Crowley House
Why it's listed
Built around 1830 at 365 West Main Street in North Adams, this house is a rare local example of the transition from Federal to Greek Revival architecture. Its plan is typical of Greek Revival work, with a central section whose full pediment faces the street and two flanking wings that are not fully symmetrical. All three entrances have Doric pilasters supporting an entablature, and Greek fret moldings surround the main door. A lunette in the gable and thin, delicate moldings point to a carpenter more used to the older Federal style. The first known owner, Monroe Temple, was an architect-builder who lost the property through debt in the 1860s. Later owners included John A. Doane, Edmund Rice, Henry A. Tower and David Crowley, a mill cloth finisher, who owned it from 1884 into the early twentieth century. The house appears to have long been a rental. Despite its aluminum siding, it remains an unusual early nineteenth-century survivor in the city.
Significance in brief: The house is considered a locally rare surviving example of transitional Federal and Greek Revival design. It has a Greek Revival plan and details, but its lunette and delicate moldings suggest a builder trained in the Federal style. It is also seen as one of the oldest surviving buildings of architectural distinction in the city.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 85003414, listed October 25, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 365 W. Main St., North Adams |
|---|---|
| County | Berkshire County |
| Listed | October 25, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85003414 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival/Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is apartments; aluminum siding was added over the original clapboard. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.69976, -73.12744 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 85003414.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5189271
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.