Architect

Former Howard Johnson’s Motor Lodge, Kingston // 1956

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Howard Johnson’s (Hojo’s) traces its beginnings to the late 1920s when the Boston native Howard D. Johnson (1887-1972) opened a series of ice cream stands at various locations along the South Shore of Massachusetts. By 1940, there were more than 125 restaurants from Maine to Florida and by the late 1950s there were approximately 500 along the east coast. In 1954 the company expanded to motor lodges (motels), eventually opening over 500 across the United States. The growth of the motel tied closely with 1950s legislation that authorized Interstate highways connecting cities via automobile, increasing traffic all across the country. Howard Johnson’s adopted a policy of acquiring real estate directly off highway exit ramps and often the parcels were large enough to include a restaurant and motor lodge. Specifically, many Howard Johnson’s Motor Lodges featured prominent signage and bright orange roof, to help motorists identify the motel while speeding down the interstate. The Kingston location here opened in 1956 along Rt. 3, connecting Boston and points north, to Cape Cod. While it’s iconic name and orange roof do not remain, the unique Googie-esque form of the lobby with very 50s weathervane remain as an important vestige of 1950s America. 

Old Rockland High School // 1908

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Rockland, Massachusetts, was incorporated in 1874 as the result of a dispute over the construction of an expensive school building in Abington Center in 1871 and the belief that East Abington could develop into a more successful industrial community if separate from Abington. By the turn of the 20th century, there were approximately 900 children in Rockland between the ages of 5 and 15 who were being educated in the local school system, largely comprised of first- and second-generation immigrants, arriving to the area to work in shoe manufacturing. Many smaller, schools dotted the landscape until a larger, consolidated school was built 1892. Decades later, prosperity and a growing population necessitated a new school, and the architectural firm of Cooper & Bailey, designed the town’s first brick school building. Classical Revival in style, the building features a prominent pediment supported by two, two-story Ionic columns and dentilated cornice. The building is now a community center – housing a day care, pre-school and meeting spaces for Girl Scouts. The building also housed Rockland’s senior center prior to the construction of a new senior center elsewhere in town. It suffers from deferred maintenance and is in need of some attention.

Holy Family Parish Church // 1882

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In 1872, due to industrialization and increased numbers of immigrants settling in the area for work, it was decided that a new Catholic parish should be established in East Abington. Two years later, the village of East Abington incorporated as Rockland. It would be a decade later, in 1882, until the Holy Family Parish would be established, beginning planning of a true house of worship for the growing number of Catholics here. When the Holy Family Church was constructed in 1882, only a quarter of the Rockland’s approximately 4000 residents were Catholic at that time. Most of the original congregation consisted of Irish immigrants who worked in the town’s boot and shoe manufacturing industry. As the industry continued to flourish in the 1890s and 1900s, new shoe factories were built, bringing more workers to Rockland, including: Canadians, Italians, and British to the area. The town’s Catholic community grew as a result. The Victorian Gothic style Catholic church was built in 1882, with no known architect at this time. A complex of other buildings, including a school, rectory, and community center.

Central Falls City Hall // 1888

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Welcome to Central Falls, an industrial city in Providence County, Rhode Island. With an area of only 1.29 square miles it is the smallest and most densely populated city in the smallest state, and the 23rd most densely populated incorporated place in the United States. Originally, Central Falls was one of the many villages within the town of Smithfield, but in 1871, the town split into three smaller towns: Smithfield, North Smithfield and Lincoln. Central Falls village then became part of the town of Lincoln until Central Falls’ industrial character and differing needs had it split off to form the small city of Central Falls in 1895. Before it was its own city, Lincoln officials had this building constructed in 1888-9 on Broad Street, the commercial and civic center of the city. This red brick, Queen Anne building with its four-stage tower was built as Lincoln High School, the first school in the town built exclusively for secondary education. Designed by William R. Walker & Son, architects, the building features shingles in the gable, asymmetrical plan, and carved terracotta panels. The building continued as Central Falls High School until 1927, when the city offices were moved there, and it has remained as the City Hall ever-since.

Old Chicopee High School // 1917

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The Old Chicopee High School building is located at 650 Front Street, between the two major population hubs of Chicopee Center and Chicopee Falls and is one of the finest examples of Collegiate Gothic/Neo-Gothic Revival architecture in Massachusetts. The school building was constructed in 1917 from plans by architect, George E. Haynes as a central high school, a single building where pupils from all over the city could be educated. The population growth of Chicopee in the early decades of the 20th century necessitated additions and reworking of the spaces of the building, eventually outgrowing the building after WWII. In 1961, plans for a contemporary high school were completed and this building became a middle school for the City of Chicopee. Architecturally, the building stands out for its siting and high-quality design. The main facade features a central clock tower which contains the main entrance. The use of brick with cast stone trim and the castellated parapet add much dimension to the large building. The City of Chicopee have done a commendable job maintaining this important landmark.

South Street Building // 1899

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One of the larger mercantile buildings in the Leather District of Boston is this turn-of-the-century block, historically known as the South Street Building. Bounded by three streets, this eight-story building was constructed in 1899 from plans by Winslow, Wetherill & Bigelow and is a great example of a Classical Revival style commercial block with Beaux Arts motifs to further decorate the facades. In 1901, as expected, the city directories list many leather and soft goods-related occupants in the building, including: The American Calfskin Leather Company, John F. Moore Co., leather dealer, and Charles D. French, leather remnants dealer. The building was renovated in 1990 and rebranded as Lincoln Plaza, becoming a major space for non-profit offices.

Lincoln Street Garage // 1956

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Few buildings in Boston showcase the evolution of its neighborhood (or bring out the architectural critics) quite as well as the Lincoln Street Garage in the Leather District of Boston. This Post-WWII mixed use building was originally constructed in 1956, on the former site of the United States Hotel (1839), one of the first major hotels in the nation, which was razed in 1930. The original building was designed by architect Archie Riskin, and stood three stories high with parking on half of the second floor and on the 3rd floor and roof. A fifth floor of office space was designed and constructed by 1959 also by Riskin. Due to its site at the edge of a historic commercial/industrial district and adjacent to the Central Artery, a raised highway that snaked its way through Downtown Boston, the building was minimally visible and faded away to obscurity until the late 1990s when the highway was buried under the city as part of the “Big Dig”. The open scar and subsequent re-greening of much of the former highway spaces necessitated the owners to re-work the building, due to its newfound gateway presence into the neighborhood. Brian Healey Architects renovated the building, adding an additional floor of offices and reworked facades. The result is a Post-war mixed-use hodgepodge of a building that expresses its use visually on each floor in a no-nonsense way, making it a unique urban building. Additionally the building has long been rented to small businesses, almost all Asian-owned with direct ties to the Chinatown and Leather District neighborhoods. Recent plans have been approved for a new office tower on the site and supported by preservation groups stating that “the existing garage is historically significant or beneficial to the neighborhood”, but to me, the further erasure of quirky buildings for more out-of-context developments is not the way to go.

Georgetown Peabody Library // 1907

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The Georgetown Peabody Library began on September 19, 1866, following a generous gift from George Peabody (1795-1869), a great man who is considered the father of modern philanthropy. George Peabody’s interest in the town was due to the fact that it was the birthplace of his mother, Judith (Dodge) Peabody, and for many years the home of his sister, Mrs. Judith Peabody Russell. Mr. Peabody decided to donate funds for the town’s first public library and also had 2400 books brought from London for its initial book collection. The wooden library building was designed by the Boston architectural firm of Bryant & Gilman and opened in 1869. After a few decades, the first library proved inadequate for the town’s needs and the present building was built with invested Peabody funds. In 1904, construction began on the new, present library building, a robust, brick structure in the Romanesque style with the firm of Cooper & Bailey furnishing the plans. The building has since been added onto as the town grew, but it retains its significance architecturally and historically for ties to Mr. George Peabody.

Mallett Hall // 1886

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Built in 1886, Mallett Hall is one of the most interesting and significant buildings in the small town of Pownal, Maine. The town is located equidistant to the larger cities of Portland, Brunswick, and Lewiston, but retains a very rural charm. This hall was built following a town meeting on March 15, 1886, where an article was approved to appoint a committee charged with developing plans and estimates for a new town hall. The hall is named after Edmund Mallett, a businessman who partially funded its construction. The architect is not officially known, but estimates guess it was the work of Francis Fassett, a popular architect at the time in the area. In addition to housing town offices and functions, it has also served as a community center, hosting social events. The Colonial Revival style building takes strong cues from Greek Revival meeting houses in the area but exhibits a Palladian window and fanlight in the pediment.

New Ipswich Congregational Church // 1903

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The New Ipswich Congregational Church was built in 1903, replacing the former 1813 Meeting House on the site, the fourth in the town, which stood here until a fire caused by lightning destroyed it in 1902. Interestingly, the design is more Victorian than Colonial Revival, which makes this church stand out amongst the village dominated by Georgian, Federal and Greek Revival style residences. The present building blends the Shingle style with Gothic elements with the tracery at the belfry and lancet windows. The architects were Gay & Proctor of Massachusetts who created a statement building with iconic tower that has been well-preserved by the congregation ever since.