From Surveys Completed 2011-2012 by the Lenox Historical Commission

ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION:

This Gothic Revival style building has two stories, an asphalt shingle roof and is intact. It is a 3-bay, wood frame with a front gable roof, brick interior chimney and wood clapboard siding. The front porch wraps to the right side and the building has 2-over-2 windows.

A modest gable-front house, similar to those built in Lenox throughout the second half of the 19^th century. The wrap-around porch is a characteristic method of expanding this type of house, and was probably added after the building’s completion.

HISTORICAL NARRATIVE:

“M. Sadler” on 1854 Clark Map. “K. Crocket” on 1876 Beers Map with rectangular footprint. The present footprint is depicted on the 1893, 1898 & 1905 Sanborn Maps.

This house was built on one of the lots sold by Henry Cook in the 1840’s, when he subdivided his meadowland. Freeman Gates purchased the property in 1848, and built this house shortly thereafter. The house subsequently passed to his son, William Freeman Gates, who in 1872 was declared insane by the court and was no longer allowed to hold property. Daniel Kendall, appointed his guardian, was empowered to sell “all interests of Gates (it being a bare legal title therein the same real estate having been purchased by Martin Sadler in the lifetime of Freeman Gates and paid for but not deeded by reason of some neglect or oversight)”. Perhaps because of the dubious nature of Gate’s ownership, the highest bid on the property was one dollar, submitted by Lorenzo D. Crockett and his son Keziah. The Crocketts ran the stagecoach service from Pittsfield to Lenox, and retained ownership of the house until 1896, when they sold it to Matthew J. Colbert, keeping part of the lot as a site for a new house (21 Franklin St.).

The property was purchased by Mary V. McDermott on November 28, 1989.

BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES:

1854 Clark Map, 1876 Beers Map, 1893, 1898 and 1905 Sanborn Maps

Registry of Deeds, Pittsfield, MA 128.135, 217.1, 298.129

Gazetteer of Berkshire County, 1885

Lenox assessor’s database 2012

From Surveys Completed 2011-2012 by the Lenox Historical Commission

ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION:

This Colonial Revival style building has two stories, an asphalt shingle roof and has been altered. It is a 2-bay wood frame with a front gable roof with eave returns. It has wood clapboard (front) & shingle (sides) siding. There are corner boards and an original 2-o-2 attic window. There are paired windows on the second floor. A full front porch was added c.1895 and there is a rear porch with a shed roof.

HISTORICAL NARRATIVE:

Originally owned by William Jenne, a Lenox builder who may have built the house himself. The house is notable for having survived the 1909 Easter fire, which destroyed much of this block, including three houses just south of this one on Church St.

It was first depicted on the 1893 Sanborn Map.

The property was purchased by Richard W. Wise in 1994.

BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES:

Sanborn Maps

Registry of Deeds, Pittsfield 250.432

Lenox Assessor’s database 2012

From Surveys Completed 2011-2012 by the Lenox Historical Commission

ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION:

The original features of this mid-nineteenth century house have been removed or obscured by later alterations. This undetermined style building has two stories, a slate roof and has been significantly altered. It originally had a 3-bay front façade. There is a cross-gable roof, brick center chimney and appears to retain some original 6-o-6 windows. It has a brick foundation.

HISTORICAL NARRATIVE:

This house was built on a lot purchased from Henry Cook in 1853. The Stanley’s, in partnership with James O’Brien, ran a meat market housed in the adjacent building (which is now 86 Church St.).

The property was developed and maintained by the Stanley family.

In 1975 Brooks Butler purchased the property, opened Hamlet antiques and rented out space to two other shops sponsored by Berkshire Country Day School called Just a Second (second hand clothes) and Plain and Fancy (a boutique).

In 1977 Butler sold the building to Honey Sharp who did extensive renovations and ran The Ganesh Gallery and Restaurant.

In 1990 the property was purchased by the 90 Church Street Corp. The restaurant is presently Café Lucia.

BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES:

1854 Clark Map, 1876 Beers Map

Local histories

Registry of Deeds, Pittsfield, MA 137.515

Gazetteer of Berkshire County 1725-1885, Hamilton Child, 1885

Atlas of Berkshire County Mass., Barns and Farnham, 1904

Sanborn Insurance Maps: 1898, 1905, 1911

Lenox Assessor’s database 2012

From Surveys Completed 2011-2012 by the Lenox Historical Commission

Note:  There were two buildings on this site – formerly 83 and 87 Church St. – now combined into one address: 71 Church St.

The Former 83 Church St. – W.S. Smith House

ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION:

This Colonial Revival style building has two stories, an asphalt shingle roof and has been altered. 3-bay; center entrance wood frame; gable roof; 1-pile deep w/2-story cross-gabled rear ell; wood clapboard siding . The 1920 date is a reasonable estimate although architecturally it appears to be a bit earlier & could be as early as 1912; bldg depicted on 1898 & 1905 Sanborn maps is gone on 1911 Sanborn; on lot labeled “W. S. Smith” on 1876 Beers Map.

HISTORICAL NARRATIVE:

Built as a two-family house on the site of a building owned by Joseph Regnier, which was destroyed in the 1909 Easter fire.

Property was purchased by Charles L. Flint in 1983 and then by Serge Paccaud in 2001.

BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES:

1898, 1905, 1911 and 1932 Sanborn Maps, 1876 Beers Map

Lenox Assessor’s database 2012

The Former 87 Church St. – Bailey Barn

ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION:

This Craftsman/Colonial Revival style building has two stories, an asphalt shingle roof and has been altered. It is a 2-bay wood frame structure with wood clapboard siding with corner boards. The front gable roof has a shed dormer on the left side. There is a brick interior chimney and the full front porch wraps to the left side to connect with the porch on the attached neighboring house. It has pillars, angled braces and millwork railing. Above is a second story gable roof porch with Doric columns and a clapboard kneewall. There is a set of 3 windows on the first and second floors of the front façade. The rear porch wraps around from the left side.

HISTORICAL NARRATIVE:

A building in this site belonging to Joseph Regnier was destroyed in the 1909 Easter fire. This two-family house was built sometime after 1911, at a time when Church St. was still lined with modest single- and two-family houses that were home to the people who worked in the immediate area.

One of the older structures still standing and expanded upon. Since the turn of the century its inhabitants were a major influence in the development and commerce of Lenox.

During the early 20^th century this land provided one of the several blacksmith shops which cared for the estates of Lenox.

It is possible that this structure was originally a barn and not a dwelling. The date would then go back to c. 1830 and we could rightly call it the Bailey Barn, built by Caleb Bailey, according to the Registry of Deeds.

Property was purchased by Charles L. Flint in 1983 and then by Serge Paccaud in 2001.

BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES:

Registry of Deeds of Berkshire County

Probate Court (Pittsfield)

Maps of 1904, 1900, 1876, 1854

Assessor’s Records of Lenox

Berkshire Gazetteer 1725-1885

Pittsfield-Lenox Directory 1909-1912

Lenox Assessor’s database 2012