The following was published in 1906, in Historical Homes and Institutions and Genealogical and Personal Memoirs of Berkshire County, Massachusetts: Fred Forest Dowlin, who is known as a man of high attainments and as one who has achieved success at the bar, was born in North … [Read more...]

The architect was Edwin Thayer Barlow, who was born in 1869, and lived almost all of his adult life on Church Street, in North Adams. He received a degree in architecture from Cornell University in 1891. In addition to the Dowlin Block, he designed the Boardman Apartments, a … [Read more...]

While searching for articles about the Dowlin Block, I ran across this account of an accident at its construction site. I immediately wanted to know if young Evelyn sufficiently recovered from the mishap, and how her life turned out. According her official birth record, Helene … [Read more...]

Leo W. Frisby lived in the Dowlin Block for about three years, from 1919 to 1921, as recorded in the North Adams directories, but his apartment number was not listed. He was born in Castleton, Vermont, on April 11, 1895, according to his official Vermont birth record. His father … [Read more...]

Scarafoni Associates bought the Dowlin Block in 1972, from North Adams Realty Trust, a partnership of local businessmen. In the past few decades, the building has housed street level stores, and a mix of professional offices, small businesses, and single-occupancy-style … [Read more...]

  Ellen Murphy, who lived at the Dowlin Block for many years, worked as a weaver at the Eclipse Mill from 1902 to 1940, a total 38 years. William and Theresa Alderman, whose story appears earlier in this article, also worked at the Eclipse for many years. In 2004, a … [Read more...]

I have been visiting and writing about North Adams for almost 18 years. One of my favorite landmarks in the city has been the sign for "Gloria's Beauty Shop," facing Main Street in one of the fourth floor windows of the Dowlin Block. I don't know how many times I have wondered … [Read more...]

While searching for articles about the Dowlin Block, I ran across this account of an accident at its construction site. I immediately wanted to know if young Evelyn sufficiently recovered from the mishap, and how her life turned out. According her official birth record, Helene … [Read more...]