ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION:

This Italianate style building has three stories, an asphalt shingle roof and has been minimally altered. The first floor has three-bays and a center entrance. On the upper floors there are five bays. It is brick construction laid up in plain bond with red mortar. It has a flat roof with two tiers of brick corbelling for cornice, above a projecting belt course. There are brick piers at corners and flanking center bay with a projecting belt course between the first and second floors. There is stone banding at second floor window sill level. There are arched window openings on the upper floors with soldier course headers. There are stone window sills on the left side with cast stone window sills on the right side. There are three brick pilasters on the right side and two centered on the left side. There is a recessed center entrance with Roman-arched opening which is flanked by two storefronts, each with recessed entrances between display windows. There are tall, narrow display windows that wrap around the corner–one each side. The center entrance has double doors with one-light windows and paneling below. There is a concrete foundation and a brick-walled courtyard behind the building.

HISTORICAL NARRATIVE: 

This commercial block was built by William Mahanna, who was also responsible for other commercial structures in Lenox, including the Mahanna Hotel (50 Church Street). In 1909 fire swept through Lenox’s business section destroying most of the wood-frame buildings. The brick Mahanna Block survived, although the interior was gutted by the fire (The Berkshire Eagle, April 12, 1909).

Currently the building is used for stores, offices and apartments and since 1998 has been owned by Bruni Butschek-Beckmann.

BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES:

1st depicted on 1905 Sanborn Map

The Berkshire Eagle, April 12, 1909

Lenox Assessor’s database 2012