National Register of Historic Places

Brick Block

Chatham, Barnstable County, Massachusetts
Listed
April 12, 1979
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
79000323

About this property

The Brick Block is a historic commercial building on Main Street and Chatham Bars Road in Chatham, Massachusetts. Built in 1914 by a master mason, it is a distinctive local landmark in downtown Chatham, and a showcase of the bricklaying art. The block was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. The Brick Block occupies a prominent corner lot on Chatham's downtown Main Street, standing at the northeast corner with Chatham Bars Road. It is a 1+1⁄2-story structure, built out of brick with wooden trim, and is one of the largest buildings in the downtown. It is basically English Revival in style, with projecting eaves of its gabled roof supported by large wooden brackets. The roof is pierced by small shed dormers along each side, with large clipped-gable dormers at the ends and the angled corner. The smaller dormers are finished in stucco, while the larger dormers are decorated with a diversity of laid-brick shapes. The basic laying of bricks for the main walls is in either common or Flemish bond, but there are panel sections of decorative brick arrangements, and a soldier course of bricks runs above the foundation. The block was built in 1914 by Joseph Nickerson, a master mason, to a design by Boston architect Henry Bailey Alden. It originally housed the local post office and shops on the first floor, and residences on the upper floor; this basic usage pattern continues today. Nickerson was a native of Worcester who was brought to Chatham to do the work; his family remained on the Cape, and continue to work as masons. National Register of Historic Places listings in Barnstable County, Massachusetts

Location

Chatham, Barnstable County, Massachusetts
41.67960, -69.95603

Categories

COMMERCEARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Eldredge Public Library
Industrial
0.2 mi
Port Royal House
Industrial
0.3 mi
Chatham Windmill
Industrial
0.3 mi
Old Village Historic District
Colonial
0.4 mi
Chatham Railroad Depot
Industrial
0.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was Brick Block listed on the National Register?

Brick Block was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 12, 1979.

What type of historic resource is Brick Block?

Brick Block is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Brick Block?

The period of significance for Brick Block is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Brick Block?

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