Stacy, George O., House

The George O. Stacy House occupies a prime location on Atlantic Road, the eastern shore road on the Eastern Point peninsula. The building faces the Atlantic Ocean on the east, overlooking Bass Rocks across the street, and Ihacher Island with its twin lighthouses off in the distance. The Stacy House was built in 1899 according to the designs of the well-established Gloucester architects, Phillips and Holloran. This firm was responsible for most of the city's prominent buildings early in this century, including numerous summer "cottages" on Eastern Point, the Eastern Avenue School, and the Tavern restaurant on Stacy Boulevard. Although all of these buildings were constructed in the then-popular Shingle and Colonial Revival styles, the Stacy House is the most classical in form.

The 2½-story building is nearly cubical in shape, with a balustraded hip roof. The walls are sheathed in clapboard. The north and south walls of the main block extend westward into 2 asymmetrical wings (original or by 1912), each with continuousstylistic treatment. An early or original 1-story porch, and 2 small mid-century additions of 1 story each, are also located at the rear of the building. A 1-story porch (original or by 1912) extends across the entire north wall of the building. The facade of the building is rigidly symmetrical and formal. It is distinguished by a Doric- columned portico and Palladian window at the center. The portico has a low roof balustrade with small carved floral ornaments on the center panel of each of its 3 sides.

The doorway itself has a fanlight and sidelights, with geometric tracery repeated in the elaborate Palladian win- dow above.

/Architect Phillips & Holloran Statement of Significance (in one paragraph) The Stacy House was built for George Odiorne Stacy (c. 1860-1928), a dominant Gloucester figure early in this century who was known locally for his keen involvement in real estate and develop- ment, and famed nationally as an enthusiastic hotel man. Stacy's ambitious dreams were housed in the grandest of structures, and the George O. Stacy House is one of the finest and few sur- viving designs recording this remarkable career. The Stacy House thus meets criteria A, B, and C of the National Register of Historic Places. Stacy was a pioneer in the summer hotel business in Gloucester.

He quickly worked up from Kitchen employee at the Bass Rock House to owner of four of the most celebrated and successful hotels on the North Shore. This quartet included the 200-room Hawthorne Inn (begun in 1886&the only survivor today); the Magnolia Hotel, accommodating 300 (dates unknown); the 130-room Moorland Hotel (1897, burned 1958) on Bass Rocks; and most spectacularly, the 300 room Colonial Arms (1904, burned 1908). These hotels were not only centers for Gloucester's prominent sumer colony, but also were instrumental in the upbuilding of the whole East Gloucester area. The Stacy House on Atlantic Road was one of the first houses in the new resort development at Bass Rocks.

The house was built in 1899 from the designs of Phillips & Holloran, prominent local architects responsible for most of Gloucester's major buildings in this period. Like Stacy's hotels and other developments, this building uses the Colonial Revival style. stands apart, however, as one of the highest refinements of the style in the city. Perhaps its unusual delicacy was influenced by deed restrictions on the property.