Single Room Occupancy Residents, 2016

Photographs by Paul Shoul
Interviews by Cassandra Holden

A photograph showing a yellow excavator with "ASSOCIATED" branding demolishing a brick building while a worker hoses down debris.
Photograph of the demolition of Northampton Lodging at 129 Pleasant St in October 2016. Photographed by Paul Shoul. Historic Northampton (ID no. 2018.20.20).

The Northampton Lodging building at 129 Pleasant Street contained 58 single-room rentals with common kitchens and baths on each floor. Men’s rooms were located on the upper two floors and women’s rooms were in the basement. The building was originally constructed in 1967 as a dormitory for the now defunct Northampton Commercial College and turned into SRO housing in 1976.

In 2014, Way Finders (formerly HAP Housing) acquired the property with the intention of demolishing the original structure and replacing it with a new four-story building, called Live 155. The new apartment complex opened in 2018 and offered a mix of market rate and affordably priced units, as well as space for offices and retail.

In 2016-2018, Cassandra Holden interviewed former residents and members of the community about what it was like to live in and/or interact with the Lodging. She recorded stories of friendship, camaraderie, and mutual support, along with descriptions of living in difficult circumstances. Photographer Paul Shoul got to know many of the former residents and captured their portraits before they moved.

Click on images to read interviews and quotes from the individuals pictured. Some images do not have interviews attached.

Black-and-white photograph of a woman peering into a room from the hallway with her arms supporting her by holding onto the doorframe. She is wearing a dress and has her black hair tied in a ponytail. In the background a woman can be seen with stacks of moving boxes.
Tania Mazinski and other woman
Black-and-white photograph of a woman with curly hair in an updo with a dark colored shirt and a cardigan. She is crossing her arms across her chest and smiling at the camera. The background is blurred but snow can be seen on the ground.
Trish Smith
Black-and-white photograph of a man and woman smiling at the camera from the entrance of an open room, with another man facing away in the background. The room is cluttered and appears to be an office space. The man (on the left) is holding a package and the woman on the right has her visible arm on her hip.
Leon Cranson, Kathy Leahy, & Chase Moore
Black-and-white photograph of a woman at the open entrance way of a room. The room is small and cluttered. The woman is wearing a black shirt and her dark hair is pulled away in a ponytail. Her hand is rested on her waist and she is smiling.
Tania Mazinski
Black-and-white photograph of a matured woman at the entrance way of an empty room. The woman appears to be holding the door or door knob out of the camera's view. She is wearing an oversized Red Sox Donate Blood t-shirt and has white hair. She is smiling toward the camera.
Phyllis Rogers
Black-and-white photograph of a man carrying items out of a room. He is wearing a plaid shirt and a vest and has on a hat. He is bearded and wearing glasses.
Benjamin Bolivar
Black-and-white photographic portrait of a middle aged man. He is wearing a dark colored shirt and glasses, and his short graying hair is swept to the side. His face is toward the camera but his eyes are looking to the side, his expression is neutral.
Daniel Rotier
Black-and-white photograph of a middle aged man standing in the middle of an empty room. He is wearing a dark shirt and pants and a baseball hat with sunglasses on his head. He is smiling at the camera.
David Baker
Black-and-white photograph of a matured man standing in the middle of an empty room holding a drink. He has white hair and a white beard and a light colored suit. He is looking toward the camera with a neutral expression.
Douglas Peavy
Black-and-white photograph of a man holding a black guitar and smiling at the camera. In the background there is a box on a bare mattress, a small fan, a guitar amp, and a window covered by a dark towel. The man is wearing a short sleeve dark top and appears to have his dark hair tied back.
Donald Edwards
Black-and-white photograph of a man opening a box on the wall. He is looking at the lock and away from the camera. Other figures can be seen in the hallway in the background.
Luis Santiago
Black-and-white photograph of two women sitting on a porch or under a marquee of a brick building. One woman is sitting on a metal chair with a tote bag on her lap. The other woman is standing and facing the sitting woman, putting her hand on her shoulder. The sitting woman smiles up at her.
Faith Williams & Kristina Martinez
Black-and-white photograph of a couple standing in the outdoor entrance way of a brick building. On the left is a woman with short spikey hair and glasses who is smiling at the camera, wearing a dark tank top and jeans. Next to her is a man with a t-shirt with a Day of the Dead inspired skeleton on it. He is also wearing a baseball cap and jeans. He is smiling and has his arm around the woman.
Destiny Doucette & Ryan Currie Haggard
Black-and-white photograph of a man smiling at the camera standing at an open door with a blurred background. He is wearing a hat that has a spray paint inspired design that reads: "DJ MOTO."
Robert Martinez
Black-and-white photograph of a man with a Champions shirt on and a baseball cap. The man is matured with graying hair. Behind him is a window screen leaning against the wall and a window with closed blinds. In one of his hands he is holding a plastic cup of water.
Bruce Dietz
Black-and-white photograph of a middle aged man with a dark long scruffy beard. He is wearing a tank top and jeans and he has a small tattoo on his right shoulder. In the background are smoke-stained walls with white outlines where furniture and wall hangings used to be. A lose cable is hung on the wall.
Jim Moynihan