{"nrhp_refnum":"83000566","name":"Allen Hotel","other_names":["Park Hotel"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"Wendell Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Pittsfield","county":"Berkshire County","state":"MA","lat":42.44876650300006,"lon":-73.25203344799996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1983-09-01","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Commerce","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A five-story buff brick hotel on Wendell Avenue Extension in downtown Pittsfield, Massachusetts, built in 1914-1915 as the Park Hotel to a design by Pittsfield architect Joseph McArthur Vance.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is the oldest remaining hotel in Pittsfield, the largest city in Berkshire County, and reflects the city's early 20th-century growth. It was designed by a prominent local architect and shows his personal handling of the Georgian Revival style. The site also held the home of Pittsfield's first minister, Rev. Thomas Allen.","narrative":"Built in 1914-1915 on a small downtown Pittsfield lot, this five-story buff brick hotel opened as the Park Hotel and was renamed the Allen Hotel in 1935. Architect Joseph McArthur Vance designed it for developers Louis Larouche and the Park Realty Company, who aimed to run a first-class American hotel for tourists and local patrons. Features include brick rustication on the lower floors, marble sills and belt courses, and a wide metal cornice that was noted as the most elaborate in the city when built. Inside, oak and mahogany woodwork survives, and the lobby is panelled in oak. The site once held the home of the Rev. Thomas Allen, Pittsfield's first minister. It is the oldest remaining hotel in the city and shows Vance's handling of Georgian Revival design. No significant exterior or public interior alterations have occurred, and conversion to apartments was under way when the nomination was prepared.","period_of_significance":"1900- (specific dates 1914-1915)","architect_builder":"Joseph McArthur Vance, Architect; Louis Larouche, Contractor/Developer","architectural_style":"Georgian Revival","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Described as being recycled for use as residential apartments, awaiting final approval under the Investment Tax Credits program; condition listed as excellent and unaltered.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:56.439879-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/90/7941/63794190/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/83000566.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83000566/a197565b10-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83000566/a197565b10-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Ivan Newton","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Allen_Hotel_in_Pittsfield,_Berkshire_County.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Ivan Newton</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Allen_Hotel_in_Pittsfield,_Berkshire_County.JPG"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"91001826","name":"Park Square Historic District (Boundary Increase)","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/massachusetts/park-square-historic-district-boundary-increase-91001826/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63794190","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allen_Hotel","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4731689"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/berkshire-county/allen-hotel-83000566/"}