592 East St., Fedediah Foster-Rufus Parker House-c.1837
From Surveys Completed 2011-2012 by the Lenox Historical Commission
ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION:
This Federal period farmhouse is wood framed, two stories tall, with a 5-bay, center entrance. It is two bays deep and has a gable roof clad in asphalt shingles. There is a brick center chimney (which looks to have been rebuilt). The house is sided with wood clapboard and has narrow corner boards. A relatively simple door surround has a lipped header and 5-light transom (no sidelights). A hipped-roof porch extends along the full right side of the house and wraps around to the rear. A 2-story ell extends from the left rear corner of the house and from it a larger cross-gabled 2-story rear ell. The foundation is constructed of large stones and it has a wood watertable above it. The 8-over-12 double hung sash windows look to be intact. A low stone retaining wall is in front of the house.
HISTORICAL NARRATIVE:
Fedediah Foster built a log house in 1788 near the present home. It burned as a result of a lighted candle igniting wool and flax store in the loft. Foster replaced it with a gambrel roofed house located at the foot of Foster Hill. It stood on the east side of the road opposite James Hutchinson’s Lime Kilns. Foster died in 1819 and his son Thomas lived there until 1835. It was sold to Rufus Parker who redid the library to update the older 1837 house.
Originally a farm, the building’s occupants contributed to the exploration/settlement, agriculture, architectural themes as well as community development.
Registry shows building to have changed ownership as follows:
Richard Clark: 1854, William Burns
Walling: 1858, H. Dewey
Beers: 1876, Rufus Parker
Barns & Farnum: 1904, H.M. Parker (Mercy)
The property was acquired by Robert E. Brownlow in 1994 and then by Thomas R. Czelusniak in 1995
BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES
Maps
The East Street Book, pg. 12-13, photo pg. 120
Middle Berkshire Registry of Deeds, Pittsfield, MA
15 Cliffwood St., Francis D. Farley House – c. 1850
From Surveys Completed 2011-2012 by the Lenox Historical Commission
ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION:
This is a two-story, three bay, wood frame house designed in a Picturesque style—transitional between Gothic Revival and Italianate. It has a cross-gable roof with asbestos shingles. There are two interior brick chimneys. The front gable of the main house is pedimented with dentils. A dentil band on the cornice surrounds the house. Attic windows have Roman arches. There are corner pilasters and it is clad with wood clapboard on the first and second floors, with shingles on the gables. A wrap-around porch from front to right side has two pediments–one at the main entry and a larger one at its right edge. There is a polygonal section in the rear with a millwork frieze and nine sculpted posts. Its railing is rectilinear in design with incised square panels between horizontal rails with short spindles between. It has a dentil band at the cornice below its hipped roof. A matching second porch extends along the front of the recessed left side with a cross-gabled ell. A two-story rear ell extends off the left side ell. The windows are 2-o-2 double hung with lipped and molded headers and authentic window blinds. The first floor windows on the left facade have molded hoods. It has an intact wood front door with two tall windows over two panels.
CARRIAGE BARN: A two-story two-bay carriage barn, c. 1900, is located to the right and rear of the house. It has a front gable roof and is clad with wood shingles. There is a pent over the sliding doors of the vehicle bays. It has been converted to living space. A millwork picket fence extends along the front property line/Cliffwood St. right-of-way. A stone hitching post is located in the median immediately in front of the house.
The current building foot print matches that depicted on the 1854 Clark Map; lot is labeled “F. D. Farley.” The 1876 Beers Map labels the property “W. I Washburn.”
HISTORICAL NARRATIVE:
This house was owned by Francis and Jennie Farley until the year 1864. In 1864 the property was sold to Mr. and Mrs. William Washburn. The Washburn’s lived there until 1883 when they sold the property to Mr. Bernard N. Duclos. The Duclos family were in residence at the property until 1949. Executors of the will of Bernard Duclos, Cyrille D. Duclos and Herbert J. Klipp, sold the house to Mr. and Mrs. Philip Bashara in that same year. The Bashara’s sold the property in 1984 to Andrew and Lilla Weinberger. The Weinbergers operated their home as a bed and breakfast until they sold to Ms. Rhoda Drowell in 1986 who also operated it as a bed and breakfast (The Amadeus House). The house was sold to Martha Gottron in 1993. It was sold to
Gray Ellrodt in 2000 and was acquired by the Marianne D. Ellrodt Trust in 2011.
From Surveys Completed 2011-2012 by the Lenox Historical Commission
ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION:
This is a two-story, three-bay wide house, three bays deep, in the Classical Revival style. It was constructed of steel reinforced concrete and clad with two-toned brick in a plain or headerless bond with brown mortar. Yellow brick has been used for quoining and trim. Window sills are of cast stone. It has a flat roof with modillions on the wide overhanging eaves and a dentil band below. The front facade is symmetrically organized and dominated by a two-story entrance pavilion with arched openings, having faux brick keystones, on the front and sides of the first floor. The side openings are glazed with 12 lights each. Its second floor is a sun porch with rectangular openings. On the right side is a one-story entry vestibule, also with a flat roof with rough-faced stones up to the side door. The left side has a two-story canted bay window along with an exposed brick side wall chimney with quoining just in front of it. The windows appear to be intact: 1-o-1 double hung sashes. The foundation is concrete. A detached one-stall garage that matches the house in materials and architectural details is located to the right and rear of the house. However, the mortar color is a standard grey and an overhead door has been installed. The house is intact with the only noticeable change being the addition of a wood deck in the rear.
This house is first depicted on the 1939 Sanborn Map. The 1911 Sanborn illustrates a house with a different footprint, which indicates the current house must have replaced it.
HISTORICAL NARRATIVE:
Mr. Joseph Clifford built this house for his two sisters and a brother: Florence, Annie, and Albert. Their nieces, Beatrice and Coralie Clifford lived in the house from 1950 until 1979. The house left the Clifford family in 1979 when it was sold to Mr. Mathew Merritt, Jr. Mr. Merritt sold the house to Sharon R. Simons. In 1985 Mr. and Mrs. Alan Robertson bought the home.
In 1993 the property was owned by Brock Wilkerson. Christine Parke Wilkerson acquired the property in 2005.
16 Cliffwood St., Dr. Bernard McKay House – c. 1885
From Surveys Completed 2011-2012 by the Lenox Historical Commission
ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION:
This two-story, wood-framed house displays the classic architectural features of the Queen Anne style with its asymmetrical organization, multiple roof lines—the main one being hipped, variety of cladding—wood shingle and clapboard, projecting bays, and wrap-around porch. It has wide overhanging eaves with scroll sawn brackets at the corners of the gables and decorative verge boards. Gable roofs project from all four sides and it has an interior brick chimney. A porch with hipped roof, eight turned posts and a spindled frieze wraps around to the right side. The porch railing features arches with a rectilinear pattern below. On the left side of the front facade is a projecting two-story, oriel that is canted on the first floor, square on the second, covered by a projecting front gable with paired scroll sawn brackets below. To its right is a two-story front gabled bay above the front porch that extends up to the attic level, with a fanlight attic window. A recessed right ell has paired windows at the mid-floor level (indicating a stair landing on the interior) and a two-story gable roof extension with paired windows on the second floor right side and box bay window below. There is a large two-story rear ell. Windows are 6-o-6 and 4-o-4 and appear to be intact, outfitted with authentic window blinds. The foundation is of large rough-faced stones. A carriage barn with board and batten occupies the rear yard. It has a gambrel roof with flared overhanging eaves, clipped ridge, and cupola vent atop. A front wall dormer with clipped gable and intact hay door is at the center of its front facade. It has intact sliding doors, flanked by 6-o-6 windows with window hoods. A wood picket fence runs along the front property line (Cliffwood Street right-of-way).
HISTORICAL NARRATIVE:
This property is labeled “J. W. Cooney” on the 1876 Beers Map, without a house. The house is depicted on the 1905 Sanborn Map. (Earlier Sanborn maps are limited to center of Lenox.)
The hoyearsuse was built in 1880 by Dr. Bernard McKay. Between 1905 and 1920 the house was owned by Mr. Daniel Griswold. The house was in the Jaques family for many years and then sold to Kevin E. Lord in 2006 and then to Robert Ciraldo in 2007.
From Surveys Completed 2011-2012 by the Lenox Historical Commission
ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION:
This wood-framed, Queen Anne-style house has two stories and three front bays. It has a hipped roof and brick side wall chimney on the left facade. The house is clad with wood clapboard and shingles—the shingles being used for accents and banding. The asymmetrically organized front facade has a projecting front gabled bay on the right side, with pent between the attic and second floor, and 10-o-2 attic window. A cylindrical two-story tower with conical roof is located at the left front corner and has a band of fish-scale shingles between the first and second floor windows. A porch extends across ¾ of the front facade and has a fish-scale shingled kneewall. Above it is a curved balcony with newer spindled balustrade in front of a recessed second floor porch with arched opening. A porte cochere extends from the left facade; its shed roof has a pent and slightly concave triangular supports in a sunburst design. On the right facade is a bow window topped with a balcony having a spindled balustrade. Windows are 2-o-1 double hung sashes. The foundation is stone. A 1½-story carriage barn is located behind the house. It has a gable roof clad with slate shingles and a clipped front gable wall dormer in which a large window is flanked by two smaller windows. Like the house it is clad with both wood clapboard (first floor) and fish scale wood shingles on the upper floors and has corner boards. The vehicle bay has been infilled. The driveway has brick pavers edged with bluestone.
HISTORICAL NARRATIVE:
Depicted on 1905 Sanborn Map.
This house was the home of the Newton and Sharp families until 1938. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Dee bought the house in 1938. Mrs. Dee sold the house in 1965 to Mr. and Mrs. Robert Blafield. In 2003, it was sold to Thomas C. Wessel and Margaret McTeigue.
From Surveys Completed 2011-2012 by the Lenox Historical Commission
ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION:
This building exhibits the Renaissance Revival style but with an eclectic mix of details—Roman to Colonial Revival. It is two stories with a symmetrically organized, center entrance, five-bay, articulated front facade. The wood-framed house has been resided with either vinyl clapboard. It has a hipped roof clad with asphalt shingles and having shed and gabled dormers. The cornice has a band of small dentils. There are three brick chimneys—one a front wall chimney, one on the interior and one on the side wall between the main house and a two-story left side ell. An entrance portico has curved sides to a projecting center entry section, paired Ionic columns, modillions on its eaves and swag decorations on the frieze. The front door surround has short, ½-length sidelights and transom with Roman-styled cross-in-circle design for the leaded glass. The intact front door has a three-light window above six square panels in three rows.
On the second floor over the entrance portico is an arcade with seven openings having fanlight transoms and 3-o-3 windows. A small shed dormer with four horizontal windows at the roof peak is also centered above the entrance. Flanking the center entrance portico are two-story pedimented pavilions with modillions. These have single double hung windows with elaborate pedimented headers in a shell design. The outer bays of the main house have paired windows on the second floor with swag decorations on aprons. A single first floor window below each second floor pair has arched broken pediments with urn at center and Ionic pilasters. A two-story, two-bay-wide, hipped-roof wing off the left side is slightly recessed. The windows appear to be intact and primarily 6-o-2 double hung with molded trim. A rear one-story glazed porch with hipped roof extends across the entire width of the main house and has an exposed basement below with tuck-under garages. The house has a stone foundation. A metal exterior spiral stairway/fire escape from a right-side dormer has been added. A semi-circular driveway off Cliffwood Street is centered on the front entry and has paneled masonry piers topped with lantern light fixtures flanking the two entrances. A metal fence extends between and beyond them along the front property line. Chain-link fencing encompasses the lot on the remaining sides. There is an in-ground swimming pool in the back yard. The property contains a variety of mature deciduous and coniferous trees and shrubs.
The house was designed by George Thomas Tilden (3/19/1845 – 7/10/1919)
“Well known architect in Boston, associated in partnership with Arthur Rotch from 1880 to 1895, subsequently practiced alone until four years prior to his decease. He was born at Concord, N. H., son of William Tilden, noted Unitarian clergyman in Boston, and received an early education a Phillips Exeter Academy. Taking up Architecture as a profession, the young man began his training in the Boston office of Ware & VanBrunt. After attending classes at Lowell Institute (forerunner of M. I. T. in Boston) Mr. Tilden continued his studies in Paris in Atlier Vaudremer of the Ecole Des Beaux Arts.
In 1880 he opened an office in Boston under the firm name of Rotch & Tilden, and over a period of fifteen years the partners maintained one of the most active architectural offices in New England. They also designed buildings in New York, Washington, D. C. and Charleston, S. C. In Massachusetts the more important examples of the firm’s work include the Town Hall in Milton, Sargent Normal School and Gymnasium at Cambridge, the Art Museum, Wellesley College, Plymouth High School, Jesup Hall at Williams College, Williamstown, Public Library in Billerica, the Blue Hills Observatory, Milton, and the American Legion Building in Boston. Mr. Tilden was also identified with the design of many suburban homes, among them “Ventfort Hall” and “Belvoir” on estates in Lenox.
In 1915 Mr. Tilden closed his office in Boston and retired to his home in Milton, a town in which he had resided for more than forty years, participating actively in civic affairs. In his professional career he had been a member of the Boston Society of Architects after 1876, and since 1889 a Fellow of the Institute. In 1895, following the death of Arthur Rotch, Tilden was appointed Trustee of the Traveling Scholarship Fund established by the latter.”
HISTORICAL NARRATIVE:
Known as Osceola, it was built by Mr. and Mrs. Edward Livingston in 1889. Mrs. Dwight Collier bought the house from the Livingston’s. Mrs. Augusta Dee Whitman lived in the house until 1966 when she sold the house that became a retreat house to General Electric Co. In 1969, John and Marlene McCarthy lived in the house. The McCarthy’s sold the house in 1979 to the Backers who resided there until 1983. Set Seven Corporation owned the property from 1983 until 1986 when Joy and E. Scotty Farrelly bought the property. The Farrelly’s have used the house as a bed and breakfast called Cliffwood Inn and as a residence.
BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES:
Registry of Deeds
Joy and Scotty Farrelly
Lenox Town Records
Town Assessor’s Report
Lenox Assessor’s database
Houses of the Berkshires, Revised Edition 2011, p288
Great Estates Preservation Options, August 2000, p15 Date Constructed
From Surveys Completed 2011-2012 by the Lenox Historical Commission
ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION:
This 2-story, 3-bay, wood-framed house was designed in the Italianate style. However, many of its original architectural features have been lost in its remodeling and conversion to a multi-family dwelling. It has a cross-gable roof with asphalt shingles and has eave returns, molded verge boards, and simple cornice. There is a small interior brick chimney. It is sided with wood clapboard. A reconstructed porch, having a hipped roof, newer spindled railing, and plain pillars, wraps from the front around to a 2-story ell right side with cross-gabled roof. There are molded window hoods without the ornate brackets one would expect to see. A rear entry far back on the left side has a shed-roofed porch. The foundation is stone. Changes made to the house include fanlight attic windows in the gables replacing the original and replaced windows and doors throughout, some of the openings altered. A large addition to the rear was made, replacing a small 1-story rear ell. A wood deck on the right side extending back from the right side ell was constructed. A balcony was added above the right side of the wrap-around porch and entrances added to the front facade. A large parking area occupies a large portion of the rear lot. The house at 34 Cliffwood St. looks to have been built as a twin to this house and still retains many of the Italianate features this house has lost.
NOTE: The 1876 Beers Map has this lot labeled “I. J. Newton” with only a shop depicted in the rear portion of the property. Thus the construction date is after that year.
Further deed research is recommended.
HISTORICAL NARRATIVE:
This house had been the homestead of the Crosby’s, the Gilmore’s, and the Felton’s for many years. In 1895 it was the home of Frank and Anna Crosby Gilmore. The Gilmore’s passed the house onto their daughter and her family, Harold and Lucy Gilmore Felton. It was purchased by Miriam P. Hirsch on May 29, 1973 and then by Thomas C. Wessel on October 4, 2002.
From Surveys Completed 2011-2012 by the Lenox Historical Commission
ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION:
This is a two-story, three-bay wood-framed house that appears to have been renovated about 40 years after its construction to reflect its current Queen Anne styling. It has a front gable roof of asphalt shingles. There is a small brick center chimney as well as a second center chimney in the two-story rear ell that angles out to the right from the rear. The siding is wood clapboard on the first and second floors, with wood shingles in the gables. A pent is located between the attic and second floor levels. There are a pair of 12-o-2 attic windows and other windows are intact 2-o-2 double hung sashes. A full front porch has four turned and fluted posts, two matching pilasters, and millwork railing and frieze. A second floor balcony with front gable roof and clapboard kneewall projects over the left half of the front porch. The front door has a simple door surround with molded header but features a Queen Anne-style window (small square colored panes surrounding a larger clear square light) over four panels. The foundation is stone but has been parged with concrete.
NOTE: This house with an angled rear ell is depicted on the 1854 Clark Map (its size indicates it probably included an attached barn). On the 1876 Beers Map the property with house is labeled “Miss Warner.”
HISTORICAL NARRATIVE:
This property is believed to be the past property of Michael O’Brien. In 1901 Chloe E. Warner died and Thomas Rohan bought the property. Richard O’Brien owned the property until his death in 1948. His sister Mary Forrest and her husband George lived there until 1955 when the house was sold to Mr. and Mrs. Charles Meyer. The Meyers sold the house in 1979. In 1986 Mr. Nathan Winstanley bought the property and used it for office space. As of 1989 the property was owned by Doralene Davis and as of 2000 it was owned by Marc Rosenthal and was again being used as a residence.
BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES:
1854 Clark Map, 1876 Beers Map
Town Assessor’s Report and Other Lenox Town Records
This is an intact wood-framed, 2-story house in the Italianate style. The front gable roof has asphalt shingles (a minimal alteration), eave returns, and scroll sawn double brackets at the eaves. It also has gabled dormers on its right side, with eave returns and double brackets. There are two brick chimneys—one at the center and another at the ridgeline, further back on the roof. The house has a 3-bay front facade and is clad with wood clapboard. A round- or Roman-arched 2-o-2 attic window in the gable of the front facade has small brackets below its sill and a round molded header. Nine chamfered pillars with scroll sawn braces and small brackets distinguish its wrap-around porch that extends back to a recessed 2-story right side ell. The second floor windows on the gable ends have heavy molded headers with small bracket supports. A one-story canted bay window on the right side of the right side ell has a hipped roof canopy, the overhang of which is supported by angled brackets. A porte-cochere is located about halfway back on the left side, with chamfered pillars, hipped roof, small brackets and millwork frieze. The house has a stone foundation.
A gabled, wood framed barn occupies the rear yard. An arbor with overgrown shrubberies is located in the front yard as an entrance.
NOTE: This lot is depicted on the 1876 Beers Map, with “J. S. Ross” labeled.
HISTORICAL NARRATIVE:
This house was the homestead of the Crosbys the Gilmores, and the Feltons for many years. In 1895, it was the home of Frank and Anna Crosby Gilmore. The Gilmores passed the house on to their daughter and her family, Harold and Lucy Gilmore Felton. It was owned by Kennan Ann Felton who sold it in 1996 to Jean F. Richmond who sold it to Sibylle Baier in 1998.
From Surveys Completed 2011-2012 by the Lenox Historical Commission
ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION:
This is a 2-story, 2-bay-wide and 4-bay-deep Classical Revival-style house of wood frame construction. It has a front gable roof covered in asphalt shingles, is clad with wood clapboard, and has corner boards. One of two original interior brick chimneys remains. The front facade is dominated by a 2-story canted bay window that has narrow pilasters, paired pilasters alternating with shingles, between the windows. A wrap-around porch extends from the bay window around the left side of the house back to a 2-story cross-gabled ell, well back from the front facade. It has chamfered pillars and millwork railing. The intact wood front door has a window above panels. The window headers are lipped on the first floor front facade, but more heavily molded on the sides and upper stories. There is a mix of intact and replaced windows; the 2-over-2 windows appear to be original. A rear porch extending along the width of the house has been enclosed/glazed. The foundation is of rough-faced cut stone. A picket fence runs along the front property line.
NOTE: Although there is a building depicted in this location on the 1854 Clark Map (labeled Wd. Dunbar”) it probably was replaced by the current building, which is depicted on the 1876 Beers Map and labeled “Mrs. A. Root.”
HISTORICAL NARRATIVE:
This property was owned by Mary Cooper until 1867 when she sold it to Sarah Root. Miss Root sold the property to Mr. and Mrs. Frances H. Cooke in 1877. After the Cookes came Catherine Snyder, who lived there until 1883. George R. Markham owned the property from 1883-1901. Mr. Robert Richards bought the property in 1901 and remained the owner until 1915. Mr. Thomas J. Kearnin owned the property briefly between 1915-1916. He sold to Marion L. Richards who owned until 1929. In 1929 Mr. and Mrs. Maurice Nugent bought the property. Mr. Nugent was a freight train worker for the Lenox Station. The Nugents owned the property until 1986 when the property was titled to their nephew, Mr. Charles Fuore. In 1997 it was owned by Philip R. Coleman who sold it to John J. Donohue in 2003. Mr. Donohue sold it to Valerie W. Ryan in 2004.
