Historic Structure Report: St. Joseph Hall (The Polish Club), Salem Maritime National Historic Site, Salem, Massachusetts

272 Pages·1998·13.7 MB·English

by  Carden, Marie

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JOSEPH HALL
ST.
(THE POLISH CLUB)
Salem Maritime National Historic Site
Salem, Massachusetts
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SAINT JOSEPH HALL
(THE POLISH CLUB)
HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT
Salem Maritime National Historic Site
Salem, Massachusetts
By
Marie L. Carden
Building Conservation Branch, Northeast Cultural Resources Center
Northeast Region, National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Lowell, Massachusetts
Written May 1989
Published 1998

TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF FIGURES AND CREDITS
viii
PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
xi
FOREWORD
xii
By David Kayser, Salem Maritime NHS
ADMINISTRATIVE DATA
I. 1
BUILDING STATUS
3
STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE 6
n. ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY 17
CHAIN OF TITLE 19
EVOLUTION OF OCCUPANCY AND USE
21
1909 21
1937-1938 23
1946-1947 23
1960s 24
1970s 25
HI. DESCRIPTION AND EVOLUTION 33
INTRODUCTION
35
THE SITE 36
SUMMARY DESCRIPTION 37
in
EXTERIOR ELEMENTS 38
General Information 38
South (Facade) Elevation 38
West Elevation 46
North Elevation 46
East Elevation 47
Roof 47
INTERIOR ELEMENTS 52
General Information 52
Basement 53
Overview 53
Room 001 (Front Room) 53
Room 002 (Kitchen) and Room 003 (Toilet Room) 54
Rooms 004-007 (Back Rooms) 54
Rooms 008-009 (Utility Closets) 54
Room 010 (West Center Stairway) 54
First Story 56
Overview 56
Room 101 (Club Room) 56
Room 102 (Front Stairway) 60
Rooms 103 (Foyer) and 104-105 (Small Rooms) 61
Rooms 106 and 113 (Toilet Rooms) 61
Rooms 107 and 110-112 61
Room 109 (Back Room) 61
Room 1 14 (Rear Stairway) 61
Second Story 67
Overview 67
Room 201 (Reception Hall) 67
Rooms 202 and 203 (Front Stair Hall and Stairway) 70
Rooms 204 and 208 (Toilet Rooms) 70
Room 205 (Rear Stair Hall) 70
Room 206 (Hat Check Room) and Room 207 (Cloak Room) 70
Room 209 (Rear Stairway) 71
IV
Third Story 83
Overview 83
Rooms 302, 303, and 305 (Apartment C) 84
Room 304 84
Rooms 306 and 314 (Apartment A) 84
Rooms 307-310 and 313 (Apartment B) 84
Room 311 (South Room) 84
Room 312 (Southwest Room) 85
Rooms 315-316 (Corridor and Rear Hall) 85
Attic 85
Summary Chronologies of Major Spaces
Room 101 (Club Room) 90
Room 201 (Reception Hall) 91
Stair Halls and Corridors 92
RECOMMENDATIONS
IV. 93
CHARACTER-DEFINING FEATURES
96
General Information 96
Exterior Elements 96
Overview 96
South (Derby Street) Elevation 97
West (Palfrey Court) Elevation 97
Other Features 97
Interior Elements 98
Overview 98
Basement 98
First Story 98
Second Story 99
Third Story 100
GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS
101
Exterior Elements 101
South (Facade) Elevation 101
West Elevation 103
North Elevation 104
East Elevation 105
Interior Elements 106
Basement 106
First Story 113
Second Story 122
Third Story 129
Attic 133
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ADAPTIVE USE PROPOSAL
135
BIBLIOGRAPHY
V. 137
APPENDICES
VI. 141
APPENDIX A. FABRIC ANALYSES 143
Al. Summary Paint Analysis 145
A2. Summary Mortar Analysis 147
A3. Summary Wallpaper Analysis 149
APPENDIX B. NATIONAL REGISTER NOMINATION FORM 151
APPENDIX C. EDWARD CARBERG REPORT 183
APPENDIX D. SALEM PROJECT ACTION PLAN
(Draft, September 1988) 197
APPENDIX E. TRIP REPORT/ADAPTIVE REUSE PROPOSAL 213
By Donald L. Cumberland, 1988
VI
APPENDIX F. OTHER SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS 229
Fl. Deeds and Related Material (1906, 1949, 1986) 231
F2. Building Department Documents 239
F3. Plate Glass Insurance Policy 247
F4. Asbestos Test 251
vn
LIST OF FIGURES AND CREDITS
Figure 1. Site plan for Polish Club building, 1988. Measured drawing by
Stopfel-Miller, Inc., 1989 9
Figure 2. Planning board map showing Polish Club building, rev. 1988. City of
MA
Salem, 10
Figure 3. Polish Club building: south (facade) elevation, ca. 1946.
Courtesy of Mr. and Mrs. Walter M. Mroz 11
Figure 4. Polish Club building: west elevation, with St. Joseph's Polish Drill
Team, ca. 1920. Salem Maritime NHS files 12
Figure 5. Derby Street, Salem, MA, facing northwest, ca. 1946. Polish Club
building is at far right (with awnings). Salem Maritime NHS archives 13
Figure 6. Storefront of an early commercial building, Albany, NY, ca. 1884.
Reprinted from American Victorian Architecture: A Survey ofthe 70's
and 80's in Contemporary Photographs, by Arnold Lewis and Keith
Morgan 14
Figure 7. Odd Fellows Hall, Cambridge, MA, 1884. Reprinted from American
Victorian Architecture: A Survey ofthe 70's and 80's in Contemporary
Photographs 15
Figure 8. Polish Club building: conjectural appearance of south elevation, 1909.
NPS drawing by Marie L. Carden, December 20, 1989 26
Figure 9. Polish Club building: conjectural first-floor plan, 1909-47. NPS
drawing by Marie L. Carden, 1989 27
Figure 10. Polish Club building: conjectural second-floor plan, 1909-70. NPS
drawing by Marie L. Carden, 1989 28
Figure 11. Polish Club building: south elevation, ca. 1939. Salem Maritime NHS
archives 29
Figure 12. Polish Club building: southwest corner, ca. 1939. Salem Maritime
NHS
archives 29
Figure 13. Derby Street scene, ca. 1940s. Salem Maritime NHS archives 30
Figure 14. Banquet in basement function room of the Polish Club, 1938. Salem
Maritime NHS archives 31
vin