by Laurel | February 10th, 2014
March 1927
Benjamin F. Perkins House
1308 Northampton St. (Corner Lexington Ave.)
English Revival, Built 1927
Public records describe this house as 6 bedroom, 3 full baths, 1 partial bath, 4,270 sq ft, Single-Family Home on about a one-third acre lot. This house was featured in the Springfield Republican in March of 1927 with the following description:
“The illustration below shows the home of B. F. Perkins, Jr., recently built on Northampton Street, Holyoke. The stucco is laid in Old English style in keeping with the English type of house, and is tinted brown in harmony with the brown wood trimmings. Brick and limestone lend a special element of ornamentation to the front doorway. Entrance is through a vestibule to the reception hall. The living room on the right is 16½ by 31 feet, with beamed ceiling, and connects directly with the sun room. The reception hall, front staircase, living room and library are finished in gum wood. The library is wainscoted to the ceiling and the reception hall and dining room part way up. Walls are in rough plaster, tinted and finished in a style to harmonize with the general design of the house. The living room has a marble fireplace, and in the library and sun room are tiled fireplaces. On the ground floor, besides the floors already mentioned, are the kitchen, a breakfast room, butler’s pantry and food pantry, service stair hall and lavatory.On the second floor are the master bedroom with bath, guest room with bath and two other bedrooms with a third bath. Woodwork on this floor is finished in ivory. There are two maids’ bedrooms with bath on the third floor.
The establishment is heated with a vapor-vacuum system, with oil burner. Oscar Beauchemin of Holyoke prepared the plans for this house.”
Below is the photograph that accompanied the above description in the paper, taken from a different angle than the first image:
The B. F. Perkins, Jr., House
In Holyoke
B. F. Perkins (Benjamin Franklin Perkins) was born in Holyoke 1896. He was the son of John Lewis Perkins (b. about 1865 in Holyoke) , and a grandson of Benjamin Franklin Perkins, who in turn was born 1826, in Wendell, New Hampshire and died 26 Oct 1900 in Holyoke. John Lewis Perkins descends from a second marriage of B.F. Perkins and there were at least six children from his first marriage, so this Perkins family was a fairly prolific in early Holyoke. By 1860 Benjamin F. Perkins (b. 1826) was living in Holyoke and started his business. Business ad from the 1888 Holyoke, Massachusetts City Directory:
B. F. Perkins Ad,
Holyoke City Directory, 1888
The Obituary of B.F. Perkins, who owned this featured house, follows:
B.F. Perkins, Civic, Business Leader Dies — Sat., 20 March 1965 — Benjamin F. Perkins, 69, vice-president and treasurer-clerk of the B. F. Perkins and Son., Inc., Willimansett, died Saturday night at this home, 810 North Main Street, West Hartford, Connecticut.
Born in this city, son of the late John Lewis Perkins and Malvena (Perron) Perkins, he was a graduate of Williston Academy and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
He was a former member of the Board of Fire Commissioners here and was a member of the Second Congregational Church, this city. He was a member of Holyoke Lodge of Elks, the Seignory Club of Canada and was past president of the Circus Fans Association of America.
He leaves a son, Benjamin F. Perkins, Jr., of this city, a brother, J. Lewis Perkins of this city; a sister, Mrs. John T. Wright of Longmeadow; his wife, Mrs. Marion Perkins; four daughters, Mrs. Gregory Skinner, Mrs. William Whiting, Jr., Mrs. John Cabell and Mrs. Joseph Tippi, and 11 grandchildren.
Funeral will be in Skinner Memorial Chapel Tuesday at 2:30. Rev. Oliver K. Black will officiate. Burial will be in Forestdale Cemetery. Calling hours at Edward F. Day funeral home will be today from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9.
Sources: Springfield Republican, MACRIS database, Ancestry.com.
