Nomination for Riviera, The

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

NPS Form 10-900 (Rev. 10-90) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service R ECEy rerone 1450 NOV 1 3 1995 National Register of Historic Places Registration Form INTERAGENCY RESOURCES DIVISION NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER BRANCH This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations for individual properties and districts. "'See instructions in tow to Compiete the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form (National Register Bulletin 16A). Complete each item by marking "x" in the appropriate box or by entering the information requested. If any item does not apply to the property being documented, enter "N/A" for "not applicable." For functions, architectural classification, materials, and areas of significance, enter only categories and subcategories from the instructions.

entries and narrative items on continuation sheets (NPS Form 10-900a). Use a typewriter, word processor, or computer, to complete all items. 1. Name of Property historic name_The Riviera other names/site number_270 Huntington Avenue 2. Location street & number_270 Huntington Avenue -N/A not for publication city or town_ Boston N/A vicinity state_Massachusetts code_MA county_Suffolk _code_025 _ zip code 02115 3. State/Federal Agency Certification As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1986, as amended, I hereby certify that thisX) nomination - request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Registerof Xmeets -does not meet the National Register Criteria. I recommend that this property be considered significant Onationally statewide Xlocally.

( See continuation sheet for additionalcomments.) di-B.MiDonongh ignature of certifying official/Title Judith B. McDonough, Executive Director 11/9/95 Date Massachusetts Historical Commission, State Historic Preservation Officer State or Federal agency and bureau In my opinion,the property meets does not meetthe National Register criteria.(-See continuation sheet for additional Comments.) Signature of certifying official/Title Date State or Federal agency and bureau 4. 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 - removed from the National Register - other (explain): oson H.

Beall Lason Entered in the National Register Date of Action 12.7.95 The Riviera Name of Property 5. Classification Ownership of Property (Check as many boxes as apply) X private _ public-local - public-State _ public-Federal Suffolk County, MA County and State Category of Property (Check only one box) X building(s) _district _ site _ structure _object Number of Resources within Property (Do not include previously listed resources in the count.) Contributing 1 Noncontributing buildings sites structures objects Total Number of contributing resources previously listed in the National Register 0 Name of related multiple property listing (Enter "N/A" if property is not partof a multiple property listing.) N/A 6.

Function or Use Historic Functions (Enter categories from instructions) DOMESTIC: Multiple Dwelling COMMERCE/TRADE Current Functions (Enter categories from instructions) DOMESTIC: Multiple Dwelling COMMERCE/TRADE: Specialty Store, Restaurant 7. Description Architectural Classification (Enter categories from instructions) LATE 19TH AND 20TH CENTURY REVIVAL: Classical Revival Materials (Enter categories from instructions) foundation Reinforced Concrete walls_ Brick: Brick and Concrete roof Modified Bituminous Membrane Sheet other - Narrative Description (Describe the historic and current condition of the property on one or more continuation sheets.) See attached NPS Form 10000e (8-86) Approvel No.

10240018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service Natlonal Register of Historlc Places Continuation Sheet Section number _ Page _ The Riviera, 270 Huntington Avenue Boston, (Suffolk County) Massachusetts - 7. DESCRIPTION The Riviera is a seven-story, brick and concrete, rectangular-plan, 126' 10" x 72', combined commercial/residential structure that nearly covers its entire lot in a densely-settled, turn-of-the- century, mixed-use, urban neighborhood outside the center city. Located just east of the Fenway, the vicinity includes large, high style, institutional, commercial and residential buildings erected upon filled land created in the late nineteenth century.

The area was generated to help accommodate the City of Boston's need for expansion beyond the confines of the Shawmut Peninsula during a period of rapid population growth, industrial development and cultural maturation. The area is densely-settled and entirely urban in character. Huntington Avenue along with intersecting Massachusetts Avenue are major, cross town thoroughfares. Properties in the area share party walls to form a solid streetscape. In most cases, buildings are structured to occupy nearly their entire lots. Density decreases further west along Huntington Avenue at the campus of Northeastern University. Other exceptions occur in the form of a few, small parking lots largely tied to institutional buildings.

The asymmetrical facade consists of 8, alternating straight and angled-brow bays, The facade and south elevation are faced with buff brick, the typical material selection of architect, Fred A. Norcross. The north and rear elevations are faced with red brick but reveals the concrete superstructure. Decoration includes false balconies beginning on the third floor and alternating on rising stories from placement north to south on the third and fifth bays to the first and seventh bays. Pilasters separating each bay rise from the second story to the parapet, a treatment Norcross employed beginning. with his earliest designs. Belt courses isolate the top story which is surmounted by a parapet decorated with cartouchs on stepped-up panels centered on each angled bay. Storefronts retain cast concrete piers, sign frieze and brackets "supporting" the protruding bays.

Display glass, kick plats and doors are replacements. The residential entry is located in the northernmost bay. Characteristic of Norcross designs, it is emphasized by a heavy, segmental-arched, masonry surround. In this case, piers decorated with floral garlands and panels support an entablature with medallioned frieze. Double-leafed, glass and metal doors are faced with a decorative wrought iron grill as is the transom where the name "The Riviera" is worked into the design. Fenestration consists of 1/1, double-hung sash, a universal, Norcross specification. Concrete sills and windows on the second and third floors have keystone motifs with acanthus leaf decoration, but on the pilasters. On levels with balconies, windows are treated similarly to those in angled-prow bays with the substitution of a stepped section for the keystone above the larger, center window.

Sixth floor windows have continuous molded trim spanning the 3 windows in both angled and flat bays. On the top floor, windows are surmounted by radiating voussoirs. (continued) NP8 Form 10-000 (8-66) United States Department of theInterlor National Park Service Natlonal Register of Historlc Places Continuation Sheet OMB Approver No. 1024-0018 Section number _ Page - The Riviera, 270 Huntington Avenue Boston, (Suffolk County) Massachusetts - Interiors at 270 Huntington Avenue remain remarkably in tact. Floor plans reveal few changes other than the apparent elimination of doorways that interconnected at least some adjacent units. Alterations to various units largely involve updating bathroom fixtures and finishes. Kitchen areas have been defined by non-historic cabinetry. Minor renovations were also made during the 1980's for a unsuccessful, condominium conversion.

Anodized aluminum replacement sash was variously installed in units on the second through sixth floors, in all windows on the seventh floor and in all common area hallways and stairwells. Changes to upper-level hallways include the installation of suspended ceilings and the reconfiguration of apartment entries to eliminate transoms and to allow the installation of hollow-core, metal doors with metal enframements. Finishes vary in condition by unit, but generally consist of paneled door and window trim surmounted by crown molding, plastered walls and ceilings. Suspended ceilings have been variously installed in areas to cover mechanical equipment which may have been reconfigured. Changes to the main lobby are largely superficial. Doors at the vestibule and hallway have been replaced or removed behind boarded openings.

Rifts have been made in the marble tile paneling to accommodate mailboxes that have been subsequently removed. Most historic material remains. The lobby continues to convey a sense of refinement if not opulence, intended to attract the educated and the professional. A certified rehabilitation of 270 Huntington Avenue was completed in 1995. Common space, including the main lobby were restored and 75 units were rehabilitated for subsidized housing. Archaeological Description No prehistoric sites are currently recorded on the nominated property; however, it is possible that sites are present. Two prehistoric sites are known for the general area (within one mile), both on filled tidal land northeast of the Riviera property. One site, 19-SU-16, has been documented as the Boylston Street Fishweir at the site of the New England Life Insurance Building on Boylston Street.

Since the area was tidal during the historic period, potential prehistoric sites would be limited to earlier terrestrial prehistoric sites submerged by rising sea level and later submerged fishery sites such as fishweirs. Given the above factors, a moderate potential exists for significant prehistoric survivals. A low potential exists for significant historic archaeological resources on the property. This area included tidal flats prior to filling in the 1870's and 1880's. Fill deposits may contain significant archaeological materials; however, their origins are currently unknown. After filling, no properties are known to have existed on this lot prior to construction of the Riviera in 1923. Given the above information, a low potential exists for significant archaeological survivals. (end) The Riviera Name of Property 8. Statement of Significance

Statement of significance

Applicable National Register Criteria (Mark "x" in one or more boxes for the criteria qualifyingthe property for National Register listing.) X A Property is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns ofour history. _B Property is associated with the lives of persons significant in our past. X C Property embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values, or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components lack individual distinction. _ D Property has yielded, or is likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history. Criteria Considerations (Mark "x" in all the boxes that apply.) Property is: _A owned by religious institution or used for religious purposes _ B removed from its original location.

_ C a birthplace or grave. _D a cemetery. _E a reconstructed building, object, or structure. _F a commemorative property. Suffolk County, MA County and State Areas of Significance (Enter categories from instructions) ARCHITECTURE COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT Period of Significance 1923 - 1945 Significant Dates 1923 Significant Person (Complete if Criterion B is marked above) N/A Cultural Affiliation N/A Architect/Builder Fred A. Norcross/Coleman and Gilbert _G less than 50 years of age or achieved significance within the past 50 years. Narrative Statement of Significance (Explain the significance of the property on one or more continuation sheets.) 9.

The rest of the file

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

Major Bibliographical References (Cite the books, articles, and other sources used in preparing this form on one or more continuation sheets.) Previous documentation on file (NPS): Primary location of additional data: _ preliminary determination of individual listing (36 X State Historic Preservation Office CFR 67) has been requested - Other State agency _ previously listed in the National Register .Federal agency X previously determined eligible by the National X Local government Register -HPCA #11299MA - University _ designated a National Historic Landmark Other - _ recorded by Historic American Buildings Survey Name of repository: # Massachusetts Historical Commission _ recorded by Historic American Engineering Boston Landmarks Commission Record # The Riviera Name of Property 10.

Geographical Data Acreage of Property_less than one acre (9,134 square feet) Suffolk County, MA County and State UTM References (Place additional UTM references on a continuation sheet) 1. 19 Zone 2. Zone 328120 Easting Easting 4689600 Northing Northing 3. Zone 4. Zone Easting Easting - See continuation sheet Northing Northing Verbal Boundary Description (Describe the boundaries of the property on a continuation sheet.) Boundary Justification (Explain why the boundaries were selected on a continuation sheet.) 11. Form Prepared By namel/itle_ Dianne L. Siergiej, Principal, Commonweal Collaborative, with Betsy Friedberg, NR Director, MHC organization_Massachusetts Historical Commission _date November 1995 street & number_220 Morrissey Blvd.

telephone 617-727-8470 city or town_Boston -state zip code_02125 Additional Documentation Submit the following items with the completed form: Continuation Sheets Maps A USGS map (7.5 or 15 minute series) indicating the property's location. A sketch map for historic districts and properties having large acreage or numerous resources. Photographs Representative black and white photographs of the property. Additional items(Check with the SHPO or FPOforanyadditionalitems) Property Owner (Complete this item at the request of the SHPO or FPO.) name (multiple owners) street & number telephone city or town. state _zip code Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: This information is being collected for applications to the National Register of Historic Places to nominate properties for listing or determine eligibility for listing, to list properties, and to amend existing listings.

Response to this request is required to obtain a benefit in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended (16 U.S.C. 470 et seq.). Estimated Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this form is estimated to average 18.1 hours per response including the time for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining data, and completing and reviewing the form. Direct comments regarding this burden estimate or any aspect of this form to the Chief, Administrative Services Division, National Park Service, P.. Box 37127, Washington, DC 20013-7127; and the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reductions Project (1024-0018), Washington, DC 20503. NPS Form 10-000 8-68) OMB Approval No.

1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Sectlon number _ Page - The Riviera, 270 Huntington Avenue Boston, (Suffolk County) Massachusetts - 8. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE The Riviera, situated at 270 Huntington Avenue in Boston, Massachusetts, possesses integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association and meets Criterion A and C of the National Register of Historic Places as a building characteristic of early twentieth century, multi-tenant, residential construction built on the tracts of filled land created between the early 1870's and the early 1880's which became the environs of Huntington Avenue and the Fenway.

Both of these areas were developed out of the need for additional acreage generated the rapidly growing population and expanding industrial base of the City of Boston whose geography was limited by the confines of the Shawmut Peninsula. Both areas evolved into neighborhoods primarily distinguished by institutional and multi-tenant, residential architecture. The Riviera is also significant in being demonstrative of the work of architect Fred A. Norcross, a prolific designer of apartment houses whose buildings characterize the streetscapes of several, Boston neighborhoods. In addition, 270 Huntington Avenue is representative of the construction proliferated by a group of local, first and second-generation, Jewish immigrant developers, the consistent patrons of Norcross, who were instrumental in creating housing for the expanding population of early twentieth-century Boston.

Physical expansion by the encroachment of land upon water was characteristic of Boston since the early years of its settlement. In the seventeenth century, merchants expanded their waterfront property by building wharves into the harbor. Not until the rapid population increases at the turn of the nineteenth century, however, did Boston outgrow the confines of the Shawmut Peninsula. Other than the filling of coves at Charles Street with earth taken from the top of Mount Vernon during the residential subdivision of Beacon Hill, the first enlargement of the land mass of Boston occurred between 1804 and 1805 when nine acres of mud flats along the shoreline in South Boston were filled to create Front Street (renamed Harrison Avenue in 1841). This process was repeated many times. The peninsula was augmented between 1806 to 1824 by extensions into Mill Pond.

Expansion occurred along the shore of the North End to allow construction of Commercial Street. In 1839, filling along South Cove provided space for a rail terminus and yard for the Boston and Worcester Railroad. India and Central Wharves were erected in the early nineteenth century, but were supplanted in 1868 by the broader aggrandizement of the waterfront to create Atlantic Avenue. The filling of Town Dock created the site for Quincy Market, its flanking granite warehouses and six new streets. In 1835, eight acres were formed in the Charles River north of Causeway Street. During the 1830's, random filling along the westshore of the Neck, which connected Boston to the mainland, permitted the continuation of Suffolk Street (now Shawmut Avenue) and the extension of Tremont Street through the Neck to Roxbury.

Creation of Huntington Avenue and the Fenway areas succeeded the staged filling between 1859 and 1882 of Back Bay. Isolated by the Public Garden to the east, the Charles River to the north, Muddy River to the west and railroad lines to the south, Back Bay, was developed in an organized manner according to a preconceived plan. The design, incorporating street patterns that allowed long vistas, a French Boulevard centered by a park (Commonwealth Avenue), setback requirements and service (continued) NPS Form 10-000-a (8-86) OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Sectlon number. Page.

The Riviera, 270 Huntington Avenue Boston, (Suffolk County) Massachusetts alleys, created a grandioseunityof composition and feeling whichattracted institutions and churches making Back Bay the premier, residential district of the city. At the same time, continuing waves of immigration during the second half of the nineteenth century had resulted in the inundation of Boston's West End, North End and South End neighborhoods with tenements and boarding houses. Native-born inhabitants, anxious to escape the changing area, but unable to afford the prices in Back Bay, migrated to "streetcar suburbs." During the 1870's, the business and commercial district also expanded into the South End creating additional pressure forcing residential expansion westward.

Also during the 1870's, Huntington Avenue was laid out on filled mud flats along a right of way parallel to the Boston and Providence Railroad tracks and yards which separated Back Bay from the South End. Over the next decade, St. Botolph Street was plotted immediately north and parallel to Huntington Avenue. Lots in the region were auctioned at public sales by the Trustees of Huntington Avenue Lands. By 1890, Huntington Avenue was nearly totally built up as far as West Chester Park (now Massachusetts Avenue). Unlike the single-family homes which characterized older residential areas of the city, construction along Huntington Avenue from the beginning consisted largely of four to five-story, apartment houses. In the 1890's, institutions also increasingly began to migrate westward from the central city. Several located in the immediate vicinity of The Riviera.

In 1900, the Boston Symphony Orchestra relocated from the Music Hall (1852, corner of Winter Street and Bumstead Place) to Symphony Hall at the corner of Huntington and Massachusetts Avenues. The same year, the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, readyto vacate Horticultural Hall(Tremont Street at Montgomery Place), purchased land opposite Symphony Hall. In 1901, at 239 Huntington Avenue, adjacent to the new Horticultural Hall, piano manufacturers, Chickering and Sons, erected Chickering Hall (renamed the St. James Theatre in 1912 and later the Uptown Theatre before demolition in 1968).A year later, the New England Conservatory of Music, moved after twenty years in the former St. James Hotel in the South End, to a new building at the corner of Huntington Avenue and Gainsborough Street. In 1904, Eben D.

Jordan, son of the founder of the Jordan Marsh Company Department Store, added Jordan Hall to the Conservatory. Eben Jordan was also responsible for the construction between 1908-1909 of the Boston Opera House (demolished in 1958) at 343 Huntington Avenue diagonally across the street from the Conservatory. In 1912, the Young Mens Christian Association raised its buildings at 312 Huntington Avenue adjacent to the Conservatory. The Museum of Fine Arts, moving from the Copley Square building it had occupied since 1876, began its second edifice at 475 Huntington Avenue in 1907. Children's Hospital, relocated from the northwest corner of Gainsborough Street and Huntington Avenue to the Fenway c. 1914. Its site and the adjacent property north to Symphony Hall was taken over in 1924 by the Huntington Building.

It housed Northeastern University on the second floor above a series of store (continued) NP8Form 10-000 (8-88) OMB Approver No. 10240010 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service Natlonal Register of Historlc Places Continuation Sheet Section number - Page. The Riviera, 270 Huntington Avenue Boston, (Suffolk County) Massachusetts fronts and two dance halls at street level. The Jewett Repertory Theatre was constructed adjacent to the Riviera in 1924-1925.

Standing structures on the block between Massachusetts Avenue and Gainsborough Street in 1914 consisted of a 6-story, commercial building with stores at street level on the northeast corner of Huntington and Massachusetts Avenues; a 3-story, mixed-use building immediately to the south at 250 Huntington Avenue (extant); 2, 3-story, bow-front dwellings at 252 and 254 Huntington Avenue and 2, 4-story "flats" at 262 and 264 Huntington Avenue, the corner of Gainsborough Street. The Riviera was built on a vacant lot in 1923 at an estimated cost of $350,000. Developer of the Riviera was the firm Coleman and Gilbert, Harry Coleman (b. c. 1876; d. Brookline, December 28, 1930) and Bernard Gilbert (b. Russia, c. 1874; d. Miami Beach, Florida, April 21, 1945), principals.

Their advertisement in the Boston Directory of 1923 described "high class Back Bay suites of 1 to 4 rooms" and emphasized the proximity of their holdings to cultural institutions in the area, the Boston Opera House, Symphony Hall, the Museum of Fine Arts and the YMCA. Early tenants of 270 Huntington Avenue included several musicians, voice and music teachers, among whom in 1930 is listed Arthur Fiedler who apparently used his unit as a studio as well as a residence. Professionals, small business owners, white collar workers and a few Christian Science practitioners comprised the rest of the residents. Early occupants of commercial space consisted of: Symphony Fashion Shop; Conservatory Delicatessen; Sal Ashberg - men's furnishings; Repertory Beverage Shop; Joseph Pino, barber; Symphony Haberdasher; Arthur H. Lampke, men's furnishings and the Lobster Claw Restaurant.

Coleman and Gilbert worked together for twenty-five years. Both men were credited with being pioneers in the development of apartment houses in the Back Bay and on Huntington Avenue. Harry Coleman was a member of the Huntington Avenue Improvement Association. Both Coleman and Gilbert also joined with other partners to develop apartment buildings in the East Fens area. Each associated with Philip Silberstein: Gilbert and Silberstein erected 165 Hemenway Street (1907) and Coleman and Silberstein constructed 171 Hemenway Street (1907). Harry Coleman is recorded as sole developer of nearly-identical, adjacent buildings at 163 Hemenway Street (1909) and of an apartment building on Brainerd Road in Brighton.

Harry Coleman, Bernard Gilbert and their partners were part of a small group of first and second- generation, Jewish entrepreneurs instrumental in the creation of residential property to house Boston's growing population. Immigrant populations of the city settled in the West, North and South Ends. These areas were largely rebuilt around the turn of the twentieth century. "Tenements" in the neighborhoods originated as single-family homes. During the early industrial era, the affluent owners of these properties vacated the increasingly-crowded inner city for outlying areas in Charlestown, Roxbury and Dorchester. Some retained their holdings as rental real estate in hope of gains to be made from future appreciation. Their former residences were continuously subdivided to house (continued) NPS Form 10-900-a (6-68) OMB Approvel No.

1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service Natlonal Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet 00 4 Section number . Page The Riviera, 270 Huntington Avenue Boston, (Suffolk County) Massachusetts - successive waves of immigrant arrivals. Density intensified as crude wooden shacks, also rented as housing, were erected in the yards of these earlier dwellings. Initial attempts at reform through the enactment of building codes in 1868 and 1871 applied only to new construction and had little effect on existing conditions. Only after 1897, when the Board of Health was authorized to demolish condemned property, were landlords held to account. Owner compensation, required onlywhen fair market value exceeded the cost of demolition, applied in few cases. Financial liability and the potential embarrassment of exposure as a slumlord prompted disinvestment.

Public sentiments promoting nativism and popular values favoring single-family homes added impetus to the inclination toward disengagement from such holdings. Immigrant residents, especially Jews who increasingly inhabited these areas, capitalized on absentee landlords' eagerness for divestiture to purchase property. Unencumbered by native-American prejudice against multi-family housing and often pooling family funds to finance new construction, these speculative, Jewish, immigrant developers worked within new building codes requiring brick or stone exterior walls. They reincarnated the ubiquitous, side passage, row house and added retail space, usually at the basement level, to create a basic, brick, tenement form for three and four-family occupancy.

Earlier tenements were replaced by these new, brick, multi-family structures (locally still termed "tenements") equipped with indoor plumbing and separate cooking and bathroom facilities. In the late nineteenth century, this house form proliferated throughout Charlestown, South Boston, Lower Roxbury and Mission Hill. Fred A. Norcross (b. Allston, Massachusetts, August 11, 1871; d. November 16, 1929), architect of The Riviera, enjoyed a prolific if not prominent career under the sustained patronage of such Jewish developers. Acatalogue of 154 of properties attributed to him is estimated to include only one third of extant, Norcross-designed buildings.

Nevertheless, identified Norcross-designed tenements and apartment buildings contribute to the architectural character of the North End, the north slope of Beacon Hill and Grove Hall.He was also the architect of all the Gilbertand Coleman properties listed above.In his later years, Norcross received commissions concentrated in the Fenway, Brookline and Brighton. In the Fenway, his designs dominatethe streetscapes of Westland Avenue and Hemenway Street. Large-scale apartment development in the vicinity of Huntington Avenue occurred during the 1910's and the 1920's and predominates along the even side of Huntington Avenue west of Gainsborough Street. None of these buildings are larger than 5 1/2 stores high and only a few located on Westland Avenue include commercial space as does The Riviera.

Architecturally, they are similar to 270 Huntington Avenue in having limestone and buff brick facing and classical detailing. Common elements include multiple, full-height, angled-prow bays, prominent, projecting cornices, limestone sills and lintels. All similar treatments to those utilized at the Riviera. (continued) NPS Form 10-000 (8-66) OMB Approvel No. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service Natlonal Register of Historlc Places Continuation Sheet Section number _ Page _ The Riviera, 270 Huntington Avenue Boston, (Suffolk County) Massachusetts Several other buildings designed by Fred A. Norcross stand in the area, but none post dates the First World War or incudes commercial space.

Elements from his earlier properties repeated in the Riviera include full-height, angled-prow bays; string courses setting off the first and the top floors and limestone facing on basements or first stories. Most of the earlier buildings are surmounted by bold, bracketed cornices. Only two, 80-84 The Fenway (1914) and 114 The Fenway (1912/13) display a parapet as does the Riviera. The former building is the most distinctive of Norcross's designs in the vicinity. His typical, polygonal apartment form is enhanced by an ornate sheathing of glazed, white, terra cotta embossed with Beaux Arts detail. The latter building, with its shaped parapet and facade of angled-prow and tri-part window bays, is the most similar of these earlier Norcross buildings to 270 Huntington Avenue. Fred A.

Norcross is recognized as the most prolific designer of apartment buildings in the Town of Brookline where his buildings areclustered along the upper and lower ends of Beacon Street and its perpendicular streets. His work in Brookline began in 1909. Throughout this later period, Norcross utilized the same, basic, three decker, modular form he had employed in Roxbury commissions earlier in his career, but expanded the concept from a narrow, three-bay facade to a five-bay front, typically with polygonal or bowed central bays. This form was combined in multiples to accommodate the site: paired at 1031-1037 Beacon Street (1914); aligned in triplicate at Alton Street (1916) or attached in L-formation to cover an entire block at 1822-24 Beacon Street/8-12 Kilsyth Road (1909), 199-201 Saint Paul Street/8-18 Browne Street (1912/1913) and 28-30 Littell Road/31-33 Stearns Street (1915).

On these buildings, entrances are emphasized by richly ornamented portals that often incorporate paired, central windows on the second floor. In Brighton, Norcross designed numerous apartment buildings located along Commonwealth Avenue. The standard form he utilized in this area is taller, ranging from four to five stories, but retains the undulating facade treatment of angled-prow bays. More embellished than the severe properties along Hemenway Street, Italian Renaissance-inspired, ceramic-tiled parapets and oversized, limestone portals ornaments with deep relief carving are more commonly used on these Brighton commissions (eg. 1387 Commonwealth Avenue [1913] and 1391 Commonwealth Avenue [1913]). Documented Norcross apartments contemporary to 270 Huntington Avenue are found in Brookline at 40 and 46 Carlton Street (both 1923) and 12-20 Gibbs Street (1924).

Both repeat the typical, three- story, Brookline form described above embellished with classical or Gothic detailing and elaborated, limestone entrances. Subsequent Norcross structures in Brookline are found at 15, 19 and 25 Thatcher Street (1926); 14-26 Egmont (1926); 1258/64 Beacon Street (1928) and 56 Browne Street (1929). This group represents a departure only in displaying nearly flat facades with flush detailing and smaller, singular entries. (continued) NPS Form 10-900-8 (8-66) OMBApprovei No.1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Sectlon number. The Riviera, 270 Huntington Avenue Boston, (Suffolk County) Massachusetts Page - The only other documented Coleman and Gilbert/Norcross collaborations are those described at 157 Hemenway Street and 80/84 The Fenway.

The Riviera at 270 Huntington Avenue is the only documented post World War I, joint venture of Coleman and Gilbert designed by F. A. Norcross. The Riviera is distinctive in its neighborhood both for its scale and for its plan combining commercial and residential uses. Only one of thetwomost-commensurate properties in the vicinity survives. A 6-story, mixed-use structure (not extant) which stood at the northeast corner of Massachusetts Avenue and Huntington Avenue appears to have combined commercial space with office use above. Although somewhat-modified, 3-story, Queen Anne building with offices above commercial space remains at 295 Huntington Avenue on the corner of Gainsborough Street. The Riviera is also unique among the works of Fred A. Norcross for its mixed-use design and its layout. It is the only documented Norcross design for studio apartments.

Its survival to date with floor plan intact testifies to its success. Remarkably in tact, the Riviera is representative of an important era in the history of Boston when enterprising citizens, including new immigrants, comfortable in an urban setting, invested their capital and talents, implemented new building codes and urban plans to devise new housing forms and environments to shelter an expanding and increasingly varied population with diverse requirements, interests, lifestyles and economic circumstances. Archaeological Significance Since patterns of prehistoric occupation in the urban Boston locale are poorly documented, any surviving sites could be significant. Potential prehistoric sites in the area could provide valuable data relating to subsistence and settlement adaptations to sea level rise and the importance of coastal environments to Native Americans.

Potential fishweir sites can also offer valuable insights into fisheries technology and its possible relationships with Native American social organization. While specific historic archaeological resources have yet to be identified on the Riviera parcel, fills dating to the late 19th century have the potential to provide data on industrial activities (when fills result from industrial use) and domestic activities (when fills are from household refuse). Archaeological testing can also determine whether or not structures were present on the parcel prior to construction of the Riviera in 1923. (end) NPS Form 10-000e (8-66) OMB Approvel No. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interlor National Park Service Natlonal Register of Historlc Places Continuation Sheet Sectlon number . Page. The Riviera, 270 Huntington Avenue Boston, (Suffolk County) Massachusetts 9.

MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES Boston Directory 1900, 1907, 1910, 1917, 1923, 1925, 1930 and 1932. The Boston Globe. Obituary Harry Coleman, December 29, 1930. Death Notice Bernard Gilbert, April 23, 1945. Obituary Bernard Gilbert, April 24, 1945. Boston Landmarks Commission. PART I - FENWAY Project Completion Report. August, 1984. The Chronicle, Brookline, Massachusetts. Obituary Harry Coleman, January 1, 1931. - Obituary Bernard Gilbert, April 26, 1945. Fitzpatrict,Maura E. From Template Tenements to Beaux Arts Boulevards: The Architecture of Fred A. Norcross. Unpublished M. A. thesis, Boston University, 1993. Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities. Historical Photographs of Huntington Avenue, Boston. Whitehill, Walter Muir. Boston: A Topographical History. Cambridge: Belknap Press of Harvard University, 1968. Maps Fuller and Whitney. Back Bay in 1814.

Boston: Fuller and Whitney, 1814. Fuller and Whitney. Back Bay in 1836. Boston: Fuller and Whitney, 1836. Fuller and Whitney. Back Bay in 1861. Boston: Fuller and Whitney, 1861, Fuller and Whitney. Back Bay in 1871. Boston: Fuller and Whitney, 1871. Sanborn Map Company. Insurance Map of Boston, 1897. - Insurance Map of Boston, 1914. Insurance Map of Boston, 1937. - Insurance Map of Boston, 1960. (end) (PS,Fom 10000a United States Department of the Interlor National Park Service Natlonal Register of Historlc Places Continuatlon Sheet OMB Approvel No. 10240018 Section number 10 1 Page The Riviera, 270 Huntington Avenue Boston, (Suffolk County) Massachusetts 10.

GEOGRAPHICAL DATA Verbal Boundary Description The boundaries of the site of the Riviera are those shown on Ward 4, Section 6, Block P, Unit 8607 of the City of Boston Assessors' Plans as indicated by the bold line on the accompanying map entitled Site Plan 270 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA. Boundary Justification Boundaries were selected to correspond to encompass the historic site of land area and significant resources associated with the Riviera and correspond to those of its city lot.

(end) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: NOMINATION PROPERTY Riviera, The NAME : MULTIPLE NAME: STATE & COUNTY: MASSACHUSETTS, Suffolk DATE RECEIVED: DATE OF 16TH DAY: DATE OF WEEKLY LIST: 11/13/95 DATE OF PENDING LIST: DATE OF 45TH DAY: 12/28/95 REFERENCE NUMBER: 95001450 NOMINATOR: STATE REASONS FOR REVIEW: APPEAL: N DATA PROBLEM: N LANDSCAPE: N LESS THAN 50 YEARS: OTHER: REQUEST: N N -PDIL: N PERIOD: N PROGRAM UNAPPROVED: SAMPLE: N SLR DRAFT: N NATIONAL: N N N COMMENT WAIVER: Y VACCEPT RETURN REJECT 12-720DATE ABSTRACT/ SUMMARY COMMENTS: Entered in the National Register RECOM./CRITERIA REVIEWER TELEPHONE DISCIPLINE DATE DOCUMENTATION see attached comments Y/N see attached SLR Y/N AFL & EAN THE RIVIERA 270 HUNTINGTON AU SUFFOLK COUNTY BOSTON, MA PHOTOGKAPHEK: D.L.SIERGIET DATE: OCTOBEB 2%,1994 NEGADUE: BOSTUN LANDMARKS COMMISSION BOSTON CITY HALL VIEW: FACING NE PHOTO 1 OF 14 64 NIVERSITY R THE ARTS THE RIVIERA 270 HUNTINGTON AVENUE BOStON (SUFFOLK COUNTY) MASSALHUSETTS PHOTO: D.L.SIERGIES 1995 BLC, BOSTON CITY HALL VIEW: MAIN ENTRANCE PHOTO 2 OF 14 THE RIVIERA 270 HUNTINGTON AVENUE BOSTON (SUFFOLK COUNTY), MASSACHUSEIS PHOTO: D.L.SIERGIES 1995 BLC, BOSTON CITY HALL VIEW: DETAIL, MAIN ENTRANCE PHOTO 3 OF 14 10.0.0.01 C0OD THE RIVIERA 210 HUNTINGTON AVENUE BOSTON (SUFFOLK COUNTY), MASSACHUSErtS PHOTO: D.L.

SIERGIEJ 1995 BLL, BOSTON CITY HALL VIEW: GRILLE OVER MAIN ENTRANCE TRANSOM PHOTO 4 OF 14 THE RIVIERA 270 HUNTINGTON AVEXIUE BOSTON (SUFFOLK COUNTY) MASSACHUSETS PHOTO: D.L.SIERGIEJ 1995 BLC, BOSTON CITY HALL VIEW: ANGLED BAYS AND BALCONIES PHOTO 5 OF 14 THE RIVIERA 270 HUNTINGTON AVENUE BOSTON (SUFFOLK COUNTY), MASSACHUSEITS PHOTO: D.L. SIERGIEJ 1995 BLC, BostoN city HALL VIEW: FACADE DETAIL PHOTO 6 OF 14 THE RIVIERA 270 HUNTINGTON AVENUE BOSTON (SUFFOLK COUNTY) MASSACHUSETTS PHOTO: D.L. SIERGIES 1995 BLc, BosToN city HALL VIEW: FOYER CEILING PHOTO 7 OF 14 THE RIVIERA 270 HUNTINGTON AVENUE BOSTON (SUFFOLK COUNTY), MASSACHUSEIS PHOTO: D.L.SIERGIE) 1995 BLC, BOSTON CITY HALL VIEW: BALCONY PHOTO 8 OF 14 THE RIVIERA 270 HUNTINGTON AVENUE BOSTON (SUFFOLK COUNTY), MASSACHUSETTS PHOTO: D.L.

SIERGIEJ 1995 BLC, BOSTON CITY HALL VIEW: LOBBY CEILING PHOTO 9 OF 14 THE RIVIERA 270 HUNTINGTON AVENUE BOSTON (SUFFOLK COUNTY), MASSACHUSEITS PHOTO: D.L, SIERGIES 1995 BLC, BOSTON CITY HALL VIEW: LOBBY MAILBOXES PHOTO 10 OF 14 THE RIVIERA 270 HUNTINGTON AVENUE BOSTON (SUFFOLK (OUNTY) MASSACHUSETS PHOTO: D.L. SIERGIES 1995 BLC, BOSTON CITY HALL VIEW: CEILING, ELEVATOR LOBBY PHOTO 11 OF 14 THE RIVIERA 270 HUNTINGTON AVENUE BOSTON (SUFFOLK COUNTY) MASSACHUSENS PHOTO: D.L. SIERGIES 1995 BLC, BOSTON CITY HALL VIEW: ELEVATOR DOORS PHOTO 12 OF 14 THE RIVIERA 270 HUNTINGTON AVENUE BOSTON (SUFFOLK COUNTY), MASSACHUSEITS PHOTO: D. L.

SIERGIEJ 1995 BLC, BOStON CITY HALL VIEW: PLASTER CAPITAL AND FRIEZE, LOBBY PHOTO 13 OF 14 THE RIVIERA 270 HUNTINGTON AVENUE BOSTON: (SUFFOLK COUNTY), MASSACHUSEHS PHOTO: D.L, SIERGIES 1995 BLC, BOSTON CITY HALL VIEW: CEILING NEAR ELEVATOR LOBBY, DETAIL PHOTO 14 OF 14 ECEIVE NOV I 3 1995 (0) INTERAGENCY RESOURCES DIVISION NATIONAL PARK SERVICE The Commonwealth of MassachusettSONAL REGISTER BRANCH William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth Massachusetts Historical Commission 8 November 1995 Ms. Carol Shull Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places Department of the Interior National Park Service P. O. Box 37127 Washington, D. C. 20013-7127 Dear Ms.

Shull: Enclosed please find the following nomination form: The Riviera, 270 Huntington Avenue, Boston (Suffolk County), Massachusetts 02115 The nomination has been voted eligible by the State Review Board and has been signed by the State Historic Preservation Officer. Since the city of Boston is a participant in the Certified Local Government program, the owners of The Riviera were notified of pending State Review Board consideration 60 to 120 days before the meeting and were afforded the opportunity to comment. A certified rehabilitation of The Riviera was completed earlier this year (HPCA No. 11299MA).

With the understanding that a waiver of the customary 15-day Federal Register commenting period is necessary to assist in the preservation of The Riviera (36 CFR 60.13(a)) due to complex financing arrangements relating to the certified rehabilitation, the Massachusetts Historical Commission respectfully requests that the commenting period be waived. Sincerely, Betey Frielerg Betsy Friedberg National Register Director Massachusetts Historical Commission enclosure CC: Boston Landmarks Commission Thomas M. Menino, Mayor, City of Boston anice Chadbourne, Fine Arts Department, Boston Public Librar Dianne L. Siergiei, Commonweal Collaborativ 220 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, Massachusetts 02125 - (617) 727-8470 MARCH 3 IN REPLY REFER TO: United States Department of the Interior TAKE PRIDE IN- AMERICA NATIONAL PARK SERVICE P.O. Box 37127 Washington, D.C.

20013-7127 The Director of the National Park Service is pleased to announce actions on the following properties for the National Register of Historic Places. For further information call 202-343-9542 or 202-343-1572 or you may respond via cc:Mail.

DEC 1 5 1995 WEEKLY LIST OF ACTIONS TAKEN ON PROPERTIES: 12/04/95 THROUGH 12/08/95 KEY: State, County, Property Name, Address/Boundary, City, Vicinity, Reference Number, NHL, Action, Date, Multiple Name ARKANSAS, CLEVELAND COUNTY, Wesley Chapel, AR 15, Woodlawn, 95001412, LISTED, 12/07/95 ARKANSAS, PHILLIPS COUNTY, New Light Missionary Baptist Church, 522 Arkansas St., Helena, 95001410, LISTED, 12/07/95 (Ethnic and Racial Minority Settlement of the Arkansas Delta MPS) ARKANSAS, WASHINGTON COUNTY, Walnut Grove Presbyterian Church, AR 170, Farmington vicinity, 95001411, LISTED, 12/07/95 COLORADO, DENVER COUNTY, Bryant--Webster Elementary School, 3635 Quivas St., Denver, 95001421, LISTED, 12/07/95 COLORADO, DENVER COUNTY, Pride of the Rockies Flour Mill, 2100 20th St., Denver, 95001420, LISTED, 12/07/95 FLORIDA, BREVARD COUNTY, La Grange Church and Cemetery, 1575 Old Dixie Hwy., Titusville, 95001413, LISTED, 12/07/95 IDAHO, BONNER COUNTY, Priest River High School, 1020 W.

Albeni Hwy., Priest River, 95001402, LISTED, 12/07/95 (Public Schools in Idaho MPS) INDIANA, MARION COUNTY, Fort Benjamin Harrison Historic District (Boundary Increase), Roughly bounded by Shafter Rd., Aultman Ave. and Glenn Rd., Indianapolis, 95001359, BOUNDARY INCREASE, 12/01/95 MASSACHUSETTS, SUFFOLK COUNTY, Riviera, The, 270 Huntington Ave.. Boston, 95001450, LISTED, 12/07/95 MICHIGAN, DICKINSON COUNTY, Menominee River Park Archeological District, Address Restricted, Kingsford vicinity, 95001388, LISTED, 12/07/95 MICHIGAN, SAGINAW COUNTY, Bliss Park, SW of jct. of Houghton St. and N. Michigan Ave., Saginaw, 95001424, LISTED, 12/07/95 NEW HAMPSHIRE, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Goffstown Public Library, 2 High St., Goffstown, 95001426, LISTED, 12/07/95 NEW YORK, ST.

LAWRENCE COUNTY, Clarkson--Knowles Cottage, 37 Main St., Potsdam, 95001405, LISTED, 12/07/95 NEW YORK, ULSTER COUNTY, Kingston City Library, 399 Broadway, Kingston, 95001404, LISTED, 12/07/95 NEW YORK, YATES COUNTY, Esperanza, NY 54A E of Keuka Lake, Jerusalem, 95001406, LISTED, 12/07/95 (Yates County MPS) NORTH CAROLINA, RUTHERFORD COUNTY, Main Street Historic District, Roughly bounded by Taylor, Court, Washington and W. Third Sts., Rutherfordton, 95001419, LISTED, 12/07/95 OHIO, COLUMBIANA COUNTY, Salem Downtown Historic District, Roughly bounded by Vine Ave., Ohio Ave., E. Pershing St., S. Ellsworth Ave. and Sugar Tree Alley, Salem, 95001416, LISTED, 12/07/95 OKLAHOMA, KIOWA COUNTY, Hobart Rock Island Depot, 518 S. Main, Hobart, 95001418, LISTED, 12/07/95 OKLAHOMA, MCCLAIN COUNTY, Hotel Love, 200 W.

Main St., Purcell, 95001407, LISTED, 12/07/95 OKLAHOMA, PITTSBURG COUNTY, Aldridge Hotel, 200 E. Carl Albert Pkwy., McAlester, 95001408, LISTED, 12/07/95 OKLAHOMA, STEPHENS COUNTY, Patterson Hospital, 929 W. Willow Ave., Duncan, 95001417, LISTED, 12/07/95 TEXAS, BEXAR COUNTY, City Public Service Company Building, 201 N. St. Mary's St., San Antonio, 95001422, LISTED, 12/07/95 62256 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 233 / Tuesday, December 5, 1995 / Notices ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: Notice is given that a meeting of the Southeastern Oregon Resource Advisory Council will be held January 8, 1996 from 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and January 9, 1996 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Harney County Museum Club Room, 18 West "D" Street, Burns, Oregon. At an appropriate time, the Council will recess for approximately one hour for lunch and one and one-half hours for dinner.

Public comments will be received from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., January 8. Topics to be discussed are administrative activities of the Council, the Southeastern Oregon Resource Management Plan, and standards and guidelines for livestock grazing on public lands. DATES: The meeting will begin at 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. January 8, 1996 and 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. January 9, 1996. ADDRESSES: The meeting will take place in the Harney County Museum Club Room 18 West "D" Street, Burns, Oregon. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jonne Hower, Bureau of Land Management, Value District, 100 Oregon Street, Vale, OR 97918, (telephone 503 473-3144). Lynn Findley, Assistant District Manager, Operations. [FR Doc.

95-29508 Filed 12-4-95; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310-33-M National Park Service National Register of Historic Places; Notification of Pending Nominations Nominations for the following properties being considered for listing in the National Register were received by the National Park Service before November 25, 1995. Pursuant to section 60.13 of 36 CFR Part 60 written comments concerning the significance of these properties under the National Register criteria for evaluation may be forwarded to the National Register, National Park Service, P.O. Box 37127, Washington, D.C. 20013-7127. Written comments should be submitted by December 20, 1995. Carol D. Shull, Keeper of the National Register. ARKANSAS Crawford County No. 12 School, E of Co. Rd. 402, approximately 6 mi. W of Chester. Chester vicinity, 95001481 Washington County Shelton, Lynn, American Legion Post No. 27, 28 S.

College Ave., Fayetteville, 95001480 COLORADO Denver County Romeo Block, : 2944 Zuni St., Denver, 95001485 LOUISIANA Orleans Parish Arabella Station, 5600 Magazine St., New Orleans, 95001484 MARYLAND Worcester County Friendship United Methodist Church, Old, Meadow Bridge Rd., West Post Office vicinity, 95001490 MISSOURI Cape Girardeau County Miller-Seabaugh House and Dr. Seabaugh Office Building, 341 Market St., Millersville, 95001494 Newton County Second Baptist Church, 430 W. Grant St., Neosho, 95001495 Sullivan County Milan Railroad Depot, Jct. of E. Third St. and Short St., Milan, 95001493 NEBRASKA Saline County Rad Saline Center cis. 389 Z. C. B.J., Off NE 15, about 9 mi. N of Western, Western vicinity, 95001483 NEW YORK St. Lawrence County Russell Town Hall, Jct.

of Main and Mill Sts., NW corner, Russell, 95001492 Suffolk County Sherrill, Stephen, House, 4 Fireplace Rd., East Hampton, 95001486 NORTH DAKOTA Traill County Plummer, Amos and Lillie, House, 306 W. Caledonia Ave., Hillsboro, 95001488 OHO Tuscarawas County Cooper, Katherine, House, 118 W. 7th St., Dover, 95001487 SOUTH CAROLINA Richland County South Carolina Penitentiary, 1511 Williams St., Columbia, 95001489 TENNESSEE Fayette County Marathon Motor Works, 1200-1310 and 1305 Clinton St., Nashville, 95001482 WISCONSIN Oneida County Lake Tomahawk Site, Address Restricted, Lake Tomahawk vicinity, 95001496 Richland County Tippesaukee Farm Rural Historic District, (Boundary Increase), Jct. of WI Trunk Hwy. 60 and Co. Trunk Hwy.

X, Town of Richwood, Port Andrew, 95001491 In order to assist in the preservation of the following property, the commenting period is being waived: MASSACHUSETTS Suffolk County Riviera, The 270 Huntington Ave. Boston, 95001450 TFR Doc. 95-29553 Filed 12-4-95; 8:45 am) BILLING CODE 4310-70P INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION [Ex Parte No. 347 (Sub-No. 2)] Rate GuidelinesNon-Coal Proceedings AGENCY: Interstate Commerce Commission. ACTION: Notice of proposed guidelines. SUMMARY: The Commission seeks comments on simplified decisional guidelines that can be used to resolve rail rate reasonableness cases in proceedings where the Constrained Market Pricing (CMP) method is unsuitable.

The Commission finds that the Simplified Stand-Alone Cost Model proposed by the Association of American Railroads, as currently formulated, does not appear to be an acceptable tool for determining maximum reasonable rail rates, and that, unless it is modified, it would not. be appropriate for use in future rate cases. Comments are requested on two proposals that would jointly apply a 'revenue shortfall allocation method" (RSAM) test, an "average revenue-to- variable cost percentage above 180%" (R/VC>180) test, and a "revenue-to- variable cost comparison" (R/VCcoMp) test as a guide in determining the reasonableness of the rates chareed captive shippers in those cases that are too small for use of our CMP guidelines. Comments are also invited on whether