eastern, and western sides. However, at the rear, the roof of the main block takes on a gambrel shape. The roof is presently sheathed with asphalt shingles. The original roofing mater ial was probably slate. Two interior chimeys project from the western slope of the ma in roof, and one inter ior chimney breaks through the roof's eastern slope. The roof is supported on alternatinglarge and small brackets. Smal1 brackets also appear in the gable eaves and at the cornice of the tower's roof. The Additions At the angle where the main block and the eastern rear wing meet, a one story brick vestibule with shed roof and matchboard door allows entry to both the old and new sections of the building.

The newer wing complements the older section of the house, but its ornamentation is simpler. The wing still has a brick first floor and wooden Stick Style second story, but where the main block had rows of terra cotta and corbelled brick, the wing has courses of white brick and plain stretchers. A molded brick water table replaces the brownstone one, and segmental arches of double rowlock courses of brick surmount the windows, rather than brownstone 1intels. The roof of the eastern wing is hipped, with a gable dormer in the center of the eastern slope. Stained glass windows light the second story. Narrow rectangular windows appear in the second-floor walls, and the 8/1 paired windows in the dormer are decorated with the Masonic symbol. The Page House's west side is quite similar to the east.

The main block has a similar bay window and the same brick, terra cotta, and wooden ornamentation to the eastern side. A small enclosed porch connects the main block with the western rear wing. This newest addition to the house is a simple two-story, three-bay clapboarded structure with a flat roof and 1/1 windows. The second story projects slightly over the first, and a small one-story windowless shed is attached to the north side of the wing. The roof on the western addition is flat. At its northern side, the Page House is eight bays wide, and includes another addition at the northwest corner. The main block appears to have a gambrel roof from this side, with a round attic window. The east wing has the same. features on this side as on its eastern facade. The Inter ior Overall, the most notable feature of the interior is that it has been relatively unchanged over the years.

Original or early windows, woodwork, fireplaces, and fixtures are intact throughout the building. continued NPS Form 10-900e (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number - 7 Page 3 OMB ADorOVa NO, 1024-0018 $31/57 Thomas C. Page House, Chicopee, Massachusetts The basement, which is partially finished, is now used for storage. The finished section has a pressed-metal ceiling and the remnants of an old bowling alley. The unfinished sections have brick walls and floors. On the first floor, elaborate woodwork and built-in cabinets characterize the rooms in the main block. Elaborate paneled doors with original hardware and heavily molded surrounds allow access to four front rooms. The plan of the main block consists of a central foyer leading to the main staircase.

Four rooms are symmetrically arranged on either side of the foyer. Elaborate woodwork, including heavily paneled doors, molded baseboards, door and window surrounds with exaggerated patera cornerblocks, massive wooden fireplaces, and The southeastern billiard room is reached through pairs of sliding doors which connect it to the foyer and to the library. The bay window in the eastern wall forms a sumy alcove framed by a molded surround with decorative brackets. In the room's nor thwest corner is the fireplace with its heavy wooden mantel and brick blue-and-gold tile surrounding the opening. Even the metal fireplace cover is still intact, as are those in several of the rooms. Across the hall, the southwestern parlor (See Photogrpah 3) is similarly ornamented, but with darker woodwork and an even more ornate fireplace in the northern wall.

windows in the bay are gilded panels depicting birds, flowers, and sunburs ts. continued NPS Form 10-900e (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 7 Page 4 MB ADorovei (4o 1024-001 /31/87 Thomas c. Page House, Chicopee, Massachusetts North of the billiard room is the library, with built-in shelves and cabinets. The living roam, which is north of the parlor, also has built-in cabinets. They are located in the large wooden mantel, and are etched with figures of animals and birds. A huge banquet room (See Photograph 4) with pressed metal ceiling and patterned wood floor occupies most of the first floor east wing. The molded door and window surrounds in this section are much simpler than those in the front of the house.

The western wing is cut up into kitchens and bathrooms, with very little ornamentation. Moldings and door and window surrounds are plain, and in some rooms suspended ceilings and new walls have been added. Three stairways provide access to the second floor. The main stairway in the foyer is separated fran the front section of the foyer by a spindle screen supported on chamfered posts and brackets. In an alcove on the landing is an unusual light fixture, which consists of a statue of Venus holding a lamp. In addition to the main staircase, there are two narrow stairways at the rear of the building. The room arrangement on the second floor is similar to that of the first (See Figure 3). The two front rooms have heavily molded door and window surrounds with patera cornerblocks which are simpler than those on the first floor.

A marble fireplace and a marble sink set in a little alcove distinguish the southeast room (See Photograph 5). (Marble is also used for radiator caps in many rooms.) As in all the other rooms, the original shutters are also still in place. The Masonic Lodge office leads fran the southeast room to the Lodge room (See Photograph 6), a huge meeting hall once furnished with massive wooden chairs and benches upholstered in royal blue velvet. The room itself is shaped somewhat like a truncated pyramid. The bottom sections of the walls are covered with matchboard wainscoting, while pressed metal covers the upper sections and the ceiling. Stained glass windows high in the walls cast a subdued and eerie light on the roam. At one time, high-backed chairs sat on platforms at either end of the room, while rows of benches provided seating along the sidewalls.

Iwo preparation rooms located off the western side of the Lodge room provided space for the Masons to change. continued - NPS Form (6-85) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet OMB Approvel No. 1024-0018 8/31/87 Section number Page 5 Thomas C. Page House Chicopee, Massachusetts Like the back rooms on the first and second floors, those on the second are smal1 and simple. The bedrooms on the third floor (See Figure 4) are also simple, wing. Windows are set high into the walls, but several rooms have small platforms or stages below the windows so that one can reach them. At the front of the house is an irregularly shaped room formed by the front pavilion with its tower; this space contains the stairway which is by stained glass windows.

On the whole, the interior, as well as the exterior has been changed very little over the years. Room configurations and decorative features have been retained and are in fairly good condition. Bes ides the c. 1909 east wing and c. 1925 west wing, which have already been mentioned, there have been a few changes to the Page House. When he sold the house to the Masons, Thomas Page reserved the right to remove the mantels in the parlor, living room, and dining room and replace them with others that would harmon ize with the rooms' finishes. Al though the present mantels are not original to the building, they date from a significant period in the house's history, and complement the original woodwork and finishes. Archaeology While no prehistoric sites are currently recorded on the property, several have been recorded that are in close proximity (within 1 mile).

The physical settlement and subsistence activities. East Street which abuts the property may have also been a connecting trail between Springfield and the Chicopee While it is likely that sites were present, the intense level of development and relatively small size of the lot suggests that the likelihood of significant prehistoric survivals is low. These factors also suggest that the potential for significant historic sites is low. Early historic settlement was present in this area with East Street probably used as a Plantation Period trail or roadway. A structure predated the Masonic Temple on the property, though archaeological rema ins of it may have been destroyed during construction of the present structure.

Occupations-related features (privies, trash pits, wells) may exist from the existing structure which could add significantly to the understanding of the towns social, cultural and economic development dur ing the late 19th century. In particular, an opportunity could exist to study the role of early fraternal organizations in Chicopee as they contribute towards the development. 8. Statement of Significance Thomas C. Page House, Chicopee, Massachusetts Certifying official has considered the significance of this property in relation to other properties: nationally -statewide *locally *c D ]c Applicable National Register Criteria Criteria Considerations (Exceptions) Areas of Significance (enter categories from instructions) Architecture Industry Period of Significance 1875-1937 Significant Dates 1909 1925 Cultural Affiliation N/A Significant Person Thomas C.

Page Architect/Builder N/A State significance of property, and justify criteria,criteria considerations, and areas and periods of significance noted above. The Thomas C. Page House retains integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association. The building is historically significant both for its associations with Thomas C. Page, an important industrialist in Chicopee in the late nineteenth century, and for its later associations with the Belcher Lodge of Masons. The structure is also architecturally significant. The Page House is a remarkably intact example of the Queen Anne/Stick Style in a city that has only a handful of Stick Style buildings. Its imposing tower, lavish variety of materials and ornament, and the high quality of its interior finishes make it one of the most, if not the most, outstanding houses of its period an style in he city.

The Thomas C. Page House meets criteria A, B, and C of the National Register of Historic Places on a local level. The Page House has a number of significant historical associations which make the building an important reminder of Chicopee's development as a community. The Page House was built in the 1870s for one of Chicopee's leading industrialists, Thomas C. Page. Page played an important role in the development and success of the textile, machine tool, and bicycle industries in Chicopee in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. Page was also a charter member of the Belcher Maurice Lodge in Chicopee. In 1909, Page sold his home to the Masons. Thomas C. Page came to Chicopee in 1867. Born to a farming family in Maine, Page was among the thousands of Americans who turned from farming to manufacturing in the post-Civil War decade.

In 1865, Page bought a share of the patent rights to the Lamb Knitting machine. The Lamb knitting machine was an important innovation that, according to one nineteenth century source, "revolutionized the art of knitting." This knitting machine could produce a variety of stitches and would also combine several complicated stitch patterns with tremendous speed, where previously such complicated patterns were only possible in hand knitting. -See continuation sheet NPS Form 10-900e (8-86) OMB Approvel No, 1024-0018 8/3/87 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet 8 Section number Page 1 Thomas C. Page House, Chicopee, Massachusetts The first factory where Page and the other owners of the Lamb patent began manufacturing the Lamb knitting machine was located in New York state.

However, in 1867, Page gained control of the patent rights and moved operations to Chicopee, Massachusetts, where he purchased some of the Massachusetts Arms Company buildings in Chicopee Falls and organized the Lamb Knitting Machine Company. Page served as the firms treasurer and managing agent for much of the company's history. His importance in the industrial and commercial life of Chicopee Falls is indicated by the prominent positions held in the Chicopee Falls Savings Bank, where he was a vice president for many years, and the Chicopee Falls Building Association, of which Page was director for a time. The Lamb Knitting Machine Company succeededfor many years on the strength of the Chicopee textile industry. Textlles, especially cotton products, were the dominant industry in Chicopee in the early decades of the Late Industrial Period (1870-1915).

In 1875, cotton goods accounted for 75% of the town's total manufactured product. However, as the period advanced, the machine tool industry took on: a life of its own in Chicopee, and several subsidiary products began to be manufactured. Foremost among these products were bicycles. In the late 1880s, dur ing the bicycle craze, local machine tool companies began producing bicycles. Thomas Page's Lamb Knitting Machine Company began producing low-priced bicycles for a Hartford bicycle maker, Albert Overman. onas lo gr ekort teyct ena kar In 1890, Overman opened a factory of his own in Chicopee, and three years later the Lamb Company began manufacturing 1ow-priced bicycles for Overman's competition, A. G. Spaulding. Company and turned the firm exclusively to bicycle production. Following the collapse of the bicycle craze in 1901, Lamb Company was converted by Spaulding G.

Spauttim exctustety Before long, Spaulding took control of the Lamb to the production of other athletic and sporting goods. Thomas Page was instrumental in attracting new industry to Chicopee, and thus had a lasting impact on the community long after production of the Lamb Knitting machine ceased. The rich detail ing of the Page House, both inside and out, reflects the wealth and prestige that one of Chicopee's leading manufacturers en joyed. Page built himself the most fashionable and elaborate houses he could afford, using a style that had only recently come into fashion. continued (P$ Fom 10000a United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page 2 MB ApprovelNo. 1024-0011 5/31/47 Thomas C.

Page House, Chicopee, Massachusetts The Belcher Lodge of Masons was founded in 1870, and Page was one of the founding members of the lodge. The Belcher Lodge is probably named after another important Chicopee industrialist, Bildad B. Belcher, owner of the Belcher Company, an agricultural implement manufacturer. The Belcher Lodge was most likely an association of wealthy industrialists and businessmen in Chicopee, and like other Masonic lodges was a society in which secret rituals played an important part in the members' activities. In 1909, Page sold the house to the Belcher Lodge of Masons; though, by agreement, he continued to live in the front part of the house. The same year, the Masons added theeastern rear wing, which they used for meetings and social events. The Page House is a very early example of the Queen Anne and Stick Styles of architecture.

The house was built around 1875, just when the two styles were beginning to become popular. The stickwork on the upper floors reflects the in expressing the structure of the building on its exterior which John Ruskin advocated, and which was carried to its extreme in the Stick Style. The use of a variety of materials - wood, brick, terra cotta, and stone - is another element popularized by Ruskin's writings. Although the exterior was fairly modern for its day, however, the plan was still basically a central hall, four-room plan. The builders did not make use of the innovations possible for creating a more open or complex plan. The lavish ornamentation inside the building certainly kept up with the latest trends in architectural fashion. Except for the west wing, the rooms display the best materials and craftsmanship available.

The opulent detailing in the banquet hall and the meeting hall reflect the wealth of the Belcher Lodge. As was mentioned above, most of the building's original fabric is intact. age did remove some of the original mantelpieces around 1909, but replaced chem with the heavy wooden ones present today. The new fireplaces complement the rooms' woodwork, and date from a significant period in the building's history - the time when the Masons purchased it. Other changes to the house are relatively minor, and tend to involve the covering, rather than the removal of features. These alterations are, for the most part, reversible. Except for the 1875 fireplaces, there are no key features which have been adversely affected by alterations.

continued NPS Form 10-000-e (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page 3 OMB Approvel No. 1024-0018 S/31/x7 Thomas C. Page House, Chicopee, Nassachusetts There are few other Queen Anne/Stick Style houses in Chicopee of comparable scale or quality to the Page House. Out of only eleven examples of Stick Style architecture identified in the 1984 inventory, the Page House shows the most exuberant use of stickwork and variety of materials. The only comparable house is the brick Saint John's Lodge on Center Street, which, although not strictly in the Stick Style, is reminiscent of the earlier Page House in its enthusiastic use of brick, stone, shingling, and stained glass.

At present, there is no information available on the architects, builders, and craftsmen who constructed the Page House. 9. Major Bibliographical References Thomas C. Page House, Chicopee, Massachusetts Previous documentation on file (NPS): _Jpreliminary determination of individual listing (36 CFR 67) has been requested previously listed in the National Register previously determined eligible by the National Register designated a National Historic Landmark recorded by Historic American Buildings Survey # recorded by Historic American Engineering Record # 10.

Geographical Data Acreage ot dropsty less than one acre Springfield North Scale: UTM References A [1,8] 700140 Zone Easting 14,6|6,9 17,4,0 Northing CLI 1:25000 B D XSee continuation sheet Primary location of additional data: X State historic preservation office Other State agency Federal agency Local government University Other Specify repository: MHC Survey #178 Zone Easting Northing See continuation sheet Verbal Boundary Description [X See continuation sheet Boundary Justification The boundary of the property to be nominated is the same as the lot lines of the parcel of land on which the building is located. See continuation sheet 11.

Form Prepared By lame/title David Zarowin/MHC with Michele Plourde-Barker/Community Development Administrato rganization MassachBoytss HiStorical Commissior _ date - street & number Boston _ telephone 617-727-8470 city or town _ state Massachusetts _ zip code - 02116 NPS Form 10-900-e (8-86) OMB Approval/ No. 1024-0018 5/3/31 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 9 Page 1 Thomas C. Page House, Chicopee, Massachusetts MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES Bogdanovich, Karen R. Massachusetts Historical Commission Survey Form, "Thomas C. Page House" (typewritten). Chicopee, Massachusetts, August 4, 1976. Chicopee City Directories. 1873-1910. Chicopee Maps, 1870, 1894. Chicopee Voting Lists. 1938-1983. Copeland, Alfred Minot, editor.

Our Gountry and Its People: A History of Hampden County, Massachusetts, Volume I. (no city): The Century Memor iaT Publishing Company, 1902. Everts, Louis H. History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, Volume Philadelphia: Louis H. Everts, 1879. Hampden County Registry of Deeds, 247:288, 252:405, 269:562, 379:460, 379:465, 778:191, 1772:47, 2425:170, 2662:214; Book of Plans 53:46. Quinn, Thomas C. Massachusetts of Today. Boston: Columbia Publishing Company, 1892. Shlakman, Vera. Economic History of a Factory Town: A Study of Chicopee, Massachusetts. New York: Octagon Books, 1969. Szetela, Thaddeus M. History of Chicopee. Chicopee, Massachusetts: Szetela and Rich, n.d. Warner, Charles F., editor. Picturesque Hampden: Part I - East. Northampton, Massachusetts: Picturesque Publishing Company, 1891.

- (IPS Fom 10-000 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 10 Page 1 OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 8/31/87 Thomas C. Page House, Chicopee, Massachusetts Bounded southwesterly by East Street, one hundred and eighty-four and forty one-hundredths (184.40) feet; northwesterly by Linden Street, one hundred and seventy-two and seventy-one one-hundredths (172.71) feet; northeasterly by 1and conveyed by the Chicopee Falls Masonic Home Association to Robert Therrien by deed dated October 4, 1955, and recorded in Hampden County Registry of Deeds, Book 2425, Page 170, one hundred and sixty-six and forty-eight one-hundredths (166.48) feet; and southeasterly by Fuller Street, two hundred and eight and eighty one-hundredths (208.80) feet. The boundary lines are shown on the attached assessor's map.

117,0 7616 8 659 :15 85.0 LINDEN 40' LE 29.0 N. 75.0 2> ~ 1+ COPOULOS 149.51 100.50 ANGELOS 5376 32 OYEAN ACOPOULOS ETUX ETUX 35.24 26,62 75,48 / / 3870 ~ 52 95,92 75.92 1/X1.84 E APPROXIMATE LOCAT(C~ OK- BARN/CARPIAGR 16916 HOUSE 173 150 E.TA 89.65 HOUSE HENRI 11,64 PAGE G. JEAN ETUX 100.0 2, EILZEN PLOURDEN ,95 27-31 SH SE 166,48 FULLER 38946 -CHICOPEE MASONIC: FALLS HOME ASSC 1.72.71 208,80 90.09 AUSTiN D. SCOTTETUK 88.0 7 ouee DONET ET.UX 10%. FULLER 9196 184 .40 105 115.75 112 RESUBMISSION WASO Form - 177 ("R" June 1984) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET Page, Thomas D., House Hampden County MASSACHUSETTS Subatantive Review resubmission nomination by person or local government owner objection appeal Working No._ 8-31-87 Fed. Reg.

Date: - Date Due: _ 7/28/88 Action: _ACEEPT LRETURN 7-2188 - REJECT- Federal Agency: - Substantive Review: -sample -request -appeal DNR decision Reviewer's comments: anea gulpifeiame e hibany nas len drogpad roar . has been checked for aascriation with Page. The period of siqnificance however, has not been redefined to uflect the changed Rcturn RevianeCitfatuik Anduus Reviewer - Discipline Historian Date_ 7/21/88 see continuation sheet Nomination returned for: technical corrections cited below areas of significavee _substantive reasons discussed below (see conentarseruse 1. Name 2. Location 3. Classification Category Ownership Public Acquisition Status Accessible Present Use 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 Jruins unexposed Check one -unaltered Jaltered Check one - original site moved date Describe the present and original (if known) physical appearance summary paragraph completeness clarity alterations/integrity dates boundary selection 8. Significance The perlod of significance is still defened Period Areas of Significance- Check and justity below to 1937 . The areas of Diquificamce now Specific dates Statement of Significance (in one paragraph) PspiArchiee are for anchitectuual infortance and for summary paragraph histoiee association with Page. The form does completeness not establish the erding period for Pagés assriation l eatictono anos ecea ith the building- there is no indicationgwhen Cconteat pititane ta tereouno he died.

Please cleary define the peuod relationship of integrity to significance justification of exception 8 aiquificaree to reflect the areas chosen. 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 L Maps Photographs - Other Questions concerning this nomination may.be directed to _ Signed Patick Andues Date. 7/2188 Comments for any item may be continued on an attached sheet Phone: - GPO 918-450 NPS Form 10-900 (Rev. 8-86) OMB No.

1024-0018 RECEIVED United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Registration Form SEP 1 2 1988 NATIONAL REGISTER for Completing National Register Forms (National Register Bulletin 16). Complete each item by marking "x" in the appropriate box or by entering the requested information. If an item does not apply to the property being documented, enter "N/A" for "not applicable." For functions, styles, materials, and areas of significance, enter only the categories and subcategories listed in the instructions. For additional space use continuation sheets (Form 10-900a). Type all entries. 1. Name of Property historic name Thomas C. Page House other names/site number Belcher Lodge, Masonic Temple 2.

Location street & number 105 East Street city, town Chicopee state Massachusetts code 025 N/A not for publication N/A vicinity county Hampden code 013 zip code 01020 3. Classification Ownership of Property X private public-local public-State public-Federal Category of Property X building(s) district site structure object Number of Resources within Property Contributing Noncontributing 1 buildings sites structures objects 1 Total Name of related multiple property listing: Number of contributing resources previously N/A listed in the National Register 4.

State/Federal Agency Certification As the designated authority under the NationalHistoric Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, I hereby certify that this Xnomination Jrequest for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the NationalRegister ofHistoric Places and meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60. in my opinollene meet -does not meet the National Register criteria. See continuation shpet. Signature of certifying official almase Date pt. 7,408 Executive Director, Massachusetts Historical Commission State or Federal agency and bureau State Historic Preservation Officer In my opinion, the property meets does not meet the National Register criteria. See continuation sheet. Signature of commenting or other official Date State or Federal agency and bureau 5.

National Park Service Certification I, hereby, certify that this property is: entered in the National Register. See continuation sheet. determined eligible for the National Register. See continuation sheet. determined not eligible for the National Register. Bers Bsarige 10/25/88 removed from the National Register. other, (explain:) JoV Signature of the Keeper Date of Action 6. Function or Use Thomas G. Page House, Chicopee, Massachusetts Historic Functions (enter categories from instructions) Current Functions (enter categories from instructions) Domestic/single dwelling vacant/not in use Social/meeting hall 7. Description Architectural Classification (enter categories from instructions) Queen Anne Materials (enter categories from instructions) foundation walls brick wood, terra cotta roof other- asphalt shingles Describe present and historic physical appearance.

The Page House is located on the north side of East Street, just southeast of a steep hill extending from the Chicopee River's southern bank at Chicopee Falls, in Chicopee, Massachusetts. The section of East Street on which the Page House sits is fairly level. The property itself is situated on a flat lot. The landscaping has been neglected for some time. There appear to have once been flower beds on the western lawn. Some foundation plantings of pachysandra and a large white spirea bush remain from an earlier landscaping scheme. The most dominant elements of the lot are three huge trees which shade the building. :70% The Page House sits nearly in the center of its lot at 105 East Street. It is bounded on three sides by streets: East Street to the south, Fuller Street to the east, and Linden Street to the west; its southern boundary is the lot line of the neighboring property.

The building is set back nearly 30 feet from Fuller Street and over 50 feet from the lot's three other boundaries. The broad setbacks and large size of the lot add to the imposing appearance of the Page House (see attached site plan). The Page House is the largest and most imposing structure in a neighborhood of one and two family houses. The other homes on the street are predominantly modest Greek and Colonial Revival houses, and are set closer to the street than the Page House. The Page: House is the most unaltered in its neighborhood; many of its neighbors have had siding or new windows added. There are no out buildings. The Page House's plan is rather irregular, largely because two wings were added to the rear of the house during its history.

The main block is nearly square, with an off-center pavilion projecting from the front facade and two rectangular bay windows on the east and west sides. The first addition, which was built shortly after the Masons acquired the property-in 1909, projects to the east from the rear of the building, with a small vestibule where the main block and east wing join. Alater addition also extends from the rear of the building, this time to the west. This wing is much smaller than the eastern one, and is linked to the main block and east wing by small enclosed porches (see attached site plan - Figure 1). The main house is three stories high; it appears to be two-and-a-half stories, but has a full attic above the third floor. The eastern rear wing, which the Masons used for meetings, has two stories, as does the smal lersee sdrtingatienasheet wing. The building has a full basement.

NPS Form10-900- (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Thomas C. Paqe House, Chicopee, Massachusetts Section number - 7 Page 1 The Main Block (See Photograph 1) The Page House's most dominant decorative feature is the entrance pavilion, which projects from the front of the building. facade is four bays wide. A projecting pavil ion forms the center two and is surmounted by an off-center gable and a square tower with pyramidal roof. A wooden, four-bay, first-floor porch runs across the length of the front facade. The porch sits on a lattice work skirt and is ornamented with a stick work balustrade, while chamfered posts and fan-shaped brackets support the shed roof. A gable extranceway with fishscale shingled pediment projects from the main porch which is reached by a set of well-worn sandstone steps.

Small modillions appear under the porch roof eaves. The elaborately paneled wooden double doors in the entrance pavilion have a brownstone lintel and granite sills while the windows are 1/1 flanked by long narrow windows to each side, have brownstone sills and lintels. Ornamented panels flank these doors on both sides. To the left is a sandstone panel with the Masonic symbol, while to the right is a red floral terra cotta panel bordered with white terra cotta squares. The brick sheathed first florr is decorated with terra cotta and ornamental brick work. A course of square white terra cotta panels, bordered above and below by black brick stretchers, extends along the rrst tloor just below the level of the door and window lintels. corbelled brick work, also bordered with black stretchers, runs along the building at the level of the porch.

The foundation is made of brick, with a brownstone water table. The upper floors of the main block and pavillion are sheathed in wood clapboards, with stickwork and ornamental tishscale shingles. modillions form a narrow overhand just above the gable windows and between the tower's second and third stories. The gable windows are small paired 2/2 windows with stained glass transom. The tower's third-floor windows are like those on the first and second floor. A row of square sta ined-glass win dows sits over the tower windows. Brick work and windows on the remainder of the ma in block are similar to those on the front facade. Rows of shingles separate the first and second floors, while clapboards ornamented with stickwork sheath the second-story. The building's east side is five-bays wide, including the two-story rear addition (see Photograph 2).

The first-floor east elevation of the main block is distinguished by a rectangular bay window lit by narrow 1/1 windows with brownstone lintels and sills. A second floor porch with woodwork 1ike that on the front porch sits on top of the bay window. OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 continued NPS Form 10-900-e (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet 7 2 MB Approval No. 1024-001 8/31/87 Thomas C. Page House, Chicopee, Massachusetts Section number Page From the tront the main roof of the house appears to be hipped, with gab le-rooted dormers on the southern, eastern, and western sides. However, at the rear, the root of the main block takes on a gambrel shape. presently sheathed with asphalt shingles. The original roofing material was probably slate.

Two interior chimeys project from the western slope of the main roof, and one inter ior chimney breaks through the roof's eastern slope. The roof is supported on alternatinglarge and small brackets. also appear in the gable eaves and at the cornice of the tower's roof. The Additions At the angle where the main block and the eastern rear wing meet, a one story brick vestibule with shed roof and matchboard door allows entry to both the old and new sections of the building. The newer wing complements the older section of the house, but its ornamentation is simpler. The wing still has a brick first floor and wooden Stick Style second story, but where the main block had rows of terra cotta and corbelled brick, the wing has courses of white brick and plain stretchers.

A molded brick water table replaces the orownstone one, and segmental arches of double rowlock courses of brick surmount the windows, rather than brownstone lintels. The roof of the eastern wing is hipped, with a gable dormer in the center of the eastern slope. Stained glass windows light the second story. Narrow rectangular windows appear in the second-floor walls, and the 8/1 paired windows in the dormer are decorated with the Masonic symbol. The Page House's west side is quite similar to the east. The main block has a similar bay window and the same brick, terra cotta, and wooden ornamentation to the eastern side. A small enclosed porch connects the main block with the western rear wing. This newest addition to the house is a simple two-story, three-bay clapboarded structure with a flat roof and 1/1 windows.

The second story projects slightly over the first, and a small one-story windowless shed is attached to the north side of the wing. The roof on the western addition is flat. At its northern side, the Page House is eight bays wide, and includes another addition at the northwest corner. The main block appears to have a gambrel roof from this side, with a round attic window. The east wing has the same. features on this side as on its eastern facade. The Interior Overal1, the most notable feature of the interior is that it has been relatively unchanged over the years. Original or early windows, woodwork, fireplaces, and fixtures are intact throughout the building. continued NPS Form 10-900-# (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet MB ADprOVai NO 1300 102001 Thomas C.

Page House, Chicopee, Massachusetts Section number - Page - The basement, which is partially finished, is now used for storage. The finished section has a pressed-metal ceiling and the remnants of an old bowl ing alley. The unfinished sections have brick walls and floors. On the first floor, elaborate woodwork and built-in cabinets characterize the rooms in the main block. Elaborate paneled doors with original hardware and heavily molded surrounds allow access to four front rooms. The plan of the main block consists of a central foyer leading to the main staircase. Four rooms are symmetrically arranged on either side of the foyer. Elaborate woodwork, including heavily paneled doors, molded baseboards, door and window surrounds with exaggerated patera cornerblocks, massive wooden fireplaces, and built-in cupboards distinguish these four rooms.

The southeastern billiard room is reached through pairs of sliding doors which connect it to the foyer and to the library. The bay window in the eastern wall forms a sunny alcove framed by a molded surround with decorative brackets. In the room's nor thwest corner is the fireplace with its heavy wooden mantel and brick blue-and-gold tile surrounding the opening. Even the metal fireplace cover is still intact, as are those in several of the rooms. Across the hall, the southwestern parlor (See Photogrpah 3) is similarly ornamented, but with darker woodwork and an even more ornate fireplace in the northern wall. Underneath the windows in the bay are gilded panels depicting birds, flowers, and sunburs ts. continued NPS Form 10-900-e (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number .

Page - B ApprovalNo. 1024-001 8/31/87 Thomas C. Page House, Chicopee, Massachusetts North of the billiard room is the library, with built-in shelves and cabinets. The living room, which is north of the parlor, also has built-in cabinets. They are located in the large wooden mantel, and are etched with figures of animals and birds. A huge banquet room (See Photograph 4) with pressed-metal ceiling and patterned wood tloor occuples most of the tirst t cst wng The molded door and window surrounds in this section are much simpler than those in the front of the house. The western wing is cut up into kitchens and bathrooms, with very little ornamentation. Moldings and door and window surrounds are plain, and in some rooms suspended ceilings and new walls have been added. Three stairways provide access to the second floor.

The main stairway in the foyer is separated fran the front section of the foyer by a spindle screen supported on chamfered posts and brackets. In an alcove on the landing is an unusual light fixture, which consists of a statue of Venus holding a lamp. In addition to the main staircase, there are two narrow stairways at the rear of the building. The room arrangement on the second floor is similar to that of the first (See Figure 3). The two front rooms have heavily molded door and window surrounds with patera cornerblocks which are simpler than those on the first floor. A marble fireplace and a marble sink set in a little alcove distinguish the southeast room (See Photograph 5). (Marble is also used for radiator caps in many rooms.) As in all the other rooms, the original shutters are also still in place.

The Masonic Lodge office leads fran the southeast room to the Lodge room (See Photograph 6), a huge meeting hall once furnished with massive wooden chairs and benches upholstered in royal blue velvet. The room itself is shaped somewhat like a truncated pyramid. The bottom sections of the walls are cover ed with matchboard wainscoting, while pressed metal covers the upper sections and the ceiling. Stained glass windows high in the walls cast a subdued and eerie light on the room. At one time, high-backed chairs sat on platforms at either end of the room, while rows of benches provided seating along the sidewalls. Two preparation rooms located off the western side of the Lodge room provided space for the Masons to change. continued OMB Approvel No.

1024-0018 NPS Form 10-0004 (8-06) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number7 Thomas C. Page House Chicopee, Massachusetts Page 5 Like the back rooms on the first and second floors, those on the second are small and simple. The bedrooms on the third floor (See Figure 4) are also simple, though larger than those in the western wing. Windows are set high into the walls, but several rooms have small platforms or stages below the windows so that one can reach them. At the front of the house is an irregularly shaped room formed by the front pavilion with its tower; this space contains the stairway which is by stained glass windows. On the whole, the interior, as well as the. exterior has been changed very little over the years.

Room configurations and decorative features have been retained and are in fairly good condition. Besides the ca. 1909-1910 east wing and c. 1925 west wing, which have already been mentioned, there have been a few changes to the Page House. When he sold the house to the Masons, Thomas Page reserved the right to remove the mantels in the parlor, living room, and dining room and replace them with others that would harmonize with the rooms' finishes. Although the present mantels are not original to the building, they date from a significant period in the house's history, and complement the original woodwork and finishes. Archaeology While no prehistoric sites are currently recorded on the property, several have been recorded that are in close proximity (within 1 mile).

The physical characteristics of the property, a large flat terrace originally near a stream and the Chicopee River would have made this an attractive location for native settlement and subsistence activities. East Street which abuts the property may have also been a connecting trail between Springfield and the Chicopee River over at Squisnnaqunick (Chicopee Falls) area. While it is likely that sites were present, the intense level of development and relatively small size of the lot suggests that the likelihood of significant prehistoric survivals t the iikel thood of is low. These factors also suggest that the potential for significant historic sites is low. Early historic settlement was present in this area with East Street probably used as a Plantation Period trail or roadway.

A structure predated the Masonic Temple on the property, though archaeological remains of it may have been destroyed during construction of the present structure. Occupations-related features (privies, trash pits, wells) may exist from the existing structure which could add significantly to the understanding of the towns social, cultural and economic development during the late 19th century. In particular, an opportunity could exist to study the role of early fraternal organizations in Chicopee as they contribute towards the development. 8. Statement of Significance Thomas C.

Page House, Chicopee, Massachusetts Certifying official has considered the significance of this property in relation to other properties: nationally statewide Lx locally Applicable National Register Criteria B C Criteria Considerations (Exceptions) B C Areas of Significance (enter categories from instructions) Architecture Industry D D E G eriod of Sianificance 1875-1909 Significant Date: 1875 1881 1909 Cultural Affiliation N/A Significant Person Thomas C.iPage Tin 002 State significance of property, and justify criteria, criteria considerations, and areas and periods of significance noted above. The Thomas C. Page House retains integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association. The building is historically significant both for its associations with Thomas C.

Page, an important industrialist in Chicopee in the late nineteenth century, and for its later associations with the Belcher Lodge of Masons. The structure is also architecturally significant. The Page House is a remarkably intact example of the Queen Anne/Stick Style in a city that has only a handful öf Stick Style buildings. Its imposing tower, lavish variety of materials and ornament, and the high quality of its interior finishes make it one of the most, if not the most, outstanding houses of its period an style in he city.The Thomas C. Page House meets criteria A, B, and C of the National Register of.Historic Places on a local level. The Page House has a number of significant historical associations which make the building an important reminder of Chicopee's development as a community. The Page Housewasbuiltca.1875 for one of Chicopee's leading industrialists, Thomas C. Page.

Page played an important role in the development and success of the textile, machine tool, and bicycle industries in Chicopee in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. Page was also a charter member of the Belcher Maurice Lodge in Chicopee. In 1909, Page sold his home to the Masons. Thomas C. Page came to Chicopee in 1867. Born to a farming family in Maine, Page was among the thousands of Americans who turned from farming to manufacturing in the post-Civil War decade. In 1865, Page bought a share of:..

the patent rights to the Lamb Knitting machine.i The Lamb knitting machine was an important innovation that, according to one nineteenth century source, "revolutionized the art of knitting." This knitting machine could produce a variety of stitches and would also combine several complicated stitch patterns with tremendous speed, where previously such complicated patterns were only possible in hand knitting. 1n1 106 2aioc *See continuation sheet 9. Major Bibliographical References Thomas C. Page House, Chicopee, Massachusetts Previous documentation on file (NPS): preliminary determination of individual listing (36 CFR 67) has been requested previously listed in the National Register previously determined eligible by the National Register designated a National Historic Landmark recorded by Historic American Buildings Survey # recorded by Historic American Engineering Record # 10.

Geographical Data Acreage of property less than one acre Quad: Springfield North UTM References A 118 7/010/11410 416/619 71410 Zone Easting Northing Scale: 1:25000 X See continuation sheet Primary location of additional data:... * State historic preservation office Other State agency Federal agency Local government University Other Specify repository: MHC Survey #178 B Zone Easting Northing See continuation sheet Verbal Boundary Description X See continuation sheet Boundary Justification The boundary of the property to be nominated is the same as the lot lines of the parcel of land on which the building is located. See continuation sheet 11.

Form Prepared By name/title_David Zarowin/MHC w/Michele Plourde-Barker/Community Development Administration organization Massachusetts Historical Commission street & number_ 80 Boylston Street city or town - Boston .telephone_(617) 727-8470 _state Massachusetts zip code 02116 OMB Approvel No. 1024-0018 NPS Form (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Thomas C. Page House Chicopee, Massachusetts Section number 8 Page - The first factory where Page and the other owners of the Lamb patent began manufacturing the Lamb knitting machine was located in New York state.

However, in 1867, Page gained control of the patent rights and moved operations to Chicopee, Massachusetts, where he purchased some of the Massachusetts Arms Company buildings in Chicopee Falls and organized the Lamb Knint for accino omp comanas servedas thsfiposence tnetedmastrial and commercial life of Chicopee Falls is indicated by the prominent positions held in the Chicopee Falls Savings Bank, where he was a vice president for many years, and the Chicopee Falls Building Association, of which Page was director for a time. The Lamb Knitting Machine Company succeded for many years of the strength of the Chicopee textile industry. Textiles, especially cotton products, were the dominant industry in Chicopee in the early decades of the Late Industrial Period (1870-1915). In 1875, cotton goods accounted for 75% of the town's total manufactured product.

However, as the period advanced, the machine tool industry took on a life of its own in Chicopee, and several subsidiary products began to be manufactured. Foremost among these products were bicycles. In the late 1880s, during the bicycle craze, local machine tool companies began producing bicycles. Thomas Page's Lamb Knitting Machine Company began producing low-priced bicycles for a Hartford bicycle maker, Albert Overman. In 1890, Overman opened a factory of his own in Chicopee, and three years later the Lamb Company began manufacturing low-priced bicycles for Overman's competition, A. G. Spaulding. Before long, Spaulding took control of the Lamb Company and turned the firm exclusively to bicycle production. Following the collapse of the bicycle craze in 1901, Lamb Company was converted by Spaulding to the production of other athletic and sporting goods.

Thomas Page was instrumental in attracting new industry to Chicopee, and thus had a lasting impact on the community long after production of the Lamb Knitting machine ceased. The rich detailing of the Page House, both inside and out, reflects the wealth and prestige that one of Chicopee's leading manufacturers enjoyed. Page bought himself the most fashionable and elaborate house he could afford in 1881, using a style that had only recently come into fashion. continued NPS Form 10-900-a (8-88) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page 2 MB Approval/No. 1024-001 5/31/57 Thomas C. Page House, cnicopee, Massachusetts The Belcher Lodge of Masons was founded in 1870, and Page was one of the The Belcher Lodge is probably named after another important Chicopee industrialist, Bildad B.

Belcher, owner of the Belcher Company, an agricultural implement manufacturer. The Belcher Lodge cascmpst , and Yike atserlatsonic oeatas d staty is auseeest er tials played an important part in the members' activities. In 1909, Page sold the house to the Belcher Lodge of Masons; though, by agreement, he continued to live in the front part of the house. The same year, the Masons added theeastern rear wing, which they used for meetings and social events.

The Page House is a very early example of the Queen Anne and Stick Styles of The house was built around 1875, just when the two styles were the upper floors reflects the interest in expressing the structure of the building on its exterior which John Rusk in advocated, and which was carried to its extreme in the Stick Although the exterior was fairly modern for its day, however, the plan was still basically The builders did not make use of the innovations possible for creating a more open or complex plan. The lavish ornamentation inside the building certainly kept up with the latest trends in architectural fashion. Except for the west wing, the rooms display the best materials and craftsmanship available. The opulent detailing in the banquet hall and the meeting hall reflect the wealth of the Belcher Lodge. As was mentioned above, most of the building's original fabric is intact.

Page did remove some of the original mantelpieces around 1909, but replaced them with the heavy wooden ones present today. The new fireplaces complement the rooms' woodwork, and date from a significant period in the building's history - the time when the Masons purchased it. Other changes to the house are relatively minor, and tend to involve the covering, rather than the removal of features. These alterations are, for the most part, reversible. Except tor the 1875 fireplaces, there are no key features which have been adversely affected by alterations. continued NPS Form 10-900-a (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page - 3 / 3 19900 Thomas C.

Page House, Chicopee, Massachusetts There are few other Queen Anne/Stick Style houses in Chicopee of comparable scale or quality to Out of only eleven examples of stick Style architecture identified in the 1984 inventory, the Page House shows the most exuberant use of stickwork and variety of materials. The only comparable nouse is the brick Saint John's Lodge on Center Street, strictly in the Stick Style, is reminiscent of the earlier Page House in its enthus iastic use of brick, stone, shingling, and stained glass. At present, there is no information available on the architects, builders, and craftsmen who constructed the Page House. (8 Fom 10000a United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet OMB Approva/No. 1024-0018 8/3//87 Section number 9 Page 1 Thomas C.

Page House, Chicopee, Massachusetts MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES Bogdanovich, Karen R. Massachusetts Historical Commission Survey Form, "Thomas C. Page House" (typewritten). Chicopee, Massachusetts, August 4, 1976. Chicopee City Directories. 1873-1910. Chicopee Maps, 1870, 1894. Chicopee Voting Lists. 1938-1983. Copeland, Alfred Minot, editor Hampden County, Massachusetts, Volume T. Uume Countro andyTis Pee Century Htetor Yaof Pub I1sh 1ng Company, Everts, Louis H. History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, Volume II. Philadelphia: Louis H. Everts, 1879. Hampden County Registry of Deeds, 178:191, 1712:4/ 92525: 170, 2ed2:224; Book 27 Plans 53:462, 379:460, 379:465, Quinn, Thomas C. Massachusetts of Today. Boston: Columbia Publishing Company, 1892. Shlakman, Vera. Economic History of a Factory Town: A Study of Chicopee, Massachusetts. New York: Octagon Books, 1969.

Szetela, Thaddeus M. History of Chicopee. Chicopee, Massachusetts: Szetela and Rich, n.d. Warner, Charles F., editor. Picturesque Hampden: Part I - East. Northampton, Massachusetts: Picturesque Publishing Company, 1891. NPS Form 10-900-a (8-88) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 10 Page 1 Approval No. 1024-00 3//8 Thomas C.

Page House, Chicopee, Massachusetts Bounded southwesterly by East Street, one hundred and eighty-four and forty one-hundredths (184.40) feet; northwesterly by Linden Street, one hundred and seventy-two and seventy-one one-hundredths (172.71) feet; northeasterly by 1and conveyed by the Chicopee Falls Masonic Home Association to Robert Therrien by deed dated October 4, 1955, and recorded in Hampden County Registry of Deeds, Book 2425, Page 170, one hundred and sixty-six and forty-eight one-hundredths (166.48) feet; and southeasterly by Fuller Street, two hundred and eight and eighty one-hundredths (208.80) feet. The boundary 1ines are shown on the attached assessor's map. CA LE 40 85.0 :1.5 LINDEN 02- 52 75.92 E APPROXIMATE LOCATION BARN/CARPiAGE 16916 HOUSE ?3 G. JEAN ETUX 00 172.70 ORIGINAL CHICOPEE 11,64 PAGE HENRI 166,48 38946 FALLS HOME ASSC 208.80 FULLER ST. 115,75 9 / 101.

90.09 AUSTiN D SCOTTETUX 88.0 u DONET DUBE ET.UX 76.48 27-31 EILEEN 79,95 .PLOURDE FULLER ET21:50 SEELSHE 184. .40 105 9 .04 112 60 NPS Form10-900-a (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet OMBApproval No. 1024-0018 Section number Page SUPPLEMENTARY LISTING RECORD NRIS Reference Number: 87001782 Date Listed: 10/25/88 Page, Thomas D., House Property Name N/A Multiple Name Hampden County MA State This property is listed in the National Register of Historic Places in accordance with the attached nomination documentation subject to the following exceptions, exclusions, or amendments, notwithstanding the National Park Service certification included in the nomination documentation.

signature of arer the Keeper ============================= Amended Items in Nomination: 10/25/88 Date of Action Criteria: Criterion A is not applicable to the property's significance. Upon resubmission, criterion A was intended for deletion when social history was deleted as an applicable area of significance. This information was confirmed with Ann Tait, MASHPO, by telephone.

DISTRIBUTION: National Register property file Nominating Authority (without nomination attachment) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: RESUBMISSION PROPERTY Page, Thomas D., House NAME: MULTIPLE NAME: STATE & COUNTY: MASSACHUSETTS, Hampden DATE RECEIVED: 9/12/88 DATE OF 16TH DAY: DATE OF PENDING LIST: DATE OF 45TH DAY: DATE OF WEEKLY LIST: 10/27/88 REFERENCE NUMBER: 87001782 NOMINATOR: STATE DETAILED EVALUATION: Y ACCEPT RETURN REJECT 10/25/88 DATE ABSTRACT/SUMMARY COMMENTS: Lotalle significant Queen lnne residence of impostant industrialist Thonas D. Pase. peturu comnente have been addressed.

RECOM./CRITERIA_Accept B+C DISCPEE U 1afasgel Histary DOCUMENTATION see attached comments y/N see attached SLR Ý/N CLASSIFICATION count _resource type STATE/FEDERAL AGENCY CERTIFICATION FUNCTION historic current DESCRIPTION architectural classification materials descriptive text 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 BIBLIOGRAPHY GEOGRAPHICAL DATA acreage UTMS verbal boundary description boundary justification ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENTATION/PRESENTATION sketch maps OTHER COMMENTS USGS maps photographs presentation Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to Phone Signed Date $3l01 Thomas C.

Page House/Masonic Temple 105 East Street Chicopee, Massachusetts 01016 Photographer: Michele Plourde 5/23/85 Negative at Chicopee Office oi Community De- velopment, Chicopee City Hall Photo #1 of 6 Exterior, southeast side Thomas C. Page House/Masonic Temple 105 East Street stl") Chicopee, Massachusetts 01013 Photographer: Michele Plourde 5/23/85 Negative at Chicopee Office of Community De- de S/23SLy De- velopment, Chicopee City Hall Photo #2 of 6 Exterior, eastern side of banquet/meeting hall addition Thomas C. Page House/Masonic Temple 105 East Street, Chicopee, Massachusetts 0101: Photographer: Michele Plourde 5/23/85 Negative at Chicopee Office of Community Development, Chicopee City Hall Photo #3 of 6 Interior, first floor parlor, facing west Thomas C.

Page House/Masonic Temple 105 East Street, Chicopee, Massachusetts Photographer: Michele Plourde 5/23/85 Dezelopment, Orleagee Ctty Hof Communzey (s/51 Development, Chicopee City Hall Photo #4 of 6 Interior, first floor banquet room facing northeast Thomas C. Page House/Masonic Temple 105 East Street, Chicopee, Massachusetts Photographer; MIchele Plourde 5/23/85 Negative at Chicopee Office of Comnunty Ja|87 Development, Chicopee City Hall Photo #5 of 6 Interior, second floor SE room, facing north- west Thomas C. Page House/Masonic Temple 105 East Street, Chicopee, Massachusetts Photographer: Michele Plourde 5/23/85 Nefative at Chicopee Ofifice of Communtty Jlalln Development, Chicopee City Hall Photo #6 of 6 Interior, second floor Masonic meeting hall, facing east * cornontealih to ke* June 3, 1988 Ms. Caro!

Shull Chief of Registration National Register of Historic Places National Park Service Department of Interior P.O. Box 371.27 Washington, DC 20013-7127 Dear Ms. Shull: Enclosed please find the revised nomination forms for the following properties, which were returned by your office for technical and substantive corrections: Becket, North Becket Historic District, Main, High, and Pleasant Streets (please note that photographs do reflect current condition of buildings within the district) Boston (Charlestown), Francis B. Austin House, 58 High Street (HPCA #10350MA) Boston, Temple Place Historic District, 11-55, 26-56 Temple Place Cambridge (MRA amendment), Harvard Square Historic District (Boundary Increase) Chicopee, Thomas C. Page House, 105 East Street Peabody, First Unitarian Church, 7 Park Street (HPCA #10410MA) All corrections have been made, as requested.

Please contact me if you have any further questions. Sincerely, Betsy Fredlerg Betsy Friedberg National Register Director Massachusetts Historical Commission JUN 13 1988 Massachusetts Historical Commission, Valerie A. Talmage, Executive Director, State Historic Preservation Officer 80 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02116 (617) 727-8470 Office of the Secretary of State, Michael J. Connolly, Secretary