Based on Surveys Completed 2011-2012 by the Lenox Historical Commission
ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION:
This Italianate style building has two stories, an asphalt shingle roof and has been significantly altered. It is a wood frame, gable roof building with wood shingle siding. It has an early entrance door with arched double windows & arched sidelights in the door surround.
The roof overhang and façade organization do not suggest Federal period as older photo shows back wall chimneys. Original documentation seems to rely on hearsay. Physical inspection of style building is needed to confirm the year of construction.
This building was originally a modest 3-bay Federal Style house with 6 over 6 windows typical of the Period. An Italianate entrance canopy with pendants and brackets was probably added in the 1860’s as was the bracketed side porch which was later enclosed. The picture window in the front façade has altered the balance of the original Federal design.
HISTORICAL NARRATIVE:
This house is said to have originally stood on Main Street and moved to its present site to make room for the Second County Courthouse in 1815. The house was owned and probably built by the Stanley family. John Stanley, a carpenter may have been responsible for the Italianate porches added to the house in the 1860’s.
In 1868, John Stanley sold the “house lot and dwelling thereon” on Church Street “opposite the Episcopalian Church” (then located at the current 25 Church Street) to Edmund Spencer (who had sold the Spencer Homestead on Walker Street at the present site of 109 Walker) in 1864. Edmund Spencer was a harness-maker and was probably employed at one of the livery stable-blacksmith complexes on Church Street at that time.
The property was purchased by Timothy Doherty in 1984 and then by Lenox Realty Corp. in 1999.
BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES:
Berkshire Middle Registry of Deeds Book 197 Page 327
County Atlas of Berkshire, Mass. F.W. Beers, 1876
Atlas of Berkshire Country, Mass. Barnes & Farnham 1904
Gazetteer of Berkshire County, Mass. Hamilton Child, 1885
Lenox Assessor’s database 2011
