National Register of Historic Places

Item Building

Wakefield, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Listed
July 5, 1989
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
89000712

About this property

The Item Building is a historic commercial building at 26 Albion Street in Wakefield, Massachusetts. Built in 1912, the single-story brick building serves as the headquarters of The Wakefield Daily Item, Wakefield's main community newspaper, and is a well-kept example of early 20th century commercial architecture. The building is located at the southwest corner of Albion and Foster Streets, one block west of Wakefield's central business district. It is a single-story brick building, with a granite foundation, brick and cast stone trim elements, and a flat roof. The Foster Street facade is four bays long, with an entrance in the leftmost bay, while the Albion Street facade is eight bays in length. The first five are original, while the latter three are a mid-20th century addition. An angle at the corner originally provided the main entrance, but has now been bricked over and replaced by a window. A Craftsman-style shed-roof hood remains over the window. The main entrance is now in the fifth bay under a metal marquee. The fenestrated bays of the building were originally pairs of plate glass with granite sills, demarcated by brick piers. These bays have now been largely filled with brick and pairs of sash windows. The Wakefield Daily Item began publishing in 1895, and was the first local newspaper in New England that had its own printing facilities. In 1912, Harris M. Dolbeare, the publisher, had this building constructed to house its newsroom and printing operations. The building was enlarged by three bays along Albion Street in the mid-20th century. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 6, 1989. National Register of Historic Places listings in Wakefield, Massachusetts National Register of Historic Places listings in Middlesex County, Massachusetts

Location

26 Albion St.
Wakefield, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
42.50325, -71.07153

Categories

INDUSTRYARCHITECTURE
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

South Reading Academy
Industrial
0 mi
Wakefield Trust Company
Industrial
0.1 mi
Flanley's Block
Industrial
0.1 mi
Buildings at 35-37 Richardson Avenue
Industrial
0.1 mi
House at 12 West Water Street
Industrial
0.1 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Lancaster (King Philip's War)
1676Colonial
6.4 mi
Battle of Menotomy
1775Revolutionary War
7.5 mi
Skirmish at Menotomy (Arlington)
1775Revolutionary War
7.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was Item Building listed on the National Register?

Item Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 5, 1989.

What type of historic resource is Item Building?

Item Building is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Item Building?

The period of significance for Item Building is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Item Building?

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