Academy Building (Fall River, Massachusetts)
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Academy Building
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Academy Building, 1979
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| Location | Fall River, Massachusetts |
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| Coordinates | 41°42′3″N 71°9′20″W / 41.70083°N 71.15556°WCoordinates: 41°42′3″N 71°9′20″W / 41.70083°N 71.15556°W |
| Built | 1876 |
| Architect | Hartwell & Swazey |
| Architectural style | Gothic, Other |
| NRHP reference # | 73000277 |
| Added to NRHP | July 2, 1973 |
Academy Building (also known as "Academy of Music Building" or "Borden Block") is a historic building on South Main Street in Fall River, Massachusetts. The building was constructed in 1875 as a memorial to Nathaniel Briggs Borden by his family. It opened its doors on January 6, 1876. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
The building is located on land once owned by Nathaniel Briggs Borden, an early Fall River businessman and politician who died in 1865. The building was designed as a memorial to him by his widow Lydia and his three adult children, Simeon, Nathaniel, Jr. and Louisa Borden Aldrich. The family obtained the services of noted Boston architects H.W. Hartwell and A.E. Swasey, who had previously designed several notable buildings in Fall River, including the Central Congregational Church on Rock Street and Simeon's mansion on Highland Avenue. Like these other structures, the Borden Block was also designed in the Ruskinian Gothic Revival style, featuring polychrome brick and carved stone details.
The four story building was constructed by the Hull Brothers of Providence. Their initial cost estimate was $260,000. However, the cost of the building escalated during construction, largely attributed to foundation problems. Large mortgages were obtained by the Borden family from local banks. Shares in the building were also sold to several local businessmen. By July 1882, the three Borden siblings no longer owned the building.
At the time of its 1876 opening, the building's theatre boasted the second largest theatre in Massachusetts. The first program, on January 6, 1876, featured the Theodore Thomas Orchestra. Later, the theatre hosted the Boston Symphony Orchestra numerous times during the 1880s. The theatre also hosted various drama and comedy stage acts from the time that it opened well into the early 20th century, the motion pictures began to be shown. The building was also used for grand balls, political rallies and other events.
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