National Register of Historic Places

Monument Square-Eagle Street Historic District

North Adams, Berkshire County, Massachusetts
Listed
June 18, 1972
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
72000132

About this property

The Monument Square–Eagle Street Historic District is a historic district encompassing the civic heart of North Adams, Massachusetts. When it was originally designated in 1972, the district encompassed Monument Square – west of the intersection of Main Street and Church Street, and the location of a Civil War memorial – and the area around it. This designation included the North Adams Public Library (formerly the Blackinton Mansion), the First Baptist Church and First Congregational Church, and a block of shops on Eagle Street. In 1988, the district's boundaries were increased to be roughly bounded by Holden, Center and Union Streets, Drury High School (now Colgrove Park Elementary School), Summer Street, and Main Street. This expansion extended the district westward along Summer Street to include the US Post Office building and St. John's Church, and eastward to include Colgrove Park, the middle school, and St. Francis Catholic Church. An additional block of commercial buildings were also added on the north side of West Main Street, extending just west of Holden Street. North Adams was settled as part of Adams in the mid-18th century, and soon developed as an industrial village, powered by the waters of the two branches of the Hoosic River, which meet just northwest of its central business district. The waterfront areas were developed with mills producing a variety of goods, which were eventually dominated by textiles beginning in the mid-19th century. The central business district around Monument Square, where the town's Baptist Church was founded in 1808, led by Otis Blackinton, whose family would dominate the local industrial business landscape. Most of the city's business district was developed between about 1870 and 1920, the greatest period of its economic success. A major decline was begun by the Great Depression, resulting in little growth in subsequent decades.

Location

North Adams, Berkshire County, Massachusetts
42.69924, -73.10983

Categories

INDUSTRYCOMMERCEARCHITECTURE
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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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
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LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
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Finds & Access
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Literature
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Spotlight
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Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Monument Square-Eagle Street Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Listed
0 mi
St. Joseph's School
Industrial
0.1 mi
Church Street Historic District
Listed
0.2 mi
Church Street-Cady Hill Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Listed
0.2 mi
Windsor Print Works
Industrial
0.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Monument Square-Eagle Street Historic District listed on the National Register?

Monument Square-Eagle Street Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 18, 1972.

What type of historic resource is Monument Square-Eagle Street Historic District?

Monument Square-Eagle Street Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Monument Square-Eagle Street Historic District?

The period of significance for Monument Square-Eagle Street Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

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