Amherst Central Business District (Boundary Increase)
Also known as: "The Lord Jeff"
Why it's listed
Lord Jeffery Inn, at 30 Boltwood Avenue in Amherst, is a Colonial Revival hotel of red brick under a black slate roof. It faces the Amherst Common and steps down Spring Street in four blocks that read as separate but attached buildings. Details include Classical entry porches, a Palladian window, a denticulated cornice, dormers and iron balconies. Amherst College alumni drove the creation of the inn, which opened on June 3, 1926, after construction began in 1925 at a cost of about $378,790. Caper Ranger Construction Company of Holyoke served as general contractor, and L. G. Treadway was the first manager. The inn offered private dining rooms for class dinners and a large dining room that could be enlarged for Commencement. Local residents and tourists were also expected to use it. Later changes, such as enclosed porches and galleries, did not appreciably alter the original design. It is included as a boundary increase to the Amherst Central Business District.
Significance in brief: The inn was built to serve Amherst College alumni, visitors and commencement gatherings, and also to serve townspeople and tourists. It was financed by the Amherst Inn Company and praised on opening for its rambling Georgian and colonial design. The excerpt available does not include the full statement of significance or the criteria marked.
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 11000585, listed August 24, 2011. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 30 Boltwood Ave., Amherst |
|---|---|
| County | Hampshire County |
| Listed | August 24, 2011 |
| Reference number | 11000585 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | Caper Ranger Construction Company of Holyoke, general contractor (architect not named in the excerpt) |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Community Planning and Development, Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The building is listed with hotel as both its historic and current function. Alterations since 1926 include enclosed galleries and porches, vinyl replacement shutters and a modified Block 3 on Spring Street. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Dickinson Historic District |
| Coordinates | 42.37654, -72.51792 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 11000585.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4746016
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.