Clarke School
Clarke School for the Deaf in Northampton to sell president's house
Thursday, August 07, 2008
By FRED CONTRADA
fcontrada@repub.com
NORTHAMPTON - Clarke School for the Deaf is selling a century-old building on its campus that has traditionally been home to the school's president.
Parsons House, at 83 Round Hill Road, was built in 1908 and has housed several of Clarke's presidents and their families, according to school spokeswoman Sandy L. Soderberg. It is the fourth building on campus that the school has put up for sale in the last few years.
Leonard House, Yale House and Pratt Cottage were all converted into condominiums, several of which sold in the vicinity of $500,000. Homes on Round Hill are prized for their quiet and proximity to downtown Northampton.
According to Soderberg, current Clarke President William J. Corwin opted not to live in the house when he succeeded Dennis Gjerdingen, who retired in 2007. The house was built by Arthur Curtis James, of New York, and was home to members of the Parsons family until 1943, when it was bequeathed to the school. Former president George Pratt lived in the building from then until 1981, Soderberg said.
First lady Grace Coolidge, who once taught at Clarke School, helped Pratt redecorate the house, according to Soderberg.
Clarke School has created campuses in other parts of the country in recent years and has been streamlining the one in Northampton as it has become less focused on being a boarding school. Soderberg said the school looked at other possible uses for the Parsons House before deciding to sell it.
"It didn't fit our mission," she said.
The Northampton Assessor's Office estimates the value of the Parsons House property at $684,580. The lot extends all the way to Crescent Street. David A. Murphy of Murphy Realtors, who has sold several condominiums from other Clarke School buildings, said some have changed hands a second time and appreciated.
"You're buying something that's relatively affordable for the neighborhood," he said. "For half the going rate, you get a brand new, state-of-the-art dwelling. It's a very desirable neighborhood."
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