The Highlands: Fairfield Avenue Part 2

6/20/25 30 Comments

Authored & Curated By

M.J.G.

Today’s Homes for Photo Review
The two homes featured in these historic photos are located across the street from Prentiss’s residence, previously highlighted in an earlier post. The first home, shown here on the corner during construction, will be the one we review first.

Sanborn Fire Map View
This 1915 map highlights both houses we’ll be reviewing today, beginning with the one located at the corner of Northampton Street and Fairfield Avenue.

This Queen Anne residence was reportedly designed by James A. Clough and built in 1884 for George Lewis. Clough was a prominent local architect who, according to contemporary newspapers, created plans for numerous homes and buildings throughout Holyoke. This section of Fairfield Avenue features herringbone-patterned brick sidewalks in front of the home.

The first story is constructed of brick, with vines being carefully trained to grow along the porch and brick facade. The windows in the curved section feature simple yet elegant stained glass.

The home’s porch features a charming corner design and a polychrome paint scheme. In the foreground, a round carpet bedding is cut into the lawn, adding to the period landscaping. The porch includes rocking chairs and a hammock in the larger section to the right. If you look closely, a square gas lamp appears to be hanging from the ceiling near the left side of the hammock.

Fairfield Avenue is bordered by attractive brick sidewalks laid in a distinctive herringbone pattern.

Across the street, you can see Mr. Johnson’s large carriage house, which was featured in earlier posts.

In the foreground, the landscaping includes trees with plants arranged around their base. The plant encircling the tree appears to be hosta, a popular choice during the era for its dense foliage and shade tolerance.

The brickwork on the first floor features a distinctive pattern, alternating between star shapes and round boss details. Notably, the stars are not identical—each appears slightly rotated, adding a dynamic visual element to the design.

In the back, the carriage house is visible, and in the distance, it appears that corn is being grown—though it may be another crop unless someone can provide a more accurate identification.

The second floor is finished with shingles painted in a lighter tone, complemented by dark trim. On the turret, the straight-edged shingles feature a dark painted band, likely intended to match the trim and create a visual dividing line. The open windows reveal stained glass, and the shutters, leaning together at the center of the window, are clearly functional.

Today’s View
The house remains largely intact today. However, it appears that the porch railings and posts have deteriorated, requiring temporary supports to hold up the roof. It appears at some point, the stained glass windows on the first-floor left were removed, and a larger curved window was installed with clear glass.

A closer view of the second-floor balcony reveals more detail in the woodwork and trim. Interestingly, the porch on the right side of the house lacks a railing, which is unusual for the period and may suggest it was still under construction or intentionally left open.

This section of the third floor is especially distinctive, with its outward bulge and the detailed execution of the shingles beneath it. The scrollwork in the gable appears to be engraved directly into the wood. The roof has a damp sheen, suggesting a summer rain has just passed through.

Sanborn Fire Map View
To the left of the home is the next residence we’ll be looking at, which belonged to Wilbert F. Dean.

Scientific American; Architect & Builders News
This striking Queen Anne home next door was featured in *Scientific American’s Architect & Builders News*. It included a spacious carriage house to the left and sat on a generous plot of land.

The first floor was thoughtfully arranged with a parlor, music room, dining room, china closet, pantry, and kitchen. The second floor offered five bedrooms along with a bathroom.

This remarkable home is highly creative in its design, typical of the Queen Anne style with a brick first floor, and a mix of shingles and clapboard on the second. Compact curves and turrets are cleverly incorporated into the structure. According to *Scientific American*, underpinning and first story of brick; second story clapboarded, painted olive green, with bottle green trimmings. Roof shingled and painted red. The home was built by Mr. L. B. White of Holyoke at a cost of \$6,000. We reviewed this property in a previous post. Like many homes of its era, it was constructed with a cemented cellar that included laundry facilities and a furnace. It was also outfitted with gas, electric bells, and speaking tubes.

The porch features archways with diagonal grooves carved into them, adding texture and depth to the design. Clearly painted in alternating colors, it provides ample shade for a hot summer day. The overall structure is both graceful and artistically executed.

Looking closer at the porch, incised lines can be seen cut into the top portion of the balustrade, adding a subtle decorative element. The base of the porch is equally appealing, featuring vertical patterns carved into the panels that enhance its visual interest.

On the back service porch, you’ll notice the absence of railings. Look closely and you’ll see a birdcage hanging from the top rafter—giving their pet a bit of fresh air. To the right are three windows; the center one features a divided top sash designed for a colored pane of glass. According to the floor plan, this room served as the music room. The window shades are fringed, with lace curtains positioned in front. Just to the right of the basement window, there’s a spigot for water.

The second-floor balcony is constructed in a style very similar to that of the first floor, maintaining visual consistency. The shutters on the front-facing windows all appear to be closed.

The most artistic feature of this home is the turret, which is deeply nestled into the corner of the structure. The third-floor windows display an unusual mullion pattern at the center, drawing the eye. In the gable to the left, the construction is particularly intriguing—it’s always exciting to see such architectural choices. One can’t help but wonder why the architect or homeowner chose to punch out the window in that specific way. This kind of complex execution adds richly to the artistic character of the house.

The roofline and turret are adorned with iron cresting, identical to the type seen on the Esleek home. This decorative element adds a striking and refined touch to the overall design. At the top of the round turret, there’s an intriguing additional detail—a smaller, three-tiered structure projecting from the peak of the cone. It’s a curious and creative choice, leaving one to wonder what inspired the architect to include this distinctive feature.

The front dormer is also unique in its design, featuring window sashes with an unusual and reversed mullion pattern compared to those seen on the side of the house. This subtle variation adds another layer of visual interest to the architectural composition.

The neighbor’s house, viewed again from the side as seen earlier, offers a striking look at where the rooflines converge with the adjoining wing. The way the various sections intersect adds to the complexity and charm of the overall design.

Today’s View
Remarkably, like many homes on this street, the house remains largely intact—complete with its original carriage house. The porches appear to retain most, if not all, of their original details, including the base. Unsurprisingly, the roof cresting has been lost, a common fate for homes of this era. A more significant loss, however, is the addition on the left side of the house, which resulted in the removal of the turreted room and tower. This could have been an earlier 20th century addition.

Thanks to JimH in the comments section, we can see the inside of the home from a previous sale. We can see early 20th century French doors break through the brick to the front porch and filled doorways on the first level as well as the addition added on the second level was for a bathroom. See comments section below for more.

Previous Chapters:
The Highlands: Fairfield Avenue
The Highlands: Augustine W. Esleeck House
The Highlands: Prentiss & Flannagan Home
The Highlands: R. B. Johnson’s House
More photos of the Highlands homes can be found here.

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