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NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 (Rev. 10-90) RECEIVED 2280 'inited Statec Depariment of the inferior National Park Service UL I 0 1998 992 Nationai Register of Historic Places Registration Form NAT. REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES NATIONAL PARK SERVICE This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations for individual properties and districts. See instructions in How to Complete the Nationai Register of Historic Places Registration Form (National Register Bulietin 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.
Place additional entries and narrative items on continuation sheets (NPS Form 10-900a). Use a typewriter, word processor, or computer, to complete allitems. 1. Name of Property historic name CARREAU BLOCK other names/site number 2. Location street & number_640-642 CHICOPEE STTREET not for publication city or town_ CHICOPEE vicinity state_ MASSACHUSETTS code_MA county HAMPDEN code_013 zip code 01020 3. State/Federa: Agency Certification As the designatad authority under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1936, as amended,! hereby certify that this Enomination - request for deternination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of Historic Places and meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth in 35 CFR Part 60. In my opinion, the property 2-meets -does not meet the National Register Criteria.
I recommend that this property be considered significant - nationally - statewide locally. ( See continuation sheet for additional comments.) sudit MuDonona Signature of certifying official/Title Judith BMcDonough, Executive Director 6/30/98 Massachusetts Historical Commission, State Historic Preservation Officer State or Federal agency and bureau In my cpinion, the property meets does not meet the 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 1, hereby certify that this property is: Fentered in the National Register TJ See continuation sheet. - determined eligible for the National Register - See continuation sheet. [ determined not eligible for the National Register D removed from the National Register - other (explain): Een N.
Beall Date of Action 8-6.98 CARREAU BLOCK Name of Property 5. Classification Ownership of Property (Check as many boxes as apply) X private _ public-local _ public-State _ public-Federal - (Check only one box) X building(s) district site structure _object HAMPDEN,MA County and State Number of Resources within Property (Do not include previously listed resources in the count.) Contributing Noncontributing 1 _buildings sites _structures _objects total 1 Number of contributing resources previously listed in the National Register Name of related multiple property listing (Enter "N/A" if property is not part of a multiple property listing.) N/A 6. Function or Lise Historic Functions (Enter categories from instructions) Current Functions (Enter categories from instructions) DOMESTIC: multiple dwelling DOMESTIC; multiple dwelling 7.
Description Architecturai Classification (Enter categories from instructions) CLASSICAL REVIVAL Materials (Enter categories from instructions) foundationgranite, masonry walls brick-masonry wood-shingle roof other tile, slate metal - cast iron Narrative Description (Describe the historic and current condition of the property on one or more continuation sheets.) NPS Form 10-960-2 (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number - 7 Page - 1 CVB Approval No. 1024-0018 Carreau Block Chicopee (Hampden), MA 7. DESCRIPTION The Carreau Block (photos 1 and 2) is located a short distance south of the "y" - the intersection of Chicopee and Meadow Streets - that serves as a focus for Chicopee's Willimansett neighborhood.
The Carreau Block serves as the southernmost point of an area of concentrated late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century residential and commercial development. With a few exceptions, the buildings south of the Carreau Block along Chicopee Street tend to be of a smaller scale, consisting mainly of twentieth-century business and multifamily buildings, and tend to be spaced a bit more widely as one moves south along Chicopee Street. On the west side of the street (the side on which the Carreau Block is situated), the buildings immediately surrounding the Block are fairly close together, and set close to the street (photos 3 and 4). On the eastern side of the street, the buildings are slightly more spread out ands set at an angle to the street.
Just across the street, the Chapin School provides a break in the development pattern, with its surrounding yard forming a large parcel of open space in contrast to the densely-built western side of the street. North of the Carreau Block, a corridor of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century residential and commercial buildings extend down Chicopee Street towards the Chicopee-Holyoke Bridge. The level of ornamentation and integrity of this neighborhood's buildings varies considerably, with the streetscape broken up with a number of inappropriately altered buildings and modern in-fill construction. While there are a number of other brick apartment blocks along the Chicopee Street corridor, the Carreau Block is the largest and most imposing of the group. Set close to the street, it dominates its site, nearly filling its corner lot.
Its narrow front and side yards allow room for shrubbery and three sizable ornamental trees which now block the building's Chicopee Street facade. The generous setback from the street and the use of three stories (rather than the more common four) made the Carreau Block a clear step up from standard tenements and workers houses in the Chicopee/Holyoke area. The Carreau Block is L-shaped in plan with its Walter Street facade (photo 2) receiving decorative treatment equal to that of its main Chicopee Street facade (photo 1). Builders Carreau & Son gave the structure a facade that displays both the regularity of Classical Revival elements and a variety of surface treatments to create both visual and textural interest. Paired bow windows undulate across the facades, accentuating the building's corner and its principal entries.
On the Chicopee Street facade, which is eleven bays wide, pairs of bow windows flank (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 - Page - 2 OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 Carreau Block Chicopee (Hampden), MA the two main entrances. On the Walter Street side, which is thirteen bays across, bow windows are paired to balance each other at the building's corner, and to flank the side entrance at 21 Walter Street. The entrances continue the Classical motifs. At each doorway, a single door is flanked by thin fluted pilasters and two-thirds sidelights with denticulated moldings separating the sidelights' glass from the wooden panels below them. Heavy door hoods (photo 6) supported by scrolled brackets and decorated by swags shelter the entrances.
Over each doorway, the entrance bays are further delineated by an ornamental panel between the second- and third-story windows and by the use of different windows in these bays (photo 5). While windows throughout the rest of the building are rectangular one-over-one sash, the second-floor window at each entrance bay is a small square window with lozenge-shaped panes. The third- floor window in each entrance bay consists of a two-pane lower sash and a lozenge-paned upper sash similar to the small second-story window. Carreau & Son used differences of color, material, and texture to delineate the different levels of their building. The main building material is a reddish-brown brick, with which contrasting sections of yellow brick or concrete are juxtaposed to accentuate structural features such as floor levels, windows and cornices.
On the basement level, the foundation is constructed of concrete with a surface finish that reveals pebbles embedded in the material, creating a rough surface. A heavy, rough-cut sandstone water table separates the foundation level from the first floor. At the first-story level, bands of alternating projecting and recessed brickwork create a rusticated effect. Five rows of brickwork in common bond alternate with a recessed sixth row of Flemish bond to accentuate the change in surface. Several rows of corbelled yellow brickwork, interspersed with a band of reddish-brown brick, divide the first and second floors. The second- floor walls are further delineated by a change in the pattern of the brick bond from the rusticated common and Flemish bond of the first story to a flat Flemish bond throughout the second story.
Bands of yellow brick link the sills and lintels of third-floor windows in horizontal stripes, separating this level from the second floor below and the cornice above. The bond pattern changes again at this level, from Flemish bond to English bond. Alternating bands of yellow and brown brick delineate the lower edge of the building's entablature, which consists of several rows of Flemish bond brick surrounding pebbled concrete panels centered over each window. The whole is capped by a simple concrete cornice. Windows are further set off through the use of concrete sills and lintels, which contrast with the reddish-brown brick used for the walls. The building's rear elevations are relatively simple, with plain brickwork and segmentally-arched windows with sandstone lintels. A newer porch is attached to the rear of the building. The rear of the property is paved for parking.
The original plan of the building consisted of three main entrances, each with a separate staircase. The extreme south and west (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 - Page - Carreau Block Chicopee (Hampden), MA entrances each provided access to two apartments on each level. The entrance closest to the corner juncture served a large single apartment on each floor. The only alteration to either of the primary facades is the addition of a secondary entrance door on the Walter Street side (visible in photos 1 and 2). This alteration was made around 1960, and has not affected the building's integrity. The interior was significantly altered about 1960 when a new entrance was created at the north elevation near the corner juncture.
The large corner apartments were each split into two smaller units, resulting in a total of 18 units. The apartments were all updated with masonite paneling, drop ceilings and wall-to-wall carpeting. Many of the interior doors were also replaced with flush panel and hollow-core doors. OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 Archaeological Description While no prehistoric sites are currently recorded on the property, it is possible that sites are present. Eight prehistoric sites are recorded in the general area (within one mile), most of which are located along the margins of the Connecticut River floodplain slightly over 1000ft. west of the nominated area. The route of Chicopee Street is also reported to be based on a Native American trail which previously existed in that area. In general, however, the potential for locating significant prehistoric resources in the nominated area is low.
Any prehistoric resources which may have existed on the property would have been impacted by construction of the building, its parking area and garage which cover most of the small (0.41 acre) lot. The potential for the recovery of historic period resources on the nominated property is also low. While some potential exists for the recovery of resources related to seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth century agricultural use of the area, construction of the Carreau Block would have adversely impacted these resources. (end) Carreau Block Name of Property 8. Statement of Significance