Academy Building (Fall River, Massachusetts) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Academy Building
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Academy Building, 1979
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | 102 S. Main St., Fall River, Massachusetts |
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| Built | 1876 |
| Architect | Hartwell & Swazey |
| Architectural style | Gothic |
| NRHP reference No. | 73000277 |
| Added to NRHP | July 2, 1973 |
The Academy Building is a very old and important building in Fall River, Massachusetts. People also called it the "Academy of Music Building" or "Borden Block." It was built in 1875 to honor Nathaniel Briggs Borden, a well-known person from the area. The building first opened on January 6, 1876. It became a protected historic place in 1973.
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A Special Memorial Building
The Academy Building stands on land that once belonged to Nathaniel Briggs Borden. He was an important businessman and politician in Fall River. After he passed away in 1865, his family wanted to build something special to remember him.
His wife, Lydia, and their three grown children, Simeon, Nathaniel Jr., and Louisa, decided to create this building. They hired famous architects from Boston, Hartwell & Swazey. These architects had designed other beautiful buildings in Fall River.
The Academy Building was designed in a style called Gothic Revival. This means it looked like old European castles and churches. It had colorful bricks and fancy carved stone details.
Building Challenges
The Hull Brothers from Providence built the four-story Academy Building. They first thought it would cost about $260,000. But the cost went up a lot during construction. This was mainly because of problems with the building's foundation.
The Borden family had to borrow a lot of money from banks. They also sold parts of the building to other local business people. By July 1882, the Borden children no longer owned the building.
A Hub of Activity
When the Academy Building opened in 1876, its theater was huge. It was the second largest theater in all of Massachusetts! The very first show on January 6, 1876, featured the Theodore Thomas Orchestra.
Later, the famous Boston Symphony Orchestra played there many times in the 1880s. The theater also hosted plays and comedy shows for many years. Later, movies started to be shown there too.
The building was also a place for big parties, political meetings, and other important events. Besides the theater, the building had shops on the ground floor. There were also many offices on the upper floors.
First Telephone Exchange
The Borden Block was home to Fall River's very first telephone exchange. This was from 1879 until 1890. A telephone exchange is like a central hub where phone calls are connected. After 1890, the telephone exchange moved to its own building.
Changes Over Time
In 1910, a person named William J. Dunn became the only owner of the building. Later, in 1946, his family leased the building to the Zeitz Theatre Company. It reopened in November 1946 after a lot of repairs.
During the 1960s and 1970s, the building started to get old and worn out. In 1973, the Fall River Redevelopment Authority bought it. They had planned to tear the building down.
However, in 1979, the Academy Building was photographed for a special historical survey. During the 1980s, the building was fixed up and made new again. The old theater part of the building was removed.
Today, the Academy Building is mostly used for senior apartments. There are also shops on the street level along South Main Street.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Fall River, Massachusetts
- Massasoit Fire House No. 5
- Pocasset Firehouse No. 7
