National Register of Historic Places

Miss Florence Diner

Northampton, Hampshire County, Massachusetts
Listed
September 21, 1999
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
99001123

About this property

The Miss Florence Diner is a historic diner at 99 Main Street in the Florence section of Northampton, Massachusetts. It was manufactured in 1941 by the Worcester Lunch Car Company and is one of four diners in the city. At the time of its listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999, it had been owned by the same family since its construction. The Miss Florence Diner is located in the center of the village of Florence, about 2 miles (3.2 km) west of downtown Northampton. It sits on the north side of Main Street, just east of its junction with Maple Street. It has an L-shaped configuration, with barreled roofs in both directions, topped by a parapet on which the name of the diner appears in Moderne lettering. Mounted at the corner of the L is a distinctive chevron-shaped sign that bears its name. The exterior is finished mainly in enamel paneling, and the interior is finished in wood, tile, and enamel. The main entrance is now via a brick vestibule, which has a barrel-style shingled roof that extends over the side-facing steps. The diner is attached at the rear to a house that has been converted into a restaurant. The Miss Florence was opened in 1941 by Maurice Alexander & his wife, Pauline Florence (Matusewicz) Alexander. Originally located across the street in a different diner, it moved into what is now the core of the present structure later that year. That diner was manufactured by the Worcester Lunch Car Company, which also executed the enlargements to give it the L shape in 1949. These alterations included adding another bay on the left, and four (in a configuration perpendicular to the main diner body) on the right. The Alexanders lived in the house behind the diner, which they converted into a separate restaurant in 1959, joining the two together. Miss Florence Diner was most recently purchased by Georgianna Brunton in April 2018. National Register of Historic Places listings in Hampshire County, Massachusetts

Location

99 Main St.
Northampton, Hampshire County, Massachusetts
42.33551, -72.67122

Categories

ARCHITECTURECOMMERCE
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

Dorsey-Jones House
Industrial
0.3 mi
Ross Farm
Industrial
0.4 mi
Northampton Veterans Administration Hospital Historic District
Listed
1.1 mi
Coolidge, Calvin, House
Industrial
1.5 mi
Northampton State Hospital
Listed
1.8 mi

Nearby Battles

Northampton MA Raid (Queen Anne's War)
1704Colonial
1.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Miss Florence Diner listed on the National Register?

Miss Florence Diner was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 21, 1999.

What type of historic resource is Miss Florence Diner?

Miss Florence Diner is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Miss Florence Diner?

The period of significance for Miss Florence Diner is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Miss Florence Diner?

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