Elm Street Historic District (Northampton, Massachusetts)

Elm Street Historic District Northampton, Massachusetts
Elm Street near Prospect Street in the 1880's. Now the site of the 1957 Cutter and Ziskind Houses.
Location	The district includes the north and south sides of Elm Street and runs from Smith College's College Hall to Woodlawn Avenue in Northampton, Massachusetts and an additional 35 buildings on Round Hill Road.
Nearest city	Northampton, Massachusetts
Area	139 buildings on 78 acres along 1 mile of Elm Street and along Round Hill Road.
Architectural style(s)	18th century colonial, Second Empire, Queen Anne, Italianate, Colonial revival, Modern.

The Elm Street/Round Hill Historic District is a local historic district in the city of Northampton, Massachusetts.

There are 135 buildings ranging in style from early 18th century colonial to Modern and International style along one mile of Elm Street and a section of Round Hill Road.

The first lots on what is now Elm Street (from Main Street to Round Hill) were granted between 1659 and 1661.

The founding of Clarke School for the Deaf in 1867 and the founding of Smith College in 1871 marked the beginning of a significant number of institutional buildings in a wide range of architectural styles at the eastern end of the district (Smith College) and Round Hill Road (Clarke Schools). Similarly there was a boom in residential home building from the mid-19th to early 20th century and as a result many homes are Queen Anne and Colonial Revival style.

Catholic Churches punctuate each end of the district.

Elm Street is part of Massachusetts Route 9 which runs East/West from Pittsfield, Massachusetts to Boston, Massachusetts.

Notable buildings

The eastern terminus of the Elm Street Historic District is dominated by Smith College's College Hall built in 1875 in Gothic Italianate style on the south side by Peabody and Stearns and by the former St. Mary's Catholic Church built in 1881 in Gothic Revival on the north side.

There are a number of colonial houses including what is known as Smith College's Sessions House at 109 Elm Street which is wood-framed and has a gambrel roof. It is believed to have been built around 1725 by Jonathan Hunt and is therefore the oldest building owned by Smith College and the oldest standing building on Elm Street.

Smith College's Haven House at 110 Elm Street (sometimes shown as 96 Elm Street) was the residence of Sylvia Plath during her first two years at Smith College from 1950 to 1952. The College's Cutter and Ziskind Houses were designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and built in 1957 in the International style.

At 222 Elm Street is the 1891 home of John C Hammond who took Amherst College graduate (later US President) Calvin Coolidge on as a legal apprentice in his law firm Hammond & Field.

The western terminus of the District is Catholic Church built in 1899 for the Blessed Sacrament Parish in an unusual "Swiss" design.

Also near the western terminus, just off Elm Street is the former home of President Calvin Coolidge on Massasoit Street.

Definition of architectural style below as identified by the Elm Street Historic Commission.

Institutional Buildings in Various Styles

As mentioned, the founding of Clarke School for the Deaf in 1861 and the founding of Smith College in 1871 marked the beginning of a significant number of institutional buildings in a wide range of architectural styles. In 2013 the Clarke Schools sold 11.8 acres with ten buildings to a developer who will create luxury condominiums and commercial space.

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  10 Elm Street, College Hall opened in 1875 remains the central building of Smith College. Italian Gothic, eclectic style.
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  20 Elm Street, the Smith College Museum of Art. Contemporary style.
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  49 Elm Street known as Northrope House was built in 1911. Photo 1912. Neo-Georgian.
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  60 Elm Street known as John M Greene Hall, Smith College. Classical Revival.
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  Smith College's Cutter and Ziskind Houses were designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and built in 1957 in the International style.
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  Round Hill Road, Clarke Schools (left to right) dormitory, gym & pool (background), Round Hill Road, Rogers Hall, Hubbard Hall.
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  Round Hill Road, Clarke's Hubbard Hall
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  Round Hill Road, Clarke's Rogers Hall<ref>by Grady C - Own work. Licensed under Public domain via Wikimedia Commons [1]
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  Round Hill Road, Clarke's Gawith Hall, Main Dormitory

Churches in Various Styles

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  3 Elm Street, formerly St. Mary's Catholic Church, built in 1881. At eastern end of Historic District. Gothic Revival.
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  48 Elm Street, St Johns Episcopal Church shown 1905. Romanesque Revival.
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  354 Elm Street. Catholic Church built 1900 at western end of Historic District. Architect's drawing. Swiss Style.

Georgian and Federal

These are the earliest, existing homes from the 18th and early 19th century and include: the c.1810 Federal Style house at 41 Elm Street now known as Smith College's Duckett House, greatly altered, known at the turn of the 20th century as "Southwick House.;" the c.1715 yellow-brick Georgian Style Benjamin Lyman House now known as Smith College's Drew Hall at 84 Elm Street;, the c.1725 Jonathan Hunt House known as Smith College's Sessions House at 109 Elm Street. And three privately owned homes: the c.1786 Timothy Jewett House at 153 Elm Street; the c.1730 Ebenezer Clark House at 197 Elm Street and the c.1820 Aaron Breck House at 206 Elm Street.

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  41 Elm Street was initially an early 19th-century private residence in Federal Style, with the addition of later Victorian-era porches now known as Duckett House.
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  109 Elm Street, now known as Sessions House, Smith College was built c. 1725
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  153 Elm Street, Northampton, MA
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  197 Elm Street, Northampton, MA.

Greek Revival

Greek Revival examples include 187 Elm Street, 210 Elm Street, and 218 Elm Street.

Gothic Revival

Gothic Revival examples include: 112 Elm Street, 313 Elm Street, 319 Elm Street, and 354 Elm Street.

Italianate

Examples include: 95 Elm Street, 110 (sometimes referred to as 96) Elm Street, 137 Elm Street, 196 Elm Street, 219 Elm Street, 309 Elm Street and 333 Elm Street.

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  110 Elm Street, Haven House, Smith College. Original, Italianate (front) 1865, enlarged in 1902. Photo 1905.

Italian Renaissance

Examples include 310 Elm Street and 345 Elm Street.

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  The Earle Apartments were built c. 1911. Italian Renaissance.

Stick

Stick style examples include: 138 Elm Street, 146 Elm Street and 150 Street

Queen Anne

There are many examples of this architectural style including: 76 Elm Street, 149 Elm Street, 222 Elm Street, 225 Elm Street, 229 Elm Street, 231 Elm Street, 240 Elm Street, 275 Elm Street, 292 Elm Street, 293 Elm Street, 296 Elm Street, 300 Elm Street, 320 Elm Street. Panel Brick: 211 Elm Street and 275 Elm Street.

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  Built 1891 by Judge John C Hammond (1842-1926) who took Amherst College graduate (later US President) Calvin Coolidge on as a legal apprentice in his law firm Hammond & Field.
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  225 Elm Street, Northampton, MA, built by Elbridge G. and Mary Brewster Southwick in 1907.
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  240 Elm Street now known as 4 Washington Avenue.
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  229 Elm Street designed and built by renowned local architect William Fenno Pratt.
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  275 Elm Street, Northampton, MA.
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  300 Elm Street, Northampton, MA.
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  320 Elm Street, Northampton, MA.

Colonial Revival

Similar in abundance to Queen Anne Style, examples of Colonial Revival include: 47 Elm Street, 115 Elm Street, 123 Elm Street, 169 Elm Street, 179 Elm Street, 186 Elm Street, 234 Elm Street, 259 Elm Street, 264 Elm Street, 276 Elm Street, 280 Elm Street, 281 Elm Street, 302 Elm Street, 330 Elm Street, 336 Elm Street, 337 Elm Street.

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  280 282 Elm Street, Northampton, MA.
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  302 Elm Street, Northampton, MA.

Second Empire

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  45 Elm Street, the Mary Burnham School for Girls now Chase House, Smith College.
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  289 Elm Street, Northampton, MA.

Razed buildings

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  Was on the site of the current Smith College Museum of Art.
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  Solomon Stoddard House was on the site of 79 to 91 Elm Street, Cutter and Ziskind Houses.