Freeman's Grove Historic District

Freeman's Grove is a hillside neighborhood of 136 buildings just north of North Adams' river-side industrial center. Land owned by the Freeman Manufacturing Company stayed undeveloped until the area was platted into streets and lots in January 1887. Most houses went up between 1887 and 1894 as tenements, duplexes and a few single-family homes for mill workers, shopkeepers and small-business owners. Few were architect-designed. Local builders often adapted mail-order plans from firms such as the George F. Barber Company and Palliser, Palliser & Co., adding local millwork, corner towers and multi-tier porches. Queen Anne and Stick Style detailing dominates, with earlier Greek Revival and Italianate houses along Eagle Street and Chase Hill, and a few Colonial Revival houses from the 1890s. Construction ended soon after 1900, and no mid-20th century intrusions occur. The district is valued for its intact character and its link to the city's industrial growth.