by Laurel | October 10th, 2014
Essex House, 400 High Street
via Google Street Views, 2011
Today posts have a focus on the Essex House in Holyoke, located at 400 High Street. The Essex House has been a controversial topic of conversation in Holyoke as city officials discuss the danger this building presents to the community due to deterioration, and at the same time the financial liability involved in the cost to remove it.
Ultimately, it appears we are about to say goodbye to this historic building. Some links follow, if you have been away from Holyoke or unaware of the situation, these links will help bring you up to date.
CBS3 posted a video where we get a glimpse of the deteriorated building, including some of the interior at the following link:
CBS 3 Springfield report on condition of Essex House in Holyoke
We don’t see much of the interior, but what we do see looks to have been salvaged at some point and what remains is in terrible condition. There appears to be some historic ceiling tin in evidence, but all the marble that once lined the floors and halls of the structure os no longer evident. Of course the upper floor may have more architectural artifacts remaining. This video and other MassLive reports have cited the building to be 134 years old. This is incorrect, though an understandably acquired error because Loopnet did publish 1880 as the build date — in 1880, Louis A. Lafrance, the builder, would have been only 14 years old. The Essex was actually built in 1902 by Louis Lafrance, a subsequent post extracted from the Springfield paper offers an in-depth description of the building — it must have been fabulous in its day. A 2010 post on this site about the planning of this building is also available.
A partial list of links to MassLive.com articles related to the Essex House:
- Holyoke’s once-proud Essex House losing bricks and concerning nearby business owners as city inspects structure (08 Apr 2013)
- Holyoke officials mull future of Essex House; over $75,000 owed in taxes (09 Apr 2013)
- Holyoke councilors delay $1.45 million to raze Essex House as councilors question funding, whether building owners held responsible (23 Jul 2014)
- Holyoke’s deteriorated Essex House and $1.5 million needed to demolish forms dispute between Mayor Alex Morse, Council President Kevin Jourdain (11 Sep 2014)
- Holyoke City Council Finance Committee to consider borrowing $1.45 million to raze Essex House (09 Sep 2014)
- Holyoke Essex House on High Street could face wrecking ball within weeks (07 Oct 2014)
