The structure, originally built in the 1800s and expanded in the 1870s, has previously been the site of a criminal lockup, a butchery, a shoe store and a photography studio.
The auction was held Tuesday Dec. 6, after a walkthrough.
The building has been vacant for several years, with visible damage to the building's outside brickwork and woodwork.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The former Moderne Studios building at 19 Eagle Street that has been vacant for several years sold at auction for $100,000 on Tuesday.
$100,000 was the lone bid for the property, despite several interested parties showing up for the auction. Prior to the bidding, potential bidders were given a tour of the three-floor, 5300-square-foot building.
Skip Barry of The Barry Group Real Estate, who placed the winning bid, said he is unsure what he plans to do with the property but spoke highly of the building itself and its location on Eagle Street.
"I think it's a fabulous location and a fabulous building," he said, noting that he owns other properties in the downtown area."
Barry said he has no connections to any businesses or owners previously involved with the property.
Irving Shechtman & Co., Inc. ran the auction.
According to Historic North Adams, the original structure, 21 Eagle St., was built in the 1800s and had been the site of a criminal lockup between 1864 and 1869. In 1869, the building was deemed unfit for use.
The building was then bought by the Tower Brothers, Horace and Henry Tower who renovated the building and in 1876 began using it as their butcher shop.
In 1870, the Tower brothers began building 19 Eagle St., expanding the property. This was completed in 1872.
The company went bankrupt in 1901.
In 1915, the building was sold to Charles Kronick who opened a shoe store in 1920.
In the fifties, Moderne Studios Photography opened in the building. They closed in the early aughts.
The building has been vacant for several years, with visible damage to the building's outside brickwork and woodwork.
The property received new electrical work in 2003 before its purchase by the previous owner in 2005. In 2008, an excavation of the basement took place, in addition to the construction of a rear egress from the second floor. In 2009, the previous owner added beams and structural steel.
The building can house one commercial space on the first floor and four residential units on the second and third floors.
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