Footsteps Through History: A Walking Tour of Sturbridge Common & Southbridge Edited by Brian Burns
Published in celebration of the 60th anniversary of The News, Southbridge, MA (1984).
“Just as the Catholic Church was located to unite the Catholics of the Center Village and the Globe, so
the Flatiron Building was sited to take advantage of the area's growth. With the success of the Hamilton Woolen Company and
the arrival of the railroad, the property at the corner of Hamilton and Crane Streets was ideal for a commercial venture. Recognizing
this fact, real estate developer and banker Francis L. Chapin bought the triangular piece of property and constructed the Chapin block
much better known as the Flat Iron Building , in 1888.
The Southbridge Journal hailed the project, ad was especially excited by Chapin's plans to include a public clock. “The south
and east dials of the clock will be brilliantly lighted by the electric light which stands in the immediate vicinity,” enthused the
newspaper, concluding that “a more desirable location for a public clock would be hard to find.”
Chapin owned the building only about six months, selling out to J.J. Delehanty of the Globe. Delehanty earlier purchased the Alden block,
and his family continued its ownership of the Flat Iron until 1972.
The building is an excellent example of “shingle style” architecture. Designed to be the focal point of the intersection, the Flat Iron
includes numerous features which testify to the designer's strong interest in texture. The shaped shingles are especially notable.
The years have not been especially kind to the Flat Iron. There have been substantial alterations to the windows and doors. The much-admired
clock is long gone. However, some of the retail establishments in the building still display ceilings of stamped sheet iron.
