Nomination for Wilson, Henry, Shoe Shop

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

NPS Form 10-900 (Rev. 10-90) OMB No. 1024-0018 RECEIVE United States Department of the Interior National Park Service Op JUL 1 0 2000 National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NAT. REGISTER OF HIST TORIC PLACES NATIONAL PARK SERVICE This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations for individual properties and districts. See instructions in How to Complete the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form (National Register Bulletin 16A). Complete each item by marking "X" in the appropriate box or by entering the information requested.If any item does not apply to the property being documented, enter "N/A" for "not applicable." For functions, architectural classification, materials, and areas of significance, enter only categories and subcategories from the instructions.

Place additional entries and narrative items on continuation sheets (NPS Form 10-900a). Use a typewriter, word processor, or computer, to complete all items. 1. Name of Property historic name HENRY WILSON SHOE SHOP other names/site number. 2. Location street & number 181 WEST CENTRAL STREET - not for publication city or town_ NATICK -vicinity state_ MASSACHUSETTS _ code_MA countyMIDDLESEX code_017 zip code 01760 State/Federal Agency Certification As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1986, as amended, I hereby certify that this 2nomination - request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of Historic Placesand meets theprocedural and professional requirementsset forth in 36 CFR Part 60. In myopinion, the property meets does not meet the National Register Criteria.

1 recommend that this property be considered significant E nationally O statewide [Klocally. (- See continuation sheet for additional comments.) udita B. MuDononah 6|5 2000 Signature of certifying official/Title Judith B. McDonough, Executive Director Date Massachusetts Historical Commission, State Historic Preservation Officer State or Federal agency and bureau In my opinion, the property meets -does not meet the National Register criteria. (O See continuation sheet for additional Comments.) Signature of certifying official/Title Date State or Federal agency and bureau 4. National Park Service Certification 1, hereby certify that this property is: Pentered in the National Register - See continuation sheet. - determined eligible for the National Register - See continuation sheet.

- determined not eligible for the National Register - removed from the National Register - other (explain): signfrure of the Kpepe latuice Andu Date of ActIon 8/24/00 Henry Wilson Shoe Shop Name of Property 5. Classification Ownership of Property (Check as many boxes as apply) -private x public-local - public-State -public-Federal Middlesex, MA County and State (Check only one box) x building(s) - district _ site - structure - object Number of Resources within Property (Do not include previously listed resources in the count.) Contributing 1 Noncontributing _building _ sites _ structures objects Total Name of related multiple property listing (Enter "N/A" if property is not part of a multiple property listing.) n/a 1 2 Number of contributing resources previously listed in the National Register 6.

Function or Use Historic Functions (Enter categories from instructions) INDUSTRY/manufacturing facility Current Functions (Enter categories from instructions) RECREATION AND CULTURE/museum Z. Description Architectural Classification (Enter categories from instructions) NO STYLE Materials (Enter categories from instructions) foundation stone wallsweatherboard roof _ other_ asphalt Narrative Description (Describe the historic and current condition of the property on one or more continuation sheets.) MPS Form (3-09 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number - Page - OMB Approvel Na.

1024-0018 Henry Wilson Shoe Shop Natick (Middlesex Co.), MA The Henry Wilson Shop is a small, wood-frame building located on a 2.25 acre site on the north side of West Central Street, setback approximately thirty feet from the corner of Mill Street. Constructed as a "ten-footer" shoe shop in the early 19th century, the building is located in West Natick, midway between Natick Center and South Framingham Center. The single-story building is rectangular in plan, measuring approximately 15 feet by 10 feet. The building is capped by a gable roof sheathed in asphalt shingles with a small offcenter brick chimney. It rests on a cobblestone foundation which dates to 1931 when the building was moved back from the edge of the road to its present location. As originally constructed the building had a partial basement which was entered from a doorway on the east gable end.

The exterior of the shop is covered with wood clapboards and trimmed with undecorated corner boards and a simple water table. Simple molded cornice returns are located on the gable ends. The south-facing facade is punctuated by two openings - a door adjacent to the western cornerboard and a pair of 8/8 windows set into a simple frame to the east. Fronted by a large stone step, the entrance consists of a wooden door with four recessed panels and a plain surround with only a narrow lintel molding. Above the window is a wooden sign reading: "IN THIS LITTLE SHOP/ HENRY WILSON/ 20TH VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES/ LEARNED TO MAKE SHOES/ WAS KNOWN AS THE NATICK COBBLER". The east elevation contains a pair of 8/8 windows on the first floor with a 6/6 window lighting the gable. The north elevation has a single window with 8/8 sash.

A single 8/8 window is located on the west end with a 6/6 in the gable above. Large mesh metal screens set in wooden frames are mounted over the windows. The building is now set above the level of the road on a low knoll, surrounded by low perennial plantings outlined by a border of stones. In front of the building, resting on a concrete pad, is an iron bell which was placed here after the razing of the Wilson Grammar School in the 1930s. The bell was cast by the George H. Holbrook Co. of East Medway, Massachusetts in 1857. The metal flag pole was erected to the southwest of the building in 1931 and is surrounded by a ring of small rocks. The property includes 337 feet of frontage along West Central Street. A traffic light controls the flow of traffic at the busy intersection.

The properties adjacent to and across from the Shoe Shop are currently in commercial use, with a small c.1980 shopping center located across the road to (continued) MPS Form 10-800-e United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number _ Page - OM8 Approvel Na 1024-0016 Henry Wilson Shoe Shop Natick (Middlesex Co.), MA the east. To the rear of the building is a wooded area beyond which the Boston & Albany railroad bed marks the northern bound of the property. A chain link fence runs along part of the Mill Street frontage. The Boston Edison Co. transmission line is located to the west of the parcel. The interior of the shoe shop consists of a single, undivided room which retains plaster walls and ceiling.

Wide, plain wainscoting extends to the bottoms of the windows and to the center point of the windows on the rear (north) and east walls. A simple wooden molding encircles the room at a level corresponding to the top of the windows. At the southwest corner of the room, near the entrance, there is an opening in the ceiling providing access to the loft upstairs. An additional hole in the ceiling at the center of the room originally accommodated a wood stove pipe. The floor is covered in wooden boards and there is a simple wooden baseboard. The building contains period shoemaking tools and machinery including shoe lasts, wooden forms, cobbler benches, shoe hammers, awls, a rolling machine and sewing machine. When the building was rehabilitated in the 1930s, donations of tools and machines were solicited from local residents.

Many of the items in the building were used in shoe shops which once existed throughout the town. Archaeological Description While no prehistoric sites are recorded on the property, it is possible that sites are present. Two prehistoric sites are recorded in the general area (within one mile). Environmental characteristics of the property represent some locational criteria (slope, soil drainage, distance to wetlands) that are favorable indicators for many types of prehistoric sites. While the nominated property presently contains level to moderately sloping topography within 1000 feet of wetlands, these conditions might not reflect the natural state of the land. Beaverdam Brook lies within 1000 feet to the northwest of the property and the headwaters of Course Brook lies a similar distance to the southeast. Both brooks are part of the Sudbury and Merrimack River drainages.

However, blasting and grading are reported on the property when the shop was moved in 1931. In 1935, several stumps and brush were also removed from the property. Several tons of stone that had been dumped on the property were buried at the same time. This information indicates land surfaces on the property are considerably altered with below grade disturbance. The rocky (continued) MPS Forme 10-900-e (5-00 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number _ Page - OMB Approvel No.1024-0018 Henry Wilson Shoe Shop Natick (Middlesex Co.), MA nature of soils also indicated soil drainage is likely less than favorable for most prehistoric sites.

Given the above information, the size of the parcel (approximately 2.2 acres) and the presence of sewer and power line easements on the property, a low potential exists for the recovery of significant prehistoric resources on the nominated property. A low to moderate potential also exists for locating significant historic archaeological resources on the nominated property. While occupational related features (trash pits, privies, wells) may have been originally present in the area around the shop, movement of the shop, grading and other surface/subsurface disturbances in the area have probably impacted any resources that were present. A moderate possibility exists that truncated privy and well features might survive after grading and blasting. Similar potential also exists for the basement reported at the original shop (end) Henry Wilson Shoe Shop Name ofProperty 8.

Statement of Significance

Statement of significance

Applicable National Register Criteria (Mark "X" in one or more boxes for the criteria qualifying the property for National Register listing.) x A Property is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history. - B Property is associated with the lives of persons significant in our past. -C Property embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values, or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components lack individual distinction. -D Property has yielded, or is likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history. Criteria Considerations (Mark "x" in all the boxes that apply.) Property is: -A owned by religious institution or used for religious purposes. x B removed from its original location.

- C a birthplace or grave. _D a cemetery. -E a reconstructed building, object, or structure. -F a commemorative property. -G less than 50 years of age or achieved significance within the past 50 years. Narrative Statement of Significance (Explain the significance of the property on one or more continuation sheets.) _Middlesex, MA County and State Areas of Significance (Enter categories from instructions) Conservation Industry Period of Significance c. 1820-1950 Significant Dates c. 1820 1931 Significant Person (Complete if Criterion B is marked above) -n/a Cultural Affiliation -N/a Architect/Builder unknown 9.

The rest of the file

Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.

Major Bibliographical References (Cite the books, articles, and other sources used in preparing this form on one or more continuation sheets.) Previous documentation on file (NPS): Primary location of additional data: - preliminary determination of individual listing (36 x State Historic Preservation Office CFR 67) has been requested - Other State agency - previously listed in the National Register - Federal agency - previously determined eligible by the National Register - Local government - University - designated a National Historic Landmark x_Other -recorded by Historic American Buildings Survey # Name of repository: Natick Historical Society - recorded by Historic American Engineering Record #. MPS Form 10-900e (8-00) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number - Page - OMB Approval Na.

1024-0018 Henry Wilson Shoe Shop Natick (Middlesex Co.), MA The Henry Wilson Shoe Shop is eligible for the National Register under Criterion A, Industry, for its associations with Natick's early shoemaking industry. The building is a well-preserved and typical example of a "ten-footer" shoe shop, a building type which was widespread in shoemaking areas and represents an early, cottage industry phase of what would become one of the town's (and the state's) most important industries. The shoe shop was constructed in the early 1800s, prior to 1833, for the purpose of independent shoemaking. Following large-scale industrialization which consolidated men and machinery in factories, most of the "ten-footer" shops passed out of use and there are no other known extant examples in Natick today.

The Henry Wilson Shop is also significant under Criterion A, Conservation (The Preservation and Memorialization of America's Cultural Legacy 1880-1945), as an historic shrine to a local working man who went on to become the twentieth Vice President of the United States. The preservation of the Shoe Shop is an example of an effort by a small private group to memorialize a famous individual after his death. Local residents have maintained the shop since the late 19th century for its believed connections with the early career of Henry Wilson. Although Wilson's actual associations with the building are considered non-existent or brief (seven weeks at most), the shoe shop has acquired local significance as a memorial to Natick's most notable citizen and as evidence of a later generation's assessment of the past.

The preservation of the building in the early 20th century reflects the era's shared perception of the inspirational quality of Wilson's noble character and work ethic. Associations with Henry Wilson Henry Wilson (1812-1875) was born Jeremiah Jones Colbath in Farmington, New Hampshire in 1812. His family was so poor that at the age of ten he was bound out by indenture to a farmer until his twenty-first birthday. Free at 21, in 1833 he changed his name, by act of the New Hampshire legislature, and journeyed on foot to Natick. There he hired himself as an apprentice to shoemaker William P. Legro in a small shop in the western part of town. At the end of seven weeks Wilson paid Legro fifteen dollars to release him from his obligation and began working for himself.

He began to manufacture on a larger scale in a shop (no longer extant) which was located near the former Harwood Baseball Factory, at 12 Walnut Street.' According to local historian, Florence Macewen, as business increased, he built a larger shop in the rear of his house on West Central Street, facing Spring Street. From 1838 to 1848 (and later from 1854-5) he (continued) 'The former baseball factory is a four-story, wood-frame building capped by a mansard roof and constructed in 1858. It is still extant and has been converted to condominiumis.

MPS Form 10-900-4 p5-00 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number - Page _ 2 OMB Approvel Na 1021-0018 Henry Wilson Shoe Shop Natick (Middlesex Co.), MA manufactured shoes in this factory; his work force increased over time from eighteen men to over one hundred.? The factory produced 1,000 to 2,500 pairs per week, chiefly for the Southern trade. His output grew from 18,000 pairs in 1838 to 122,000 in 1847 with the total shoes manufactured by the factory totaling 664,000 pairs. (When a neighboring house was built on Summer Street, the Wilson Shop was moved to Railroad Avenue (now South Avenue) where it burned in 18743) Wilson retired from his business in order to seek a greater role as a politician fighting for the rights of the workingman.

He was a founder of the Natick Debating Society where he learned to express himself in public. Henry Wilson rose to the rank of Brigadier General in the State Militia, served a term as Natick representative in the General Court in 1841 and went to the State Senate in 1844. During 1850-1 Wilson was both state senator and president of the senate. In 1853 he was elected to the constitutional convention and unsuccessfully ran for governor. He served three consecutive terms as United States Senator beginning in 1855 and at the outbreak of the Civil War became Chairman of the Military Committee. Wilson was nationally known as an outspoken opponent of slavery and a leader of the Congressional action, culminated by the Emancipation Proclamation. He was also the author of The Rise and Fall of Slave Power in America.

In 1863, in cooperation with Louis Agassiz and Alexander Bache, he wrote the bill establishing the National Academy of Sciences. Wilson assumed the office of Vice President of the United States in 1872 during the second term of Ulysses S. Grant's presidency. Wilson died on November 22, 1875 in the Vice- President's Room in Washington, D.C.* His obituary appearing in Harper's Weekly on December 4, 1875 stated that "No man has been more prominent than Henry Wilson in the politics of the country during the last quarter of the century. He was pre-eminently a man of the people, beloved and trusted by all." A funeral service was held in the Senate Chamber and his body was brought back to Natick for burial in the Old Dell Park Cemetery. Throughout his career, Wilson kept his home in Natick and it still stands at 33 West Central Street.

Local residents have maintained the so-called Henry Wilson Shoe Shop since the late 19th century for its believed associations with Henry Wilson. However, an article on the building appearing in the Boston Globe in 1903 indicates that even at the turn-of-the-century there were (continued) 2 Florence Lovell Macewen. Natick: A Town with Character. Natick: Morse Institute Library, 1997, p. 63. 3 Ibid. * Dorothy E. Deslongchamps, "It is not mere boast to Proclaim Henry Wilson a Great Man", Natick Historical Society Newsletter, Feb. 1994. S Linda Morgan Bliss, "Natick Cobbler rose from servant to vice president", Middlesex News, Feb. 19, 1984.

MS Form 10-900e (5-8Q United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number - Page - OMB Approvel Na 1024-0010 Henry Wilson Shoe Shop Natick (Middlesex Co.), MA some doubts as to whether this was actually the building where Wilson learned the shoemaking trade. Writing some years later, local historian Florence Lovell Macewen, also stated that Henry Wilson never made shoes in the shop on West Central Street. Whether Wilson ever actually worked in the building, the shoe shop has acquired local significance as a memorial to Natick's most notable citizen. Associations with the History of Shoemaking in Natick By 1830 several Natick residents were engaged in making brogans (simple, coarse work shoes) for slaves in the south and in the West Indies.

Each shoe was made entirely by hand, without the use of machinery, and was completed by one person. All the shoes were transported to Boston by teams and returned with a new stock of leather. From the beginning Lynn and towns in that area of the state specialized in women's and children's shoes while Natick made men's boots and brogans. Within a few years, a division of labor had occurred with accomplished workmen finishing the shoe, and the less experienced making other parts. The manufacturer distributed the leather which had been cut in his central shop, to shoemakers who worked in their own workshops. These shoemakers' shacks, called "ten-footers" measured between ten and fourteen feet wide and were found in nearly every yard in town. The typical ten-footer contained between four and eight benches.

Here the shoemakers sewed and lasted the uppers and pegged on the soles and then returned the shoes to the central shop where they were packed and shipped. The opening of the Boston & Worcester Railroad through Natick in 1835 provided a strong stimulus to the development of the shoe trade. It lowered the cost of transportation, thus enabling manufacturers to increase business and employ more workers. By 1840 local shoemaker Isaac Felch employed 75 workers and manufactured 40,000 pairs of shoes annually. Sewing machines were introduced in the 1850s and shoe manufacturing moved into large factories. Natick's shoe industry reached a peak in the 1880s with twenty-three establishments, ranking third in the nation in the quantity of boots and shoes produced.

By 1919 the number of companies had decreased to twelve; in 1928 only two remained.® (continued) 6 "Historic House in Natick", Boston Globe, December 12, 1903. Dorothy E. Deslongchamps. "Henry Wilson Park" ", unpublished research, August 7, 1987. 8 Michael J. Crawford. Natick: A Story of Natick, Massachusetts. Natick: Natick Historical Commission, 1976, p. 73. MPS Forme 10-000-e (8-80 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number - Page - OM8 Approvel Na. 1024-0018 Henry Wilson Shoe Shop Natick (Middlesex Co.), MA The Henry Wilson Shoe Shop is the best surviving example of the ten-footer shops, which once dotted the town of Natick. The town's historic resources inventory includes several houses, which at one time incorporated shoe shops.

The house at 29 West Central Street has a single story building behind it which appears to have been altered for use as a garage. At 63 West Central Street a shoe shop was apparently located in the ell behind the house but this building was converted to a rooming house in the 1930s and the shoe shop use is no longer apparent. Statewide, the Henry Wilson Shoe Shop is comparable to several other good examples of typical ten-footer shoe shops, which have been listed on the National Register. The Smith Shoe Shop at 273 Haverhill Street in Reading is a similar single-story, clapboarded building constructed c.1845. Other examples include the Platts-Bradstreet Shoemaker's Shop on Main Street in Rowley and the c. 1850 Peter Doucette Ten Footer Shoe Shop at 36 William Street in Stoneham. Like the Henry Wilson Shoe Shop, the Doucette Ten Footer was moved to its present location from a nearby site.

The single-story building with gable-roofed attic is clapboarded with simple cornerboards. This building is also used as a museum and the interior includes various tools typical of the trade. History of the Property The building now known as the "Henry Wilson Shoe Shop" was owned during Wilson's day by Isaac D. Morse who in addition to operating the shoe shop, served as postmaster and was a leading Democrat in town. Across the street was the shoe shop of William Coolidge (no longer extant).? The exact location of William Legro's shop, where Wilson apprenticed, is not known although it was reported that the building was made over for a barn.! The "Henry Wilson Shoe Shop" is the best surviving shoe shop in Natick of this period.

The exact date of construction of the shoe shop is not known although it was standing in 1833 when Wilson was known to have visited." The property remained in the Morse family until 1895; their house was located across Central Street to the east. The shoe shop appears on the 1853 map of Natick but is not included on the 1874 map. In addition to being used for shoemaking by the Morse family, the building was also leased to other shoemakers; for example O.W. Freeman was known to have occupied the shop in 1878. Upon Isaac D. Morse's death in 1889 the property was left to his only surviving brother, Collins Morse. An article appearing in (continued) ° Dorothy E. Deslongchamps. "Henry Wilson Park", unpublished research, August 7, 1987. 10 "Historic House in Natick", Boston Globe, December 12, 1903. " Deslongchamps, "Henry Wilson Park".

MPS Forme 10-900-0 13-00 United States Department of theInterior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number - Page - OMB Approvel Na. 1024-0018 Henry Wilson Shoe Shop Natick (Middlesex Co.), MA the 1895 Town Warrant indicates that the Town held the Morse property and sought to see if the town should lease it. However, a long and protracted legal battle between the town and Morse's heirs left the disposition of the property in question until 1926.? In the early 1900s the building appears to have been used as a residence. The Henry Wilson Memorial Association was organized in 1887.'3 John O. Wilson served as the first president and George C. Fairbanks was the secretary. At a special Town Meeting in June 1909 George C.

Fairbanks moved that a committee be appointed to make some provisions for preserving the old Henry Wilson cobbling shop in West Natick. In 1911, the Town Annual Report states that the shop, which was in poor condition, had been repaired. The stimulus for the work was apparently the centenary of Henry Wilson's birth. According to an article appearing in the Natick Bulletin on April 5, 1912, the little shop where Wilson once made shoes had been put in fine repair and "appropriately described by an inscription" (the sign over the front window). Prior to the work, the building was described as dilapidated with broken windows and bore no indication of its great historic interest. George C.

Fairbanks (1852-1931), a founding member of the Henry Wilson Memorial Association in 1887, editor of the Natick Bulletin and long-time Park Commissioner, was responsible for the repairs and returning the building to its former appearance.! During the 1910s the Shoe Shop remained under the control of the Natick Board of Selectmen. There were proposals to convert the building to commercial purposes, such as a fruit stand or gas station, but this was defeated by a public outcry in favor of preserving the shop and perpetuating the memory of Henry Wilson "as an example of what a poor boy may accomplish by his own efforts" 15 In 1926, nearly forty years after the death of Collins Morse, the Supreme Judicial Court decided in favor of the Town of Natick, thus clearing the way for more ambitious plans for the shoe shop site.

The following year, George Fairbanks, representing the Henry Wilson Memorial (continued) 12 Ibid. 13 Florence Lovell Macewen. Natick: A Town with Character. Natick: Morse Institute Library, 1997, p. 14 Natick Town Report, 1931, p. 149-150. It is interesting to note that George Fairbanks was also a lineal descendant of Jonathan Fairbanks who came to Dedham and built the Fairbanks House in 1633. George Fairbank's father, John, came to Natick in 1845 to engage in shoemaking and became closely identified with Henry Wilson in his political career. It was through his friendship with Wilson that John Cummings secured the postmastership in 1865 15 Natick Bulletin, October 29, 1915. NPS Form 10-800e 18-00 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places . Continuation Sheet Section number . Page - OM6 Approvel No.

1024-0016 Henry Wilson Shoe Shop Natick (Middlesex Co.), MA Association, secured two acres of the Collins Morse Estate including the shoe shop and presented it to the Town of Natick to be developed as the Henry Wilson Memorial Park. Fairbanks no doubt penned the article in the Natick Bulletin which stated: "The long life of Wilson, inseparable from the history of Natick, reflects honor on the town...his memory should be cherished as one of Natick's most valuable heritages...There could be no more appropriate monument to Henry Wilson than setting aside of the tract which was the scene of his early labors, for the people of the town. It also assures the preservation of the little Shoe Shop which has become one of its historic possessions...

In honoring him, Natick will honor itself."l6 In 1929, the Town received an insurance settlement of $135 after the shoe shop was badly damaged by an automobile. The Selectmen provided for the repairs but no additional information is available regarding the nature of the damage. Coincidental with George Fairbank's death in April 1931, a major fundraising campaign was begun to raise $600 for the preservation of the shoe shop building. The building was moved from its location adjacent to the road to a safer site setback about fifty feet from West Central and Mill Street. The site required blasting and the grounds were graded from Central Street to an elevation of about three feet to the shop. The building was moved the week of May 8, 1931 and placed on the new stone foundation. The exterior of the building was repainted and shrubbery and flagstone walks were installed to beautify the site.

The newspaper reported that T. O'Connell moved the shop, M.J. Morris constructed the foundation and G.P. Glover was responsible for the paint and windows." The Phil Conneally Camp, Spanish War Veterans, erected a forty-foot flagpole. A number of local residents donated cobbler's benches and tools to furnish the interior. Additional plans for a retaining wall along the highway and a memorial boulder with a bronze tablet were deferred due to a lack of funds. In 1935 a WPA project allowed for the removal of stumps and brush and a pine grove was set out at the rear of the building. Several tons of stone which had been dumped on the land were buried at the same time. The bell was placed in front of the shop after the razing of the Wilson Grammar School in the 1930s.

The school building was constructed at the southeast corner of School and Common Streets in 1854 and was later renamed for Henry Wilson in 1895. The bell was cast by George H. Holbrook of East Medway, Massachusetts in 1857. (continued) 16 Natick Bulletin, February 18, 1927. " Natick Bulletin, June 26, 1931. NPS Forme 10-800e 15-00 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number _ Page - OM8 Approval Na. 1024-0016 Henry Wilson Shoe Shop Natick (Middlesex Co.), MA The Henry Wilson Shop is currently owned by the Town of Natick which maintains the property as a museum open to the public by appointment. The building contains period shoemaking tools and machinery including shoe lasts, wooden forms, shoe benches, shoe hammers, awls, a rolling machine and sewing machine.

Archaeological Significance Historic archaeological resources described above have the potential to provide significant information on the development of Natick's early shoemaking industry. Additional historical research combined with archaeological survey and testing can help locate the original site of the shoe shop moved back from the edge of the road to its present location in 1931. Although the area has been graded, truncated remains of the original building site may survive, especially the basement. Any structural evidence at the site might contribute important architectural details about "ten-footer" shops in the 19"h century. Few extant examples of these shops remain. Truncated remains of trash pits, privies or wells might also survive on the property.

Detailed analysis of the contents from these features may contribute important information on the range of activities conducted in "ten-footer" shops, the evolution of shoemaking technology and footwear in the 19# century. Information may also be present relating to the lives of shoemakers who worked in the shop. (end) MPS Forme (8-00) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number - Page - OMB Aaprovel Na 1021-0018 Henry Wilson Shoe Shop Natick (Middlesex Co.), MA Applebaum, Diana. "In Search of Ten-Footers", Yankee, October 1995, p. 144. Bacon, Oliver N. History of Natick. Boston: Damrell & Moore, 1856. Crawford, Michael J. Natick: A Story of Natick, Massachusetts. Natick: Natick Historical Commission, 1976. Deslongchamps, Dorothy E. "Henry Wilson Park".

Historical research submitted to the Natick Historical Commission, August 7, 1987. [Natick Historical Society]. "Historic House in Natick", Boston Globe, December 13, 1903. Macewen, Florence Lovell. Natick: A Town with Character. Compiled and edited by Carol Joy Coverly. Natick: Morse Insitute Library, 1997. Map of Natick, Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Boston: H.F. Walling, 1853. Map of Natick, Middlesex County, Massachusetts. New York: J.B. Beers & Co., 1874. Massachusetts Historical Commission, National Register files. Nason, Rev. Elias. Life and Public Services of Henry Wilson. Boston: B.B. Russell, 1876. Natick Bulletin, various issues. Natick Federal Savings and Loan Association. The Story of Natick. Natick: Suburban Press, 1947. Norton, Rev. John F. "Natick" contained in the History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Compiled by D. Hamilton Hurd. Philadelphia: J.W.

Lewis & Co., 1890. Russell, Hon. Thomas. The Life and Public Services of Henry Wilson. Boston: B.B. Russell, 1876. (continued) Henry Wilson Shoe Shop Name of Property Middlesesx,MA County, State 10. Geographical Data Acreage of Property 2.25 ac. UTM References See continuation sheet. (Place additional UTM references on a continuation sheet) 1. 19 Zone 303600 Easting 4683710 Northing 3. Zone Easting Northing 2. Zone Easting Northing 4. Zone Easting Northing - See continuation sheet Verbal Boundary Description (Describe the boundaries of the property on a continuation sheet.) Boundary Justification (Explain why the boundaries were selected on a continuation sheet.) 11.

Form Prepared By name/title Lisa Mausolf, consultant, with Betsy Friedberg, NR director, MHC organization_Massachusetts Historical Commission _ date _ July 2000 street & number_ 220 Morrissey Boulevard .telephone 617-727-8470 city or town Boston _ state MA _ zip code 02125 Additional Documentation Submit the following items with the completed form: Continuation Sheets Maps A USGS map (7.5 or 15 minute series) indicating the property's location. A sketch map for historic districts and properties having large acreage or numerous resources. Photographs Representative black and white photographs of the property. Additional items (Check with the SHPO or FPO for any additional items) Property Owner (Complete this item at the request of the SHPO or FPO.) name Town of Natick street & number 13 East Central Street _telephone 508-647-6400 city or town _ Natick state MA zip code.

01760 Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: This information is being collected for applications to the National Register of Historic Places to nominate properties for listing or determine eligibility for listing, to list properties, and to amend existing listings. Response to this request is required to obtain a benefit in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended (16 U.S.C. 470 et seq.). Estimated Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this form is estimated to average 18.1 hours per response including the time for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining data, and completing and reviewing the form. Direct comments regarding this burden estimate or any aspect of this form to the Chief, Administrative Services Division, National Park Service, P.0.

Box 37127, Washington, DC 20013-7127; and the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reductions Project (1024-0018), Washington, DC 20503. MPS Form 10-800 3-40 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet 9/10 2/1 Section number Page OMB Approvel No. 1024-0016 Henry Wilson Shoe Shop Natick (Middlesex Co.), MA Schaller, Anne K. and Janice A. Prescott. Images of America: Natick. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing, 1998. Town of Natick Annual Reports, various dates. Wachs, Norma-Rae. A Walking Tour of the Henry Wilson Historic District: A Social and Architectural History of Nineteenth Century Natick. Natick Historic District Commission, 1988. (end) VERBAL BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION The nominated property occupies Map 40, Lot 72 in the local tax assessors' records (see enclosed copy of tax maps).

BOUNDARY JUSTIFICATION The boundary of the nominated property is drawn to include that acreage which survives from the original parcel and which is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

(end) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: NOMINATION PROPERTY Wilson, Henry, Shoe Shop NAME : MULTIPLE NAME : STATE & COUNTY: MASSACHUSETTS, Middlesex DATE RECEIVED: DATE OF 16TH DAY: DATE OF WEEKLY LIST: 7/10/00 8/10/00 DATE OF PENDING LIST: 7/25/00 DATE OF 45TH DAY: 8/24/00 REFERENCE NUMBER: 00000955 REASONS FOR REVIEW: APPEAL: N OTHER: N PDIL: REQUEST: Y SAMPLE: DATA PROBLEM: N LANDSCAPE: N LESS THAN 50 YEARS: N PERIOD: N PROGRAM UNAPPROVED: N SLR DRAFT: Y NATIONAL: COMMENT WAIVER: N ACCEPT RETURN REJECT DATE ABSTRACT/ SUMMARY COMMENTS: Nistoiially sigrifiianl for its association with te she making indusing and as an eady preservatio project N N N RECOM.

/CRITERIA Qcrept A REVIEWER atuck mdu TELEPHONE DISCIPLINE Nistorian DATE 8/24/00 DOCUMENTATION see attached comments Y/N see attached SLR Y/N IN THIS LITTLE SHOP HENRY WILSON 20: VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES LEARNED TO MAKE WAS KNOWN AS THE NATICK SHOES COBBLEF Henry wilson Shoe Shop 181 West Ceuhal St.. Natick (MiddlesexCo.) Mass. Lisa Mausolf, Photoqraphen Apmil 2000 Neg: L. Mausolt, Readng, Mass. View of south and cast elen looking Nw Photo i of 4 Henry witen tue hop Natick (Middlesex Co.) Mass, Lisa Mausolt, Photographer Apnl 2000 Neg.: L. Mausolf, Reading, Mass, View of south tacade lookug nath Photo 2 of 4 Hewy wilsm Shre Shop 181 West Cenhal St.' Natick (Middlesex Co.), Mass. Lisa Mausolf, Phstographer Apn| 2000 Neg.: L. Mausolf, Readug, Mass View of inenar lookiug Nw Photo 3 of 4 Hemy st censhge slup Nahick (Middlesex Co.), Mass.

Lisa Mausolf, Plstographer Apm| 2000 Neg.: L. Mausolf, Reading, Mass view of interiar 100kim NE Photo 4 of 4 TEDETT RECEIVED - 2280 JUL TO 2000 NAT. REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES NATIONAL PARK SERVICE The Commonwealth ofMassachusetts William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth Massachusetts Historical Commission July 5,2000 Ms. Carol Shull National Register of Historic Places Department of the Interior National Park Service Mail Stop 2280, Suite 400 1849 C Street, NW Washington, DC 20240 Dear Ms. Shull: Enclosed please find the following nomination form: Henry Wilson Shoe Shop, 181 W. Central Street, Natick (Middlesex), MA The nomination has been voted eligible by the State Review Board and has been signed by the State Historic Preservation Officer.

The owners of the property were notified of pending State Review Board consideration 30 to 45 days before the meeting and were afforded the opportunity to comment. Sincerely, Beteytredlieg Betsy Friedberg National Register Director Massachusetts Historical Commission enclosure CC: Stephen Evers, Chair, Natick Historical Commission Lisa Mausolf, Preservation Consultant Paul R. McKinley, Chair, Natick Board of Selectmen Sarkis Sarkisian, Chair, Planning Department 220 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, Massachusetts 02125 - (617) 727-8470 www.state.ma.us/sec/mhc