The Highlands: Prentiss & Flannagan Home

5/30/25 22 Comments

Authored & Curated By

M.J.G.

The Prentiss Home
Born on October 10, 1829, in Claremont, New Hampshire, George W. Prentiss began his career in the wire industry, working in Worcester and Boston. In 1857, he moved to Holyoke and founded his own wire manufacturing company, George W. Prentiss & Co. He married Jane D. Washburn in 1852, and they had two children, William and Clara.

Initially producing around 100 tons of wire annually, the company grew to manufacture 1,000 tons per year by the late 19th century, establishing itself as a leading wire producer in the region.

Transcript Telegram Newspaper
According to the Transcript Telegram newspaper editions from February 22 and 28, 1884, Prentiss decided to move from his original home on Elm Street and build a new residence in the “Highlands” section of town, next to Mr. Johnson.

The Stately Home
Here is the view previously shown of Mr. Johnson’s home. Prentiss’s house featured all the modern conveniences typical of the late 19th century, including running water, bathrooms, and laundry facilities. The plumbing was installed by Phelps & Tower.

Holyoke Atlas
This provides a clear sense of the property’s length.

Sanborn Fire Insurance Map
Here is an early 20th-century view from the Sanborn Fire Insurance Map. Interestingly, it shows the porch on the right extending beyond the main structure, although this feature has not appeared in any of the photographs I’ve seen.

Scientific American; Architects & Builders Edition
In 1889, Scientific American posted an article about this house listed as a “New England Home”. Here we get a fantastic few of the house as well as actual floor plans. It also gives specific information about the home’s exterior color stating that the body is painted light olive green, and the trimmings are of dark olive green. It is not totally unexpected that the house also comes equipped with electric bells. Cost complete, ready for occupancy was said to be around $20,000.

Looking more closely, it’s evident the home was still under construction when the photograph was taken. The windows lack any treatments, and the interior appears empty. The cellar doors are open, and shutters are installed on only one window on the lower right-hand side.

A newspaper from 1884 noted that “work upon Mr. Prentiss’s house has been done with the utmost care. He has given much of his own time to its supervision. The architect, William A. Tubby of New York, has also frequently directed the construction, and Mr. Williams of Doan & Williams has had full charge and constant direction of the whole… The stone work was by John Marra, the brickwork by Geo. W. Richard, the plastering by Frank Miner.”

According to The Transcript Telegram on October 17, 1884, “…the stained glass window (really a quintuple window) fills the entire end of the hall room, flooding the main stairway with light. The window is by far the most beautiful one in this vicinity. The design, while conventional, is delicate in the finesse of its parts and rich in its execution. It was built by Belcher & Co. of Newark, N.J.”

The Belcher Mosaic Glass Co. (New York, N.Y.) was known for a distinctive style of glassmaking. Although others tried to imitate it, their work transformed traditional stained glass into designs that resembled mosaics.

You can view the 1886 Belcher Mosaic Glass catalog here.

This front view of the home comes from a remarkable book on Holyoke and its residents. According to the Transcript Telegram on October 17, 1884, “The exterior of the house is of Queen Anne type of architecture and, while not lavishly ornamental, is yet novel in design and very attractive in appearance. The detail of finish shows the most chaste discrimination and fine taste.”

In the front yard, you can see a large circular flower bed arranged in a pattern typical of the 19th century, along with vines climbing up the home. The same article stated that “The material is stone, brick, and wood in pleasing combination. The foundations are broken Ashler [sic] work in Longmeadow stone up to the water table. The latter is cut stone work and forms a line with the window sills. The first story of the house is of brick laid in red mortar, and the second story and attic story are covered with wood shingles extending down to meet the brickwork. The front steps lead up to a broad piazza, providing access to the vestibule and thence to the main hall.”

The full article titled A Charming Villa. Mr. George W. Prentiss’s New Residence can be viewed here.

Here, we can see that the second-floor balcony extends across the entire length of the porch, with one section covered.

The top level of the home is crowned with a large finial and decorative roof cresting.

Here we have a fantastic view of the porte-cochère, with the rolling hills of the surrounding property owned by him and his neighbors visible in the distance.

The carriage house to the right was described as “as nice for a barn as is the house for a residence.”

This photo captures a perspective view of the home, showing someone standing in the driveway.

From the top of the hills, we get a fantastic view of the home, its backyard, and the carriage house. In this photo, to the right of the driveway, you can see carpet bedding for flowers and new growth being planted. Across the street, a house is under construction.

A 20th-century view of the home featuring a well-established, mature garden.

In this side view of the home, you can see the more modest residence of his neighbor William Whiting, along with barns and a windmill.

The Flannagan Home
This home was next door to the Johnsons’ residence and two doors down from the Prentiss house. It sat much farther back from the street, positioned on a hill above the other two homes. This photo was taken from in front of the Johnsons’ property, looking toward the Flannagan home in a perspective view.

Sanborn Map
Here we see how his home and property were situated next to and in front of the R.B. Johnson estate. Several smaller properties are located closer to the street.

Born in 1848 in Armagh, County Monaghan, Ireland, Thomas Flannagan immigrated to the United States as a child. His family first settled in Morrison before relocating to Chicopee, Massachusetts. At some point, he purchased this land and built the large home pictured here, which features attractive roof ridging, large chimneys, and variegated siding.

This view of the home matches the perspective seen in the photo of R.B. Johnson’s residence. The house was originally painted in a dark color scheme with dark trim. In the background, you can also see the large tower of the carriage house.

A decade or two later, likely around the turn of the century, the home was repainted with a new color scheme: a light-colored body, darker shingles, and lighter trim.

Here is a front-facing view of the home. It featured a wrap-around front porch and terrace, all constructed entirely of wood.

A very interesting balustrade here, featuring a simple cross in the center with sewn balustrades on both the left and right sides.

We get a view of the enormous carriage house in the back, as well as a closer look at the terrace and its railings.

In this photo, we can see the second and third floors. Look closely at the balcony to notice the attractive sawed balustrade. Also, observe the functional shutters and how they are overlapping each other. It appears that the shutter in the center of the photo is broken, missing its top louvers. Though it’s difficult to tell in this image, the chimney also appears to be painted.

Here is an earlier view of the home from the top of the hill, when it was painted in a darker color scheme. You can also see his neighbors’ homes closer to the street, which appear to be lighter in color and much more modest.

Here is a full view from the hilltop of “The Highlands” area, showing the rear of all three houses: Johnson’s in the middle, Prentiss’s on the left, and Flannagan’s on the right.

Present Day
George W. Prentiss died at age 85 on April 2, 1915, after a lingering illness. He married Jane D. Washburn in 1852, and they had two children: son William and daughter Clara J., who married William B. Tubby. Jane passed away in 1912 at age 83.

The house was torn down in 1955, and the property was subdivided. Carol Lane was constructed through the original grounds. It is said that the carriage house was preserved and converted into a residence, now known as 15 Carol Lane.

Mr. Flannagan’s house has also been demolished.

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