Westside Historic District
National Register of Historic Places

Westside Historic District

Amherst, Hampshire County, Massachusetts
Listed
July 24, 2000
Type
District
Period
Civil War
Ref No.
00000793

About this property

The Westside Historic District is a residential historic district that encompasses an early, historically African-American neighborhood in the town of Amherst, Massachusetts. It includes properties on Baker and Snell Streets, Hazel Avenue, and Northampton Road (Massachusetts Route 9). Most of the properties in the district are houses, many of which were built in a variety of Victorian styles, with houses built later also showing Colonial Revival styling. The oldest houses, on Baker Street, date from 1869 into the 1870s, while those along Route 9 were for the most part built later, and exhibit a wider variety of styles, including some Bungalow/Craftsman houses. The fields that surround the neighborhood and set it off from the surrounding area are also included in the district, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. African Americans, both enslaved and free, are known to have been resident in Amherst since the 18th century, although exactly where they lived is not known. The area around Baker and Snell Streets and Hazel Avenue is one of the oldest known, with documented African-American residency in the 1860s. The Baker Street houses are examples of modest Victorian styling, although some have had modern siding applied. The house at 21 Hazel Street is the district's only example of an American Foursquare, with a hip roof. Most of the residents of this area were engaged in relatively low-skilled or low-wage occupations, including letter carrier, maid, janitor, and farmhand.

Location

Amherst, Hampshire County, Massachusetts
42.36715, -72.52981

Categories

AGRICULTUREARCHITECTURECOMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENTBLACKEUROPEAN
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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Everything a full report reveals about Westside Historic District

This page lists Westside Historic District. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
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
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Goodwin Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church
Industrial
0.5 mi
Lincoln-Sunset Historic District
Listed
0.7 mi
Strong House
Industrial
0.7 mi
Prospect-Gaylord Historic District
Listed
0.8 mi
Amherst Central Business District
Listed
0.8 mi

Questions about this property

When was Westside Historic District listed on the National Register?

Westside Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 24, 2000.

What type of historic resource is Westside Historic District?

Westside Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Westside Historic District?

The period of significance for Westside Historic District is recorded as the civil_war era, specifically around 1869.

Can I research the history near Westside Historic District?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Westside Historic District will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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