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 reguested - Other State agency - previously listed in the National Register .Federal agency - previously determined eligible by the National - Local government Register - University _ designated a National Historic Landmark Other _ recorded by Historic American Buildings Survey Name of repository # - recorded by Historic American Engineering Record #. 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 7 Page 1 OMB No.
1024-0018 The Diners of Massachusetts MPS Al Mac's Diner - Restaurant Fall River (Bristol Co.), MA 7. Description Al Mac's Diner - Restaurant, 135 President Avenue, Fall River (1953), is the oldest of four diners in Massachusetts constructed by the DeRaffele Diners, later known as DeRaffele Manufacturing Company, Inc., of New Rochelle, New York. Al Mac's is a fine example of a 1950s stainless steel diner. The dner is located approximately one mile north of the city's downtown business district and approximately one-quarter mile east of the Taunton River. The diner sits in a shopping center, immediately east of the elevated highway that carries State Route 138 through the city's downtown area. Currently, the diner is oriented with one side wall fronting President's Avenue (a segment of U. S. Route 6), and its façade fronting Davol Street and the elevated highway.
There is a large parking lot between the diner and Davol Street. South of the diner is the shopping center with additional parking. For the purpose of this nomination the shopping center, although on the same parcel as the diner, is excluded Al Mac's is a steel-frame diner with stainless steel cladding that incorporates horizontal and vertical bands in teal-colored porcelain enamel. Roughly nine bays wide and three bays in depth with rounded front corners and a projecting entry vestibule, the diner has a high foundation and a low-profile, rounded hipped roof. The vertical fluted porcelain enamel corners offset by flared stainless steel pilasters are a feature of DeRaffele diners of the 1950s.
[Gutman, p.154] The projecting entry vestibule, centered on the facade, is a character-defining feature of stainless steel diners of this period The vestibule is rectangular with steel and glass entries on either side and a clock centered over the front window. Windows in the diner are fixed plate glass. Flared stainless steel pilasters projecting between the windows serve an ornamental as well as functional purpose: they contain the downspouts for channeling roof run-off to the ground. Large- scale neon signage on the roof identifies Al Mac's as a diner and a restaurant, and notes the business has been "justly famous" since 1910. At the rear (eastern side) of the diner is a one-story concrete kitchen block (ca. 1990s) on a poured concrete foundation. This addition is unobtrusive and does not compromise the integrity of the 1953 diner.
On the interior, Al Mac's has a counter placed left of center with twenty steel counter stools and a center staff entrance. Booth seating is located along the west, south, and a portion of the east walls, with two freestanding booths at the center of the southern end. The countertop is replacement Formica and booths are clad in Formica with sparkle vinyl seat coverings. The original interior color scheme was salmon and pale green, which is still present on the steel-trimmed, porcelain enamel monitor ceiling. Other intact interior finishes include terrazzo on the floors and at the counter foot rest, a steel back bar with sunburst motif, and walls with steel panels below the windows and Formica above. The manufacturer's tag, located on the interior over the entry, reads DE RAFFELE DINER MFG, 85 River Street, New Rochelle, NY.
In the mid-1970s, Al Mac's was moved to its current site from its original location, northwest of the intersection of President Avenue and Davol Street. The original site, now the location of Fall River's Bicentennial Park, is northwest of the President Avenue - Davol Street intersection. At its current location, the diner initially faced President's Avenue, according to the Fall River Historical Society. In the last decade, the diner was turned ninety degrees on the same site, to its present orientation facing Davol Street. (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 7/8 Page 2/1 OMB No.
1024-0018 The Diners of Massachusetts MPS Al Mac's Diner - Restaurant Fall River (Bristol Co.), MA Archaeological Description While no prehistoric sites have been identified on the nominated property, it is possible that sites are present. Two sites have been recorded in the general area (within one mile), both sites in the Town of Somerset on the opposite bank of the Taunton River. Environmental characteristics of the property indicate some locational criteria ( slope, distance to wetlands) that are favorable indicators for prehistoric sites. In general, however, historic landuse in the area characterized by industrial and commercial development have likely impacted any potential prehistoric resources that were present. Given the above information, the potential for recovering significant prehistoric resources on the property is low.
A moderate potential exists for locating historic archaeological resources on the nominated property. The potential for recovering significant archaeological resources associated with the diner are unlikely because of the recent date for the diner (1953) and because the diner was moved to its present site in the mid- 1970's then re-oriented twice at this location. Previously, the immediate vicinity included a furniture dealer, a brewing company, gas stations, a coal company, a lumber company, service stations, car dealers and a few residences. Structural evidence from any of these enterprises and homes, which may date to the 19th century or earlier, may survive on the nominated property. Urban/industrial fill deposits may also be present in the area. Significant impacts have also probably occurred from successive stages of historic development that included roadway construction.
Given the above information, a moderate potential exists for the recovery of significant historic archaeological resources on the property. 8. Statement of Significance Al Mac's Diner - Restaurant is a fine example of a stainless steel diner, both in Fall River and Massachusetts. DeRaffele Diners of New Rochelle, New York, a company closely associated with the construction of large stainless steel diners in the 1950s, built Al Mac's in 1953. The diner is the oldest of four DeRaffele diners in Massachusetts. Historically, Al Mac's is associated with Allen J. McDermott, proprietor of diners and restaurants in Fall River, who carried on a family tradition of Fall River lunch carts and diners that extended from the 1910s through the late 1960s.
Establishment of Al Mac's as a diner-restaurant reflects a trend in the diner industry, beginning in the 1950s, that saw diner operators striving to create a restaurant ambience. For these reasons, Al Mac's is of exceptional significance on both the local and state levels. The diner's relocation in the mid-1970s from a site one block away, and its reorientation on its current site in the last decade, are typical of the portable nature of diners and have not adversely impacted the diner's historic and architectural integrity. The diner maintains a roadside orientation and setting at its current location. Retaining integrity of design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association, Al Mac's Diner-Restaurant meets Criteria A and C and Criteria Considerations B and G of the National Register of Historic Places at the local and state levels.
Al Mac's Diner - Restaurant reflects the longtime contribution of Allen J. McDermott to the diner business in Fall River. McDermott was one of a family of lunch cart and diner operators who were active in the city from the 1910s through at least the late 1960s. Michael H. McDermott, believed to be Allen McDermott's father, first appeared in Fall River city directories with the occupation "lunch cart" in 1914. Before 1914, his occupation is noted as "clerk." By 1925, Allen McDermott had entered the restaurant business, operating a restaurant at 323 Pocasset Street, Fall River. He formed (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 2 OMB No.
1024-0018 The Diners of Massachusetts MPS Al Mac's Diner - Restaurant Fall River (Bristol Co.), MA McDermott Lunch Company with Frank McDermott about 1926, and the business moved to 1000 Davol Street in 1929. The present DeRaffele diner opened on this site - its original location - in 1953. In 1954, the year after Al Mac's opened, the Fall River directory listed eleven restaurants with "diner" or "dinette" in their names. In addition to Al Mac's, there was the Square Diner at 8 County Street (known to be one location of the McDermott Lunch Company in 1933); McDermott's Diner at 2011 South Main Street; and Russ McDermott's Diner at 1382 Davol Street, at the northernmost end of the street. Mary L. McDermott ran the restaurant once operated by Allen McDermott at 323 Pocasset Street.
Over the years, Allen McDermott reportedly had "so many diners they cannot all be accounted for." [Gutman, 158] Account books for the Worcester Lunch Car Company show an entry in 1931 involving a trip to Fall River to "level McDermott's car." McDermott's diners also included a late 1930s White House Café built by the Worcester Lunch Car Company, and a late 1940s Fodero that housed Al Mac's diner before the existing DeRaffele diner was purchased. [Gutman, 108, 158] Al Mac's appears to be the last new diner operation associated with McDermott before his retirement about 1967. By the time the current Al Mac's opened in 1953, McDermott had moved to the neighboring town of Somerset. A review of Somerset directories suggests Allen McDermott died between 1968 and 1971. The industrial/commercial nature of the Davol Street intersection with President Avenue was established before World War II.
By the early 1950s, the immediate vicinity included a furniture dealer, a brewing company, gas stations, a coal company, a lumber company, service stations, car dealers, and a few residences. Until the mid-1970s, Al Mac's occupied a site on the west side of Davol Street between President Avenue and Brownell Street; that site is now the location of Bicentennial Park. The diner was moved around the corner, to a site southeast of the Davol Street - President Avenue intersection. On the second site, the diner was placed with its façade oriented toward President Avenue. More recently, the diner was turned ninety degrees on the same site, to its present orientation facing Davol Street and the Route 138 overpass.
Advertised by its rooftop neon signage as a diner and restaurant, Al Mac's reflects a trend in the diner industry that first surfaced in the 1950s and completely transformed the industry in the 1960s. [Gutman] The move toward providing a more family-oriented dining establishment produced larger diners that emphasized table and booth service. Cooking was removed from the area behind the counter to a separate kitchen, usually at the rear. By drawing families, diners could provide an alternative to, and therefore could better compete with, the booming fast food chains. Al Mac's, with its rectangular massing, low-pitched roof, projecting center-entry vestibule, and rear kitchen wing, is a well preserved representative of the form most common among stainless steel diners in Massachusetts.
Archaeological Significance Historic archaeological resources described above have the potential to provide detailed information relating to Fall River's urban development that may date to the 18th or 19th centuries in the vicinity of the nominated property. Additional documentary research including deed research possibly combined with archaeological testing can be used to document a specific land use history for the nominated property. This research can identify the potential for recovering structural remains and occupational related features for specific residential, commercial and industrial sites on the property. Information may be present which indicates the extent to which these resources were associated with maritime developments that occurred along the waterfront east of Davol Street.
(end) Al Mac's Diner - Restaurant Name of Property Fall River, Bristol County, Massachusetts County and State 10. Geographical Data Acreage of Property less than one acre UTM References See continuation sheet. (Place additional UTM references on a continuation sheet) 1. 19 Zone 2. Zone 320750 Easting 4620280 Northing Easting Northing erbal Boundary Descriptio Describe the boundaries of the property on a continuation sheet 3. Zone Easting 4. Zone Easting _ See continuation sheet Northing Northing Boundary Justification (Explain why the boundaries were selected on a continuation sheet.) 11.
Form Prepared By name/title Kathleen Kelly Broomer, consultant, with Betsy Friedberg, NR Director, MHC organization Massachusetts Historical Commission date July 1999 street & number 220 Morrissey Boulevard telephone (617) 727-8470 city or town Boston state Massachusetts 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 FPO for any additional items) Property Owner (Complete this item at the request of the SHPO or FPO.) name R.
Family Incorporated street & number 135 President Avenue telephone 508-679-5851 city or town Fall River state MA zip code 02722 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.O. Box 37127, Washington, DC 20013-7127; and the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reductions Project (1024-0018), Washington, DC 20503.NPS Form 10-900 1024-0018 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 9/10 Page 1 OMB No. 1024-0018 The Diners of Massachusetts MPS Al Mac's Diner - Restaurant Fall River (Bristol Co.), MA 9. Major Bibliographical References Gutman, Richard J. S. American Diner Then and Now. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1993. Diner rinder Deluxe: Massachusetts. Watertown, MA: Coffee Cup Publications, 1991. Fall River Historical Society, Jamelle Tanous Lyons, archivist.
Directory information on Allen McDermott and directory and map information on location of diner. September 6, 1997. Worcester Lunch Car Company Record Books, 1914-1967. File cards on lunch car construction [no date on card referencing diner #629 owned by McDermott of Fall River] and account book for 1928-1931. Worcester Historical Directory of Dighton, Rehoboth, Seekonk, Somerset & Swansea (1967-1968, 1971). Newport, RI: Eastern Publishing Co., years as noted. Fall River Directory for various years (1910 to 1938). Boston: Sampson & Murdock Co. Polk's Fall River City Directory (1943, 1954, 1963, 1967, 1983). Boston: R. L. Polk & Co. Publishers, years as noted. (end) 10. Geographical Data Verbal Boundary Description Lots 0-16-2 to 0-16-8 inclusive, plus lots 0-16-12 and 0-16-15, are considered one parcel.
For the purpose of this nomination, the boundary of the nominated property is shown on the accompanying detail of the City of Fall River's assessors' map. An arbitrary boundary line of 10 feet has been drawn around the diner itself in each direction. Boundary Justification The arbitrary boundary includes only the diner itself since its placement on the current site in the mid-1970s. As the diner was moved to its present location in the 1970s, the shopping center and associated parcel of land is not historically associated with Al Mac's Diner, thus a line of convenience 10' from the diner walls has been drawn.
(end) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: RESUBMISSION PROPERTY NAME: Al Mac's Diner--Restaurant MULTIPLE NAME: Diners of Massachusettes MPS STATE & COUNTY: MASSACHUSETTES, Bristol DATE RECEIVED: DATE OF 16TH DAY: DATE OF WEEKLY LIST: 11/19/99 DATE OF PENDING LIST: DATE OF 45TH DAY: 01/03/2000 REFERENCE NUMBER: 99001119 NOMINATOR: STATE DETAILED EVALUATION: N ACCEPT RETURN REJECT DATE ABSTRACT/SUMMARY COMMENTS: on reautmisin, tounday has le redraun to exclude modern shopping center. RECOM.
/ CRITERIA Aept Aic REVIEWER Patick Andues DISCIPLINE Histerian Phone Date 12/20/99 DOCUMENTATION see attached comments J/N see attached SLR I/N DINER Ct JUSTLY FAMOUS SINC RESTAURANT 1O1 Al mac's Diner-Restauraut 135 Presideut Avenue Fall River, Bristl County, mass VieW SE 1998 Ploto: KKBroomer Neg: MHC Al mac's Diner-Restauraut 135 Presideut Avenue Fall River, Bristol County, mass. Interior vieu se 1998 Photo: KkBroomer Neg: MHC The Commonwealth of Massachusetts William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth Massachusetts Historical Commission November 10, 1999 Ms. Carol Shull National Register of Historic Places Department of the Interior National Park Service Mail Stop 2280, Suite 400 1849 C Street, NW Washington, DC 20240 Dear Ms.
Shull: Enclosed please find a revised National Register nomination for: Al Mac's Diner, Fall River (Bristol), MA The Diners of Massachusetts MPS (NPS #99001119) The nomination was returned to this office for a boundary line amendment. Sincerely, Beten Freedher Betsy Friedberg National Register Director Massachusetts Historical Commission Cc: Kathleen Kelly Broomer, consultant Gelm Realty Trust Co., owners Ron Roy, chair, Fall River Historical Commission Edward M. Lambert, Jr., Mayor, City of Fall River 220 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, Massachusetts 02125 - (617) 727-8470 Fax: (617) 727-5128 - TDD: 1-800-392-6090 www.state.ma.us/sec/mhc
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