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PUBLIC LIBRy^^Y
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1984 Survey & Planning Grant
PARTI - PARKER HILL/MISSION HILL
Project Completion Report
submitted August 30,1985 to Massachusetts Historical Commission
Boston Landmarks Commission Boston Redevelopment Authority
CITY OF BOSTON
RAYMOND L. FLYNN, MAYOR
ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT Lorraine M. Downey, Director
BOSTON LANDMARKS COMMISSION
MEMBERS
ALTERNATES
Pauline Chase Harrell, Chairwoman
Lawrence A. Bianchi
Libby Blank
James Alexander
Susan S. Davis
Thomas J. Hynes, Jr.
Henry A. Wood
Roger P. Lang, Vice Chairman
Virginia Aldrich
Stanford 0. Anderson
John F. Cooke
Joan E. Goody
Rosalind E. Gorin
Imre Ha las z
Carl A. Zellner
Judith B. McDonough, Executive Secretary and Survey Director
Carol Kennedy, Assistant Survey Director
Paula Mierzejewski, Policy and Development Planner
BOSTON REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
Robert L. Farrell, Chariman Joseph J. Walsh, Vice Chairman James K. Flaherty, Treasurer Clarence J. Jones, Member William A. McDermott, Jr., Member Kane Simonian, Secretary
Stephen Coyle, Director
1984 Survey & Planning Grant
PART I - PARKER HILL/MISSION HILL
Project Completion Report
submitted August 30,1985 to Massachusetts Historical Commission
Boston Landmarks Conmiission Boston Redevelopment Authority
CITY OF BOSTON
RAYMOND L. FLYNN, MAYOR
ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT Lorraine M. Downey, Director
BOSTON LANDMARKS COMMISSION
MEMBERS
ALTERNATES
Pauline Chase Harrell, Chairwoman
Lawrence A. Bianchi
Libby Blank
James Alexander
Susan S. Davis
Thomas J. Hynes, Jr.
Henry A. Wood
Roger P. Lang, Vice Chairman
Virginia Aldrich
Stanford 0. Anderson
John F. Cooke
Joan E. Goody
Rosalind E. Gorin
Imre Halasz
Carl A. Zellner
Judith B. McDonough, Executive Secretary and Survey Director
Carol Kennedy, Assistant Survey Director
Paula Mierze jewski , Policy and Development Planner
BOSTON REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
Robert L. Farrell, Chariman Joseph J. Walsh, Vice Chairman James K. Flaherty, Treasurer Clarence J. Jones, Member William A. McDermott, Jr., Member Kane Simonian, Secretary
Stephen Coyle, Director
PARKER HILL/MISSION HILL PROJECT COMPLETION REPORT
Prepared by
Rosalind Pollan Edward Gordan
for
THE BOSTON LANDMARKS COMMISSION
August 1985
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART ONE - PROJECT COMPLETION REPORT: (included in this volume)
I . INTRODUCTION 1
Brief topographical history 2
Review of Architectural Styles and Building Types 8
Notable Areas of Development and Sub Area Maps 17
II. METHODOLOGY
General Procedures 30
Recording and Evaluation
Research Procedure 31
III. RECOMMENDATIONS
A. Districts 38 National Register and Boston Landmark Districts 38 National Register and Architectural
Conservation Districts 41
B. Individual Properties 52 National Register and Boston Landmark 52 National Register only 54
C. Further Study 59
D. Planning Recommendations 61
Appendix I - Sample Inventory Forms 62
Appendix II - Key to 100' Scale Inventory Maps 70
Appendix III - Inventory Coding System 71
Map I - Parker Hill/Mission Hill Study Area i
Map II - Sub Areas 16
Map III - District Recommendations 37
Map IV - Stony Brook Breweries Thematic Recommendation 48
Map V - Individual Recommendations 51
Map VI - Further Study Areas 58
PART TWO - PARKER HILL/MISSION HILL INVENTORY FORMS: (see separate volume)
I. INTRODUCTION
II. METHODOLOGY General Procedures Evaluation - Recording Research
III. BUILDING INFORMATION FORMS
I. INTRODUCTION
The Parker Hill/Mission Hill Preservation Study, conducted from September
1984 to July 1985, was administered by the Boston Landmarks Commission, with
the assistance of a matching grant-in-aid from the Department of the Interior,
National Park Service, through the Massachusetts Historical Commission, Office
of the Secretary of State, Michael J. Connelly, Chairman, under the provisions
* of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. The local share of the
project was provided by the Boston Redevelopment Authority and the City of
Boston Environment Department and Historic Boston, Incorporated. The study
was conducted by Rosalind Pollan and Edward Gordon, architectural historians
and consultants to the Boston Landmarks Commission. Staff supervision was
provided by Judith B. McDonough, Director of Survey and Planning, with
technical support by staff members Carol Kennedy, Paula Mierzejewski, Lori
Barnet, and Brian Dosick.
The goal of the project was to undertake an in-depth architectural and historical survey of the Parker Hill/Mission Hill study area and to make recommendations for National Register listings and Boston Landmark designations. Specific goals included preparation of individual information forms for certain selected buildings of architectural or historic significance, as well as evaluating the relative significance of each building for which a form was prepared.
The method of recording and evaluating buildings, as explained in the Methodology section, follows the pattern established in the previous phases of the Comprehensive Boston Preservation Study conducted by the Boston Landmarks Commission and begun in 1977.
The boundaries of the 1984-5 Parker Hill/Mission Hill Study Area are shown on Map I.
However, the contents and opinions do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of the Interior, or the Massachusetts Historical Commission, nor does the mention of trade names of commercial products constitute endorsement of recommendation by the Department of the Interior, or the Massachusetts Historical Commission.
BRIEF TOPOGRAPHICAL HISTORY
Originally established in 1630, Roxbury extended from Boston Neck to the Charles River and was bounded on the north, west, and south by what respectively became Brookline, Newton, Dedham, and Dorchester. Much of Roxbury, which then encompassed Jamaica Plain and West Roxbury, was hilly upland country punctuated by several substantial drumlins which included Roxbury Hill (now Boston Highlands/Highland Park) and Parker Hill. The three principal streams of the area — the Muddy River and the Stony and Smelt Brooks all drained into the Back Bay, and from the earliest days of settlement, the Stony Brook provided the town with mill and, later on, industrial sites. The first mills to be set up in Roxbury were established near the Stony Brook in the vicinity of what became Roxbury Crossing — the juncture of Roxbury and Tremont Streets.
Native trails improved as regional highways reached out from the meeting house and the town center, located near today's John Eliot Square, to Brookline along Roxbury and Tremont Streets (the western end of which is now called Huntington Avenue) and to Jamaica Plain, Dedham, Braintree, and Milton. An alternative route to Jamaica Pond from the center skirted the lower slopes of Parker Hill and remains in use today as Roxbury, Parker, Heath, Day, and Centre Streets.
In 1633, Roxbury was described as "a fair and handsome country town. It is well wooded and watered, having a clear and fresh brook running through it;... Up westward fron the towne it is something rocky, whence it hathe the name of Roxberry." Twenty years later Roxbury was the location of 120 houses, most of which were in the vicinity of the town center.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, three distinct settlements were established in Roxbury. Although villages developed in Jamaica Plain and West Roxbury, the town center remained at the meeting house in Eliot Square. Much of Roxbury was agricultural land, and the town supplied fruit and produce to Boston via Washington Street and the Neck Road. About the time of the Revolution, Roxbury' s economic base became more diversified, and 18 tanneries and slaughterhouses as well as a chocolate mill and two grist mills were in operation.
In the Parker Hill vicinity, several farms and country estates were built along the area's main thoroughfares. These included Brinley Place (1732) — a unique H-plan gambrel roofed house which was located on 100 acres fronting on Treraont Street and now partially the location of the Mission Church complex. Tremont Street, the most direct route between Roxbury Center and Brookline, also was the site of several 18th century residences and homesteads including the 1709 Craft House located across from the foot of today's Parker Hill Avenue.
During the 18th century, much of the area was divided into large estates with the summit of Parker Hill occupied by the substantial residence of wealthy Boston merchant John Parker. Adjoining the Parker estate and stretching along both sides of Heath Street and reaching beyond Day Street on the west was the Heath homestead and property. East of the Heath property was the estate of Judge John A. Lowell and southwest of Heath's land was the Withington estate which extended to Centre Street.
By the early 19th century, Roxbury had become the most important tanning town in the country. Spurred by the completion of the mill dam over the Back Bay, heavy industry began to move into Roxbury during the 1820 's. Much of this industrial activity was located near Roxbury Village. In addition, at Roxbury Crossing, ropewalks were established and, through access to fresh spring water — the town's first brewery began operations. Roxbury Center clustered along, between, and adjacent to today's Roxbury, Washington, and Dudley Streets with development extending on roads branching out from town including Warren, Walnut (then Back Street) and Dudley and — near the base of Parker Hill — along what is now Tremont Street and the westerly end of Huntington Avenue. Arterial routes between Boston and Roxbury included Washington Street, Tremont Street which had been extended from the South End to Roxbury Crossing in 1832, and Parker Street which ran between Heath and the lower eastern edge of Parker Hill to Ruggles and across the marshy peninsula of Gravelly Point to the mill dam. Roxbury Village, situated on the lower slopes of the Highlands was easily accessible from Parker Hill located on the opposite side of the Stony Brook and, at that time, a substantially less
developed part of the town. By the early decades of the 19th century, both Roxbury Highlands and Parker Hill were encircled by streets dotted with houses and farms, many of which still remained in the families of their original owners .
By this time, the crossing of Parker Street and Washington (now called Tremont) was rather densely built up, and except for an occasional residence along its lower slopes, the higher ground of Parker Hill remained undeveloped. Meandering between Parker and Centre Streets and along Ruggles until reaching the waters of the Back Bay, the Stony Brook continued to serve as a prime location for industrial activity, and a brewery complex near Parker Street at Ward, mills at the intersection of Tremont and Roxbury Streets, and a chemical and color works at Centre and Highland, already were established along its path.
During the 1840 's and 50' s, the town of Roxbury experienced considerable growth, and transportation between Roxbury and Boston was improved substantially. The hourly coaches initiated in 1826 between the two communities were augmented in the mid-1830's by the construction of the Boston and Providence Railroad, and its station at Roxbury Crossing probably was in service around 1845. By the mid-fifties, horse railroads were in use and a line was established that travelled along a 17th century route stretching between downtown Boston along Washington Street in the South End to Roxbury Crossing. Between 1840 and 1850, the town's population increased from 9,000 to 18,000, and in 1847, Roxbury was established as a city. Four years later the rural community of West Roxbury, which included Jamaica Plain, split off from Roxbury and was incorporated as a separate town.
It was during this mid nineteenth century period of growth that Parker Hill experienced its first suburban development. Occurring in 1845 with the cutting through of streets off of early roads, these developments included Highland Place in the vicinity now generally enclosed by Wait Street, Huntington Avenue, Tremont Street, and Parker Hill Avenue as well as the area along Alleghany Street off of both sides of Parker. Subdivided by mason Thomas C. Wait and his partner housewright Greenleaf C. Sanborn, Highland Place resulted in the constructon, from the late forties through the raid-fifties, of several Italianate and Gothic style houses sited on large lots
along Parker Hill Avenue and Hillside Street. In addition, Alleghany Street also was cut through and subdivided in 1845, and later in the decade, began to be built-up with attractive modestly scaled Italianate houses. This residential pocket was augmented during the later 1850's and 60's by continued development of Alleghany Street and by the construction on spacious corner lots along Parker Street between Parker Hill Avenue andTremont , of substantial Italianate and Mansard residences. Residential construction in the Parker Hill area during these decades also included small-scale puddingstone workers rows in the Parker and Tremont Streets vicinity, as well as modest frame housing put up between Ruggles and Tremont Streets in the area now occupied by the Mission Hill public housing developments. South of Heath, Creighton Street was put through in 1859, and a subdivision called Halsey Homestead Sites was initiated. Beginning in the 1860's, that area was developed with handsome bracketed and mansard roofed houses.
In 1867 two years after the Civil War, Roxbury's annexation to the City of Boston served as an additional strong impetus to the growth of the Parker Hill area which also was particularly stimulated by the location of Our Lady of Perpetual Help — the Mission Church — on Tremont Street. Completed in 1878 (towers added 1910), the Mission Church was established by the Redemptorist Fathers primarily to serve the growing German immigrant population of the area — many of whom were settled in communities near Roxbury's Parker Hill and in the Egleston and Hyde Square areas at the Jamaica Plain line. The Irish, however, remained Roxbury's largest immigrant group, and in 1870, when the Mission Church began to put up its temporary frame chapel, 5,000 Irish residents lived in Lower Roxbury between Boston's South End and Tremont Street. Irish carpenters, laborers, and mill workers continued to move into the area around the Mission Church through their attraction to the new parish and its parochial services and the vicinity's close proximity to industry, jobs, and affodable housing just beyond the urbanized edge of the city.
Many breweries were established along and near the Stony Brook during the late 1860's and '70's, and several were built in the Station and Parker vicinity and along Pynchon Street (Columbus Avenue), Heath, and Terrace Streets. A predominant industry of the Roxbury area at the time of the Civil War, by the end of the 1860's local breweries in the Parker Hill area were often owned and run by German immigrants and their families.
Rope manufactories also continued as an important local industry. From the 1830's through the '80's, the Sewall and Day Cordage Co., a substantial plant which occupied much of the site now the location of Wentworth Institute, dominated the frontage along Parker Street near the Stony Brook and extended beyond Ruggles and Ward Streets.
After the Civil War, parts of Parker Hill began to urbanize, and streets adjacent to the main thoroughfares of Huntington Avenue and Treraont began to be developed in the 1870's with row housing that either resembled the red brick bow fronts of Boston's South End or modest versions of town houses then being built on the new filled-in lands of the Back Bay. Groupings of these single-family rows, for the most part, were built in 1871-2 and were concentrated on Parker Hill, along Delle Avenue just above Tremont Street and in the triangular area enclosed by Huntington Avenue, Tremont and Worthington Streets. Another pocket of brick rows probably dating from the early 1870's was put up along Bromley, Bickford, and Parker Strteets just south of Heath (now the site of the Bromley-Heath public housing development).
Despite the building activity along streets on its lower slopes, much of the high land of Parker Hill remained undeveloped into the 1890's. Residential construction was deterred, by the steep rocky grades of the area, as well as by increasing industrialization of its immediate vicintiy. Residential streets on the upper slopes of the Hill, however, were laid out in the mid-l880's and, apparently in response to improved transportation to Boston through the availability of efficient electric streetcar service, were developed in the raid-'90's through the early 1900's with what became a predominant housing type of the area — triple deckers. All of the Native American Indian name streets of the area were built-up during this 10 year period primarily with gable-roofed, three-story plus attic, Queen Anne Style triple deckers, and the open area of Parker Hill was transformed into a densely developed residential neighborhood. At this same time, Treraont Street began to fill with apartment blocks including those with ground floor shops and offices. During the early 1890' s, Huntington Avenue began to develop with three-family brick housing, and by the first decade of this century, Huntington and South Huntington Avenues had become a corridor of bow fronted brick apartment rows.
Breweries continued as a major industry of the area, and plants for several important companies were built along Heath and New Heath Streets in the 1880's and '90's. Just south of Heath Street, the low lying area including Gay Head, Edge Hill, Round Hill, and Sunnyside Streets was developed in the early nineties as a subdivision of curved streets and tiny lots occupied by small rather charming Queen Anne style single-family residences. A second Roman Catholic parish serving the Parker Hill vicinity was established in 1891 as an offshoot of the Mission Church at the edge of this new community, and the Blessed Sacrament Church was built between 1910-17 at 361 Centre Street. In the early twentieth century, two-family bungalow style housing filled-in much of the vacant land along Iroquois, Calumet, Hillside, and Parker Hill Avenue. Additional development included the occupation of the summit of the hill by the medical institutions of the Robert B. Brighara Hospital (1912-14) and, a decade later, by the New England Baptist Hospital (1923-4).
The area around Ruggles and Parker Street (formerly occupied by the Sewell and Day Cordage works) was redeveloped for Wentworth Institute (1911-16), and its immediate vicinity became the location for the Ira Allen School at 540 Parker (1909), the Boston Trade School at 550 Parker (1917), and @ 520 Parker the Greek Orthodox Church (1921-23).
At present, Parker Hill/Mission Hill retains much of its mid-and late 19th through early 20th century character as well as many of its distincitive religious, institutional, and industrial buildings. Older districts in the area, however, were cleared in 1940 and later 1952 for the construction of the Mission Hill and Mission Hill Extension public housing developments, and beginning in 1962, high-rise apartments were put up along St. Alphonsus Street between Huntington and Tremont. Despite these pockets of modern construction, Parker Hill/Mission Hill remains a cohesive 19th-early 20th century neighborhood, and its historically significant development contributes substantially to the continued vitality of the area.
REVIEW OF ARCHITECTURAL STYLES AND BUILDING TYPES
The Parker Hill/Mission Hill Study Area encompasses a fairly extensive - range of notable residential, institutional, and industrial architecture dating, for largely, from the mid-19th century through the 1920's. Despite its overall variety of style and building types, the area includes an intact neighborhood of 1872 brick and stone row housing and is generally characterized by its unusually dense concentrations of 1890's-ca. 1905 triple decker housing, particularly on its rising slopes. In addition, a rather extensive group of early 1890' s small scale Queen Anne housing predominates in the area just behind the Blessed Sacrament Church near the Jamaica Plain line.
Early 19th century domestic buildings in the area is represented by only a few examples each of Federal and Greek Revival housing, but Italianate architecture which takes hold in the area by the late 1840's, remains the predominant building style through the '70's often in combination with mansard features. During the 1870's through the first decade of this century. Mansard, Queen Anne, and Colonial Revival development account for most of the residential building in the Parker Hill/Mission Hill area. Residential building types in the survey include rural farmhouses, picturesque cottages, attached stone and brick rows, single-family residences of modest to relatively substantial scale, two-family houses, brick apartments, commercial/residential blocks, and triple-deckers.
Institutional architecture on Parker Hill/Mission Hill includes historically and architecturally significant churches and their related buildings , such as the Mission Church (Bascilia of Our Lady of Perpetual Help) and the Blessed Sacrament Church — as well as notable public, parochial, and technical schools, hospitals, and the facilities of local charitable organizations. Much of the area's important industrial development dates from the 1870's through the 1910's and remaining manufactories in the area are, for the most part, brewery buildings that, as a group, comprise the most important concentration of this industrial type in the City of Boston.
The earliest extant buildings in the study area are the Federal farmhouses located at 33, 47, and 51 Bynner Street, near the boundary with Jamaica Plain. Dating from ca. 1813 — ca. 1820, these 5-bay central entry houses exhibit characteristic Federal period features, with #33 Bynner retaining much of its original appearance, including its transom and sidelight entry. Although somewhat altered with asphalt siding, #47 still displays a narrow fanlight doorway on its right side.
Developed during the second quarter of the 19th century, the Greek Revival Style is exemplified in the area by the houses at 12 Nira Street (ca. 1828) and 824 Parker Street (ca. 1845) — each revealing the stylistically typical pedimented gable-roofed building form and detailing of slightly pedimented window or door enf ramements . In addition, #824 Parker displays a Greek Revival porch with fluted Doric columns. Another Greek Revival house that has survived in the Parker Hill area remains at 72 Alleghany Street. Dating from 1846, #72 Allegh any retains its two-story columned front porch, but was remodelled in 1868 in the then fashionable Mansard style.
Contemporary with the Greek Revival and lasting, into the 1870' s, was the Gothic Revival style which primarily was used for cottage and church architecture and remains on Parker Hill in a few examples including at 139 Hillside, the relatively intact Stone/Warren residence. Distinguishing the Stone/Warren house are Gothic features including the multi-gabled roofline ornamented with bargeboarding and finials, and pointed arch windows sometimes enhanced with interlaced mullions. Dating from between the late 1840 's and the mid-'50's, the Drew House at 59 Iroquois was moved in 1947 onto its present site from 104 Parker Hill Avenue. Although a rather plain modestly-scaled example of the Gothic Revival, it does maintain its stylistically distinctive multi-gable roofline. A considerably later example of the Gothlic Revival is presented by the frame Highland Congregational Church, built in 1871 at 738 Parker Street (at Oscar), which displays pointed arched windows, buttressing at the now-truncated corner tower, steeply gabled attic, pointed arched entry, and trefoil detailing.
Of the 19th century architectural styles represented in the Parker Hill/Mission Hill survey, the Italianate which persisted between the 1840's through the early 1880's is the first to survive beyond scattered examples and to remain in significant concentrations. Italianate development in the study area includes a range of builiding types as, for example, the substantial Timothy Hoxie house at 135 Hillside Street (1854) and the Nelson Curtis residence at 363 South Huntington Avenue (ca. 1860). Surviving as the only Italianate Villa in the survey area, the Timothy Hoxie house retains its robust bracketed detail, round arched fenestration, and square hipped roof facade tower. Representative of the houses put up in the Jamaica Plain area by that community's most prosperous citizens during the 1850's and early '60's, the Nelson Curtis House at 363 South Huntington exhibits a three-bay central entry plan, sturdy chamfered posted entry porch, quoin detailing, and later Colonial Revival leaded glass doorway.
Concentrations of substantial as well as more modestly scaled single-family Italianate housing of architectural note remain in the Alleghany/Parker Street vicinity. These include: the 1847 smallish double Alonzo and Henry Folsom house located on Folsom Avenue, which retains its unusual hooded porch with scalloped trim; the gable roofed 1851 Stockman house at 11 Alleghany with its bracketed arcaded side porch; and the group of gable and mansard roofed 2-story plus attic houses put up along Alleghany Street between the late 1840's and mid-'70's. Non-residential Italianate buildings are represented in the study area by the modestly scaled and plain gable-roofed frame Congregational chapel (1857) at 714-16 Parker and the handsomely detailed 1870's-1880's red brick Vienna Brewery complex at 133 Halleck and 37 Station Street.
First appearing in combination with Italianate development, the Mansard style became the fashionable residential building mode of the 1860 's and
70's. Typified by its use of the distinctive, usually double pitched French Mansard roof, the style is represented in the are by several large scale two-story plus attic single-family frame residences such as the 1866 Jacob and Henry Pfaff House at 743 Parker Street (corner of Delle), and the Boyle/Babbitt house (ca. 1860) at 1456 Tremont Street (corner of Parker).
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Also of note is the mansarded 1858-60 Italianate double house with chamfered posted porch at 34-36 Alleghany. Another cluster of Italianate housing has survived in the Creighton, Day and Evergreen Streets vicinity near the Jamaica Plain line. This grouping includes the three-.story, flat-roofed, 5-bay, side-facing Moses Chase House at 20 Creighton (1859-62), the two-story plus attic, mansarded, 3-bay, central entry house with quoin, bracketed, and corniced detail at 10 Creighton (1860/1), and the two-story plus attic gable roofed quoined and bracketed 1868/9 cottage at #38. During the 1860 's through the seventies, row housing in the area often displayed the popular mansard roof. Important groups of the urban brick and brownstone fronted rowhousing remaining in the area from these decades include the bow fronted brick Italianate style South End type row at 27-53 Delle (1871) as well as the brick and brownstone rows along Wigglesworth and Worthington Streets and the
marble-faced row at 1605-15 Tremont all put up in 1872 and resembling modest
versions of contemporary townhouses in Boston's Back Bay,
Perhaps unique to the Parker Hill area is row housing built of locally quarried puddingstone. Characterized by an austere style, puddingstone residential construction in the vicinity is represented by the double 2-story plus mansard house at 1472-74 Tremont (ca. 1856), the 4-unit two-story flat roofed row at 2-5 Sewall Street (ca. 1859), and the single-story plus mansard 4-unit row at 682-88 Parker Street (ca. 1863).
As is characteristic of the development of many other neighborhoods in Boston, the building style most frequently used for domestic architecture is that of the Queen Anne Revival which predominates during the era between the 1870 's and ca. 1905. In the Parker Hill area. Queen Anne is seen in the designs of single-and two-family residences, brick and stone fronted row housing, brick apartments, and in 1890's through turn-of-the-century triple decker development. By the 1890's single-family housing rarely was put up on Parker Hill, and multiple-unit housing became the norm. However, Queen Anne style houses of architectural note were built in the Round Hill, Edge Hill, Gay Head, and Sunnyside neighborhood located between Heath and Centre Streets at the southern boundary of the study area. Much of this locality was developed in the early 1890's by Robert Treat Paine and Workingmen's Building Association. About 100 modestly scaled gabled and clipped gable roofed houses enlivened with decorative ornamental banding and shingling, attractively detailed bracketed porches, and gable tracery were put up as part of an ambitiously planned subdivision.
11
More substantial single-family Queen Anne residences are scattered on the upper streets of Parker Hill. These include 6 Sachem — built in 1890 and of particular interest for its Stick Style detail, and the late 1890's Queen Anne style Ahern house at 156 Calumet. The latter apparently was built as a single-family dwelling and exhibits a broad over-hanging clipped roof gable enlivened with acorn knobs and supported by brace-like brackets.
Although no longer an important building type in the Parker Hill vicinity by the 1880's, single-family row housing in the study area does include the 1883 brick residences at 698-704 Huntington which remain intact and are notable examples of Queen Anne/Romanesque Revival architecture.
By the late '90's and into the 1910's, most of the attached row development in the area was multiple-unit apartment buildings. Apartment rows begin to be built in significant numbers along Huntington Avenue and its immediate vicinity by the 1890' s, and around the turn of the century on the South Huntington frontage. Of this housing type, the late 1890's Queen Anne style yellow brick bow fronted buildings at 6-16 Wait, 9-23 Wait and 768-82 Huntington are of architectural interest for their attractive brickwork detailing and deeply recessed, often paired, arched entries. Queen Anne brick rows occasionally were put up on "the Hill" and good examples of these are the yellow brick three-family houses at 92-98 Calumet (1898) and the similar pair at 167-8 St. Alphonsus. Brick apartment blocks often of architectural note also exemplify the late 19th century development of the area, particularly along Tremont Street and include the four-story Queen Anne/Classical Revival yellow brick building at 1458-60 Tremont — built in 1895 after designs by architects Vinal and Tracy. Also of special interest and somewhat earlier is the 1884-5 distinctive 4-story, brick and brownstone, Helvetia apartment hotel at 706 Huntington Avenue (near Tremont) which is notable for its unusual classical and medieval ornament, its metal clad corner oriels, and its arched first floor entries and fenestration.
The most important housing type of the last decade of the 19th century and the first of the 20th in the Parker Hill area is that of the Queen Anne triple decker. Extensive streetscapes of these usually gable roofed detached
12
3-family dwellings characterize the upper streets of Parker Hill/Mission Hill, and particularly strong groupings of attactively detailed triple deckers often retaining much of their original appearance remain along Calumet, Sachem, and Hillside. Many of these triple deckers were built after the designs of local architects Samuel Rant in and son and Robert A. Watson — who also were engaged in the area as designers of two-family frame houses and brick commercial and residential blocks. The triple decker, however, was their speciality, and Parker Hill and neighboring Boston Highlands were their prime areas of activity.
In addition, the ubiquitous Queen Anne style also is apparent in the industrial architecture of the study area, and the style's characteristic lush detailing, coloristic use of building materials, and individualistic forms were extravagently utilized by brewery architects working in the vicinity. The Parker Hill area has retained two imortant late 19th century Queen Anne brewery complexes, and these remain relatively intact at 123-5 Heath Street (1886), built as the Eblana Brewery for John Alley, and at 249A Heath, put up in 1891-2 for the American Brewing Co.
Other late Victorian architectural styles represented in the Parker Hill vicinity include the Victorian Gothic and Romanesque Revival, both of which are used primarily for institutional and church buildings. The puddingstone and granite Mission Church, completed in 1878 (towers added 1910), is the most prominent building in the district and is an important example of a rather academic Romanesque Revival manner. Although not an historically "correct" use of the style, St. Alhonsus Hall (1898) on Smith Street behind the Mission Church, reveals many Romanesque features as for example, the broadly arched entry, cubiform capitals, and the use of round headed arches at the entry, in its fenestration, and in its ornamentation.
The best examples of the Victorian Gothic on Parker Hill are exemplified
by the brick German Trinity Lutheran Church at 720 Parker Street (1891-2) and
the coloristic sandstone-faced Cheverus School at 30 Sunnyside which probably
was constructed in 1898 as part of the Blessed Sacrament Complex.
13
Several notable Jacobethan style buildings remain in the study area including the Vincent Memorial/Longwood Hospital at 125 South Huntington Avenue (1907), the former United Drug Company plant at 43 Leon Street (1911; now Lake Hall at Northeastern University), the Jacobethan/Colonial Revival 1923-40 Nurses Residence of the New England Baptist Hospital at 220 Fisher Avenue, and the Parker Hill branch of the Boston Public Library at 1497 Tremont Street built in 1931 after designs by architects Cram and Ferguson.
Colonial and Georgian Revival architecture is used in the Parker Hill vicinity for residential as well asinstitutional development. The style is exhibited in apartment construction, as for example: the late 1890's red brick with marble trim multi-unit apartment block at 456 Parker Street, the three-story red brick commercial residential blocks with swag ornamented copper oriels at #1520-26 (1898-9) and #1528-30 Tremont Street (1912) , the red brick three-family row at 49-75 South Huntington (1910), and the handsome triple deckers often with monumental front porches on Parkton Road, near the Jamaica Plain line (1910's). Georgian Revival institutional buildings of architectural note covered by this study include the Ira Allen School at 540 Parker Street (1901), the Robert Breck Brigham Hospital at 125 Parker Hill Avenue (1912-14), which additionally utilized Neo-Classical features and the Home for Aged Women at 201-05 South Huntington (1926).
Significant development in the study area dating from the late 19th or early 20th century also includes the stately Renaissance Revival Roxbury Brewing Company at 31 Heath Street (1896) as well as the 1910-17 Blessed Sacrament Church at 361 Centre Street, near the Jamaica Plain line, which displays a considerably more flamboyant exposition of the Italian Renaissance Style. Also of interest are several Neo-Classical buildings as for example the Jefferson School at 240 Heath Street (1903) and the domed Greek Orthodox Cathedral at 520 Parker (1921-23).
Put up between 1911 and 1916, Wentworth Institute at 360 Ruggles Street near Huntington Avenue, is a complex combining Neo-Classical forms and design features with Tapestry Brick handling — a stylistic mix often used for 1910's and '20's industrial and institutional construction. Another large scale notable Tapestry Brick building included in the survey and also dating from 1911, is the W-plan Bulfinch School at 829 Parker, sited on high ground just above Heath Street.
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Later 20th century construction in the study area of special interest includes the stuccoed 1922 Mediterranean Style remodelling of an 1880 's industrial building at 27 Tavern Road and the attractive Art Deco single-story brick and cast-stone Ceramic Tile and Marble Works located at 30 Prentiss Street, dating from 1930. Also of special note is the granite-faced Modern Romanesque highway bridge which arches over Huntington Avenue near the Riverway, completed in 1936 as a public works project of the National Industrial Recovery Act.
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NOTABLE AREAS OF DEVELOPMENT
Centre Street-Heath Street
The Centre Street-Heath Street sub-area is generally bounded by Heath Street on the north, the new Orange Line M.B.T.A. tracks on the east, Centre and Perkins Streets on the south and the Jamaicaway on the west. It is overwhelmingly residential with the majority of its buildings dating to c. 1890-1910. Open space in this densely settled area is limited to the Jefferson playground at Heath and Day Street and the grounds of the Blessed Sacrament Church complex. Presiding over the southern portion of the sub-area is the Charles R. Greco-designed red brick stone and terra cotta Blessed Sacrament Church (1910-1917). The Church's octagonal belvedere-topped dome is the area's most visible landmark.
Topographically, this area is characterized by ledgy highlands between South Huntington Avenue and Day Street. East of Day Street, the land is relatively flat. To the west of South Huntington, land slopes down toward Olmsted Park's Leverett and Willow Ponds beyond the study boundary. Heath Street runs along the base of Parker Hill/Mission Hill's south slope. As early as the 1660 's Heath Street was part of a Roxbury road system that included Parker Street, Day Street (called Cross Street from 1825-1867) and Centre Street. Centre Street was part of the old Boston-Providence Road. During the mid-17th century and early 19th century this area was dotted with the farm houses of Heaths and Withingtons. The old Heath homestead was located at the eastern corner of Heath Street and Bickford Avenue. Phineas Withington's c.1760 Georgian tavern/house (situated on Centre Street, present site of the Blessed Sacrament Church) was a major landmark in the area until its demolition c. 1895.
The first subdivision of Centre Street/Heath Street estates occurred during the second decade of the 19th century. Built c. 1813-1820, the trio of modestly scaled Federal farmhouses at 33,47, and 51/55 Bynner Street occupy lots carved from Withington farmland. These houses are the oldest structures in both the sub-area and Parker Hill/Mission Hill survey area. In addition, at C.1828 center hall plan Greek Revival house is still extant a few blocks to
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the north at 12 Nira Street. This area remained rural and sparsely settled as late as 1860. The furst suburban subdivision, "Halsey Homestead Sites", was developed between 1859-1873. The T.B. Moses plan dated 6/30/1859 shows the curving path of Creighton Street (off the north side of Centre Street bordered by 33 house lots. Both street and lots were carved from- the land holdings of Thomas Lloyd Halsey Creighton of Providence, Rhode Island. He was the grandson of shipping tycoon Thomas Lloyd Halsey. Well-preserved wood frame Italianate houses in this subdivision include 10, 20 and 38 Creighton Street, built in 1860-61, 1859-62 and 1868-69 respectively. #10 Creighton Street and probably 20 and 38 were built by Roxbury carpenter Alexander Mair. Also noteworthy is the 3-story gambrel mansard roofed Italianate double house at 12/14 Creighton Street, built by Mair at some point between 1873-1883.
Evergreen Street, off the west side of Day Street, began as a 9-lot subdivision (lots on north side of street) with initial house construction dating to 1867-1873. Originally a cul-de-sac known as Atwood Ave, it was extended to South Huntington Avenue c. 1896. Its principal developer was Roxbury real estate agent/auctioneer Isaac Atwood. Italianate mansard houses dating from the earliest stage of this street's development include 3, 11 and 15/17 Evergreen Street. The twin hip roofed Italianate houses at 19 and 20 Evergreen Street were built in 1885 by local carpenters J. Andrew Cassidy and Michael Ecker. #29 Evergreen Street is a c. 1868 Italianate/Mansard house which together with its ample lot's mature landscape features and 19th c. barn/stable provides a glimpse of rural Roxbury before intensive 1890 's development. Located just to the northeast of Evergreen Street, at 86 Day Street, is the c. 1866 Italianate/Mansard house built for Daniel Drew, "weigher. Grand Junction Wharf, Boston".
During the late 1880's and early 1890's a remarkable suburban subdivision was taking shape on several large parcels to the north of Centre Street. Its developer, Robert Treat Paine, Boston lawyer/philanthropist, was interested in providing affordable housing for the "substantial workingman". Encompassing Gay Head, Westerly, Sunnyside, Edge Hill and Round Hill Streets, the thoroughfares of this subdivision followed the contours of the land and were designed to form a traffic cul de sac. Solidly anchored in the Romantic Landscape tradition, this "cottegey" development's irregular road pattern
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accomodated a larger number of houses than a grid plan. Scattered throughout this 116-lot development are unaltered wood frame single and 2-family houses exhibiting elements of the late Italianate, Queen Anne, Shingle and Colonial Revival Styles. Early examples of these modestly scaled, highly functional houses inlcude 7 and 10 Gay Head Street (1888,1889). George W. Post designed houses include 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 Edge Hill Street (built c.1892). Sunnyside Street boasts several groups of well preserved houses, most notably the Queen Anne houses at #11, 13, (1890) and 25, 27, 29 (1891). One of the few relatively substantial houses in the subdivision stands at 6 Westerly Street. Characterized by robust form and elements, this 2-family house was built in 1891.
The Centre Street/Heath Street sub-area assumed its present appearance between by 1890-1910. Accelerated house construction activity was triggered in part by the introduction of the electric streetcar during the early 1890's, the popularity of Paine's subdivision, and the establishment of the Blessed Sacrament Church at Centre and Creighton Streets in 1891. During the 1890 's, unmistakably urban housing forms were built along Day and Centre Streets. The group of Queen Anne masonry buildings at 120, 122, 124 Day Street and 1 Mark Street were built to house three families each in 1895-97. Thomas F. Kearney was the architect of both this group and double Queen Anne/Georgian Revival apartment houses at 126, 128 Day Street (1895). Turn-of-the-century brick and stone-trimmed commercial/residential blocks were built along commercial arteries throughout Roxbury/Jamaica Plain. Memorable Centre Street-Heath Street examples are limited to the Edward Hayden-designed block at 331-333 Centre Street. Built in 1900-1901, it exhibits Queen Anne, Classical Revival and Georgian Revival elements. Also worth noting is the Robert Watson-designed 371 Centre Street (Romanesque/Classical Revival, 1904). Watson was responsible for the Queen Anne wood frame commercial/residential building at 91-93 Minden Street (1896). Three decker housing in the sub-area is relatively rare with primarily altered examples bordering Day, Bynner, and Minden Streets. The best preserved example is 46 Creigton Street (1902). Also noteworthy is the three decker at 53 Creighton Street (1895-1899).
The Blessed Sacrament Church evolved into a 6-building complex between 1891 and 1926. This complex is located on a large parcel bounded by Sunnyside
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Street on the north, the rear lot lines of Westerly Street on the east, Centre Street on the south, and Creighton Street on the west. The original wood frame Queen Anne church/school building (1892) burned in 1975. Still extant is the wood frame Colonial Revival rectory (1894) at 365 Centre Street, the red brick Colonial Revival Sisters' Convent (1896) at 25-35 Creighton Street, the sandstone High Victorian Gothic Cheverus School at 30 Sunnyside Street (1898), the red brick, stone and terra cotta Italian Rennaissance Revival Blessed Sacrament Church (1910-1917) at 361 Centre Street and the brick and cast stone [as in Saint] Norbert's School at 24-26 Sunnyside Street (1926, Charles R. Greco architect).
Along South Huntington Ave., numerous early 20th century philanthropic institutional buildings remain, while the pocket of streets in the sub-area's southwest corner extensively reflect their development in two and three-family housing of the early 1910's and 20 ' s .
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PARKER HILL-MISSION HILL NORTH SLOPE (Alleghaney Street-Ruggles Street)
Covering a large portion of. the northern and eastern slopes of Parker Hill/Mission Hill, the Alleghaney Street-Ruggles Street sub-area is bounded by Greenleaf Street on the northeast, Huntington Avenue on the northwest, and the new Orange Line M.B.T.A. tracks on the east. The irregular southern boundary follows the rear lot lines of Terrace Place (including 80 Terrace Street) and the eastern segment of Alleghaney Street. It turns south on Parker Street, running to Hillside Street (including 2-12 and 7-17 Hillside Street). The southern boundary turns northward at 17 Hillside Street and then continues westward along the back lot lines of houses bordering Alleghaney Street. It turns northward at Pontiac Street running to Tremont Street and continues along the rear lot lines of Tremont Street's south side. The Southern boundary terminates at Huntington Avenue which in turn forms the western edge of the sub-area.
Building stock in the sub-area is overwhelmingly residential. Houses located in the section between Tremont and Alleghaney/Hillside Streets date from c. 1845-1920 and represent a variety of styles. The proposed Mission Hill Triangle Historic District encompasses the brick, brownstone and sandstone-fronted row houses lining Wigglesworth and Worthington Streets (1870's-1890's). Public housing built during the 1940's-50's covers the area bounded by Ward Street on the north, Parker Street on the east, Smith Street on the south and St. Alphonsus on the west. Turn of the century masonry commercial/residential blocks border the south side of Tremont Street, between Pontiac and Burney Streets.
The multi-building Mission Church complex (1876-1910) occupies a 5 acre parcel circumscribed by Smith Street on the north. Mission Hill Playground on the east, Tremont Street on the south and St. Alphonsus Street on the west. The Mission Church, designed by Schickel and Ditmars (1876-1878) is dominated by a pair of 215' spires. Designed by F. Joseph Untersee in 1910, these stone spires are Parker Hill/Mission Hill's most visible landmarks. Institutional buildings are clustered at the northeast corner of the sub-area and include The Wentworth institute of Technology (1910 ' s/20' s) , Greek Orthodox Cathedral (1922-24) and the Ira Allen School (1901). Further to the southeast,
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bordering the west side of Halleck Street are late 19th c. brick brewery buildings, including the remarkably intact Vienna Brewery complex and the Gottlieb F. Burkhardt Brewery stable. In addition, part of the Isaac Cook Brewery is still extant at 105 Ward Street. Open space in this densely settled area is' limited to the Mission Hill Playground, the grounds of the Mission Church High School on Alleghaney Street and the campus of Wentworth Institute of Technology. Vacant lots' appear with considerable frequency along the east side of Parker Street between Tremont and Hillside Streets. Topographically Alleghaney Street-Ruggles Street is characterized by level ground between Ruggles Street and Smith Street. This section was lowland bordering the meandering course of the Stony Brook prior to this waterway's submersion in a culvert c. 1890. Stony Brook Valley forms the eastern edge of the sub-area. Between Tremont and Hillside Streets, the terrain is steep and rugged. Remnants of the famous "Roxbury Ledge" border the rear lot lines of Tremont Street southern side between Calumet Street and Pontiac Street. This ledge, a natural puddingstone deposit, has been greatly reduced in size as the result of mid-late 19th c. quarrying. Puddingstone from this ledge was used in the construction of Back Bay and South End Churches during the 1860 's and 1870's. Rock outcroppings are located throughout the Tremont Street-Hillside Street section. Portions of Alleghaney Street retain a rustic character with wooded back yards.
The Alleghaney Street-Ruggles Street sub-area was part of the town of Roxbury (in Norfolk County) until Roxbury was annexed to Boston in 1868. The first English settlers came to Roxbury in 1630. Until as late as the 1870' s, the sub-area was rural with only a very few buildings scattered over several large estates. During the 17th and early 18th c. the Alcock family owned much of Parker Hill/Missiion Hill's north slope. Datchet House, a substantial Georgian house, was built by the Brinley family in 1723. Situated at the northeast corner of Tremont Street and St. Alphonsus Street, it was demolished to accomodate the present Mission Church rectory in 1901. 17th century thoroughfares in this area included Parker Street and Tremont Street (called Road Leading From Boston to Worcester and Washington Street prior to 1870). As early as 1814 a brewery and "tide mills" are shown on the Fuller and Whitney map of the Charles River Basin at the intersection of Parker and Ward Streets (Ward Street is shown linked to the northern segment of St. Alphonsus Street, originally called Bumstead Lane). By 1821 Parker Street had been
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extended northward across Gravelly Point to the Mill Dam (Beacon Street). Access to the Mill Dam roadway and the introduction of the Boston and Providence Rail Road (1834) to the area spurred industrial development to the east of Parker Street in the Stony Brook. Valley. By the early 1850 's tanneries, an iron foundry, Carl Jutz's Brewery (now site of Vienna Brewery buildings) were located along the eastern edge of the sub-area, near the c. 1840 depot at Roxbury Crossing. In addition, a residential/commercial node developed at the Parker Street/Tremont Street intersection, beginning c. 1825 (none of these buildings have survived). The Sewall and Day Cordage Company, with its 800' long rope walks, canal and masonry and wood buildings was a major landmark in the area from c. 1850-1890. It was located at the intersection of Parker and Ruggles Streets. Although none of the Sewell and Day buildings have survived, Roxbury puddingstone workers cottages associated with this company and unique within the Boston area still extant at 1472-1474 Tremont Street (c. 1856), 2-5 Sewall Street (1859) and 682-688 Parker Street (1863).
The establishment of a depot at Roxbury Crossing by c. 1840 encouraged the subdividion of Dudley, Billings, Parker and Francis lands for suburban house development. Alleghaney Street and its 28 lots were carved from the estate of Samuel Billings by William Gill Billings and Thomas Thacher, Sr. (Long Wharf merchants) in 1845. In that year the eastern segment of Alleghaney Street, originally called Parker Place, was subdivided into house lots from land owned by the Dudley and Lewis families. Noteworthy examples of mid 19th c. Alleghaney Street housing includes the Greek Revival/Mansard at 72 Alleghaney Street (c. 1847, c. 1865 mansard roof), the Italianate house at 11 Alleghaney Street (built by Roxbury carpenter John Stockman in 1851), the cupola-topped Italianate house at 774 Parker Street (c. 1850) and the well preserved double Italianate house at 34/36 Alleghaney Street (c. 1858-1860). Particularly memorable by virtue of form, elements and siting is the cupola-topped double Italianate house situated at the head of the cobblestone paved cul-de-sac called Folsom Avenue (3/4 Folsom Avenue, built 1847). This house was originally located closer to Parker Street and was moved to its present site (c.l880's) to accomodate tenements and Folsom Avenue. It was built by and for Roxbury carpenters Alonzo W. and A. Folsom. Alsonzo's son Augustine H. Folsom, an important late 19th-early 20th century Boston photographer, lived at 48 Alleghaney Street (1866) from 1870 until his death
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in 1926. The eastern segment of Hillside Street was developed as a cul-de-sac (originally called Shiramin Place and Billings Place) off the west side of Parker Street c. 1855. Houses emblematic of Hillside Street's early development include 4,8,10,12 Hillside Avenue (1850's-60' s) .
During the 1860 's substantial Italianate/Mansard houses were built along Parker Street, including the William R. Huston-built 775 Parker Street (raid section built c.1860, with c.l870's rear addition and 1890's corner tower), the Ferdinand Seiberlich built Pfaff house at 743 Parker Street and the copper beech tree-shaded house at 1456 Treraont Street (c. 1860-65).
Brewery buildings were located on Halleck Street, in the northeastern portion of the sub-area, as early as c.1855 and were part of Stony Brook Valley's once extensive collection of 19th century breweries. Still extant at 133 Halleck Street is a remarkably well preserved brick brewery complex developed between 1875-1895 by A.J. Houghton. Once known as the Vienna Brewery, it currently houses the Great Eastern Packing and Paper Stock Company. Its buildings include an ale brewery/hops storage building (c.l875), wash house (c.l875), office (1884) and keg shed (c.l890's). The only remnants of the multi building Gottlieb F. Burkhardt Brewery is a brick stable at 125 Halleck Street. In addition, the Victorian industrial structure to the rear of Wentworth Institute (105 Ward Street) was built c.1890 to house Isaac Cook's Brewery.
By the early 1870's distinctly urban housing types were being built on subdivisions within the sub-area. Delle Avenue and its lots were carved from the Peter Brigham estate on the west side of Parker Street in 1865. Apparently developer Charles McBurney's original intention was to build South End-like brick bowfronted row houses on both sides of Delle Avenue. Only the north side of this street was built up with row houses - two groups of row houses were built at 27-41 and 43-53 Delle Avneue in 1872. The south side of the street was developed with single family Italianate and Italianate/Mansard detached wooden houses built in 1883/84 - well preserved examples include 34 and 40 Delle Avenue.
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Further to the northwest Wigglesworth Street, Worthington Street and adjacent lots were set out over a portion of the Ebenezer Francis estate in 1870 (Huntington Avenue was laid out during the early 1880 's). The row houses built at 1-23, 2-16 Wigglesworth Street and 2-24 and 1-31 Worthington Street were as modestly scaled as the Delle Avenue row houses but are more stylish with brownstone, sandstone and brick facades featuring incized Neo Grec detail. These mansard row houses were built in 1872 by George D. Cox and architect John Broadhurst. Particularly noteworthy are the marble faced mansard row houses built by Cox in 1872 at 1605-1615 Tremont Street (between Wigglesworth and Worthington Street). Also noteworthy is the picturesque group of Queen Anne row houses at 698-704 Huntington Avenue (late 1880 's). Another urban housing type, the multi family tenement is scattered throughout the sub-area and includes the Rockland and Burney building at 16, 18 Burney Street (designed by Lorin L. Fuller in 1880-81), the German Rennaissance Revival Hotel Helvetia at 706 Huntington Avenue (mid 1880's) and the yellow brick eight family building designed by Vinal and Tracy at 1458/60 Tremont Street (1895).
The construction of churches in the sub-area between the 1850 's -70 's is indicative of the accellerated residential development during this period. Several ecclesiastical structures from this period are still extant on Parker Street. The Gloucester Memorial Hall at 716 Parker Street was built in 1857 as a chapel/Sunday School associated with the Elliot Church in Roxbury Highlands. Variously called Parker Street Chapel and Day's Chapel, it was later known as Luther Hall. Its congregation moved into the wood frame Gothic Church at 738 Parker Street in 1871, when German Lutherans acquired Day's Chapel. Between the late 1840' s and 1870' s a sizeable German community settled in the Roxbury and Jamaica Plain portions of Stony Brook Valley, working as brewers, builders, real estate agents, etc. The prosperity of the German community of Parker Hill/Mission Hill is mirrored by the Victorian Gothic brick church at 720 Parker Street (now the Gloucester Memorial Presbyterian Church). It was designed by Jacob Luippold in 1891-92. Germans were also responsible for the founding of the Mission Church. The Brooklyn, New York-based Redemptorist Fathers, a German Catholic order, founded Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Mission Church) in 1869. By the early 1870's Mission Church consisted of a small wood frame chapel and a rectory (the old Brinley
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mansion) on the site of the present 1903 rectory. Between 1876-1910 a multi- building complex evolved on the church's 5 acres, including the stone Romanesque Revival Mission Church (1876-78, 1910), Mission Church School (1889, Smith Street), Sisters' Convent (1889, Smith Street; both buildings exhibit Queen Anne elements), St. Alphonsus Hall (1898, Romanesque/Queen Anne) at 80 Smith Street, Queen Anne temporary rectory at 100 St. Alphonsus Street (1901-1902) and the High Victorian Gothic/Queen Anne Rectory at 1545 Tremont Street (1903).
North of Ruggles St., the Tavern Road-Field Street area now is a sea of parking lots at the edge of the Northeastern University campus which was in the 1850' s a neighborhood of modest housing located near marshland and across the road from the Day Cordage manufacturer, later becoming the large ropewalk complex of Sewall and Day Co. Previously known as Mechanic Street, during the 1880's Tavern Road at its Field St. end (then called Madison Court), was occupied by brick and frame stables and shops. Only a few older structures remain, including the Queen Anne industrial building at 26-8 Tavern Rd. At 456 Parker St., corner of Field St. remains an 1890's Georgian Revival apartment building. Now incorporated into the Northeastern University campus, a complex of notable industrial buildings remain at 43 Leon, 46-54 Greenleaf, and 105-111 Forsyth St. Constructed between 1893 and 1911, they were the home plant of the United Drug Company, which for decades produced the internationally distributed Rexall Brand products.
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Top and Back of the Hill
The area circumscribed by Calument aad Cherokee Streets on the aorth, the former Boston and Providence Railroad (later the New York, New Haven, and Hartford) on the east, Heath Street on the south, and Huntington and South
Huntington Avenues on the west includes the summit and steepest slopes of
Parker Hill and offers panoramic views out to downtown Boston, the Back Bay, Jamaica Plain, and the Blue Hills. At the beginning of the 19th century up to mid-century, much of the Parker Hill vicinity was agri-cultural land and was sparsely developed with farms and residences. The earliest extant residential development in the Top and Back of the Hill sub-area, was initiated by mason Thomas C. Wait and his partner carpenter/housewright Greenleaf C. Sanborn through their 1845 Highland Place subdivision which encompassed the land approximately enclosed and adjacent to today's Parker Hill Avenue, Wait Street, and Huntington Avenue. Several Italianate and Gothic residences, often on large spacious lots, were put up in Highland Place during the late 1840 's through the mid-50' s. Houses remaining from this mid-century development include the Stone/Warren residence — the Gothic Revival cottage at 139 Hillside Street, the Lorain J. Drew House — now at 59 Iroquois, and the Italianate villa Timothy Hoxie House at 135 Hillside. Development on the Hill, evidently stimulated by the construction of the Boston and Providence Railroad and the establishment of a local station at Roxbury Crossing, also resulted by the late 1840's in the construction of Italianate style housing along Parker Street and its new feeder streets including Alleghany and
Billings Place which became the upper end of Hillside. Dating from mid
century, the Italiante houses at #4 and 8 Hillside were put up on land owned
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by Boston merchant and later railroad president Thomas Thacher a Parker Hill
resident who lived nearby on Alleghany Street and who also was a principal in the 1845 residential subdivision of that vicinity. Aside from scattered building during the Civil War era and the 1870' s, much of the higher land on Parker Hill remained rural and undeveloped into the mid-1880' s. At this time, extensive tracts held by Franklin Dexter were subdivided and (beginning in the 1890's), developed intensively with triple decker housing. The upper streets of Parker Hill which were cut through in the mid-to late -80 's and often given Native American names, had acquired by the early years of this century, their characteristic appearance of a densely built up neighborhood of three-story plus attic, gable roofed three-family frame dwellings ornamented with decorative boarding and banding and displaying repetitive projecting bowed and 3-sided bays. Most of these triple deckers were designed by Roxbury or Jamaica Plain architects and builders, and many were put up after the designs of Samuel Rantin and Son or Robert A. Watson. Both Watson and the Rantins maintained offices on Columbus Avenue near Roxbury Crossing, and although their practices included single, two-family, and apartment block housing, the bulk of their activity during the '90's though the 1910's apparently was concerned with triple decker construction on Parker Hill, at Boston Highlands, and in the Hyde Square vicinity of Jamaica Plain. Remaining lots and open land on the slopes of Parker Hill during the first decades of the 20th century were filled in with two-family bungalow style housing, occasional brick apartments, and at the very summit, by medical institutions.
During the early 1890's, several hospitals moved to the heights of Parker Hill, and in 1893, the New England Baptist Hospital set up its plant in the mid-century Bond house formerly located at 109 Parker Hill Street. Twenty years later, at 125 Parker Hill, the Robert B. Brigham Hospital (1912-14) was constructed, and in the 1920's, the New England Baptist (1923-4) initiated their present Georgian Revival/Jacobethan complex at 101 Parker Hill and 220 Fisher Avenue.
The summit of Parker Hill which during the 18th century into the 1870's was the location of the extensive Parker estate, to this day remains open land offering a spectacular prospect that encompasses many of the cities and towns surrounding Boston. From the late 1860's into the 1910's, part of the top of the Hill was occupied by a municipal reservoir and much of this location, combined with land formerly part of the old Parker estate, is now used as a city park and playfield.
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Aloag the base of the back of the Hill, Heath, Terrace, and New Heath Streets began, by the 1870's, to develop as an industrial area which produced an important complex of late 19th century breweries. Located along these streets and retaining much of their original appearance and detail is the robustly ornamented Queen Anne style Eblana/Alley Brewery at 123-5 Heath (1886), the American Brewing Company (1891/2)) at 294A Heath Street, and the Renaissance Revival Roxbury Brewing Company at #31 (1896). Highland Spring, the largest of the Heath Street area breweries, was demolished in the 1980's, but notable adjunct structures remain including the 1895 Queen Anne style refrigeration building at 55 New Heath and the storage and bottling plants at 158-68 Terrace (1892, 1912/3).
By the 1890's, the frontages of Huntington and South Huntington Avenues were developing with three-family brick apartment rows. Near the Jamaica Plain line. South Huntington Avenue became the location of several charitable institutions concerned with the well-being of women, children, and the aged
including at #125 the Vincent Memorial Hospital (1907); at #131 the New
England Home for Little Wanderers (1914-16); at #310-09 — the Mount Pleasant Home for Aged Men and Women (1925); and at #201-05, the Home for Aged Women - (1926).
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II. METHODOLOGY
General Procedures
The Parker Hill/Mission Hill Preservation Study essentially consisted of three procedures: field survey, documentary research, and evaluation. The field survey of all properties within the study area was conducted on foot. Approximately 3,000 structures were visually surveyed. In addition, the style, material, and type of each building were recorded on a 100-scale, figure 5 photogrammetric base map. The key to this map can be found in Appendix II. The second procedure involved documentary research using Boston archives, libraries, Suffolk and Norfolk County Deeds, and relevant respositories, to investigate primary and secondary sources. The third procedure was evaluation of the entire survey which resulted in recommendations for preservation activity.
Because of the considerable number of structures within the survey area, the decision was made to record buildings or areas of particular historic and/or architectural significance using the standard Boston Landmarks Commission Building Information form (Appendix I). Buildings selected for inclusion in these forms were marked on a 400-scale map by black dots with accompanying notations of inventory form numbers.
Parker Hill/Mission Hill was divided into the following sub-areas which were primarily determined by historic research and topographical divisions: Centre Street/Heath Street, Evergreen Street, Mission Hill Triangle, Parker Hill/Mission Hill North Slope, Parker Hill/ Mission Hill Triple Decker District, Round Hill Street/Sunnyside Street, Treraont Street. (See Map II).
Recording and Evaluation
Individual Buildings - Building Information Forms were completed for 198 individual structures, using the following criteria in the selection process (map IV):
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1. Uniqueness in Parker Hill/Mission Hill,
2. Good examples of an architecutural style and/or type
3. Association with important national or local events or personalities
4. Prominent visual landmarks
Districts - Were evaluated on the basis of the distinctiveness of individual buildings and cohesiveness of the streetscape, and in some instances, the historical significance of the area. Whenever possible, buildings were grouped into National Register districts rather than singled out for individual listing (Map III).
Research Procedure
Research was focused on determining date or date range, architect and/or builder, original property owners and original appearance of buildings recorded on individual forms, as well as sequence of neighborhood development and street development pattern. The investigation procedure followed these general stages:
1. Field observation and building description.
2. Examination of building permits.
3. Examination of maps, and atlases using the collections at the Boston Public Library, Boston Athenaeum, Bostonian Society, S.P.N.E.A., and Massachusetts State Library.
4. Examination of Boston directories, as well as histories of Parker Hill/Mission Hill.
5. Deed research at the Suffolk and Norfolk County Registries of Deeds.
6. Examination of local newspapers including the Boston Transcript, Boston Globe, and the Boston Pilot.
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7. Examination of photographs and views in the collections of the Boston
Public Library-Print Department, the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities, and the Bostonian Society.
Photography - Photographs were taken for buildings described on individual Building Information Forms. These photographs were taken by both consultants .
Information Organization - The 100-scale map (Building Style/Material/Type) and copies of all buildings information forms will be kept on file at the office of the Boston Landmarks Commission and will be available for consultation. Building information forms are organized in a loose-leaf notebook and are further arranged alphabetically by street address. These building Information Forms, which are numbered using a system adopted for all survey and inventory purposes in Boston (Appendix III), are also available for study at the Boston Landmarks Commission. Duplicate building information forms also will be kept on file at the Massachusetts Historical Commission, The Boston Public Library-Art Department, The Bostonian Society, the Boston Athenaeum, the Library of the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities, and the Library of the Boston Redevelopment Authority.
A file on architects, builders, and developers active in The Fenway was organized with information recorded on 3x5 index cards and subsequently transferred to type listing arranged alphabetically by name. This list will be available for consultation at the Landmarks Commission and copies at the agencies and institutions previously listed.
The buildings selected were next evaluated as to relative architectural and historical importance using the six-category system outlined in the following section.
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BOSTON LANDMARKS COMMISSION
EVALUATION OF SIGNIFICANCE SYSTEM
with Criteria and Explanation of Groupings
I. Highest Significance
Buildings in Group I are considered to have national significance
* as buildings associated with Boston history, particularly the Colonial and Revolutionary War periods,
* as nationally known examples of the work of Boston architects, or
* as examples of particular building styles or types which became prototypes for similar buildings throughout the nation or which are rare prototypes throughout the nation.
All buildings in this category merit designation as Boston Landmarks and as individual listings in the National Register of Historic Places, and in the State Register of Historic Places. Designation as a Boston Landmark involves protection against demolition and involves design review of proposed exterior alterations. Outstanding interior spaces can also be specially designated as Landmarks. Listing in the National Register provides more limited protection against demolition or adverse impact from Federal action and allows owners to take advantage of Federal income tax incentives for rehabilitation. Listing in the State Register provides building with similar protections from State action, but it carries no incentives.
II. Major Significance
Buildings in this category are considered to have highest significance to the City of Boston, the Commonwealth and the New England Region
* as the city's most outstanding examples of their style or building type, distinguished for high architectural quality and high degree of intactness,
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* as early or rare examples of the use of a particular style or building technology in Boston,
* as the best examples of the work of major Boston architects,
* as buildings outstanding in their setting, with particular urban design value, or
* as buildings of the highest regional or local historical significance.
Although often less well known than buildings in Group I, these buildings are considered to meet the criteria for designation as Boston Landmarks, as well as being potentially eligible for individual listing in the National Register of Historic places and the State Register of Historic Places. Designation as a Boston Landmark involves protection against demolition and involves design review of proposed exterior alterations. Outstanding interior spaces can also be specially designated as Landmarks. Listing in the National Register provides more limited protection against demolition or adverse impact from Federal action and allows owners to take advantage of Federal income tax incentives for rehabilitation. Listing in the State Register provides building with similar protections from State action, but it carries no incentives .
III. Significant
All buildings in Group III are considered to be of significance to the City of Boston
* as fine examples of the work of Boston architects
* as buildings which make an important contribution to the character of a street or area
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* as buildings with strong historical associations with major Boston industries, organizations, institutions, or events, or
* as fine examples of a particular style or building type.
There are a large number of buildings in this group. Some may meet the criteria for designation as Boston Landmarks, and these have been subcategorized as Group III, Further Study. If finding after further study that buildings are significant to the Commonwealth, or the New England region as well as to the City of Boston, they may be designated as Landmarks.
All buildings in Group III are considered eligible for individual or district listing in the National Register of Historic Places and as such would also be eligible for listing in the State Register of Historic Places. Listing in the National Register provides all Group III buildings with limited protection against demolition or adverse impact as the result of Federal action and also allows owners to take advantage of Federal income tax incentives for rehabilitation. Listing in the State Historic Register provides buildings with similar protections from State action, but it carries no incentives.
IV. Notable
Buildings in Group IV are considered important to the character of their particular street, neighborhood, or area
* as an integral part of a visually cohesive streetscape or integral element within a district,
* as buildings with some individual architectural distinction, whether because of their materials, craftsmanship or detailing,
* as the best examples in their area of a particular style or building type, or
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* as buildings with some local historical significance.
Buildings in Group IV are not considered significant enough to be designated as Boston Landmarks or to be listed individually in the National Register of Historic Places, or State Register of Historic Places. If they are located within a National Register District, the building owner is allowed to take advantage of Federal tax incentives for rehabilitation. The property is protected from adverse impacts as a result of Federal or state action through an environmental review process.
V. MINOR
Buildings in Group V are of little architectural or historical interest but may be considered to make a minor contribution to the streetscape
* as buildings which are compatible with surrounding structures in scale, style, materials or fenestration patterns, or
* as buildings with some architectural interest or integrity.
Buildings in Group V are not considered eligible for designation as Boston Landmarks or for individual listing on the National Register of Historic Places. If they fall within a National Register District and the building is considered to have enough integrity and relate sufficiently to the significance themes of the nominated district, the building owner is allowed to take advantage of Federal tax incentives for rehabilitation. The property is protected from adverse impacts as a result of Federal or state action through an environmental review process.
VI. Non-Contributing
Buildings in Group VI are considered to be visual intrusions, incompatible with the surrounding urban fabric. If these buildings are located within National Register districts, they can be exempted from tax penalties for demolition and they are not eligible for tax incentives for rehabilitation.
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III. RECOMMENDATIONS
As outliaed in the Methodology section, the survey results were evaluated for architectural and historic significance. Based on this evaluation, reconmendations for preservation activity were made by the consultants. The recommended activities consist of listing of individual buildings and districts in the National Register of Historic Places and designation as Landmark or Architectural Conservation Districts by the Boston Landmarks Commission. The recommendations of properties and brief descriptions of their architectural characteristics follow.
A. DISTRICTS (shown on Map III)
Districts meeting criteria for National Register and Boston Landmark Designation:
1. Blessed Sacrament Church District
361, 365 Centre Street, 25-35 Creighton Street, 24, 30 Sunnyside Street (Map 19N-8E).
Qualifies as an architecturally distinquished complex of church buildings dating from 1894-1926. The centerpiece of the complex is Blessed Sacrament Roman Catholic Chruch, a superb example of the Italian Renaissance Revival Style, designed by Cambridge architect Charles R. Greco in 1910-1917.
Church interior is noteworthy for stained glass, woodwork and murals representing the work of important late 19th early 20th century artists including stained glass by Charles Connick and Thomas Murphy, woodwork by Johannes Kirchmeyer and murals by Henry Hammond Ahl.
Founded by the Redemptionist fathers of the Mission Church (Our Lady of Perpetual Help) in 1891, this congregation was initially housed in a wood frame Queen Anne chapel/school (burned late 1970's). Still extant are two solid examples of the Colonial Revival Style, the wood frame rectory at 365 Centre Street (1894) and the brick sisters' convert designed by Frank Power in 1896. Particularly noteworthy is the stone Cheverus Grammar School at 30 Sunnyside Street, an important and late Boston area example of the High Victorian Gothic Style (architect undetermined). In addition, St. Norbert's Grammar School (24 Sunnyside Street) is an interesting example of the Jacobethan Revival style. It was built of brick, stone and concrete in 1926 and designed by Charles R. Greco.
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2. Mission Church District
Mission Church (Our Lady of Perpetual Help) Tremont Street, Rectory-, 1545 Tremont Street, 100 St. Alphonsus Street, 80, 90, 100 Smith Street, (Map 20N-9E).
Considered eligible for its architecturally impressive collection of late 19th early 20th c. collection of church buildings exhibiting elements of the Italianate, Romanesque Revival, Victorian Gothic and Queen Anne styles. Five acre complex grouped around garden and bounded by Tremont Street, St. Alphonsus Street, Smith Street and Mission Hill playground. Octagonal dome and 215 foot tall towers of Mission Church are the major landmarks on Parker Hill/Mission Hill's "skyline." Proposed district dominated by the Romanesque Revival Bascilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Mission Church), designed by New York church specialists Schickel and Detmars in 1876-1878 with towers designed by Brookline, MA. architect Franz Joseph Untersee in 1910. Church interior noteworthy for Munich Stained glass, Italian Carrara marble alters, mosaic work and murals. Mission Church was organized in 1869 by Brooklyn, New York Catholic order Redemptionist Fathers. During the late 19th century, the Mission Church enjoyed a national reputation as a shrine for miraculous health cures. It has significant historical associations with Parker Hill/Mission Hills late 19th early 20th century German and Irish Catholic communities.
In addition, the proposed complex includes several buildings attributed to Franz Joseph Untersee, including the Rectory (1903) and temporary rectory, now a Grammar School (1901 - 1902). Untersee designed the interesting, highly eccentric Romanesque Rival St. Alphonsus Hall in 1898. Henry Burns is credited with the design of the Mission Church Grammar School (90 Smith Street) and the Sisters Convent at 100 Smith Street. Both buildings date to 1888-1889.
3. Ruggles Street/Parker Street District
560, 550 Huntington Avenue, 520, 540, 547, 550 Parker
Street
[Map 21N - GE]
Considered eligible as architecturally significant concentration of early 20th century buildings which serve as the home of educational, muncipal and religious institutions. Encompasses buildings with architecturally distinctive forms (e.g. the domed Greek Orthodox Cathedral) bordering Huntington Avenue, Ruggles Street and Parker Street and includes grassy, well landscaped Wentworth Institute of Technology campus. These well designed buildings document the period of intensive institutional construction which occurred in the Back Bay Fens c. 1900-1930. Located within the proposed district is the Tapesty brick/Classical Revival and Georgian Revival Wentworth Institute of Technology buildings, including the Power House (1910) and U-shaped Williston Hall/Wentworth Hall/Dobbs Hall group designed by the important Boston architectural firm of Kilham and Hopkins in 1910-16. Situated in the eastern side of Wentworth 's quadrangle is Watson Hall, designed in 1926 by Kilham, Hopkins and Greely. The Wentworth buildings have significant historical associations with Arioch Wentworth (1813-1903), Boston businessman (marble and real estate) and philanthropist. Chartered in 1904, Wentworth Institute's early mechanical arts curricula was adopted by public schools nation wide. In addition, the proposed district encompasses the Greek
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Orthodox Cathedral (1921-1923) designed by Worcester architect Hachadour S. Detnourjans, with stained glass by Charles N. Connick and Wilbur H. Burnham. To the south of the Cathedral is the Ira Allen School, an unusually well designed example of Boston Public School architecture designed by the Boston firm of Wilson and Webber in 1901. The Boston Trade School is a large E shaped Jacobethan style structure located at 550 Parker Street. Designed by James E. McLaughlin of Boston, it was built in 1917. The Georgian Revival Huntington Avenue Fire Station was designed by Krokyn, Brown and Rosenstein in 1933.
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Districts Meeting Criteria for National Register Listing and Designation as Architectural Conservation Districts
4. Bynner Street District
33, 47, 51/55 Bynner Street (Map 19N-8E)
Qualifies as architecturally interesting pocket of modestly scaled, early 19th century Federal style single family residences. Situated on ledgy, tree shaded lots on the northeast side of Bynner Street, this venerable trio represents the oldest housing stock within the Parker Hill/Mission Hill survey area. These house lots represent the earliest subdivision by the Withington-Heath farmlands which began c.1810.
Built c. 1813, 33 Bynner Street is the best preserved of the trio, retaining original form, fabric, elements, siting etc. Several of its early owners were provisions dealers. The well executed entrance treatments, of #47 Bynner Street (c. 1820) include an elliptical fanlight on its southeast facade. The hip roofed 51, 55 Bynner Street (c.l820) has been considerably altered by the installation of modern siding, but its form and scale are integral to the general character of this small district.
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5. Creighton Street District
(excluding altered buildings at 24, 30, 34 Creigton Street) #10, 12/14/, 16/18, 20, 38, 40, 44, 46, 54 and 56 Creigton Street 68 Day Street and 371 Centre Street, (Map 19N - 8E)
As early as 1859 Creighton Street and 33 adjacent lots were set over a large parcel owned by Thomas Lloyd Halsey Creighton of Providence, Rhode Island (related to China Trade, South America shipping tycoon Thomas Lloyd Halsey). This proposed district borders the western side of Creighton Street's curving path from 10 Centre Street to 68 Day Street. Several architecturally noteworthy, modestly scaled Italianate mansard houses documenting the earliest phase (c. 1859-1873) of "Halsey Homestead Sites" development include numbers 10, 20, 38, 40, 44 (and possibly 54 Creighton Street and 68 Day Street). German carpenter Alexander Mair (active in Roxbury building trades from c. late 1850's - 1890) was responsible for #10 Creighton Street (1860-61) and 12/14 Creighton Street (1873-1883) and probably #20 Creighton Street (1859-62) and 38 Creighton Street (1868-69). In addition, this district includes the well desinged double triple deckers at 16 Creighton Street (designed by John W. Priesing in 1896) and 53 Creighton Street (1895-1899).
6. Evergreen Street District
3-44 Evergreen Street, 85 and 86 Day Street (Map 19N-8E)
Considered eligible as intact enclave of late 1860's-early 1870's Italianate Mansard house with several lots retaining 19th century landscape features and out buildings (e.g. #29 and 44 Evergreen Street). In addition Evergreen Street is bordered by good examples of 1880's, 1890's single and 2-family Queen Anne style residences. Evergreen Street and adjacent lots were carved from the estate of real estate agent/auctioneer Isaac Atwood in 1867. Noteworthy examples of mansard housing from earliest phase of this street development include 3, 11, 15/17 Evergreen Street (1869-1871). The substantial double Italianate mansard house at 86 Day Street built for teamster Daniel W. Drew in 1867 is also architecturally noteworthy. The twin
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hip roofed houses at 19 and 21 Evergreen Street were built in 1885 by local housewrights J. Andrew Cassidy and Michael Ecker. Representing the latest phase of Evergreen Streets development is the well preserved Queen Ann, single family house at 24 Evergreen Street (1890-1895).
7. Mission Hill Triangle District
628-706 Huntington Avenue, 136-148 Smith Street, 1-31 and 2-34 Worthington Street, 1-35 and 2-22 Wigglesworth Street, and 1605-1617 Treraont Street. (Maps 21N/8E and 21N/9E).
Qualifies as a substantially intact, well maintained area predominantly built-up with late 19th century brick and stone row housing dating from 1872 into the 1890's. The Triangle district is of particular interest as an attractive pocket of urban housing similar in style to contemporary Back Bay residential architecture but scaled down and adapted for the development of a middle income neighborhood located just beyond the inner city.
Many of the row houses in this district were put up in 1872. Represented in this earliest 2-story plus attic, mansard roofed grouping which displays projecting three-sided bays, are decorative elements derived from the Mansard, Neo-Grec , Panel Brick and Queen Anne styles. The 1872 development also includes a marble-fronted run of 6 row houses at 1605-15 Tremont Street. Also located in the proposed Triangle District is a handsome group of 1888 Queen Anne/Romanesque Revival brick row houses at 698-704 Huntington
Avenue designed by Boston architect J.H. Besarick, and a three-family brick
row dating from the '90's. In addition to its rowhousing, the proposed
district includes the 18845 "Helvetia" at 706 Huntington Avenue a
distinctive brick and brownstone apartment hotel characterized by its metal clad corner oriels, arcaded first floor fenestration and entries, and unusual classical and medieval-derived ornamentation.
Of the 57 row houses rapidly put up following the 1871 subdivision, 54 remain. This intact concentration of row housing predominates in the district and provides the area with much of its architectural unity. George D. Cox, a local builder and real estate developer, was responsible for the initial
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subdivision of the district which included the laying-out of Wigglesworth and Worthington Streets, and was involved in the construction of 1605-15 Tremont, 2-16 Wigglesworth, and 1-31 and 14-24 Worthington.
*For additional information, see the Mission Hill Triangle District Study Report on file at the Boston Landmarks Commission.
8. Parker Hill/Mission Hill North Slope District
682-789 Parker Street, (excluding vacant lots on east side of Parker Street betwwen Oscar-Hillside Street); 1427/29 - 1472/74 Tremont Street, (including #1451), but excluding 1455-1471 Tremont Street; 16/18 Burney Street, 7-56 Delle Avenue, 1-80 Alleghany Street, 2-6 Terrace Place/80 Terrace Street, 1-4 Folsom Avenue, and 2-12, 7-17 Hillside Street. [Map 20N-9E]
Considered eligible as architecturally/historically significant residential district with buildings dating from 1845-1910. Covering a large portion of Parker Hill/Mission Hill's ledgy, tree shaded northern and eastern slopes, the proposed district includes structures possessing the full range of vernacular architectural styles and a variety of building materials. Housing types include dirainuitive worker's cottagers, substantial single family and double houses, bow and octagonal front row houses, three deckers and apartment buildings. Area buildings document three distinct phases in the mid 19th early 20 century development of Parker Hill/Mission Hill in particular and more generally for Roxbury, including 1). early estate subdivision and surburban house construction 1845 - 1865 2). introduction of urban housing forms 1865-1885 and 3). accelerated residential development (1885-1910). No buildings have survived from the Colonial Period. Parker Street/Treraont Street intersection developed as residential/commercial node as early as 1820 - 1850 but no structures survive from this period. Early suburban phase represented by commodions Italianate and Italianate/Mansard houses bordering upland side streets including cupola-topped Italianate house built by and for carpenters A.W. and H.A. Folsom (1847; 3,4 Folsom Avenue), Greek Revival /Mansard House with two tier columned porch at 72 Alleghany Street
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(1847), Italianate house built by carpenter John Stockman at 11 Alleghany Street (1851) and the double Italianate Mansard house at 34136 Alleghany (1858-60).
Documenting the period of early urban housing forms are several groups of mansard bow and bow front rowhouses on Delle Avenue including #27-43, 45-53 (1871) and 55-59 Delle Avenue (1879). In addition the Lorin L. Fuller- designed Rockland and Burney apartment building (1881-82) are located at 16 and 18 Burney Street.
Exemplifying the period of late 19th and early 20th century residential development are multi-family buildings scattered throughout the area including the early, double Queen Anne three decker at 717/721 Parker Street (1884), the three-family Itailianate Queen Anne "Bainard" Building at 1451 Treraont Street (1886), the Vinal and Tracy designed Georgian Revival/Classical Revival apartment building at 1458 Tremont Street (1895) and the Queen Anne triple decker at 9 Hillside Street (designed by Samuel J. Rantin in 1907).
Buildings of particular historical and/or architectural significance in the proposed district include Roxbury puddingstone workers' cottages apparently unique within the City of Boston, including 1472/74 Tremont Street (c.l856), 2-5 Sewall Place (c.l859) and 682-688 Parker Street (1863). Still extant at 48 Alleghany is the (c.l866) Italianate house of important late 19th century-early 20thc . Boston photographer Augustine H. Folsom. Several attractive late Italianate houses are located at 34 and 40 Delle Avenue (c.1883).
Particularly noteworthy are three church buildings on Parker Street, including the wood frame Italianate Day's Chapel (716 Parker Street, originally associated with the Eliot Church ) (1857); the Gothic, wood frame Hillside Congregational Church (738 Parker Street, 1871), and the brick Victorian Gothic German Evangelical Lutheran Church designed by Jacob Luippold (720 Parker Street, 1891-1892).
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9. Parker Hill/Mission Hill Triple Decker District
#50-104; 51-121 Calumet, 122-130, 140-164 Calumet,
1-21 and 6-12 Sachem, 3-9 and 6-12 Oswald, 170-180 St. Alphonsus
37-89 and 82 Hillside, 5-7 Iroquois.
(Maps 20N/8E; 20N/9E)
Considered eligible for its inclusion of a notable and extensive group of ca. 1893-ca. 1905 Queen Anne triple deckers of particularly high design quality and as the most intact concentration of Queen Anne triple deckers of architectural distinction remaining in the City of Boston. Built for the most part after designs by Roxbury and Jamaica Plain architects, the district is of additional interest for its numerous distinctive triple deckers designed by
Robert A. Watson and Samuel Rantin and Son local architects specializing in
three-family dwellings.
Of special interest are the handsomely detailed, generally gabled roofed, triple decker houses at 46,68,80,88,100,152 Calument, 53,61,63,67,69,73,75-77 and 89 Hillside, 3 and 10 Oswald, 5,9,10,12, and 15 Sachem, and 170 and 172 St. Alphonsus Street.
This proposed triple decker district also includes other notable late 19th century buildings as such, the Queen Anne yellow brick three-family row at 92-98 Calument (1898), the double three-family at 128-130 Calument (1900), the Queen Anne/Colonial Revival two-family at 102 Calument (1897), and the Queen Anne single family residences at 6 Sachem (1890), 126 Calument (1893) and 156 Calumet (after '95, by '99).
10. Round Hill Street/Sunnyside Street District
5-66 Roundhill Street, (#104, #105), 3-26 Edgehill Street , 1-43 Sunnyside Steet, (excluding Blessed Sacrament Church properties at 24,30 Sunnyside Street), 3-11 Westerly Street, 5-23 Gay Head Street, and 331-333 Centre Street. (Map 19N-8E)
Considered eligible as an intact example of well-planned 1890' s development of modestly scaled, wood frame single and two family houses,
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exhibiting element of the Italianate, Queen Anne, Shingle and Colonial Revival styles. The streets of this "hundred house subdivision" follow the contours of the land and are designed to make a traffic cul de sac. In general houses are 2 1/2 stories tall with open front porches, gable roofs, small front planting spaces and more ample green spaces to the rear. Roxbury architect G.W. Pope was responsible for a number of these houses including 18,20,22 Edgehill Street (1892). This subdivision has significant historical associations with Boston corporation lawyer/banker/philanthropist Robert Treat Paine. Utilizing the still novel amortising mortage (early 1890's) Paine's Workingmen's Building Association, a division of his cooperative bank, was able to offer lower middle class families with reasonably priced housing.
11. Tremont Street District
1500 1502; 1508-1518; 1520-1526; 1528/30; 1532/34; 1536-1540 Tremont Street. [Map 20N-9E]
Considered eligible as an interesting, contiguous collection of turn of the century commercial/residential blocks bordering Parker Hill/Mission Hill's principal commercial artery. Facing the Mission Church complex, this masonry "wall" of 3-story buildings borders the south side of Tremont Street, running eastward from Pontiac Street to Burney Street. Exhibiting elements of the Queen Anne, and Georgian Revival styles.
These structures document the period of accellerated urban development which occurred within the area from 1895 - 1915 (following the introduction of the electric trolley in 1894)
Starting from the eastern portion of the proposed district, the commercial/residential blocks include the Queen Anne building at 1500/1502 Tremont Street (c .1895-1900) , the C.A. Russell designed Queen Anne/Georgian Revival building at 1508-1518 Tremont Street (1897) and Samuel Rantin/ S. J. Rantin designed Queen Anne/Georgian Revival blocks at 1520-1526 and 1528/30 Tremont Street (1898/99 and 1912, respectively). In addition, the Queen Anne Style Murphy Building, located at the western edge of the proposed district was designed by three decker specialist Robert A. Watson for Quarry owner and real estate speculator Timothy McCarthy in 1899.
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12. Stony Brook Breweries Thematic National Register Recommendation (.shown on Map IV)
In Roxbury: 1) 125 Halleck Street, and 37 Station Street; 2) 133 Hallack Street, 3) 31 Heath Street, 4) 117, 123-5 Heath Street, 49A Heath Street; 6) 31 New Heath and 158-68 Terrace; 7) 55 New Heath and 8) 105 Ward Street.
In Jamaica Plain: 55-71 Amory Street; 20, 21-35 Bismark and 26 Germania Street; 3179 Washington Street. (Maps 17N/8E, 17N/9E, 18N/9E, 19N/8E, 19N/9E, 20N/9E, 21N/9E)
Considered eligible because the Roxbury and Jamaica Plain breweries built in the vicinity of the Stony Brook (now filled or in underground culverts) remain as architecturally important and historically significant examples of Boston area brewery design and include several distinguished examples of late 19th century industrial development. The proposed thematic district encompasses the most extensive and intact concentration of breweries in the City of Boston which individually and as a group are monuments of the importance of this local industry to the Commonwealth and the New England region.
This thematic district nomination includes in Roxbury the Vienna Brewery
at 133 Halleck and 37 Station Streets* predominantly dating from the mid-1870' s through the 1890' s; the 1887 stable of the Burkhardt Brewery located at 125 Halleck Street (at Prentiss) and surviving as the last remaining structure of this plant; the Roxbury Brewing Company at 31 Heath* built in 1896 after designs by architect Federick N. Footman; the Eblana/Alley Brewery at 117 and 123-125 Heath Street* designed by Otto Wolf and built in 1886; the American Brewing Company at 249A Heath Street*, put up in 1891/2 also after designs by Frederick N. Footman; and the bottling plant, refrigeration building, and storage facility of the Highland Spring Brewery at 158-68 Terrace. 31 and 55 New Heath** and dating respectively from 1892, 1895, and 1912/3. In addition the former Isaac Cook Brewery (Hanley and Casey) is still extant at 105 Ward Street (c.l890).
In Jamaica Plain (see Jamaica Plain Survey) the district includes at 55-71 Amory Street the Rockland/Robinson Brewery dating from the late 1880's and
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expanded in 1913-20 when it was used for the Trimount Manufacturing Company; the Boylston/Haf fenref fer Brewery at Bismark and Germania Street dating from 1877 through the 1890' s (National Register) and the 1894 Franklin Brewery at 3179 Washington Street, designed by Chicago architect Charles Kaesner.*
* Individually nominated for National Register/Boston Landmarks designation ** Individually nominated for National Register designation
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B. Recommendatioas for Individual Properties (showa on Map V)
Meeting Criteria for National Register Listing and Boston Landmark Designation
1. Roxbury Brewing Company. 31 Heath Street, (form #704), 1896. Frederick N. Footman, architect. (Map 19N/9E)
Qualifies as an intact late 19th century brewery complex with architecturally significant red brick Renaissance Revival main building retaining much of its original appearance. Built for the Roxbury Brewing Company, 31 Heath Street survives as a distinguished example of Boston brewery architecture. By the early years of the 20th century, 31 Heath was sold to Rueter and Company which owned and operated the Highland Spring Brewery located nearby at New Heath and Terrace Streets.
The Roxbury Brewing Company also is included in the proposed Stony Brook Breweries National Register District.
2. Eblana/Alley Brewery. 117 and 123-5 Heath Street, (form #705). 1886. Otto Wolf, architect. (Map 19N/9E)
Considered eligible as an architecturally significant Queen Anne style red brick with granite trim brewery complex retaining much of its distinctive robust form and detail. The brewery also qualifies as a landmark of the late 19th century industrial development of the Stony Brook Valley as an important brewery district of the New England region. In addition, 123-5 Heath Street is included in the proposed Stony Brook- Breweries National Register Thematic Designation.
3. American Brewing Company. 249A Heath Street, (form #706), 1891/2. Frederick N. Footman, architect. (Map 19N/8E; 20N/8E)
Red brick with granite trim intact late 19th century brewery complex of city, state, and regional historical significance and considered eligible, in addtion, as an architecturally distinguished Queen Anne style industrial building that has retained much of its colorful and individualistic ornament and form. One of several important breweries remaining in the Heath Street
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vicinity, the American Brewing Co. also is recommended for inclusion in the proposed Stony Brook Breweries National Register Thematic Designation.
4. Vienna Brewery
133 Halleck Street 1875-1895, (form #701), A.J. Houghton, architect of brewery office. (also include Burkhardt Brewery Stable, 1887, 125 Halleck Street), (form #700). [Maps 20N-9E, 21N-9E]
Considered eligible as an architecturally notable, essentially intact and relatively rare complex of late 19th century brewery buildings of local, regional and national significance. Situated in the block bounded by Halleck, Station, Parker and Prentiss Streets. Exhibiting elements of the Italianate and Panel Brick styles, these utilitarian brick structures encompass a brewery washhouse (c. 1875), ale brewery (c.l875) stylish Italianate office building (1884) and keg shed (c. 1890's). In addition the northeastern portion of Vienna Brewery abuts the brick Burkhardt Brewery Stable - a remnant of an important mid 19th century lager beer brewery. The washhouse and ale Brewery may incorporate segments of the c. 1855 Christian Jutz Brewery. The Vienna Brewery has significant historical associations with Vermont born brewer A.J. Houghton (1827-1901), founder of the Rockland Brewery (along with J. A. Kohl) in 1870 and the Vienna Brewery by 1875. The Burkhardt Stable is a remnant of a once larger brick and stone brewery complex associated with U.S. lager beer manufacturing pioneer Gottlick F. Burkhardt (1824-1884).
The Vienna Brewery also is included in the proposed Stony Brook Breweries National Register Thematic Designation.
5. Boston Public Library, Parker Hill Branch
1497 Tremont Street, (form #524), 1931 [Map 20N-9E] Cram and Ferguson, architects
Considered eligible as a well designed Jacobethan public library building representing the work of nationally important Boston architects Cram and Ferguson.
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Meeting criteria for National Register Listing only Residential
1. #12 Nira Avenue, (form #86), (Map 19N/8E)
Qualifies as a relatively rare Boston area example of ca. 1828 Federal/Greek Revival farm house. Moved to this site at some point in the late 19th century, the house originally was owned by Daniel Craig, victualler.
2. Hoxie House
135 Hillside Street, (form #78), 1854 (Map 20N/8E)
Qualifies an an architecturally notable, relatively intact Italianate Villa and the only example of this style in the study area. A distinctive residence dating from the mid-19th century development of Parker Hill, 135 Hillside Street, for almost 20 years, was the home of Boston merchant Timothy W. Hoxie (d. 1882). Residence was moved across Hillside Street in the late 1880's.
3. Stone/Warren House
139 Hillside Street, After 1845, by 1848, (form #79), (Map 20N/8E)
Qualifies as an architecturally notable Gothic Revival cottage and the best example of the style remaining in the study area. Retaining much of its characteristic Gothic features and detail, 139 Hillside is of further significance as the residence during the 1850's and '60's of Park Street Church minister Andrew L. Stone, and in later decades, of Brookline's Swedenborgian minister, Samuel M. Warren.
4. Frederick W. Allen Studio and Residence
27 Tavern Road. After 1884, by 1888; remodelled 1922-J. Williams Beal, architect, (form #404), (Map 21N/10E)
Architecturally distictive building resulting from a 1922 remodelling in the stuccoed Mediterranean style and considered eligible, in addition as the
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studio and later residence of Frederick W. Allen (1888-1961) — classical sculptor and department head at the Boston Museum School. By the late 1950's, 27 Tavern Road had become the studio of Boston sculptor and dean of the Boston Architectural Center, Arcangelo Cascieri.
Industrial
5. United Drug Co.
43 Leon Street. 46-64 Greenleaf; 105-111 Forsyth. 1911. Wheelwright, Haven and Hoyt, architects, (Map 21N/10E)
Considered eligible as an architecturally notable and handsomely detailed red brick with white terra cotta trim Jacobethan/Beaux-Arts building originally constructed as an addition to the home plant of the United Drug Co. which, for decades, produced the internationally distributed Rexall brand products. The United Drug complex also includes at 37 Leon, the end building of the block, an 1893 manufactury that was put up by the E.J.W. Morse Co. of South Easton, Mass. as a cotton spinning mill. (NR only)
6. Highland Spring Brewery Bottling Plant and Warehouse
31 New Heath Street and 158-68 Terrace Street, 1892: J. Williams Beal, architect; 1912/3: Monks and Johnson, architects. (Map 19N/9E)
Qualify as surviving buildings of the regionally important Highland Spring Brewery which was founded in 1867 by Henry H. Rueter and John R. Alley. In 1872, Highland Spring was the largest brewery in the United States, and in competition at the 1876 Philadelphia World's Fair, won first prize for its ale. During Prohibition, 31 New Heath was purchased by Oliver Ditson Company, Boston music publishers and musical instrument dealers, and was used for printing and storage purposes.
The Highland Spring buildings at 31 Heath and 158-68 Terrace also are included in the proposed Stony Brook Breweries National Register Thematic Designation.
55
lastitutioaal
7. Jefferson School. 240 Heath Street, (form #502), 1903-4. Shepley, Rutan, and Coolidge, architects. (Map 19N/8E)
Considered eligible as an architecturally notable red brick with limestone trim Classical Revival public school designed by one of Boston's most prominent architectural firms of the late 19th-early 20 century.
8. The Home for Aged Women. 201-205 South Huntington Avenue, (form #521),
1926. Coolidge, Shepley, Bulfinch, and Abbott. (Map 19N/9E)
Qualifies as an architecturally significant red brick Georgian Revival institutional building retaining much of its original appearance and detail. As an institution, the Home for Aged Women dates back to 1849 when the state legislature passed an act creating the Association for the Relief of Aged and Indigent Females.
9. Robert Breck Brigham Hospital; 125 Parker Hill Avenue.
1912-14, (form #515), Shepley, Rutan, and Coolidge, architects. (Map 20N/8E)
Monumental, architecturally notable, hospital complex prominently sited at the summit of Parker Hill and designed in the Classical Revival/Georgian Revival styles by an important Boston architectural firm. At the time of its construction, the Robert B. Brigham was one of the few chronic desease hospitals in the country and over time, became well known as a treatment center for arthritis and rheumatic disease and for its work with reconstructive orthopedic surgury.
56
special Use Structures
10. Highway Bridge . Huntington Avenue and the Riverway/Jamaicaway , (Form #900), 1936. George H. Delano and George E. Harkness, engineers. (Map 20N/8E)
Considered eligible as an architecturally notable highway bridge experienced by many urban travellers as the entry gate between Brookline and the City of Boston. Built under the provisions of the national Industrial Recovery Act, the Huntington Avenue bridge is an achievement of the federal government's 1930's depression era attempts to revive national and local economies through labor intensive public works projects.
57
C. Properties Recommended for Further Study (shown on Map VI)
1. Charles Bulfinch School. 829 Parker Street. 1911, (form #513), Charles Greco, architect. (Map 19N/9E; 20N/9E).
Notable, attractively detailed Tapestry Brick style public school designed by Cambridge born architect Charles Greco (1873-1963), who was well known for his municipal, county, and federal commissions including post office, court house, fire station, and school buildings. At present, the Bulfinch School is vacant.
2. New England Baptist Hospital. 101 Parker Hill Avenue. 1923/4, (form #514) Edward Sears Read, architect (Map 20N/8E)
Prominently sited irregular plan Georgian Revival hospital which was established by leaders of Boston's Baptist denomination in 1893. The New England Baptist Hospital has been located on or near its present site since 1897 when it moved into the mid-19th century Francis A. Bond house (now demolished) — formerly located near the summit of the hill at 109 Parker Street.
3. Edward H. Haskell Home for Nurses. (New England Baptist Hospital) 220 Fisher Avenue, (form #61), 1923: Edward Sears Read, architect, 1931 and 1940, Kendall and Taylor, architects. (Map 20N/8E)
Attractive Jacobethan/Georgian Revival institutional complex put up in several stages with its original building and main front facing Fisher Avenue. From its inception in the 1890's, the New England Baptist Hospital envisioned an in-house school for nurses, and early along began to recruit young women from local Baptist churches for nursing training.
4. 331-333 Centre Street. 1900-01, (form #400), Edward Hayden, architect/builder. (Map 19N/8E)
An architecturally eclectic mixture of Queen Anne, Georgian Revival, and
Classical Revival styles exemplifying the type of commercial/residential block
that was built along the major Roxbury and Jamaica Plain arteries at the turn
-of-the-century .
59
5. 371 Centre Street. 1904, (form #401), Robert A. Watson, architect. (19N/8E)
An architecturally interesting Romanesque Revival/Classical Revival commercial/residential block designed by Mission Hill resident Robert A. Watson.
6. Ceramic Tile and Marble Works Incorporated. 30 Prentiss Street, (form #710), 1930. F. Jackson, architect. (Map 21N/9E)
Relatively rare Boston area example of Art Deco industrial/commericial architecture .
60
D. PLANNING RECOMMENDATIONS
In addition to National Register and Architectural Conservation district designation for the Parker Hill/Mission Hill Triple Decker District, it is recommended that this proposed district be considered as a special rehabilitation area within a publically supported program that would encourage, through education and possible subsidy, historically appropriate painting and exterior repair of triple decker dwellings. If such a program is initiated, a larger district including Cherokee and Pontiac Streets as well as the higher numbered blocks of Hillside should be included.
The City also should consider, in combination with the Parker Hill/Mission Hill triple decker rehabilitation program, similar triple decker conservation efforts in the adjacent areas of Egleston and Hyde Squares and in the Fenwood Road vicinity.
61
APPENDIX I
BOSTON LANDMARKS COMMISSION Building Information Form Form No. , Area Parker Hill/
Mission Hill
ADDRESS 55 New Heath NAME
_COR . Parker Street
Highland Spring Brewery- Rerrigeration Building
MAP No.
DATE
present 19N/9E
original SUB AREA
1895
Building Permit
source J. Williams Beal Bldg. Permit
ARCHITECT
BUILDER
source
Thomas J. Lyons Bldg. Permit
source
Rueter and Co./ 0^^jj£j^ Highland Spring Brewery
original present
PH 1-2/1*, 2/2, 2/3*-8^
PHOTOGRAPHS
TYPE
(residential) single (non- residential)
double row 2-fam. brewery building
3-deck ten apt.
NO. OF STORIES (1st to cornice) 2
overhanging low ROOF hip with ventilator cupola
plus
attic
dormers at rear
MATERIALS (Frame) cUgboards
(Other) Bric^red stone
shingles st.ucco
asphalt asbestos alum/vinyl concrete iron/steel/alum.
- Squarish plan,' small scale, 3x2 bay Queen Anne
BRIEF DESCRIPTION industrial building set broad side parallel to street and displaying terracotta and brickwork trimmed arcaded 1st floor in- cluding arched central entry on New Heath flanked by same-width arched wind- ows with rough-faced granite sills . Upper floor reveals paired segmentally arched tall narrow windows set over rough-faced granite cornice enhanced with brick dentil course. Building also displays raftering at overhanging roof line, and at first floor, coloristic. use of . yellow , terracotta wave , ""tterned cornice .ana_Ye How brick banaing. HiEni. side. ejcniDits arched
arched window^ at rights Curved, Parker St. front also with^brcjlgt arched openings
EX^RIO'R
St floor, coloristic. use of . yellow , terracotta wavf na_veiIow DricK oanaing. Rignt side. exniDits arci ^"r "nioaerate drastic door at left rbrickea-up) and
CONDITION good C£air~^oor_
LOT AREA
'/2,V82
NOTEWORTHY SITE CHARACTERISTICS On site sloping up from Heath Street
arc now pa blocke
Granite
tially
block retaining wall at rear of large and now mostly vacant lot. Modern concrete 1 and 2-story addition at rear of building used for auto body shop.
(Map)
UP3/e5
SIGNIFICANCE (cont'd on reverse) Architecturally notable and richly detailed building representing the only remaining element of a major complex of brick and frame Highland Spring Brewery buildings dating predominantly from the l870's through the turn-of-the-century — located on the easterly (odd) side of Terrace St.
62
Moved; date if known_
Themes (check as many as applicable)
Aboriginal Agricultural Architectural The Arts Commerce Communication Community/ development
Conservation Education Exploration/ settlement Industry Military Political
Significance (include explanation of themes checked above)
near Heath and demolished in the 1980*s. Other buildings from the Highland Spring complex remain across the Street at 31 New Heath and at I58-68 Terrace (see form for) .
Founded in 186? by Henry H. Rueter and John R. Alley, by 1872 this brewery had risen to the distinction of being the largest brewery in the United States. At the beginning of the twentieth century, Highland Spring was the largest exclusively ale and porter brewery in Boston. Completed in December 1895» the refrigeration building housed the brewery's ice-making machinery and was constructed on the site of an earlier wood frame spring house .
A necessary phase of the brewing process, cooling is required for fermentation and is essential for the storage of beer and hops. Before artificial means were invented, brewers stored ice in cellars and in above ground ice houses. The first ice- making machine was introduced into U.S. brewing in New Orleans in 1869,» and during the I870*s and '80's, several refrigeration machines were patented which were either ice-making or air cooling and often included the use of liquid ammonia. In the I870's, the Highland Spring complex included a large wood frame ice house Preservation Consideration (accessibility, re-use possibilities, capacity for public use and enjoyment, protection, utilities, context) (cont'd p2 . )
Rt,C4.v>M^*vt^«jLJl o^Ji. pooOr B-( ^iodCcYvoSL ^^^-q^v^Wi cjloaVM-fiSf^
Bibliography and/or references (such as local histories, deeds, assessor's records, early maps, etc.)
Boston Directories. H.H. Rueter: 1870-1920
and Rueter and Co. Building Dept. Packet: #55 New Heath
#155-165 Terrace
Hopkins .
Jmley. :low.
iror
3arJ
#37t^1 Heath-rincludes misfiled June 2k,i^S building permit for refrigerator bldg.
Roxbury Atlas. 1873
Roxbury Atlases . 188^4-1931
insurance Survey. Highland Spring Brewery. 1877. I887, 1892
(Harvard Business School Library--Archives
g^ (cont'd p. 2)
r^S^ New Heath Street page 2.
Significance continued;
on the even side of Terrace Street set behind the brewery's 2- story malt elevator. Described in the early 20th century as a brewery that has kept pace with every advance in the science of the trade, Highland Spring was held to be one of the first breweries to add refrigerating machinery to its plant.
J. ifl/illiams Beal (1855-1919). the designer of the refrigerator building and during the 1890 's, the plant's architect, also was responsible for several other Highland Spring buildings including the brewery's 4-story brick bottling and storage facility at 158-r64 Terrace (see form for 31 New Heath) . Active as an architect in Boston from the late 1870's, Beal studied at MIT and began his career as a draughtsman in New York with Richard M. Hunt and later with McKim, Mead, and ;rtlhite. In 1888, Beal formed a partnership with his sons Horatio and John ^oodbridge . In the Roxbury area the firm is credited with the Walnut Avenue Congregational Church (1887-8), All Souls Unitarian Church, Elm Hill Avenue (1893). and the 15-unit residential complex--Harris Wood Crescent — at Harold and Townsend Streets(l890) .
During the 1930 's after the repeal of prohibition, the plant returned to brewing and until 1952, was operated by the Croft Brewing Company. By the 1950's, the refrigeration building was converted into a power house and later was used on its first floor for office space.
Bibliography continuedi
Massachusetts Historical Commission. History and Description of
Highland Spring Brewery (Draft) 100 Years of Brewing. Philaj I903 (reproduced 1973) p.403. Downard. Dictionary of American Brewing. Print Department, Boston Public Library. Highland Spring Brewery.
Chromolithograph, New York: I876. Architectural files: Fine Arts Dept/BPL. J. Williams Beal. Withey and Withey. J. Williams Beal
J. Williams Beal. Obituary. Boston Herald. July 8, 1919 • Boston Directories: J. Williams Beal and J. Williams Beal Sons —
I875-I970.
64
65
BOSTON LANDMARKS COMMISSION Building Information Form Form No. ' " Area^^arker Hill/
iTTiyyiuii Hill
ADDRESS 170 St. AlphonsusCOR . Alleghany NAME
present MAP No. 20N/9E
original SUB AREA
9 DATE
1902
Building Permit
source
ARCHITECT Saml . Rantin & Son Bldg. Permit
source
BUILDER unknown
1902: Michael Niland source
1906: Gath. Niland OWNER iQiq, IVla-rtin V,urkp.
original . present
PHOTOGRAPHS ^^ 6'5/l*-8^
TYPE
(residential) single (non- residential)
double row 2-fam.
ten apt.
NO. OF STORIES (1st to cornice)
ROOF Pedimented gable , —
MATERIALS (Frame) (clapboards^ (Other) bri^
cupola
plus attic and full base-
raent dormers pair of attic roof
shingles stone
stucco
ablesiover 3-stQrv ba i^ng^* moonrwinapwa. . . spnalt^ asbestos aium/vmyl
iron/steel/alum.
bays at left with
asp concrete
BRIEF DESCRIPTION §Hi!§er?l^ial°^f a?"li?!laS^§iit^lf !?w^il^?i!l°i^t over double dporway sheltered by classically detailed porch with si balustered railings and elliptically arched entry bay supported by- clustered short posts and colonnettes. Scalloped and/or patterned shingling ornaments both facade bays and overhanging bracketed roof gable displaying Palladian window. Dentil trim used at roof gable and at bracketed porch cornice.
EXTERIOR ALTERATION (minor^ moderate drastic
:ONDITION g(^
ender
air poor_
LOT AREA 3798
_sq.
feet
!IOTEWORTHY SITE CHARACTERISTICS small corner lot with minimal set-back. On
rising ground sloping up rrom rremont c)tree-c. Towers 01 ivussion unurch
I dominate street vista. Similar in form to adjacent #172 St. Alphonsus
(see form for) and #12^ CilumSt — juSt Up thS Stt^Set.
SIGNIFICANCE (cont'd on reverse) Full blown, late Queen Anne, architecturally distinguished triple decker contributing sub- stantially to the high quality of the triple decker neighborhood in the St. Alphonsus/ Calumet Street vicinity. #170 St. Alphonsus also is of note as a surviving example of the best three-family work of prolific local architect Samuel Rantin and Son and was built
(Map)
-?7T^
iF^e^
66
Moved; date if loiowii
Themes (check as many as applicable)
Aboriginal Coaservation Recreation
Agricultural Education Religion
Architectural x Exploration/ Science/
The Arts settlement invention
Commerce Industry Social/
Communication Military humanitarian
Community/ Political Transportation
development ^
Significance (include explanation of themes checked above)
for the Niland familyWich formerly resided on Whitney Street and which included in the early years of this century, real estate businessman Michael » clerk — John J., bookkeeper — Joseph P., and stenographer — Mary J. The Nilands also owned the abutting triple decker at 172 St. Alphonsus (see form for) and the I898 3- family brick apartment building at #17^ •
Samuel Rantin and Son, architects of the triple decker at #170 St. Alphonsus were responsible for designing during the l890's through the 1910 's, many triple decker houses of unusually high quality — in the Parker Hill, Highland Park, and Hyde Square (Jamaica Plain) areas. By the mid-1870 *s, Samuel Rantin was active as a carpenter and lived for the next 10 years at various addresses in the Parker Hill and Roxbury Crossing vicinity. By I890, Samuel had settled at 50 Gurney Street near the Mission Church and shortly afterwards formed a partnership with his son. Both are listed at this time as architects at 4 Pynchon Street (latter called Columbus Ave.) in the Boston Directories. At the turn-of-the-century, Samuel Rantin and Samuel J. are working out of 1117 Columbus Avenue near Roxbury Crossing — an office which was maintained by the firm into the mid- 19^0 's.
After moving from the Mission Hill neighborhood around 1900, Rantin Preservation Consideration (accessibility, re-use possibilities, capacity
for Dublic use and enioyment, protection, utilities, context) relocated to Roslmdale and remained in that community until his ^eath on Jan. 2, 1929« Samuel J. apparently moved from place to place m Jamaica Plain, and in the 19^0 s took-up long-term residence at ^6 Orchard Street. Amongst the intact and architecturally notable triple deckers designed by Rantin, Rantin and Son, or Samuel J. Rantin in the Parker Hill survey area are the Queen Anne three-family houses at
6^ Hillside (1909) ( for single and two- family houses in Roxbury and Jamaica Plain and designed brick coiranercial/residential blocks including 1520-26 Tremont B^M^^/^v^S^/^ge-^eg?^^§i^ct^l>ilJca^Sg^3^^gg^ :§9gJ3 ^ assessor's
records, early maps, etc. ) Bromley. Roxbury Atlases . I890-I915.
Boston Building Department: Building Permit — 170 St. Alphonsus —
August il, 1902.
Boston Directories: Niland family — 1895-1913
Architectural files: Fine Arts Dept./BPL — Samuel Rantin; Samuel J.
Boston Directories: Saml Rantin; Saml J. — I87O-I96O .
Boston Landmarks Commission. Jamaica Plain Survey.
Roxbury Highlands Survey. On file Boston Landmarks Commission.
-^ 67
;0N LANDMARKS COMMISSION Building Informatioc Form Form No./^^Area /Vl H
.^DRESS /-// (Ay, ^(^ /^^.-^r-fJN COR, ^k gt ^. .4. , ^ 4,^ ^4^
NAME
present
original
MAP No. Z/ Ai-^^ SUB P^AU)i£0ik:SU2^i-Hy Si
4^
DATE
'^^^
source
ARCHITECT
source
BUILDER Ge^ e^"l) ■ (Tc? )^ <^7gg J S . g<.4/c3 ^
source
OWNER G-^^-rz:^€. ^ ■ C^X
original
present
PHOTOGRAPHS f >4S-^W -^^ ; ^3 (^^ly - PH H ^/(o - ^i
Qresidentialj) single double (]^w^ Z-fam.
(noa- residential)
3-deck ten apt.
-Z-
OF STORIES (1st to cornice)
F MoaaS^cx^-tA cupola 2II_
plusgifhc ^ boSe^Mud" _do rmers S,n^l<!^ <^ -f-p Qc^c ViTL-
IRIALS (Frame) clapboards _shin^les stucco asphalt asbestos alum/vinyl ^therVSric^ f stone btpu>n^4;rheI\coQcrete iron/steel/alum.
V &^ >v\arM -fa caj<£, /
EI DESCRIPTION ^ ^ „r^ 1 \ r a n ^
, n <^fmJp<5-^ S(x yrjv(j\uyu^s . Miu^M -{Tucadjx^ O-ri. c<T\*j-^os^ erf-
\\C<lW(L bvfctOn-S-lrrn^^ v^a.c ou^<^ ^^cLz^ LOO-Ws c-f br)<::k_ . S,rv\y]ayC n^ <3^S)^ia -Ho
-(•2, W<y-<^"^'^Vvr s4 • ]<<:^ -Qa-h^jt^s \v\cUj<^e 6^lQb5/<an t?i<-t-ra»ii:4_ £iA^d comdow SurroyyJz
ERIOR ALTERATION vT'minoP^ moderate drastic
^cU lo-h IS LOT AREA /C^OC sq. feet
DITIOlTgood ) fair poor
EWORTHY SITE CHARACTERISTICS ^kv^^li , ^evuiJTXilu Ke^C- ViAeA \r^i^ ua>-c(-S.
SIGNiriCANCS (cont'd- on reverse;
(Map)
68
Moved; date if known
Theme s (check as many as applicable)
Aboriginal Agricultural Architectural The Arts Commerce Communication Community/ development
~z:
Conservatiocf; Education \\
Exploration/*-; settlementi Industry Military Political
Significance (include explanation of themes checked above) TUd io^ -^^ I-' f (>^*^ P*^"^ ^ "^ W"'^^ '^^^5^ f^*""^' ^l^'<^'^ p^^SffS^ -rvowA
Sepr^t^ (5a;K^r5U;p -fS^^^c//, i?<^ ^^ i^^,u>dMal I oH be^Cc^ bo/ cc^ l^liwas- A- /I/les^(M^r of (Wt3<:- /ipgwi^o <^ 6d 2>oy s f/o+S , < ^^ <i i^ ■Tuk'vii^h/'/i^ Good'
^ Prese^atSTSnsideration (accessibility, re-use possibilities, capacity for public use and enjoyment, protection, utilities, context)
Bibliography and/or references (such as .local histories, deeds, assessor's records, early maps, etc.)
69
APPENDIX II
KEY TO 100 SCALE INVENTORY MAPS
APPENDIX III
Historic Inventory Mao Coding System - Boston
1. City is divided into the following districts, note abbreviations. A capital letter or pair will always precede a number for coding.
EB C N/W BB BH SC FK AS MH S£
|
East Boston |
SB |
South Boston |
|
|
Charlestown |
JP |
- |
Jamaica Plain |
|
North End/Waterfront |
R |
- |
Roxbury |
|
Back Bay |
D |
- |
Dorchester |
|
Beacon Hill |
RD |
- |
Roslindale |
|
Bay Village/Chinatown |
WR |
- |
West Roxbury |
|
Fenway/Ken more |
HP |
- |
Hyde Park |
|
Allston/Brighton |
GC |
- |
Government Canter/North Station |
|
Mission Hill |
WE |
- |
West End |
South End
CBD
Central Business District
2. Numerical system is divided into the following use categories. (MHC code is the underlying structure here with additional break- downs to deal with the large number of structures in the City).
Buildings 1-799
Further broken down into:
Residential 1-399
(including all types of residential structures, apartments, out buildings, such as carriage houses, barns, stables, and garages)
Commercial 400-499
(including retail, office, bank, gas stations, fast food,
auto repair, super markets, shopping center, hotel, theatre,
combined commercial/residential )
Institutional 500-699
(including church, school, municipal, hospital, nursing home, club, R.R. station, civic, stadium)
Manufacturing 700-799
including manufacturing, lofts, factory warehouse, mill
Cemetary 800-899
Structures, Parks, Monuments, Markers 900-999
(including bridge, canal, dam, tunnel, road/path, windmill, fort, standpipe, marker/tablet, statue, fountain, milestone, parks, benches, training fields, clocks)
Streetscapes 10Q0-X
3. Example of how to use system
D159 - reflects a residential structure in Dorchester H900 - reflects a bridge in Hyde Park H371 - reflects a commercial structure in Hyde Park
71
STYLE
Colonial (1-30-1775)
Federal (1790-1830)
Greek Revival (1830-1855)
Gothic Revival (1840-1860)
Ital ianate (1845-1885)
High Victorian
Gothic
(1860-1890)
Mansard (1860-1890)
Stick Style (1870-1880)
Queen Anne (1870-1900)
Romanesque .-
Revival
(1875-1895
Shingle Style (1880-1900)
Renaissance Revival
(1885-1930)
Vic tori an/ Indus trial Commercial Style 11885-1905)
J^930 ]^931 1^919 lii;904
J#906
J#933 ]#911 I #907 l#909
l#913
J=914
I l#912
STYLE
Chateauesque/
Norman
(1890-1905)
Beaux Arts (1890-1915)
Georgian or Colonial Revival (1890-1930)
Federal Revival (1900-1920)
Modern Gothic (1890-1940)
Jacobethan (1895-1930)
Classical
I l#962
IZ]=947
Revival (1895-1930)
Mediterranean/
Mission
(1900-1930)
Bungalow (1900-1930
Early 20th Century Commercial
Tapestry Brick
(1910-l"^40)
Mrt Deco/
Moderne
(1925-1940)
Internationa!
Style/Modern
(1927-
ConterriDorary Suburban
(1940- — r
COLOR #
l^qifi
1=^941 I #917
J #942
]#945
II#927
#939
#935
!#936
#963
]#964
|
Residential |
Institutional |
|
|
unmarked, single family |
Ch: |
church |
|
2F: two family |
Sc: |
school |
|
3D: triple decker |
Mp: |
municipal |
|
A: apartment |
(police, fire, |
|
|
Gar: garage |
library, etc.) |
|
|
Barn: stable or |
H: |
hospital , nursing |
|
carnage |
home |
|
|
Cb: |
club |
|
|
Commercial |
Manufacturing |
|
|
Rl : retail store |
M: |
manufacturing |
|
(1-2 stories) |
W: |
warehouse |
|
0 : office, bank |
||
|
gs: gas, fast food |
72 |
Building Materials
IF) brick
(s) stone
(so) stucco
(m) metal
(co) concrete
(gl) glass
VAC: vacant
//// drastically al tered
BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY
3 9999 06316 312 3
COVER PHOTO: St. Alphonsus St.
View of east side of street, looking northeast from Calumet St.
Carol Kennedy
Boston Landmarks Commission
1985
BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY
3 9999 06316 313 1
19 I $J-
:isi/; f^v ri ^^t 'f'in/ !l?/ ^i' >> k^ i^H f%^\.}
* i' - .,. ■
l!.^- J^'l' i!^
i! 1H' >* ¥
' 1% «^. I»^' •V^^'
I I It
mm %^
1 l^iO-lH^
,^,^,^,,,...x