Northampton at the time of the Civil War
Northampton's population grew rapidly in the years preceding the Civil War. The United States Census counted 3,613 people in 1830, and 3,750 in 1840, but by the 1860 census the population had grown to 6,788 as mills and industry grew rapidly in the region. These images from Burt's Stereoscopic views show Shop Row (what we now commonly call Main Street) just as the Civil war was drawing to a close and just as more changes were shaping the town center. Several images capture the laying of streetcar tracks and some show buildings which, though relatively new at the time, would be gone within a few decades as devastating fires and rapid building growth again reshaped the center of Northampton.
Main Street as it appeared 1865-1870. This photograph, taken from a Burt's Stereoscopic Views Stereograph, shows a stretch of Main Street including Merritt Clark's store and the old Edwards Church on corner of Old South and Main St. which was built in 1833, and destroyed by fire May 1870.
This photograph, taken from the a stereograph from Burt's Stereoscopic Views series, shows Main Street in Northampton including the Merritt Clark Building, which was built by William Fenno Pratt in 1865. They are laying the new trolley tracks in front of the store, which dates photo to 1866.
South side of Main Street, ca. 1865. This photo, taken from the a stereograph from Burt's Stereoscopic Views series, includes a Florence & Northampton Horse drawn trolley, L.H. Field and M.M. French's clothing stores and the Northampton Bank and old Smith Charities building. This was the location for the Smith Charities organization until the building at 51 Main was finished in 1865.
South side of Main Street. This photograph, taken from the a stereograph from Burt's Stereoscopic Views series shows a stretch of Main Street which includes Stoddard & Lincoln and Wakefield & Southwick dry goods stores, and the offices of the Northampton Free Press newspaper above J.H. Fowle's Drug Store. These businesses date the photograph to 1865-1868.
This photograph, taken from a stereograph from Burt's Stereoscopic Views series shows the eastern stretch of the South Side of Main Street, or Shop Row, as it was known. It includes the Clarke Block building which housed the Hampshire County National Bank and Christopher Clarke's shoe store, Phillips & Sampson Dry Goods, F.A. Kingsley and B.F. Ockington's Clothing store on the corner of Pleasant and Main. These businesses date this photograph ca. 1865-1868.
Corner of Pleasant Street and Shop Row, looking down Pleasant Street from intersection with King Street. This photograph was taken from a stereograph from Burt's Stereoscopic Views Series and is dated circa. 1865-1870.
View from Lower Main Street looking towards Bridge Street crossing, circa 1865-1870. This photograph, taken from a stereograph from Burt's Stereoscopic Views series, show the section of Main between Pleasant and Hawley Streets, where at that time the Railroad Tracks crossed at a grade level intersection, referred to as Bridge Street Crossing.
This photograph, taken from a stereograph of Burt's Stereoscopic Views Series, shows Warner House, an iconic Main Street location for many years until it was destroyed by fire in 1870.