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. It's also known as the "Academy of Music Building" or "Borden Block." This building was built in 1875 by the family of Nathaniel Briggs Borden to remember him. It first opened its doors on January 6, 1876. Because of its history, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
Contents
History of the Academy Building
Building a Memorial
The Academy Building stands on land that once belonged to Nathaniel Briggs Borden. He was an important businessman and politician in Fall River. He passed away in 1865. His wife, Lydia, and their three grown children wanted to build something special to honor him.
They hired famous architects from Boston, H.W. Hartwell and A.E. Swasey. These architects had already designed other important buildings in Fall River. The Academy Building was designed in a style called Gothic Revival. This style uses different colored bricks and carved stone details.
Construction and Early Ownership
The Hull Brothers from Providence built the four-story Academy Building. They first thought it would cost about $260,000. However, the cost went up during construction. This was mainly because of problems with the building's foundation.
The Borden family had to get large loans from local banks. They also sold parts of the building to other local business people. By July 1882, the three Borden children no longer owned the building.
A Grand Theatre and More
When the building opened in 1876, its theatre was the second largest in all of Massachusetts. The very first show on January 6, 1876, featured the Theodore Thomas Orchestra. Later, the theatre hosted the Boston Symphony Orchestra many times in the 1880s.
The theatre also showed many plays and comedy acts. This continued from when it opened until the early 1900s, when movies started to become popular. The building was also used for big dances, political meetings, and other events.
Besides the theatre, the building also had shops on the ground floor. There were many offices on the upper floors. The city's first telephone exchange was located here from 1879 to 1890. It then moved to its own building.
Later Years and Restoration
In 1910, William J. Dunn became the only owner of the building. In 1946, his family leased the building to the Zeitz Theatre Company. It reopened in November 1946 after a lot of repair work.
During the 1960s and 1970s, the building started to fall apart. The Fall River Redevelopment Authority bought it in 1973. They had planned to tear it down.
However, in 1979, the Academy Building was photographed for a special historical survey. During the 1980s, the building was fixed up and restored. The theatre part of the building was removed. Today, the building mostly has apartments for older people. There are also shops on the street level.
Images for kids
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The Academy Building in 2017
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Fall River, Massachusetts
- Massasoit Fire House No. 5
- Pocasset Firehouse No. 7
