Nomination for Reed--Wood Place

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

NPS Form 10-900 (Rev. 10-90) OMB No. 1024-0018 RECEIVED 2280 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service 1071 AUG | 7 2000 National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NAT. REGISTER OF HISTORIC 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. The Reed-Wood Place, other names/site number. 2. Location street & number. 20 Meetinghouse Road _ not for publication city or town Littleton - vicinity state Massachusetts _code_ MA_county Middlesex_code_017_ zip code - 01460 3. State/Federal Agency Certification As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1986, as amended, I hereby certify that this ka nomination - request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of jstoric Places and meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60.

In my opinion, the property meets - does not meet the National Register Criteria. I recommend that this property be considered significant - nationally - statewide [Nocally. (D See continuation sheet for additional comments.) kuditr B. Midomough Sighature of certifying official/Title 88/2000 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 bgrarlN Beell Date of Action 9:1400 - determined eligible for the National Register ] See continuation shee ] determined not eligible for th National Register - removed from the National Register D other (explain): Reed-Wood Place, Name of Property 5.

Classification Ownership of Property (Check as many boxes as apply) X private - public-local -public-State -public-Federal Middlesex, Massachusetts County and State (Check only one box) X building(s) - district -site _ structure _ object umber of Resources within Propert o not include previously listed resources in the count Contributing Noncontributing 2 Name of related multiple property listing (Enter "N/A" if property is not part of a multiple property listing.) N/A _ buildings _ sites _ structures .objects Total Number of contributing resources previously listed in the National Register 6. Function or Use Historic Functions (Enter categories from instructions) Domestic/Single Dwelling Agriculture/Subsistence, Animal Facility Current Functions (Enter categories from instructions) Domestic/Single Dwelling Commerce/Trade, Law Office Z.

Description Architectural Classification (Enter categories from instructions) Early Republic, Federal Mid-19th Century, Greek Revival Late Victorian, Italianate. Materials (Enter categories from instructions) foundation Fieldstone walls Wood roof Stone other Narrative Description (Describe the historic and current condition of the property on one or more continuation sheets.) pesfom 10-9004 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number - Page - 1 OMB Approvel Na. 1024-0018 Reed-Wood Place Littleton (Middlesex Co.), MA Narrative Description Typical of nineteenth-century rural homesteads, the Reed-Wood Place at 20 Meetinghouse Road is a vernacular complex encompassing elements from the Federal to Carpenter Gothic periods.

The accreted structure is configured to form an L-shaped plan of dwelling with attached utility ells leading to a small, early 19" century New England barn. It represents a town house version of the peculiar New England vernacular building type known as the "big house, little house, back house, barn". Characteristically, it is comprised of sections or T ader oved oac oac ove ine and eae il maoi eo eie e ne e eirie io or house) and a 1 1/2-story, 5-bay, kitchen ell in two sections (little house). These components are connected to a 1 1/2-story, 4-bay shed (back house) incorporating at least two segments which lead to a 1 1/2-story, 1 x 1 bay, New England barn.

As a Federal Period dwelling with Federal and/or Greek Revival additions also decorated with later Italianate and Carpenter Gothic ornamentation, the main block, interconnected ells and utility buildings reflect two centuries of development. Although located within a mixed-use, commercially zoned area that has undergone dramatic change, the Reed-Wood Place retains integrity as a prominent, local residence with attached subordinate structures surviving on its site opposite Littleton Common. Despite its modest scale and design, the property commands attention due to its siting, materials, configuration and preservation. Its survival represents the successful tradition and contemporary adaptation to usage by owners who have historically combined their trades or professions with occupancy.

The Littleton Common area is a mixed-use area at the crossroads of Great Road (State Highway Routes 2A and 119) and King Street (State Highway Route 110). The common itself, original site of the first meetinghouse (c. 1717, not extant) remains open space as a park with war memorials and water trough, but it was cut in two by Great Road in the third quarter of the nineteenth century. Since the early twentieth century many buildings dating from the late eighteenth to early twentieth centuries, have been variously adapted to commercial uses. Others have been removed and replaced with modern commercial structures. Construction of I-495 in the 1960s with an exit just north of the Common bisected several farms and attracted a major office complex to King Street. The Reed-Wood Place is conspicuous from the north and the east when approaching the major intersections that define the common.

Meetinghouse Road (formerly Maple Street) is the original location of Great Road and the traditional eastern boundary of the Common. A new right-of-way dividing the Common was cut for Great Road in the third quarter of the nineteenth century. Residential buildings converted to commercial uses are located to the south of 20 Meetinghouse Road. A new commercial building stands to the east, and part of its parking lot extends along the northern boundary of the Reed-Wood Place. The property consists of a pentagonal lot with (continued) MpS Forme 10-800 e United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number - Page - OMB Approvel Na 1024-0016 Reed-Wood Place Littleton (Middlesex Co.), MA interconnected dwellings and outbuildings set at an oblique angle to Meetinghouse Road.

A sidewalk runs near the west property line which is marked with a picket fence with granite piers. The fence originates at the southwestern corner of the lot and ends near the southwest corner of the main block. Another section of the fence runs from the northwest corner of the barn for several feet along the paved driveway then turns to reach the northwest corner of the lot. The east (rear) boundary line of the lot is demarcated by a low, white stockade fence which shields the view of the parking lot to the rear (east). The north boundary line runs parallel to a sidewalk along a small parking lot to the north. The 5 x 2 bay, rectangular-plan, center-entry, double rear-wall chimney main block rises 2 ½ stories from a fieldstone foundation to a side gable, slate-tiled roof.

The transverse division of the basement (see Foundation and Basement plan) fully-enclosing almost half of the fieldstone foundation indicates it was developed in two sections. Exterior embellishments include round-topped, gable windows. On the façade, two angled projecting bays with paneled aprons are joined by a 1-story porch with open posts and decorative brackets. The main entry consists of paneled, doubled-leafed Italianate doors with elongated, rectangular lights surmounted by a straight, single-light transom. Fenestration consists of 2/2, double-hung, replacement sash with cap-molded trim. A side porch, similarly-ornamented to that on the facade, runs full-width along the north elevation of the main block where a narrow, wood paneled door with an etched-glass, elongated, rectangular light also provides access. The two-bay south elevation is symmetrical.

Other detail on the main block includes a boxed, molded cornice with returns and round-topped, paneled pilasters with cap moldings. A 5-bay, 1 ½ story, irregular-plan, rear ell projects to the west off the northern end of the main block. It is comprised of two sections. The area east of the entry on the north elevation sits on a fieldstone foundation with full basement, the remainder only rests on a stone foundation. Both are spanned by a pitched, slate-tile roof penetrated by a narrow, tall brick chimney on the ridge line. A small, flat-roofed entry porch, similar to that on the main block, is centered on its north elevation. Flat, half windows light the second level of the rear ell. The irregular south elevation of the rear ell includes a shed-roofed section without basement in the southwest corner and a shed-roofed open porch over a tertiary entry.

The east elevation of the ell is denoted only by a gable window. The clapboard-clad shed and barn rise from fieldstone foundations to pitched, slate-tiled, gable roofs. The shed spans the remains of abandoned lateral and perpendicularly-oriented foundations indicating substantial change and construction and location over time. An interior chimney rises through the east slope of the shed's roof near the ridge. Detail on the shed and barn is largely limited to end boards and a boxed, molded cornice, but openings of both the shed and barn are decorated with cap moldings. The shed's façade; near its junction with the rear ell, is enhanced by a double-leafed, Italianate entry similar to that on the main block, but without a (continued) MPS Form 10-800 18-00 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet OMB Approvel Na.

1021-0018 Reed-Wood Place Littleton (Middlesex Co.), MA Section number -_ Page - 3 transom. The southern end of the shed facade had been modified to accommodate a modern, single-bay, overhead, garage door. It was replaced by a new entry with cottage door sheltered by a simple, flat-roofed, open entry porch during the certified rehabilitation. A cottage door with 9-light upper panel was relocated from the south elevation of the barn to the (rear) east elevation of the shed where it is sheltered by a flat-roofed open porch similar to that at the new façade entry. This door was used as the model for the new entry door on the shed façade. The three-bay, south elevation of the shed includes a shed-roofed projection and a four-panel, wooden, side-entry door.

The New England barn has a door which slides on an exterior track It is comprised of angled boards slanted to peak at the center and to surround a 12-light, fixed-sash window. The doorway has been fitted with custom- built fenestration. Other fenestration principally consists of 6/6 sash (refurbished in the certified rehabilitation). Flat, 3/3-light, fixed windows are found on the first floor of the north elevation of the barn and on the second level of the rear (east) elevation of the shed. A flat, 2/2-light, hopper window illuminates the first floor of the rear (east) elevation of the barn. Access to the basement of the barn is achieved through double-leafed, vertical-board doors of unequal size in the northeast corner. The northern leaf of the basement entry houses a 9- light, fixed sash.

Also on the site is a free-standing, rectangular, single story, 2 x 2 bay, pitched-roof, frame shed with clapboard siding and shake roofing. It was relocated from the back part of the original holding by the current owners and is positioned near the east property line, south of the east end of the barn and ell. The interior of the main block was renovated in the early 1990s, but retains its original floor plan, marble fireplace surrounds and central stairway. Interior finishes were modeled on the original. Attic space remains open and plastered. The rear ell, formerly a kitchen, pantry, wash room and unfinished wood storage/work area with privy have been modified into a modern kitchen and adjoining family room. The shed-roofed section without basement behind the main block was, and remains, a bathroom. The secondary stair remains.

The non- original plan on the upper level was altered to improve circulation patterns, improve and expand the layout of a 1950s bathroom. Both levels of the shed and barn,previously unfinished except for an office area partitioned into the corner, have been rehabilitated to modern simple finished office space. Upper levels and basements are accessed by a new stairway at the new entry on the east (rear) elevation. The Reed-Wood Place not only represents the evolution of a homestead over 200 years of usage through economic and stylistic change, but it also exemplifies how such a complex can be sensitively and appropriately adapted for continued use. Just as the property accommodated work space for owners who combined farming and trades for support, it has now been rehabilitated to accommodate a resident owner who practices law from the premises.

(continued) 2035o 10-800a United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number - Page . OMB Aaprovel Na. 1021-0018 Reed-Wood Place Littleton (Middlesex Co.), MA Archaeological Deseription While no prehistoric sites are currently located on the property, it is possible that sites are present. Environmental characteristics of the property indicate some locational criteria (slope, soil drainage, distance to wetlands) that are favorable indicators for many types of prehistoric sites. The property is well drained with a level to moderate slope. However, the parcel is well beyond 1000 feet from the nearest wetlands, an important factor that reduces the overall prehistoric site potential for this area.

Given the above information, known prehistoric settlement in the area, the small size of the parcel (.344 acres) and related historic development, a low potential exists for the recovery of prehistoric resources. A moderate to high potential exists for the recovery of historic archaeological resources on the property at 20 Meetinghouse Road. Structural remains from outbuildings (barns, sheds, animal pens) may survive on the property dating to construction of the house in ca. 1780 and later. Construction features and artifact scatters may also exist relating to remodeling and changes to the buildings function. Occupatiónal related features (trash pits, privies, wells) should be present for different periods of occupation and inhabitants of the house and functional uses of the property.

The close proximity (across the street) of the house at 20 Meetinghouse Road to Littleton Common and the ca. 1717 meetinghouse across the street indicates that archaeological evidence of earlier farmsteads, no longer extant, could also be present on the property. This potential has yet to be demonstrated. (end) Reed-Wood Place Name of Property 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.) XA 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. X 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 - 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. _ 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 Middlesex, Massachusetts County and State Areas of Significance (Enter categories from instructions Community Planning and Development Architecture Period of Significance c. 1780 - 1950 Significant Dates N/A Significant Person (Complete if Criterion B is marked above) N/A Cultural Affiliation NIA Architect/Builder N/A Narrative Statement of Significance (Explain the significance of the property on one or more continuation sheets.) 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: X preliminary determination of individual listing X State Historic Preservation Office - previously listed in the National Register - Other State agency - previously determined eligible by the National Register - Federal agency _ Local government - designated a National Historic Landmark - University - recorded by Historic American Buildings Survey - Other # Name of repository: _ recorded by Historic American Engineering Record #. MPS Form 10-900-e 18-00 OMB Approvel Na.

1024-0018 United states Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Reed-Wood Place Littleton (Middlesex Co.), MA Section number _ 8 Page - Narrative Statement of Significance - The Reed-Wood Place at 20 Meetinghouse Road is an accreted, vernacular building complex incorporating structural elements from the Federal period to the late 19th century. It is significant as a rare intact representative in Littleton Common of the 19th century evolution of homestead plans of construction peculiar to New England and colloquially described as "a big house, little house, back house, barn". This configuration of a main block with interconnected ells or utility buildings leading to a barn was typical of residences in Littleton Common area. Most have been substantially altered or demolished to accommodate 20th century commercial development.

As a village property historically owned by tradesman, the Reed-Wood Place is also significant as representative of the historic character of the Common area as the more commercially- oriented to two closely associated yet distinct 19" century centers of settlement. Recently the recipient of a certified rehabilitation, the buildings have been adapted for contemporary use as a residence and law office. The Read-Wood Place retains integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association. It qualifies under Criteria A and C on a local level for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Colonial Littleton organized on the dismantling of Nashoba, one of the several "Praying Indian" towns established by the General Court in 1654 on the petition of Rev. John Eliot.

Frontier exposure and rugged conditions at first limited both native and European settlement. Only about 50 native individuals and a few Europeans situated outside the boundaries of the Praying Town are believed to have been residents in 1675, and the location was temporarily abandoned during King Philip's War (1675-78). Local Indians, having been imprisoned during the hostilities, failed to return to Nashoba at war's end. European resettlement from nearby towns of Concord, Chelmsford and Stow generated intense competition for the abandoned native property; while ardent competition between neighboring towns over access, land acquisition and control led to substantial squatting on desirable acreage during the late 17"h and early 18'h centuries. One result of this competition was the failure of the town to develop in a unified or focused manner.

Littleton was incorporated in 1714 as Nashoba, but the name was changed to Littleton one year later. The location of the first meetinghouse (c. 1717, not extant) at Littleton Common, opposite 20 Meetinghouse Road, prompted formation of a radial network of roads presumed to follow native trails and initiated development of the area. Great Road (State Highway, Routes 2A and 119) developed through the Federal period into a principal transpiration corridor from Groton through Littleton to Acton and Concord. It (continued) ppsfom 108004 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet OMB Aaprovel Na 1024-0016 Reed-Wood Place Littleton (Middlesex Co.), MA Section number - 8 Page - converged at Littleton Common with King Street (State Highway Route 110) the road to Westford.

Six tenths of a mile to the southwest, Littleton Center developed during the 17* century at the intersection of Great Road and Foster Streets. With no regional turnpikes traversing the area, development focused on Littleton Common and Littleton Center. In 1740-42, a new meetinghouse (replaced on the same site in 1792-94 and in 1841) was erected in Littleton Center on Foster Street, introducing an institutional character to that village. Littleton Common assumed a more commercial identity, attracting taverns, stores, a hotel and blacksmith shops. Widely scattered farmsteads existed elsewhere. Arrival of the Fitchburg Railroad from Boston in 1845 and a second rail route from Lowell to Ayer in 1848 did not drastically alter settlement patterns or undermine the primarily agrarian nature of the local economy.

Rail transport did commercialize local agriculture allowing farmers to expeditiously ship fruits, vegetables and cider to Boston. Railroad transportation also generated two new small hamlets: Littleton Depot (Fitchburg Railroad), the junction of King Street and Harvard Road, and at Pimpryville, and the intersection of Bruce Street and Ayer Road. Diversity and density of development increased intensely at Littleton Common. A carpentry shop, blacksmith, and general store were established before 1875. Both farmhouses and large village residences continued to be built. An industrial complex began north of the intersection of Great Road and King Street as Conant, Houghton and Co. Founded in 1880 as a fruit evaporator, vinegar and cider mill, it later became a manufacturer of elastic webbing.

A meat and provisions market operated near the intersection of King and Great Road, opposite the Reed-Wood Place. In the early twentieth century, a fire station was constructed and Conant Houghton Co. developed a subdivision of worker housing along Adams Street. The connected building plan represented at the Reed-Wood Place was developed and popularized as a progressive design suited to New England's system of mixed husbandry, home-industry and small-scale farming. The house form has been identified as the most popular form of rural and small town domestic architecture in the region throughout the 19" century.' The property displays the four components characteristic of the distinctive configuration: the most highly-ornamented "big house" facing the road; the "little house" (continued) ' Thomas C.

Hubka, Big House, Little House, Back House, Barn: the Connected Farm Buildings of New England. (Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1984), p. 9-10. - NPS Forme 10-900-a 88-09 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet OMB Aaprovel Na. 1021-0018 3 Reed-Wood Place Littleton (Middlesex Co.), MA Section number - Page or kitchen building; the "back house," a multipurpose work and storage area extending to; the barn. Organized at a right angle with facades of the house and barn facing the road, configuration of the Reed-Wood Place demonstrates one of the new guiding principles of the interconnected plan: alignment of the house toward the street.

In abandoning the traditional, climate-driven orientation of dwellings toward the south irrespective of the byway, the plan expresses a new communal rather than self-contained social and economic perspective. As is common with such interconnected arrangements, the building history of the Reed- Wood Place is extremely difficult to reconstruct. This interconnected form made regular use of two consistently popular building practices of 19*h century New England, the conservation of houses and utility buildings by moving and reusing them and the incremental addition to existing structures. As a result, such complexes are often composed of distinctly different types of small, vernacular buildings, changed and possibly realigned, moved or removed over time.

Without photographic or written records of appearance or documentation as to historical use or the intent, influences or processes of the builders, the property's evolution is open to wide interpretation. No elaborate family genealogies, newspaper accounts, commercial records, diaries, or other written material or photographs survive for the property. Title search traces the property century and provides no descriptive information as to the number of type of buildings extant at each transaction. It does reveal that only a limited amount of land, a maximum of about five acres, has been associated with the Reed-Wood Place since 1812. The property's first identifiable owners are Mary Gardner Reed (d. November 16, 1789) and Isaac Reed (b. May 18, 1755 - d. November 5, 1789) who moved to Littleton from Lexington c. 1780.

Isaac Reed was the fifth generation descendant of immigrants Maybel Kendall Reed (b. England, 1605; d. June 5, 1690) and William Reed (also Reade, b. England, 1587). Mary Gardner Reed was the daughter of Revolutionary War general Isaac Gardner of Brookline. The holding of Mary Gardner and Isaac Reed is described in 1812 as two parcels, a single acre homestead, and three acres of land. In that year it was sold for $1000 by their son Isaac Gardner Reed, a lawyer from Waldoboro, Massachusetts (later Maine) to Thomas Reed, gentleman, of Littleton. Although no buildings are referenced in the deed, the oldest part of the house may date to the tenure of Isaac and Mary Reed.

The next transaction occurred within a year, also for $1000 and references "lands and buildings" (continued) prsfam 10800a United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number _ Page - OMB Approvel Na. 1024-0018 Reed-Wood Place Littleton (Middlesex Co.), MA Thomas Reed (b. Littleton, January 23, 1767), was at best a distant relative of Isaac Gardner Reed, and was the son of Thomas Reed and Lucy Powers Reed and the grandson of Peter and Abigail Reed who had also likely emigrated to Littleton from Lexington. Thomas Reed transferred the property at a price of $1000 to Samuel Smith (1782-1848) of Littleton. A morocco dresser and farmer, Samuel Smith had come to town in 1807. Although Smith subsequently moved to Pepperell, he retained ownership of the property, conveying it in 1839 to Aaron Tuttle.

It was characterized at that time as being court settlement as a result of a suit brought by the son of Samuel Smith (also Samuel Smith's (the father) daughters from a second marriage, Susan Smith of Littleton and Mary Elizabeth Smith Gibson of Townsend. The sisters sold the property two years later for $900 to Charles Potter of Littleton, a blacksmith, who conveyed it a month later to Hugh Cash, a dresser from Concord for the same price. This reduction in the sale price from 1812 may reflect deterioration during a period of vacancy. It is unclear that Hugh Cash ever lived on the property, as he was still recorded in Concord on the next deed. It does appear, however, that substantial improvements were made during his five-year tenure.

Although still described as approximately two acres of land and the buildings thereon, the property was sold in 1859 for $1400 to Boynton Needham of Littleton, an inn holder and carpenter. This is a late date for construction of a double rear wall chimney dwelling, the Greek Revival details on the house and the general conservatism of rural construction allow for the possibility. It is also conceivable that what had been a "half house" at the western end of the main block (see Foundation and Building Plan) was expanded at this time into the present 5- bay structure. If such is the case, since the floor plan of the main house does not accommodate kitchen space, the rear attachment must have also been added as a kitchen ell. It is also possible that the front and rear walls of the kitchen ell were raised and half windows installed to improve the attic space at this time.

Boynton Needham apparently made no changes, and transferred the property (also for $1400) in 1861 to Joseph Warren Fletcher, also a Littleton carpenter. Fletcher retained ownership for twelve years and likely utilized his skill to make substantial improvements that advanced the value to $4450 in 1873, when he sold to John B. Robinson. The building's footprint in the county atlas for 1875 does not yet show a right-angled configuration to the property suggesting that the "back house" was not yet built. It is possible that Fletcher did add the section without basement, which completes the kitchen (continued) MPS Forma 10-800e OMB Approvel Na. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Reed-Wood Place Littleton (Middlesex Co.), MA Section number - Page. ell (little house).

The area east of the west side of the ell doorways sits only on a rock foundation (see Foundation and Basement Plan). This portion east of the existing chimney in this addition remained an unfinished wood storage area with a privy projecting off the southwest corner through the 1980s. The part west of the chimney, subdivided into two areas, was utilized as a washroom and pantry. Fletcher likely added the room on the south side of the kitchen ell. It also sits only on a rock foundation without basement. His other renovations may have included the Italianate bays and doorway on the façade, the Carpenter Gothic front and side porches and the marble mantels in the living and dining rooms. John B. Robinson, owner of the property between 1873 and 1899, also owned a housenext door (burned 1905) which he purchased in 1887. He incorporated the adjacent property into the holding.

It appears he also completed the L-shaped configuration of the Reed-Wood Place before 1889 by adding the "back house" perpendicular to the existing construction to reach the barn which was also likely constructed during his ownership. The back house addition barely meets the rear of the kitchen ell and is joined only by a shed-roofed projection from the right angled ell. The back house also spans separate, non-contiguous foundations and basements. Field stone and granite half walls remain in the cellar and brick sections in the rear foundation walls indicate substantial changes over time. It seems likely that the expansion of this back house also occurred in modular fashion and may in part consist of at least one building moved into place while another was possibly demolished or relocated.

The wheelwright's shop, formerly owned by Luther Lapham on the adjoining lot purchased by Robinson, could be a likely candidate as an element in this structure. The shop remains in place on the 1875 county map, but is missing in 1889 when the full configuration of the Reed-Wood Place is represented. Joseph Warren Fletcher repurchased the property in 1899. The deed fails to indicate the sale price or a description of the buildings. A photograph in the Boston Herald (September 4, 1905) also shows the completed configuration. The granite post fence, then comprised of wood rails rather than pickets, extended in front of both houses. Mature trees stand in an apparent formalized planting in the yard and along the roadside. Fletcher would transfer the property to his son Elmer for $1 in 1918.

Along with Osman Needham, son of the former owner Boyden Needham, Elmer Fletcher formed the building and carpentry firm Fletcher & Needham, which constructed some of the finest houses in Littleton. The younger Fletcher sold the property for an undisclosed sum within two years. (continued) NPS Form 10-900- OM8 Aaprovel Na. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Reed-Wood Place Littleton (Middlesex Co.), MA Section number - Page - Major changes occurred in Littleton after World War I. During the 1930s, King Street (Route 110) and Great Road (Route 119 and 2) were improved as state highways. Commercial buildings, constructed to serve the auto trade and growing population replaced farmsteads. Outbuildings were lost as farms were subdivided to allow new construction to occur.

With associated productive land eliminated or subdivided, former farmsteads as well as in-town dwellings were susceptible to commercial renovations. New residential development in Littleton Common ended about 1930, but several existing homes were subdivided into multi-tenant dwellings. The next owners, Rose Field Wood (b. Winchester, NH, September 7, 1897 - d. Littleton, 1987) and George E. Wood (b. Ayer, November 24, 1893 - d. May 20,1975) were small business owners who participated in the transformation of the Common to accommodate the automobile. They moved to Littleton in 1920 and opened the first service station in town nearby on Great Road around the same time. They also owned Nashoba Oil Company. George Wood utilized the back house or shed adjoining the barn as a small machine shop operated by a motor-powered belt system.

He likely partitioned and finished the interior of the shed south of the chimney which functioned as a workshop and office. He may also have added the folding door on the east (rear) elevation of the back house to accommodate machinery he had fabricated or repaired. More intense population growth and highway construction after World War II continued to undermine the rural character of Littleton Common. A new Route 2, a divided, limited-access highway built in 1950 turned Littleton into an exurb of metropolitan Boston. Construction of Interstate 495 in the 1960s, with an exit just north of the Common bisected several large farms that remained and attracted a major office complex to King Street. Additional traffic, loss of open space and new construction undermined century character of the Common.

Houses, early shops and agricultural buildings continued to be replaced by gas stations, retail, office or service buildings. After the death of Rose Wood, the property remained in the Wood estate through the early 1990s and stood vacant for many years. It was threatened with demolition or removal to allow commercial strip development. Intense public opposition generated pressure to preserve the streetscape on Meetinghouse Road overlooking the Common. It led the inheritors to subdivide the property allowing retention of the interconnected complex overlooking the road. The current property incorporates parts of both holdings joined by John B. Robinson.

A small, free-standing frame shingled outbuilding, most recently utilized as a chicken coop, was removed from the new rear (east) property line to (continued) PS form 10-800- B-80 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number Page . OMB Approvel No. 1024-0018 Reed-Wood Place Littleton (Middlesex Co.), MA remain with the Reed-Wood Place. The new owners undertook a certified rehabilitation of the barn and back house converting them to office space. The adaptive use of the Reed-Wood Place in keeping with its historic character have set an example recognized in a Preservation Award from the community. It demonstrates an appropriate adaptation which perpetuates historical function combining residential ownership with the practice of a trade or profession in the commercial center of the community.

Archaeological Significance Historic archaeological resources described above have the potential to provide detailed information on the social, cultural and economic changes that occurred at 20 Meetinghouse Road and around Littleton Common from the 18th through 20*h centuries. Additional historical research combined with archaeological survey and testing can be used to document the exact construction date for the house at 20 Meetinghouse Road (ca. 1780). Similar research can also be used to document remodeling and any architectural changes that may have occurred since the original date of construction. Alterations may have occurred to the property as a result of stylistic and/or functional changes to the building. Structural evidence of outbuildings can also be important in documenting the layout and function of the property through time.

Earlier outbuildings may have served a function as part of a farmstead, cottage industry and residence. Structural evidence from farmsteads, residences and outbuildings might also exist on the property from historic period land use that predates the original construction of the house in ca. 1780. The construction of the ca. 1717 meetinghouse across the street from the house at 20 Meetinghouse Road may indicate potential for an earlier residence or outbuildings associated with the meetinghouse in this area. This information and an exact date of construction for the house can be important in reconstructing the early history of the town.

Detailed analysis of the contents from occupational related features can also provide important information on the social, cultural and economic characteristics of the inhabitants of the house over 200 years and how these characteristics changed and evolved through time. (end) MPS Forme 10-900e 13-04 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number - Page - 1 OMB Approvel No. 1024-0018 Reed-Wood Place Littleton (Middlesex Co.), MA Major Bibliographical References Published Materials Conklin, Edwin P. Middlesex County and its People. New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, Inc., 1927. Drake, Samuel Adams. History of Middlesex, County, Massachusetts. Vol. II Boston: Estes and Lauriat, 1880. Hurd, D. Hamilton, ed. History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Vol. II Philadelphia: J. W.

Lewis & Co., 1890. Littleton Directories. (with Ayer) 1907, 1912, 1914, 1916, 1918, 1922 and 1925. Stone, Orra L. History of Massachusetts Industries. Vol. I Boston: S.J. Clarke, 1930. Town of Littleton. Records of Littleton, Massachusetts, Births and Deaths to 1850. Littleton, Mass.: Town of Littleton, 1900. Town of Littleton. 250th Anniversary Official Program. Littleton: 1964. Unpublished Materials Littleton Historical Commission. Inventory Files. MHC Reconnaissance Survey Report, March 1980. Maps Beers, J. B. Atlas of Middlesex County, Mass., 1875. New York: J. B. Beers and Co., 1875. Hoar & Foster. Plan of Littleton, 1830. Map of Littleton, 1927. Sanborn Map Company. Littleton, Massachusetts, April, 1917.

New York: Sanborn Map Company, (continued) psfom 10-900a United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number - Page - OMB Approval Na. 1024-0018 Reed-Wood Place Littleton (Middlesex Co.), MA Sanborn Map Company. Littleton, Massachusetts, April, 1931. New York: Sanborn Map Company, Sanborn Map Company. Littleton, Massachusetts, April, 1937. New York: Sanborn Map Company, 1937. Smith, Paul. Homeowners in Littleton, Massachusetts, August, 1932. Littleton Historical Society. Walker, George H. & Co. Atlas of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, 1884. Boston: George H. Walker & Co., 1889. Walling, Henry Francis. A Map of the Town of Littleton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Boston: 1856. (end) Reed-Wood Place. Name of Property Middlesex, Massachusetts County and State 10. Geographical Data Acreage of Property.

less than one UTM References (Place additional UTM references on a continuation sheet) 1. 19 297000 4713200 Zone EastingR Northing "Zone Easting Northing 3. Zone Easting 4. Zone Easting - 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 Dianne L. Siergiej, Consultant, with Betsy Friedberg, NR Director, MHC. organization_ Massachusetts Historical Commission _date street & number. 220 Morrissey Boulevard city or town Boston state. Additional Documentation Submit the following items with the completed form: MA telephone _ zip code. August 2000_ 617/727-8470 02125 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 Paul J. Tiernan street & number 20 Meetinghouse Road P.O.Box 1424 _ telephone 978-486-3158 city or town Littleton _ stateMA _ zip code 01460 Northing Northing 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 o 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 10-900e United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number - 10 Page - OMB Approvel No. 1024-0018 Reed-Wood Place Littleton (Middlesex Co.), MA Verbal Boundary Description The boundaries of 20 Meetinghouse Road, Littleton are as shown as the bold line on the accompanying map entitled Property Map U-7, Littleton, Massachusetts, January 1, 1997 and are those of Map U07, Block 10. Boundary Justification The boundary includes the farmhouse and attached utility buildings that have been historically part of the holding and maintain historic and architectural integrity.

This 15,001 square foot lot was subdivided from a larger parcel totaling 91,793 square feet, 76,793 square feet of which has been developed for commercial use. (end) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: NOMINATION PROPERTY Reed--Wood Place NAME : MULTIPLE NAME: STATE & COUNTY: MASSACHUSETTS, Middlesex DATE RECEIVED: 8/17/00 DATE OF 16TH DAY: DATE OF WEEKLY LIST: DATE OF PENDING LIST: DATE OF 45TH DAY: REFERENCE NUMBER: 00001071 10/01/00 REASONS FOR REVIEW: APPEAL: N REQUEST: N COMMENT WAIVER: N LACCEPT RETURN ABSTRACT/SUMMARY COMMENTS : DATA PROBLEM: N LANDSCAPE: N -LESS THAN 50 YEARS: PROGRAM UNAPPROVED: N SLR DRAFT: N NATIONAL: REJECT 9.14 00DATE Entered in the National Registar RECOM.

/CRITERIA REVIEWER TELEPHONE DISCIPLINE DATE DOCUMENTATION see attached comments Y/N see attached SLR Y/N 20 MEETINGHOUSE ROAD LITTLETON, MASSACHUSETTS MIDDLESEY CoUNrY PHOTUGRAPHOR: 3L.SIERGIE DATE: JuLy le, 1998 NEGATIVE LOCATON: COMMONWEAL COLLABORATUE LU WEST ST LEDMINSTER MA 01453 VIEW: FACADE: WEST ELEVATON, MANN BLOCK; WEST ELEUAMON REAH ELL; FACADE SHE AND BARN PHOTO- NO. L 94 0611 N-5 N 224031 D0 MEETINGHOUSE hOAD LITTLETON, MASSACHUSETTS MIDDLEBEX IOUNTY PHOTUGRAPHER : D.L SIERGIES SATE: JuLY 6,1998 NEGATIVE LUCATON: COMMONWEAL COLLABORATIVE Le WEST ST., LEDMINSTER MA 01453 VIEW: FACADE MAWN BLOCK AND BARN PHOTO NO 2 94 06 038 The Commonwealth of Massachusetts William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth Massachusetts Historical Commission VED August 9,2000 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 AUG | 7 ZUU0 NATIU R. HISTORY NANONAL PARK CERVICE Dear Ms. Shull: Enclosed please find the following nomination form: Reed-Wood Place, 20 Meetinghouse Road, Littleton (Middlesex Co.),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. Two letters of support have been received. We request an expedited review of this nomination.

Sincerely, Betor Freahey Betsy Friedbers National Register Director Massachusetts Historical Commission enclosure CC: Paul & Kathleen Tiernan Pamela Campbell, Chair, Littleton Historical Commission Dianne Siergiej, Preservation Consultant Daniel Sullivan, Chair, Board of Selectmen Mark Montaneri, Chair, Planning Board State Representative Geoffrey Hall 220 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, Massachusetts 02125 - (617) 727-8470 www.state.ma.us/sec/mhc RECEIVED The bommonwealth of Massachuse MAY O 5 2000 House of RepresentativesMASS. HIST. COMM Ptate House, Boston 02133-1054 NRple GEOFFREY HALL STATE REPRESENTATIVE 2ND MIDDLESEX DISTRICT AYER - PRECINCT 2 HARVARD, LITTLETON, WESTFORD May 2, 2000 JOANNE BARNETT STAFF DIRECTOR Betsy Friedberg Director, National Register Massachusetts Historical Commission 220 Morrissey Boulevard Boston, MA 02125 Dear Ms.

Friedberg: This letter is to add my enthusiastic support for the application of Paul J. Tiernan of 20 Meetinghouse Road, Littleton, MA 01460 to have the irreplaceable, two-centuries old building at 20 Meetinghouse Road listed on the National Register. The prescribed care with which the owners have restored this once-abandoned antique property to active use is testimony to one family's determination to preserve its unique historic and architectural significance in the Town of Littleton. Authorities of various pertinent authenticating agencies have acknowledged the validity of the restoration efforts. The formal inclusion of 20 Meetinghouse Road on the National Register is a proper final step in recognizing one more item in this state's treasury of historic sites.

Such a designation, by publicly certifying the property as noteworthy, not only benefits the tourism industry of the state, but also enhances the pride of the community in its heritage. In giving your approval to the petition you will have confirmed another historic asset in Massachusetts for national public appreciation. Thank you for your consideration. Chairman Committee on State Administration ROOM 34, STATE HOUSE TEL. (617) 722-2320 Sincerely, EOFFREY D. HALL Chairman Committee on State Administration Neple BF Littleton Historical Commission Littleton, Massachusetts Protecting the Future by Preserving the Past RECEIVED MAY 1 5 2000 MASS. HIST. COMM May 10, 2000 Betsy Friedberg National Register Director Massachusetts Historical Commission 220 Morrissey Blvd. Boston, MA 02125 Subject: National Register Nomination 20 Meetinghouse Road, Littleton, MA Dear Ms.

Friedberg, The Littleton Historical Commission without reservation supports the nomination of 20 Meetinghouse Road, Littleton, Massachusetts, to the National Register. I will not labor you by repeating the house s rich history, that will be found in the supporting documentation, but allow me to speak to the spirit of the nomination. The Tiernan property is one of the few remaining original buildings on our town Common. It has been lovingly xestored and is frequently cited as an example of how preservation can work in today's world. Mr. and Mrs. Tiernan have saved a real treasure for the town. If you have any questions, please teel free to contact me. My daytime telephone is 978-897- 1909,x116. Sincerely eelaD.Cags Pamela D.Campbell Chairperson Littleton Historical Commission cc: Paul J. Tiernan pdc/hs