Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. A historic map-sheet match is not published yet. The record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary.
“The Charles Browne House is a historic house located in North Adams, Massachusetts. Built in 1869, it was the home of Charles A.”
Wikipedia article Charles Browne House, CC BY-SA 4.0.
one of 94 National Register listings in Berkshire County · listed in 1985 · category: Building · one of 1 National Historic Landmarks in Berkshire County.
Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 33 fires within 5 miles of Browne, Charles, House between 2006 and 2020, burning about 311 acres in total. 1 started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Debris and open burning | 15 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 6 |
| Smoking | 5 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 4 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2 |
| Natural | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 September 2016 | Equipment and vehicle use | 1.0 acres | Massachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Control | not named |
| 5 August 2016 | Equipment and vehicle use | 10 acres | Massachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Control | not named |
| 2 August 2017 | Natural | under an acre | Massachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Control | not named |
| 24 July 2016 | Smoking | under an acre | Massachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Control | not named |
| 23 July 2016 | Smoking | under an acre | Massachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Control | not named |
| 8 May 2016 | Recreation and ceremony | 2.0 acres | Massachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Control | not named |
| 6 May 2015 | Debris and open burning | 2.5 acres | Massachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Control | not named |
| 3 May 2015 | Smoking | 5.0 acres | Massachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Control | not named |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. Museums hold 895 specimens collected within 10 miles of Browne, Charles, House between 1828 and 1975: 433 Plantae, 248 Animalia, 193 Fungi, 11 Protozoa, 7 Unrecorded, 3 Chromista. 12 distinct Species records are shown. Collected by A K Harrison, A Schwartz, A. H. Gustafson and others. Each is a physical object with a catalogue number, and each entry opens the museum's record. This is what was collected and kept, not a survey of what lives here - nothing can be concluded from a species being absent.
| Image | Species | Year | Collected by | Where, as recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Antennaria plantaginifolia (L.) Richardson, 1823 | 1898 | J. R. Churchill | |
 | Carex pensylvanica Lam. | 1898 | J. R. Churchill | |
 | Lycopodium annotinum var. pungens (Desv.) La Pylaie ex Desv. | 1898 | Kofoid, C.A. | North Adams. |
 | Carex aestivalis M.A.Curtis ex A.Gray | 1828 | Collector unknown | Saddle Mountain, near Williamstown. |
 | Carex emmonsii var. muhlenbergii (A.Gray ex Torrey) Rettig | 1828 | Collector unspecified | Williamstown. [Inferred locality from precise loc.] |
 | Cystopteris bulbifera (L.) Bernh. | 1828 | Collector unspecified | |
 | Dryopteris goldiana (Hook. ex Goldie) A.Gray | 1828 | Collector unspecified | |
 | Fraxinus americana L. | 1828 | J. Torrey | |
| Jamesoniella autumnalis (DC.) Steph. | 1828 | Ebenezer Emmons | ||
 | Tilia americana L. | 1828 | Collector unspecified | |
 | Scorzoneroides autumnalis (L.) Moench | 1850 | not recorded | |
 | Spiraea tomentosa L. | 1850 | not recorded |
All 895 specimens within 10 miles, at the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 11 workings within 5 miles of Browne, Charles, House: 4 producers, 4 past producers, 1 plant, 1 unknown. 5 still produce. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken, Limestone, General, Sand and Gravel, Construction, Calcium. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pfizer Inc | Calcium | Past Producer | Calcite | |
| Adams Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Adams Plant | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Plant | ||
| Curran Highway Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Unknown | ||
| New England Lime Company Quarry | Limestone, General | Producer | Sedimentary | |
| North Adams Lime Quarry | Limestone, General | Producer | Stratabound | |
| North Adams Lime Quarry | Limestone, General | Producer | Stratabound | |
| Adams Quarry & Plant Pfizer Inc | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| New England Lime Company Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Occurrence | ||
| North Adams Lime Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names North Adams, the town this property stands in, in 50 storm reports between 1994 and 2024: 26 thunderstorm wind, 10 hail, 5 lightning, 5 flash flood. The reports record 1 injury. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 2004 | Lightning | North Adams | 1 hurt | Woman struck by lightning on North Adams golf course. |
| September 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Adams | $180,000 | A National Weather Service Storm Survey Team found straight line wind damage in North Adams. Most of the damage was confined to a one half mile, by two block area on the campus of the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.||Significant roof damage occurred to three college dormitories, mostly from tin flashing that was torn off due to the strong winds. In addition, several trees and large tree limbs were also downed, one of which smashed a car in the parking lot near the alumni office on Montana Street. Approximately 400 students were evacuated due to the damage.||The damage was consistent with maximum wind speeds of near 100 MPH. |
| May 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Adams | $35,000 | no account filed |
| July 2023 | Flood | North Adams | $20,000 | Clarksburg Town Administrator Carl McKinney reported Millard Avenue suffering serious damage from heavy rainfall. In addition, the Clarksburg Town Hall basement was taking on water. |
| August 2000 | Lightning | North Adams | $20,000 | Early on August 16, lightning from a thunderstorm struck a house in North Adams, narrowly missing a man. Lightning produced a hole inside a bedroom and damaged a peak in the house. A small fire, started by the same lightning bolt, briefly flared up. Firemen were also deployed to the house, but the fire had been extinguished before they arrived. |
| July 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Adams | $10,000 | A large tree was reported down on a house in North Adams due to strong thunderstorm winds. |
| July 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Adams | $10,000 | no account filed |
| June 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Adams | $6,000 | no account filed |
| June 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Adams | $5,000 | Trees were reported down across the City of North Adams, one of which occurred along Ashland Street near the intersection of Washington Avenue. |
| July 2007 | Lightning | North Adams | $5,000 | Lightning struck a utility pole outside the back of the North Adams Regional Hospital around 13:37 EST, which sent an electrical surge throughout the hospital. This melted a wire in the electrical panel inside the hospital that controlled an elevator, making the elevator unserviceable. |
| May 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Adams | $5,000 | no account filed |
| April 1996 | Hail | North Adams | $5,000 | no account filed |
| July 1997 | Hail | North Adams | $4,000 | no account filed |
| July 2010 | Lightning | North Adams | $3,000 | A transformer was hit by lightning at the corner of Liberty Street and Orchard Terrace in North Adams. |
| July 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Adams | - | An amateur radio operator reported multiple trees down in the town of North Adams. |
| June 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Adams | - | Several large trees were downed. |
| October 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Adams | - | Multiple trees were downed. |
| December 2020 | Debris Flow | North Adams | - | A routine inspection during the morning of Saturday, December 26th resulted in the discovery of a landslide outside the west portal of the Hoosac Tunnel near North Adams. Eight inches of mud and stone had to be cleared from the rails, resulting in two freight trains being delayed. The cause was likely due to the heavy rains on Friday, December 25th. |
| June 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Adams | - | Multiple trees were reported down in North Adams due to thunderstorm winds. |
| May 2013 | Flash Flood | North Adams | - | Flash flooding was reported in North Adams as a result of heavy rainfall from thunderstorms. State Street was impassable due to flooding and was temporarily closed. |
| May 2013 | Flash Flood | North Adams | - | Flash flooding was reported on Church Street north of Adams as a result of heavy rainfall from thunderstorms. The force of flooding removed manhole covers off the road. |
| September 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Adams | - | Trees were reported down approximately 1 mile northeast of North Adams due to thunderstorm winds. |
| August 2012 | Flash Flood | North Adams | - | Flash flooding was reported in North Adams due to heavy rainfall from repeated thunderstorms. Several roads in the downtown portion of the city were closed due to the flooding. |
| August 2012 | Flash Flood | North Adams | - | Flash flooding was reported along Route 8 in North Adams due to heavy rainfall from repeated thunderstorms. Route 8 was closed due to the flooding. |
| May 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Adams | - | Three trees were reported down due to strong thunderstorm winds in North Adams. |
| August 2011 | Flash Flood | North Adams | - | A landslide and gas line explosion were reported on Miner Street in North Adams. |
| July 2010 | Hail | North Adams | - | Penny size hail was reported during a thunderstorm in North Adams. |
| May 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Adams | - | Trees and wires were reported down near North Adams due to strong thunderstorm winds. |
| May 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Adams | - | Trees were reported down in North Adams due to strong thunderstorm winds. |
| October 2010 | Flood | North Adams | - | Poor drainage flooding was reported in North Adams due to heavy rainfall. |
| May 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Adams | - | Wires were reported down near North Adams apparently due to strong thunderstorm winds. |
| June 2008 | Hail | North Adams | - | Nickel size hail was reported near North Adams during a thunderstorm. |
| April 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Adams | - | Several trees were reportedly blocking a road near North Adams, which were blown down due to strong thunderstorm winds. |
| August 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Adams | - | A measured wind gust of 60 knots was recorded at the ASOS in North Adams at 1808 EST. |
| September 2007 | Flood | North Adams | - | Persistent moderate to heavy rainfall led to isolated flooding in portions of Berkshire County during the late morning and early afternoon hours of Tuesday September 11th. Flooding closed a portion of Massachusetts Route 2 in the town of Florida from 1143 LST to 1400 LST. In addition, several roads were closed in and around North Adams due to high water, including a portion of River Street, from Houghton Street to Brown Street, as well as a portion of Beaver Street and Mohawk Forest Boulevard. North Adams City firefighters also pumped water out of several private residences on Pleasant Street and State Road.|| |
| June 2007 | Hail | North Adams | - | Nickel size hail was reported in North Adams. |
| August 2007 | Hail | North Adams | - | Quarter size hail was reported in North Adams. |
| August 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Adams | - | Numerous large tree limbs and wires were reported down in and near North Adams due to strong thunderstorm winds. One downed large tree limb on Massachusetts Avenue in North Adams between Roberts Drive and Demond Avenue obstructed the road, reducing traffic to one lane. |
| July 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Adams | - | A trained spotter reported that two trees were blown down along Lark and Barton Streets, in North Adams. |
| December 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Adams | - | A measured wind gust of 50 KT was recorded during a thunderstorm at the North Adams ASOS (KAQW). |
| June 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Adams | - | Trees were blown down and power lines were knocked down. |
| May 2004 | Lightning | North Adams | - | Lightning strike along Route 2 caused power outages. |
| May 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Adams | - | Large tree branches down. |
| July 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Adams | - | One 60-foot tall tree was blown down. |
| June 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Adams | - | One tree was blown down, along with several large limbs, resulting in a power outage. |
| May 2002 | Hail | North Adams | - | no account filed |
| June 2002 | Hail | North Adams | - | no account filed |
| May 2002 | Hail | North Adams | - | no account filed |
| June 2001 | Hail | North Adams | - | no account filed |
| July 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | North Adams | - | no account filed |
No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.
When this property was proposed for the National Register, someone wrote the case for it: what the building is, and why it matters. That document is a federal record in the public domain. It is reproduced in full on its own page, word for word and never summarised. The text was read off the scanned case file by machine, so the occasional stray character is the recogniser's and the 1970s typewriter's.
The whole case file for this property - 1,621 words, 9 pages, reproduced complete.
Quoted from the National Register nomination for reference 85003413, 9 pages, held by the National Archives in Record Group 79. See the catalogue record.
Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.
| Photograph | Property | Distance | Listed |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Boardman, The | 1.0 miles | 1985 |
| Freight Yard Historic District | 1.1 miles | 1972 | |
 | H.W. Clark Biscuit Company | 1.2 miles | 2009 |
 | Monument Square--Eagle Street Historic District | 1.5 miles | 1972 |
 | Windsor Print Works | 1.6 miles | 1973 |
 | St. Joseph's School | 1.7 miles | 1983 |
| National Archives record | The nomination case file for reference 85003413 in Record Group 79. |
| Wikipedia article | Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA. |
| Berkshire County | All 94 listed properties in this county. |
Block