Nomination for Dewey, Joseph, House

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

RECEIVED 2280 NPS Form 10-900 (Rev. 10-90) JUN | 2 2001 OMB No. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NAT. REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACE NATIONAL PARK SERVIC 146 National Register of Historic Places Registration Form 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 Joseph Dewey House other names/site number 2. Location street & number 87 South Maple Street _not for publication city or town Westfield - vicinity state. Massachusetts code_MA countyHampden _ code_013 . zip code 01085 3. State/Federal Agency Certification E meets does not meet the National Register Criteria. I recommend that this property be considered significant - nationally - statewide D'locally.

(- See continuation sheet for additional comments.) Brona Sumon Signature of certifying official/Title Brona Simon may - 31, 2001 Date Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer, Massachusetts Historical Commission State or Federal agency and bureau In my opinion, the property meets does not meet the National Register criteria. (- See continuation sheet for additional Comments.) Signature of certifying official/Title Date State or Federal agency and bureau 4. National Park Service Certification I, hereby certify that this property is: entered 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): arap Andur Date of Action 7/27/01 Joseph Dewey House Name of Property 5.

Classification wnership of Propert Check as many boxes as apply xprivate _ public-local - public-State - public-Federal Hampden, MA County and State (Check only one box) xbuilding(s) _ district _ site _ structure -object Number of Resources within Property (Do not include previously listed resources in the count.) Contributing Noncontributing 1 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 6. Function or Use Historic Functions (Enter categories from instructions) DOMESTIC: single, multiple dwelling 1 Number of contributing resources previously listed in the National Register Current Functions (Enter categories from instructions) RECREATION AND CULTURE: museum Z.

Description Architectural Classification (Enter categories from instructions) _Georgian Materials (Enter categories from instructions) foundation concrete walls wood roof other wood Narrative Description (Describe the historic and current condition of the property on one or more continuation sheets.) NPS Form 1 10-900-8 (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Joseph Dewey House Westfield (Hampden), MA Section number_ 1 Page_ OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 DESCRIPTION The Joseph Dewey House, ca. 1735, is a 2 ½-story wood-frame residential structure with clapboard siding and wood shingle roof.

Its side-gable layout and three-bay facade display simple Georgian motifs, including a denticulated cornice, pediments over the central entry and first-story windows, and pilasters set on high plinth blocks and containing rosettes in the capitals flanking the central doorway (see photographs #3 and 4). Now surrounded by late 20*h-century multi- family and commercial buildings (see photograph #1), the Dewey House serves as a reminder of South Maple Street's 18"h-century history. Relocated to its present site in 1973 in order to save it from demolition, the house retains the same setback and relation to the street as it had on its original foundation, about two hundred feet down the road.

The subject of a meticulously researched restoration project in the 1970s, the Dewey House is a well-preserved example of a moderately prosperous farmer and miller's home from Westfield's early eighteenth century. Westfield is bounded by the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains to the west and the East Mountains to the east. Fed by Berkshire Mountain streams, the Westfield River and the Little River embrace a large triangular plain at their juncture. The Westfield River continues east, cutting a path through the East Mountains on its way to meet the Connecticut River. Westfield's central business district--the historic center of the city from its first settlement--is situated on the broad plain nestled in the confluence of the Westfield and Little Rivers. The plain extends to include residential areas to the southwest of the business district.

A steep escarpment drops down to the southwestern corner of this plain in the Mill Street area, forming a ridge that curves to the southwest to meet and follow the bank of the Little River. The Dewey House sits at the base of this escarpment, on a flat parcel of land set back slightly from the street. In the area occupied by the Dewey House, the terrain levels off for a short section, then drops again toward the Little River. The drop in elevation marks a corresponding drop in the Little River. The change in water level created an ideal location for the construction of mills. In the early 18"'-century, a gristmill and a sawmill were first constructed in the area just west of the Dewey House.

The Dewey House, situated on South Maple Street just to the east of the old (continued) NPS Form 1 10-900-8 (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number_ 2 Page_ OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 Joseph Dewey House Westfield (Hampden), MA gristmill/sawmill site, was home to several of the old mills' early operators. The early mills west of the Dewey House were succeeded by the Crane Brothers paper mill in the mid-nineteenth century. Many of the Crane Mill complex's late 19"*- and early 20"-century manufacturing buildings still stand today. Approaching the Dewey House from the east, one moves from Westfield's central business district through a neighborhood of 19"h-century to mid-20*-century suburban residences set well back on large landscaped lots.

Once a rural neighborhood, South Maple Street was gradually suburbanized during the late 19"-century as Westfield's town center expanded outward. As the century progressed, single-family homes were added to the street, turning fields into house lots. Most recently, multi-family and commercial uses have been added to the neighborhood. The Dewey House is presently surrounded by large-scale late 20t*-century buildings, with a large apartment complex to the east (see photograph #1), and another to the west, just beyond the Victorian-style Grange hall. Originally a school, the Grange is the Dewey House's westerly abutter (see photograph #2). The 19*h-century Grange and the 18th-century Dewey House form an oasis of historic buildings surrounded by large-scale late-20"*-century structures.

Traveling west past the Dewey House, one can either proceed northwest toward the former Crane Mill complex, or southwest across the Little River. Once a covered bridge, the span over the Little River is now an open bridge with iron railings, providing a beautiful view of the river which powered the early mills run by the Dewey family, as well as the later paper mills. To the west, one can see the dam and waterfall which once kept the machinery running at the Crane Mill. The Dewey House sits back slightly on its lot, at about the same setback as it had historically on its original site. Because of their poor condition, the sheds and outbuildings that were on the Dewey House's original site could not be moved with it, so the house presently has no outbuildings. The outbuildings were not original to the house, but later additions. (continued) NPS Form 1 10-900-a (8-86) OMB Approval No.

1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet 7 Section number Page 3 Joseph Dewey House Westfield (Hampden), MA Landscaping consists of foundation plantings of lilies-of-the-valley, mountain laurel, viburnum, boxwood, and other shrubs and flowering perennials. Young trees stand on the southwest corner and east side of the property. A rail fence follows the eastern and northern property lines, while a shrub border separates the Dewey House's western property line from the Grange next door. Roses flower along the rear fence line, and a mature pine defines the northeast corner of the property. A walkway made from bricks salvaged from the now-defunct Westfield Brick Company leads to the front steps, while a stone path leads to the rear entry. The back yard is ornamented by a small stone-edged herb garden.

In the front yard stands a stone trough taken from the old Westfield/West Springfield bridge and a granite marker. The trough was presented to the town of Westfield around 1877, and is inscribed "Whosoever will, let him drink of the water of life freely." The house had a peculiar early history. It appears that the original floor plan called for a four-room house with two rooms on the first floor and two on the second--the present east kitchen, west parlor, and east and west bedrooms. However, fairly soon--perhaps even while the house was under construction--plans changed. Another kitchen was added to the rear of the house, with two small rooms and a buttery to either side of it. The house's rear roof slope was extended to create the Georgian-style saltbox that sheltered the Dewey House's first residents.

In the early 1800s, the Dewey House underwent a major renovation when the owner decided to convert it to a more modern Federal-style home. The original roof was removed, and two bedrooms and a center hall were added to the second floor at the rear of the house. The chimney was realigned to correspond with the new roofline. Structurally, the earliest parts of the house were built using an unusual plank-wall construction method for the exterior framework, while the newer addition at the rear is post-and-beam construction with the more common stud- and-lath framing. The only other known example of plank wall-construction in Westfield is the Alvin Fowler House at 39-41 Pleasant Street, ca. 1750 (Inventory Form #98). In the course of the early 1800s renovation, the facade was entirely remodeled, with new windows installed and a fashionable Federal-style doorway added.

Inside the house, paneling was removed or covered over, and lath and plaster walls were added to give a lighter, more stylish (continued) NPS Form 1 10-900-2 (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number_ 7 Page_4 OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 Joseph Dewey House Westfield (Hampden), MA finish. Around the 1930s, the house was converted to a two-family home, and several rooms were cut up into smaller ones. The 19t- and 20th-century renovations, however, did not destroy structural evidence of the house's original configuration and finishes. In 1972, when the Western Hampden Historical Society acquired the Dewey House and began a restoration campaign, there was enough material left to reveal the house's original Georgian design.

Because so much information was retrievable, the Society decided to return the house to its 18*-century appearance. Except for the rooms at the rear of the second floor (which were part of the early 1800s renovation), the house has been restored as much as possible to its original room configuration and decoration. As it stands now, the Dewey House is a 2 ½-story, three-by-two bay, gable-roofed, wood- frame structure with a central entry (see photographs #3 and 4). Doors and windows on the primary (south) facade sport simple Georgian detailing, with pediments over the first-floor windows and central doorway. Molded pilasters with high plinth blocks and rosettes flank the doorway, which is surmounted by ornamental woodwork imitating a keystone (see photograph #6). A band of dentilwork decorates the cornice, where clapboarded walls meet the eaves.

The house's present red color is a replication of the original color discovered under layers of paint. Narrow 12/8 windows light the front of the house, except for the window over the central entry, which is a smaller 9/6 window. East and west facades have 12/8 windows, some of which date from the house's early 1800s renovation. The eastern facade is marked by a wide entry door, sometimes referred to as the "coffin door," in the southeast corner. While wooden clapboards cover the south, west, and east facades, the rear (north) facade received rough treatment (see photograph #5). The second story is finished with clapboards, but the first story is simply covered with weatherboard sheathing.

On the first floor, the floor plan consists of two main rooms (a parlor and a large kitchen) flanking a central staircase with three smaller rooms (a smaller kitchen, a small bedroom, and a modern kitchen/storage room) to the rear of the house. A secondary staircase separates the rear NPS Form 1 10-900-8 (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number Page 5 OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 Joseph Dewey House Westfield (Hampden), MA kitchen from the bedroom. A narrow buttery is hidden behind the bedroom (see attached floor plan). The front parlor (see photograph #11), located on the southwestern corner of the house, is a large elegant room distinguished by finely detailed floor-to-ceiling paneling on the fireplace wall.

The other three walls are paneled up to chair rail level, with plaster on the top half of the walls. The room's situation in the house's southwestern corner provides it with ample afternoon light during the time of day when the room would have seen most use. Structural elements are elegantly concealed and finished off, with boxed-in posts and beams with beaded corners, and molded cornices decorating the transition where the walls meet the beams. Raised applied molding frames each doorway. The room's wide plank flooring remains intact. A conspicuous feature of the room is its corner cupboard with arched glass surmounted by molded wooden ornament mimicking a keystone. The room's broad, low fireplace is stone-backed, with a heavy molded surround rather than a mantel.

On the opposite side of the entry hall from the parlor, the east kitchen is a spacious, open work space that would have been well-lit during the mornings, when the room would have gotten most use (see photographs #7 and 8). The massive fireplace, which is surmounted by a large panel, has its bake oven set into the rear wall. The walls are simply detailed, lined with horizontal feather-edged boards. Primary structural elements are concealed, with corner posts boxed in with beaded corners, and a molded cornice running along the fireplace wall. The summer beam and joists, however, were not boxed, and were apparently not plastered over until quite some time after the house was constructed. The summer beam was chamfered and the underside of the ceiling boards and joists were planed, indicating that the ceiling was originally left open.

The "coffin door," a broad door leading to the side yard, exits the kitchen at its southeast corner. Such a wide door would not only have been needed to provide an exit for deceased household members, but would also have been important for bringing bulky items into the house- -carcasses at butchering time, kettles, baskets of produce, etc.--and for providing ready access from the kitchen to the side yard. (continued) NPS Form 1 10-900-8 (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 7 Page 6 OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 Joseph Dewey House Westfield (Hampden), MA Marks along the east and south walls show where new interior walls were added during the ca. 1800 renovation, to create a more fashionable lath-and-plaster wall.

A mark on the summer beam indicates that at some time the east kitchen was divided into two rooms. However, there is no information about when the room was divided or when it was returned to its original configuration. Like the parlor fireplace, the fireplace in the kitchen has a heavy molding surrounding it, rather than a mantel. The kitchen's wide pine floor is a combination of original materials and new flooring. The kitchen's pale blue color is a reproduction of the room's original paint scheme. Heavy molded surrounds frame the kitchen doorways. At the rear of the house is the small north kitchen, which, according to Hugh McCann's structural analysis, was added almost immediately after the house was completed, if not during the actual construction. No evidence has yet been unearthed as to why the second kitchen was installed.

It may have been used primarily for dairying, or the house may have been shared by two families. It may be that the east kitchen was quickly converted to a sitting room, with the north kitchen becoming the primary room for household cooking and chores (McCann, p. 10). The north kitchen fireplace, which combines stone and brickwork, shows evidence of heavy use. It was updated in the early 1800s, with the bake oven brought forward to a more convenient and safer location. During the 1970s restoration, the original fireplace was discovered surrounding the later fireplace with bake oven to the front and swinging crane. The fireplace was later altered again when the house's owners installed a cook stove. The 1970s restoration resulted in the recreation of the deep, stone-hearthed fireplace's original configuration (McCann, pp. 12- 13).

The fireplace has a molded surround and a small mantel supported on brackets. The south (fireplace) and east walls are clad in plain vertical boards. The remainder of the room is finished with wide horizontal boards to chair-rail level, and plaster on the top half of the walls. The ceiling is also plastered, although it was probably open originally; examination of the ceiling underneath the plastering revealed planed and finished joists and ceiling boards. As in the other rooms, the beams are boxed with beaded edges. A rear door faced with horizontal boards provides access to the yard. (continued) NPS Form 110-900-8 (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 7 Page7 OMB Approval No.

1024-0018 Joseph Dewey House Westfield (Hampden), MA To the east, a short hallway leads to a small room now used as a modern kitchen and storage area, which may have originally served as a storage room. A door on the house's southeast corner once allowed access from this room to the outside. The door was later blocked up, possibly during the early 1800s renovation. When the house was undergoing restoration in the 1970s, restoration contractor Ernie Sattler suggested that Joseph Dewey II, who was a miller as well as a farmer, may have used the room as his office and storeroom. If so, the extra door would have provided a public entrance to the storeroom, which would have discouraged business traffic from coming through the living areas of the house (McCann, p. 13). Another storage area is concealed behind the secondary stairway on the west side of the rear kitchen.

This rear stairway was added as part of the early 1800s renovation. Behind it is a narrow buttery lined with open shelves, providing a cool, dark storage area (see photograph #12). This buttery had been hidden under a newer lath-and-plaster wall, and was only revealed during the 1970s restoration. The buttery's original door was discovered in place, and cleat marks in the walls allowed the restoration contractor to fit shelves in the original locations (McCann, pp. 13- 14). To the west, between the front parlor and the buttery, is a tiny plaster-walled chamber that probably served as a downstairs bedroom. It would have been an ideal chamber for a person who needed tending or could not climb stairs because of illness or age, and may have served as a spare bedchamber or a sick room, as well as a delivery room for women in labor.

The room is simply finished, with boxed-in beams and beaded baseboards. The only wall that is not plastered is the rear wall, which is clad with vertical planks. At the front center of the house, the entry hall leads immediately to a steep set of stairs angling around the house's center chimney. At the first-floor level, the entry hall is elegantly finished with a paneled wall and bench under the stairs providing a cozy nook to sit. Since this area would be seen first by visitors, the builder made sure the hall would create a first impression of elegance and fashion sense. The front (south) wall of the hallway is clad in vertical paneling with beaded edges.

All structural elements are boxed with beaded edges, and a molded cornice (continued) NPS Form 1 10-900-a (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number Page OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 Joseph Dewey House Westfield (Hampden), MA conceals the joint between walls and beams. The pale blue of the front hallway is a recreation of the hall's original color. The interior doors leading off the front hallway are all original to the house. Their most elegant sides face away from the hall, into the parlor and kitchen, where they would be seen when the rooms were in use. On their interior sides, the doors have raised molded paneling, while the side of the door facing the hall is finished more simply, with the flat side of the paneling showing.

On the front parlor door, the historic paint layers have been left intact, with one section stripped away in layers to allow visitors to see the evidence of the house's past decorative finishes. The stairway's square newel posts with square tops contrast with the elegantly turned balusters. The ornamentation stops, however, at the second-floor level. The balusters become only horizontal slats at the second-story landing. On the inside wall of the stairway at the second- story level, the wall is plastered where it follows the slope of the central chimney, the plaster gently curving to follow the shape of the chimney. The remainder of the inner stairwell's second- story walls are faced with plain flat boards laid vertically. At the top of the stairs, the south wall is surfaced with planks laid horizontally.

Posts are still boxed in with beaded corners, although the beams are boxed, but not beaded, at this level. The second-floor plan is similar to the first, with two large rooms to the front and three smaller rooms across the back (see attached floor plan). The smaller back rooms date from the early 1800s renovation of the house, which raised the roof and provided enough clearance to create full-ceiling rooms. Before the renovation, the roof slope would have been too steep to give much head space. The back area might originally have been a loft or storage area, or perhaps a small supplemental sleeping area. On the second floor, the east bedroom, or kitchen chamber, is roughly finished (see photograph #13). Beams and posts are roughly boxed in, while the splayed posts are evident.

Three walls are clad with wide horizontal plank sheathing, while the chimney wall is faced with (continued) NPS Form 1 10-900-8 (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 7 Page 9 OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 Joseph Dewey House Westfield (Hampden), MA similar planking laid vertically. A rather large closet for the time period provides storage space in the chimney mal. Tthe wo dlese doaeil, eich ae of to eienigivstape and sie fom tre cads 1800 renovation is visible. Most of the east bedroom's plank walls are original. The red stain used to finish the room is a facsimile of the walls' original finish (McCann, pp. 17-18). In contrast to the kitchen chamber, the west bedroom, or parlor chamber, is elegantly finished, with a fully paneled fireplace wall (see photographs #14 and 15).

The exterior walls are finished with plaster, with a chair rail separating the upper half from the plastered lower half. Beams are all boxed with beaded corners, and heavily molded cornices. The room has a peculiar feature in the form of a small fireplace which was apparently never used. Although located on the chimney wall, the fireplace does not seem to have ever been connected to a flue. At the rear of the house, the northeast bedroom is fully plastered (see photograph #17), lit by a 12/8 window that was added during the early 1800s renovation. The only trim consists of plain door and window surrounds and beaded baseboards. On the northwest corner, a similarly finished room is now used as a workroom and office by the Western Hampden Historical Society.

At the center rear of the house, the open hallway at the top of the back stairway has been turned into an exhibit on 18'h-century construction techniques (see photograph #16). Structural elements have been left exposed in the walls to reveal the house's post-and-beam framing, mortise-and-tenon joints, plank wall construction, and different types of lath and plaster techniques. A doorway opens onto the house's chimney, allowing visitors to also get a glimpse of masonry techniques. In 1972, the house's owner, Effie Turner, decided to sell the house to Thomas Conlon, a local developer. Mr.

Conlon conveyed the house to the Western Hampden Historical Society on the condition that the house be moved from its site so that the land could be cleared for (continued) NPS Form 1 10-900-a (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number_ 7 Page_10 OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 Joseph Dewey House Westfield (Hampden), MA construction of an apartment complex. In 1973, the house was moved about two hundred feet west from its original site on South Maple Street. The house was situated so that its setback remained the same as on its original location. A new foundation of concrete was constructed for the house. Because of the move, a shed ell and other outbuildings, which were in deteriorating condition and were not original to the house, had to be removed.

The Western Hampden Historical Society decided to restore the Dewey House as much as possible to its appearance shortly after its original construction. The Historical Society engaged the services of John Curtis, Director of Curatorial Staff at Old Sturbridge Village as a consultant. Mr. Curtis and Hugh McCann, chairperson of the Historical Society' s restoration committee, conducted a thorough study of the house in order to discover its original configuration and finishes. Fortunately, there was a considerable amount of structural evidence, not only for the locations of walls and openings, but also for paint colors and decorative finishes. Many original structural and decorative elements, such as fireplaces, doors, windows, and paneling, were located in storage on the property or underneath newer finishes.

In the course of the house's restoration, great care was taken to document the physical evidence for the restoration and identify the structural clues that influenced the restoration process. Archaeological Description One prehistoric site may be located on the nominated property and another four sites recorded in the general area (within one mile). The Inventory of Historic and Archaeological Assets of the Commonwealth, maintained at the Massachusetts Historical Commission, lists site 19-HD-40 on the north shore of Little River between College Highway and the river at the bridge. The site is described as a camp of approximately 2 acres with much occupational refuse but no artifacts reported.

The site has not been systematically studied; however, the centroid used to locate the site is located directly opposite the Dewey House on the south side of Route 10 and could easily extend across the road to the nominated property. Environmental characteristics for the property represent several locational criteria (slope, soil drainage, distance to wetlands) that are favorable indicators for many types of prehistoric sites. The house is located on a well-drained, level to (continued) NPS Form 1 10-900-a (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 7 Page_11 OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 Joseph Dewey House Westfield (Hampden), MA moderately sloping riverine terrace at the base of an escarpment bordering the Little River.

The property lies within the Westfield and ultimately Connecticut River drainage. Other prehistoric sites in the general area occupy similar environmental locations. Given the above information, the small size of the nominated parcel (0.39 acres), and disturbance associated with preparation of the property for construction and relocation of the house to the parcel, a moderate to high potential exists for the recovery of prehistoric resources on the Dewey House property. A moderate potential exists for locating historic archaeological resources on the Joseph Dewey House property. Because the house was relocated to the present site in 1973, archaeological resources related to initial construction and renovations to the house prior to that date are not expected on the property.

Occupational-related features related to the occupancy of the house or activities conducted during its use would also be absent. Local tradition suggests that early English settlers created temporary homes in the embankment behind the Dewey House while they were constructing more permanent wood-frame homes. Additional documentary research combined with archaeological survey and testing can be used to test local tradition for structural evidence and occupational-related features (trash pits, privies, wells) related to these early structures. (end) Joseph Dewey House 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.) 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. 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 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.) Hampden, MA County and State Areas of Significance (Enter categories from instructions _ARCHITECTURE SOCIAL HISTORY SETTLEMENT Period of Significance 1735-1951 Significant Dates 1735 1800 Significant Person (Complete if Criterion B is marked above) Cultural Affiliation Architect/Builder Joseph Dewey (attributed) (1684-1757) 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 x Local government - University - designated a National Historic Landmark xOther _ recorded by Historic American Buildings Survey Name of repository: # Western Hampden Hist.

Soc., Westfield Athenaeum _ recorded by Historic American Engineering Record # NPS Form 1 10-900-8 (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page_1 OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 Joseph Dewey House Westfield (Hampden), MA STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE The Joseph Dewey House, built around 1735, is a well-preserved example of 18'-century rural residential architecture, dating from a time when Westfield was beginning to experience some prosperity after decades of conflicts between settlers and Native-Americans. It forms one of a small group of pre-Revolutionary homes in town that have survived development pressures and time to remain intact.

The Dewey House's architectural significance derives from its status as one of Westfield's oldest surviving Georgian homes, satisfying Criterion C in the area of Architecture. The Dewey House is the only restored structure from the first century of Westfield's history that is accessible to the public both inside and out. The carefully documented restoration of the Dewey House provides a well-researched example of both the interior and exterior of an upper middle-class 18'*-century home, offering visitors insight into the lives of Westfield's early residents. In addition, the Dewey House's historical significance derives from its association with one of Westfield's pioneer families. The house satisfies Criterion A for its role in the history of Westfield's Dewey family.

Members of this family were among Westfield's earliest settlers and were prominent in the young town's political, ecclesiastical, and military history. Members of the Dewey family frequently served as selectman and in other town offices during Westfield's first two hundred years. Several generations of Deweys occupied the Joseph Dewey House; the home remained in the Dewey family for the first hundred years of its history. Changes in the nature and occupation of the Dewey House's residents reflect broader changes that occurred in Westfield's history. As Westfield moved from an agricultural economy to an industrial one, the Dewey House's farmers and millers were replaced by factory and clerical workers. When Englishman William Pynchon traveled west from Roxbury to establish a settlement along the Connecticut River, one of his goals was to establish a fur trade with the natives of the area.

The region, which later became Westfield, quickly attracted Pynchon's attention. Westfield was originally known by its Native residents as Woronoco, meaning, according to some sources "it is fat hunting" (Dewey, Ancient Westfield, p. 2). Nestled between the Westfield (then known (continued) NPS Form 1 10-900-a (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page 2 OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 Joseph Dewey House Westfield (Hampden), MA as the Agawam) and Little Rivers and surrounded by mountains, Woronoco was a rich source of hides and fish. Woronoco soon became the westernmost outpost of the Massachusetts colony.

While the earliest well-documented European settlement of the area took place around 1658, evidence indicates that there were trading outposts in Woronoco as early as the 1640s (Everts, p. 939; Dewey Ancient Westfield, p. 4). The local tribes, the Woronocos and Pochassics, members of the Algonquin nation, sold furs and fish to early European traders. Salmon and shad were abundant in the Westfield and Little Rivers, while Woronoco's forests abounded with fur-bearing game such as beaver. Woronoco's natives burned underbrush and woods to clear land for cultivation of corn, beans, pumpkins, and squash in the light loamy soils now covered by Westfield's commercial center (Lockwood, Vol. I, p. 36). The floodplains and escarpments set in the juncture of the Westfield and Little Rivers formed some of Westfield's best agricultural land (Heyl & Hamberg, p. 2).

Settlers from both the Massachusetts and Connecticut colonies bargained with the natives for the land bounded by the Westfield and Little Rivers. After some initial wrangling between the two colonies, Woronoco was declared a part of the Massachusetts colony's Springfield settlement in 1647 (Lockwood, Vol. I, p. 51-52). In the 1650s, Springfield's local authorities began parceling out land in Woronoco. Among Woronoco's earliest European settlers were brothers Israel, Jedediah, Thomas, and Josiah Dewey, who came to the Massachusetts colony from Connecticut. Their father, Thomas Dewey, had emigrated to America from England around 1633 because of his dissenting religious beliefs. In 1667 and 1668, the Dewey brothers received several land grants in Woronoco.

Three of the Dewey brothers--Israel, Josiah, and Jedediah, along with Joseph Whiting--also received a grant in 1672 to build the town's first gristmill and sawmill on Two Mile Brook (now called Great Brook, off the Westfield River). The Dewey brothers were prominent in the early settlement's government, with Josiah and Thomas both serving as selectmen, Jedediah serving as selectman and constable, and Josiah serving as sealer of weights and measures (Everts, pp. 944- 945). (continued) NPS Form 1 10-900-2 (8-86) OMB Approval No.

1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page 3 Joseph Dewey House Westfield (Hampden), MA In 1669, Thomas Dewey was one of a delegation sent from Woronoco to Springfield to petition for the right to make Woronoco into a separate township, and to determine the boundaries between the two settlements. In May of that year, Westfield was incorporated, receiving its name because the new town was the westernmost settlement in the Massachusetts colony. As English settlers pushed the boundary of the colony westward, Westfield became a key point on the Boston Post Road which stretched from Boston west to Albany, New York. The Dewey brothers were active in Westfield's religious life as well as its political arena.

Thomas was responsible for summoning Edward Taylor, a Harvard-trained minister, to come to Westfield to lead the new community's congregation in 1671, after the original minister had departed. Brother Josiah, one of the founding members of Westfield's First Church, and one of the church's first deacons, built the minister's house in 1676. In 1676, when King Philip's War threatened Springfield's outlying settlements, Josiah Dewey was one of several Westfield residents who protested the governor's order that the western settlement be abandoned and its residents relocated to Springfield's main plantation on the Connecticut River. The order was rescinded. While conflict with the natives threatened, settlement in Westfield remained confined to a rough triangle extending west from the junction of the Westfield and Little Rivers.

As the seventeenth century drew to a close, however, settlement began to spread out from this focus. In 1702, Joseph Mosely and others were granted rights to construct a sawmill and gristmill on the Little River just west of the site where Joseph Dewey would build his South Maple Street home. During the late 17"-century, Westfield was primarily an agricultural community, producing crops and livestock for its residents' own use as well as producing cattle which were driven east for the Boston markets. Some small manufacturing was begun during this period, using Woronoco's natural resources to produce turpentine, bricks, and iron (Heyl & Hamberg, p. 6). In the 18"*-century, members of the Dewey family received land grants in the Squawfield area, a small plain overlooking the Little River at the base of a steep escarpment just southwest of the original town center.

The area received its name because it had been cultivated by Native (continued) NPS Form 1 10-900-a (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page 4 OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 Joseph Dewey House Westfield (Hampden), MA farmers before the settlement of English immigrants. Farmers frequently turned up Native artifacts while working the fields there. (Dewey, Ancient Westfield, p. 18) While it is not clear exactly when Ensign Jedediah Dewey (1647-1718) acquired his parcels in Squawfield, in his will he bequeathed a thirty-acre portion to his son Joseph (1684-1757), apparently in fulfillment of an earlier purchase-and-sale agreement. Part of this land became the site of Joseph Dewey's house.

South Maple Street, the site of the Dewey House, was opened in the early 18"-century (Heyl & Hamberg, p. 6). While the exact date of construction is unknown, structural evidence indicates that Joseph Dewey 1 probably built the house that bears his name around 1735. Deeds show that by the time Joseph deeded about nine acres of his Squawfield property to his son, Joseph II in 1756, the parcel had a house on it. It is not clear whether Joseph I built the house for himself or for Joseph II. Apparently, Joseph originally planned the house as a two-story, four-room structure, containing the present west parlor, east kitchen, and west and east bed chambers.

However, soon after construction, or perhaps even while construction was underway, Joseph changed the house plan, adding a kitchen, buttery, small bedroom, and storage room on the rear of the first floor, and a loft for storage or additional sleeping space at the rear second story. The house's roofline was altered and extended at the rear to create a saltbox or lean-to appearance. While probably not wealthy, the Deweys were prosperous enough to maintain a comfortable standard of living, to judge from the size and decoration of their South Maple Street home. The house's original rooms were spacious and stylishly finished with paneled walls and a corner cupboard in the parlor (see photograph #11) and a paneled bed chamber on the second floor (see photograph #14). Ample work and storage space was provided in the two kitchens and accompanying storage rooms (see photographs #7, 8, 9, 12).

The pedimented doors and windows and denticulated cornice of Joseph's 2 ½-story Georgian saltbox home would have been stylish, but not extravagant (see photographs #3 and 4). Unfortunately, no clue has yet turned up to explain why Joseph changed his construction plans, either soon after completion or while the house was still under construction, in order to add the second kitchen, buttery, bed chamber, and (continued) NPS Form 1 10-900-a (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page_ 5 OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 Joseph Dewey House Westfield (Hampden), MA storage room at the rear of the house. Like his father and uncles, Joseph Dewey I was an active participant in church and civic enterprises.

He was part of a committee charged with parceling out seats in the new meetinghouse after its construction in 1721 (Lockwood, Vol. 1 p. 315). A prosperous farmer, Joseph Dewey I was a sergeant in the militia and served as a selectman in 1726. During Joseph Dewey I's lifetime, Westfield grew rapidly, becoming Hampshire County's second largest town by 1765, with 195 families and a population of 1,324 (Heyl & Hamberg, p. 6). While none of Joseph Dewey I's family served during the French and Indian War, a number of cousins did. When Captain David Moseley's Company of Westfield went to relieve Fort William Henry in 1757, at least seven members of the company bore the Dewey name. The second Joseph Dewey (1714-1799) was a farmer like his father. Known as "Deacon Joseph," he was a strong force in the Congregational Church.

His son and namesake, Joseph Dewey III (1741-1815), was drafted into the Continental Army in 1777, but was fined £ 20 for refusing to serve (Dewey et al, Life of George Dewey, pp. 893-894). It was Joseph's younger sons, Benjamin (1743-1812) and Eliab (1746-1820), who answered the call. Both brothers served in Westfield's company of militiamen under Lieutenant John Shepard. The company was first assembled for action in April 1775 after the Lexington Alarm. Westfield sent a company of fifty-two men under Lieutenant John Shepard-a company that included Benjamin and Eliab Dewey as well as several other members of their extended family, including a cousin named Russell Dewey, who participated in the Battle of Bunker Hill and who left behind a diary of his experiences (Lockwood, Vol. I, pp. 264-265). Benjamin and Eliab served until May 12, 1775, with Benjamin becoming a sergeant.

Eliab was drafted in September 1776, and went to New York for two months. In 1777, Benjamin served again, joining the Continental Army for eight months. By 1779, Benjamin was back in Westfield, this time in the capacity of a recruiter for the Continental Army (continued) NPS Form 1 10-900-a (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number Page_ 6 OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 Joseph Dewey House Westfield (Hampden), MA (Lockwood, Vol. I, pp. 531-565). After the war, Benjamin became a lieutenant in the Second Regiment, First Brigade, Fourth Division of the Massachusetts Militia, serving until April 20, 1808 (Dewey et al, Life of George Dewey, pp. 894-895). While some farmers returned from the war to face financial troubles, Benjamin Dewey apparently did not suffer considerable financial losses.

During the 1770s and 1780s, Dewey added land to his holdings and acquired an interest in the mill site that had been established by Joseph Mosely in 1702. Although Benjamin had been a rebel during the conflict with the British, after the war was over he had no sympathy with those disgruntled farmers who rebelled against their post-war burdens of debt. During Shays' Rebellion, Lieutenant Benjamin Dewey was in the muster roll of Captain James Taylor's company, which was called out from Westfield "for the support of the Government at Springfield" in September of 1786. The company was mustered out for only four days at that time, but was summoned again a few months later when Daniel Shays' rebels attacked the arsenal in Springfield in January of 1787.

The Westfield company was among the forces under the command of Westfield native General William Shepard that successfully routed Shays' forces (Lockwood, Vol. II, p. 113-157). Benjamin Dewey eventually occupied the house built by his grandfather Joseph I. In 1772, Joseph II divided out a site about eight or nine acres in size, which included the Dewey House, and sold it to Benjamin. Over the next thirty years, Benjamin added a gristmill, a sawmill, and several acres of land along the Little River to his holdings, and made his living as a farmer and miller. According to the 1798 United States Tax Census, Benjamin owned the Dewey House and its accompanying 23-acre lot, a 1,200-square-foot barn, a 575-square-foot shop (the nature of the shop was not specified), half ownership in a grist and saw mill, and four additional parcels to the west and south of his homestead, totaling 104 acres.

Benjamin did so well that in the early 1800s he decided to refurbish his house in the latest style. He added larger windows to the front and sides and raised the roof to add two new rooms and a back hallway onto the second floor. He converted the facade of the house from its Georgian (continued) NPS Form 1 10-900-8 (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page7 OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 Joseph Dewey House Westfield (Hampden), MA lines to a more formal Federal-style front with the addition of several new windows and a classically-inspired door surround with half-length sidelights flanked by pilasters and with a swagged entablature surmounting the doorway.

Benjamin upgraded the house's interior decoration by removing old-fashioned paneled walls or covering them with new plaster walls, lightening the house's interior. Although the exact date of Benjamin's renovations is unknown, the work must have occurred after the 1798 property census, which describes Benjamin's house as having seventeen windows. After the renovation, the house would have had at least twenty- one windows. While Benjamin Dewey was prospering, so, too, was his hometown. Westfield grew so quickly during the 18"h-century that, according to the 1790 census, Westfield had more inhabitants than Springfield, its parent town (Pitoniak, p. 1). Members of the Dewey family made up a large percentage of this population. The family was prolific as well as prosperous.

The 1775 Assessors List enumerated more taxpayers by the name of Dewey than any other family name (Western Hampden Historical Society, "The Dewey House"). By 1801, the town had grown so much that Benjamin Dewey found himself serving on a committee planning the construction of a new meetinghouse. It took five years of discussion, debate, and planning before the new meetinghouse was finally built and dedicated in 1806 (Lockwood, Vol.II, pp. 230-240). After the 18"'-century growth spurt, growth stalled in Westfield during the first two decades of the 19t*-century, with the population remaining stable at around 2,100 residents. During most of its early history, Westfield had relied primarily on agriculture for its income. Historian John Lockwood speculates that the brief check in the town's growth may have been due to a shortage of new arable land (Lockwood, Vol. II, pp. 246-247).

Given the mountains hemming Westfield in to the west and east, much of the best agricultural land was probably under tillage after nearly a 150 years of settlement. Benjamin Dewey eventually sold his mill to Jere Horton, who married Benjamin's daughter Sophia (1786-1880) in 1811 (Dewey et al, Life of George Dewey, p. 936). Jere lived nearby, on the aptly named Mill Street. Benjamin Dewey's house and surrounding farmland went to another child, Charles Dewey (1789-1847) (Probate Case #3714, Hampden County Registry of (continued) NPS Form 1 10-900-a (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page 8 OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 Joseph Dewey House Westfield (Hampden), MA Probate), who continued farming his father's homestead until Charles's death in 1847.

While Charles had no children by either his first or his second wife, his household consisted of from three to six persons during his stay at the Dewey house. Because census records for this time do not identify individual household members, it is unclear whether the other persons living with Charles and his wife were family members, servants, or boarders. (United States Census, 1820, 1830, 1840). While Charles remained a farmer like his father, all around him Westfield was changing from an agricultural community into an industrial one. In the 1820s, the industry that gave Westfield its nickname took off on a nearly century-long boom, when D. L. Farnham visited a Boston whip factory, and came back with notes about how he might make a machine for plaiting whips. With Henry Douglas and Samuel Lindsay, Farnham tried to duplicate the machine he had seen in Boston.

Hiram Hill, another Westfield entrepreneur, followed suit in 1821, introducing an improved plaiting machine from Providence, Rhode Island. By 1860, Westfield boasted dozens of whip-making factories, earning its reputation as the "Whip City." Other leather goods such as harnesses and shoes were also produced in Westfield factories. Another major industry was cigar manufacturing. Taking advantage of leaf tobacco produced in the Connecticut River valley towns around Westfield, manufacturers soon were employing hundreds of workers making cigars. These new industries helped the town overcome its turn-of-the-century slump. Population began to rise quickly. Transportation as well as manufacturing increased Westfield's prosperity.

In 1822, Westfield's citizens approved the construction of the Westfield portion of a canal that would run from the Connecticut River through Northampton, Easthampton, Southampton, Westfield, and Southwick, to Connecticut. The proposed canal was to link with a planned canal from New Haven to Southwick. The Farmington Canal project would create eighty miles of navigable inland waterways. (Lockwood, Vol. II, p. 283) In 1826, construction began at the Northampton end, and three years later the new canal was open from Westfield to New Haven (Lockwood, Vol. II, p. 293). By 1835, the link between Westfield and Northampton was complete. The new (continued) NPS Form 1 10-900-a (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page 9 OMB Approval No.

1024-0018 Joseph Dewey House Westfield (Hampden), MA canal brought cheap transportation of goods, giving Westfield a direct link to the sea. During the construction of the canal, Westfield's population began to change. Irish immigrants were brought in to do the heavy labor of digging and masonry work required for canal construction. Many of them stayed on to work in the new whip and cigar factories. From the 1820s on, Westfield's population would include more and more new ethnic groups (Lockwood, Vol. II, p. 358). The canal initiated a building boom in Westfield, with hotels, taverns, and warehouses. constructed in anticipation of the increased business the canal would attract (Heyl & Hamberg, p 9). One of Westfield's major industries, the H. B. Smith & Company ironworks, was established along one of the canal basins. H. B.

Smith would later grow into a major producer of boilers and radiators. Despite a brief flurry of initial profit, the new canal never achieved its prophesied success. It was difficult to maintain, and quickly displaced by the railroad, which used some of the canal beds and rights-of-way. (Lockwood, Vol. II, pp. 294-298). By 1852, the Northampton and Westfield Railroad had been formed to build a new rail line along the old canal right-of-way. The Canal Railroad was completed from New Haven to Westfield by 1855, although the Northampton branch had not yet been finished. (Lockwood, Vol. II, p. 317) While Westfield's central business district grew along Elm Street, a new industrial belt of activity paralleled the new railroad (Heyl & Hamberg, p. 9).

At first, the neighborhood immediately surrounding the Dewey House experienced little change as a result of Westfield's industry- and transportation-induced boom. While the density of development rapidly increased around the town center and at the Westfield River at its junction with the canal, Squawfield remained a sparsely settled area until the 1850s. An 1834 map of Westfield shows that Charles Dewey had few close neighbors within the triangle enclosed by South Maple, Mill, and West Silver Streets. By 1855, nearly a decade after Charles' death, only a dozen or so homes had been added to the neighborhood. (continued) NPS Form 1 10-900-a (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page_10 OMB Approval No.

1024-0018 Joseph Dewey House Westfield (Hampden), MA At his death, Charles Dewey left an estate worth over $6,000. In addition to the house on South Maple Street, which, along with twenty-one acres of land, was listed in Charles Dewey's probate papers as Charles's homestead, Charles owned a house on Court Street and twenty-seven acres of land in other parts of Westfield. His estate included a considerable amount of farming equipment and livestock, including thirteen head of cattle and a hive of bees (Probate Case #3516, Hampden County Registry of Probate). Charles died childless, leaving his estate to be sold and distributed among his surviving sisters and several charities, including the American Home Missionary Society, the American Seamen's Friend Society, the American Bible Society, the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, and the American Tract Society.

(Probate Case #3516, Hampden County Registry of Probate). Like many of his ancestors, Charles apparently had an affinity for religious causes. The Westfield Newsletter of 13 January 1847 described the circumstances of Charles's death: He was at the temperance meeting at Mr. Davis' donation party, the evening before, but complained of feeling dull and low-spirited; and made the remark that he would give any one a cow who would procure him a horse and carry him home. Upon a post-mortem examination, it was found that his heart was nearly wasted away. Mr. D. was a farmer of considerable property, and by his will, made a few years since, has devoted three fifths of his possessions to benevolent objects. With the settlement of Charles'estate, the house passed out of the Dewey family. James Holland bought the property in 1848 from his executors.

A physician, Holland (1815-1880) was a graduate of the University of New York's medical school. Holland set up his practice in Westfield in 1843, and became prominent in Hampden County medical circles. Holland later served as a surgeon for the First Cavalry during the Civil War. A prominent Westfield citizen, Holland served on the committee to organize Westfield's bicentennial celebrations in 1869. Holland also served as Westfield's representative to the Massachusetts General Court during the (continued) NPS Form 1 10-900-a (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page_11 OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 Joseph Dewey House Westfield (Hampden), MA negotiations for the siting of the New York and New Haven Railroad line (Lockwood, Vol. II, p.

440; Taggart, Josephine Phelps, "Westfield Institution" in Janes, pp. 260-261; Encyclopedia of Massachusetts, Vol. III, p. 177) At the time of the Holland purchase, the Dewey homestead included land on both sides of South Maple Street, running down to the Little River, and encompassing about twenty-two acres. Holland apparently did not live in the Dewey House himself. The 1850 census shows James A. Loomis, a thirty-two-year-old miller, occupying the house, along with Maria A. Loomis (age 25), Merrill A. Loomis (age 6), James A. Loomis (age 4), and Anna M. Loomis (age 1). The census indicates that James Loomis Sr. owned no real estate; this is consistent with Loomis renting the house from Holland (United States Census, 1850). Four years after buying the Dewey House, James Holland conveyed it to Gardner S. Burbank of Fitchburg.

It is likely that Gardner Burbank, like James Holland, was an absentee landlord, for a later mortgage deed continues to list Burbank as a resident of Fitchburg. For a few years the house was back in Dewey family hands, when Burbank sold the property to Franklin S. Dewey in 1852. Franklin Seth Dewey (1824-1879), a descendant of Jedediah Dewey's son Daniel, began his career as a tailor. He left Westfield for California's gold mines in 1849, coming back east to live in New Hartford, Connecticut, before returning to settle again in Westfield (Dewey et al, Life of George Dewey, p. 1021). Franklin appears to have been another absentee landlord; in the 1855 Massachusetts Census, a farmer named Josiah Pomroy and his wife Phebe appear to be the occupants of the Dewey House. Franklin Dewey held the house until 1858.

During his six-year ownership, Franklin began to sell off parts of Charles Dewey's homestead. By the time he sold the home to Alexander and Laura McNeil, the lot on which the house sat consisted of only around three acres. The McNeils moved into the Dewey house from just around the corner. The 1855 Massachusetts Census and the 1850 United States Census show them living on Mill Street, where Alexander was a farmer. (continued) NPS Form 1 10-900-a (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page_12 OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 Joseph Dewey House Westfield (Hampden), MA The Dewey House appears to have been occupied by two families while the McNeils owned it. The 1860 census lists Alexander, a fifty-two-year-old farmer, and his wife Laura, along with three children.

Also occupying the McNeil house in 1860 were Chandler B. Rising, a forty- nine-year-old whip maker, forty-two-year-old Philina (probably Chandler's wife), nineteen-year- old Harriet and four-year-old Levi (United States Census, 1860). It is unclear whether the McNeils made any structural changes to the house to accommodate the second family. In 1861, the McNeils sold the property to Macajah Taylor, who was listed as a builder in the 1873 Westfield Directory. Taylor kept the house for four years before selling to Russell H. Harris, listed as a farmer in the 1873 Westfield Directory. Harris kept the house for only two years, selling it in 1867 to Froissard Whipple. The 1870 census lists Whipple as a seventy-year- old farmer.

He shared the house with his wife and Louisa Ruxavile [spelling uncertain--census entry nearly illegible], a forty-year-old housekeeper, and Louisa's seven-year-old son Hubert (United States Census, 1870). While Whipple occupied the Dewey House, the surrounding neighborhood experienced a significant change. The site of Benjamin Dewey's grist and sawmills was chosen by Crane Brothers Paper Company for its mill when James A. and Robert B. Crane decided to move their company to Westfield from New York State in 1868 (Smith, Edwin Ely. "Modern Industry" in Janes, p. 367). Grandsons of the famous Dalton, Massachusetts papermaker Zenas Crane, Robert and James began their operations in a wooden building. After a fire destroyed the original structure, they replaced their plant with a new brick building.

By 1870, Crane Brothers had constructed a new dam, a mill pond, and a brick factory building for its operations. Crane Brothers specialized in the manufacture of bank-ledger, record, and "all linen" papers, linen-fibre baskets, and machine belting, building a worldwide reputation for high-quality linen-based papers (Everts, p. 951). They quickly expanded to add an upper mill along Granville Road, further west up the Little River from the site of the old Dewey gristmill. In 1871, Froissard Whipple sold the Dewey House to Emma Jane Turner for three thousand dollars. Perhaps the seventy-one-year-old Whipple found farming too strenuous. In the (continued) NPS Form 1 10-900-8 (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page_13 OMB Approval No.

1024-0018 Joseph Dewey House Westfield (Hampden), MA 1873 Westfield Directory, Whipple, who had moved to the corner of Spring and Washington Street, is listed as a whip plaiter. The Turner family held the Dewey house for the next hundred years, residing in the house for nearly as long as the Dewey family did. Emma's husband, Charles Turner, was a farmer for the first several years he occupied the house. Other men by the name of Turner are also listed as living on South Maple Street during the 1870s, although no house numbers are listed, so it is not clear whether or not they were rooming with Charles and his wife Emma. Luther N. Turner, George W. Turner, and William B. Turner are all listed as having their homes on South Maple Street. By the time the Turners moved into the Dewey house, Westfield had grown into a busy manufacturing community.

Crossed by two major railroad lines, the town boasted a population of around 8,000 residents. Westfield's primary employers were its thirty-six whip manufacturers, twenty-eight cigar factories, and its paper factories. The 1873 Westfield Directory proudly proclaimed, "A large number of stores, representing diversities of trade, give its business streets a city aspect, and everything betokens thrift and enterprise." (p.5) Through the 1880s, Westfield continued to grow. The 1880-81 Westfield Directory describes the town in glowing terms: The village is a lively bustling and thriving place, and wears an air of solid thrift and substantial comfort, while its broad, handsome and well shaded avenues-- thickly adorned with stately elms, make it, especially in the mild seasons of the year, a delightfully inviting retreat.

...Westfield is not surpassed by any other village of its size in New England for natural beauty, business enterprise, and congenial society--all of which combine to give promise to a bright and prosperous future. (p. 6). Westfield's bright and prosperous future was, by now, firmly grounded in industry, rather than agriculture. Charles Turner decided to abandon agriculture in order to participate in (continued) NPS Form 1 10-900-a (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page_14 OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 Joseph Dewey House Westfield (Hampden), MA Westfield's industrial prosperity. By 1878, Turner was no longer listed in Westfield Directories as a farmer. He had become a plater at Crane Brothers' paper mill.

Charles apparently worked at both farming and paper making for a while, since the 1880 census lists him, not as a plater, but as a farmer (United States Census, 1880). Charles Turner did a number of jobs at Crane Brothers, working as a carver from 1882 to 1887, then as a papermaker from 1888 on. In the 1880s, the Dewey House's neighborhood began to experience considerable changes. As Westfield continued to grow, side streets were opened up off Mill, South Maple, and West Silver Streets--one of them, in fact, named after the Dewey family. The Dewey House's open rural setting was transformed into a suburban neighborhood. In 1904, Charles Turner died, leaving his wife and son, Frederic C. Turner, occupying the house. Frederic was a clerk at the First National Bank. Frederic moved out for a couple of years, but returned to 81 South Maple Street around 1913.

By 1920, the household included Frederic's wife, Effie H. Turner, and the couple's infant son, Ralph. Since the census lists Emma and her son as having separate households, it is possible that the house may have been informally divided into a two-family residence around this time. While Westfield Assessor's records do not officially list the house as a two-family dwelling until 1965, census and directory records indicate that the house was unofficially being used as a two-family residence long before that date. By the end of World War I, the industries which had fostered Westfield's growth were in decline. The coming of the automobile made the whip industry obsolete; at the same time, cigar- making also declined (Heyl & Hamberg, p. 15).

In the neighborhood of the Dewey House, the Crane Brothers Paper Company changed hands in 1928 when Stevens Paper Mills bought both lower and upper mills. The company continued in operation until 1980. The surviving complex of buildings includes structures ranging from 1870 to the early 20*-century (Heyl & Hamberg, Inventory Form #560). During the Turners' stay at the Dewey House, Westfield began to see itself as a city rather than a town. By 1910, the town had a mixture of ethnic groups making up its population, (continued) NPS Form 1 10-900-a (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page 15 OMB Approval No.

1024-0018 Joseph Dewey House Westfield (Hampden), MA including Czechs, Italians, Lithuanians, and Poles, in addition to the Irish who had settled in the first half of the nineteenth century. Discussions of the question of a city charter were raised in 1905 and again in 1914, but these early efforts were unsuccessful, with citizens rejecting a charter proposed by the state legislature. Finally, in 1920, a charter committee successfully presented a proposal to Westfield voters, and the town officially became a city (Adams, James R. "Westfield History 1920-1940" in Janes, pp. 304-305). As Westfield grew from town to city, empty lots around the Dewey House continued to fill up with suburban residences. By 1933, Emma Turner had died, leaving the Dewey House to her son Frederic, who by now had been promoted to assistant cashier at First National Bank.

By 1936, Frederic had died, leaving Effie Turner a widow. In 1936, the Dewey House is listed in city directories as a two- family residence, with Effie occupying one half, and Bryant H. Gardner, a teacher for the U.S. Civilian Conservation Corps, and his wife Alberta renting the other half. While no occupation was listed for Effie Turner in the 1930s, she had gone to work as a nurse by 1940, either taking up a new occupation or returning to one she had worked at before marrying. A series of tenants occupied the other half of the home, most of them clerical or professional workers, including an accountant, a bank treasurer, an engineer, a salesman, and a nurse. Throughout the mid 20"-century, suburban homes continued to fill in the open lots along South Maple Street, gradually increasing the density of the neighborhood.

During the 1970s, the landscape immediately surrounding the Dewey underwent a more drastic change. Over the next twenty years, the Dewey House became the lone small-scale residential structure, surrounded by three large apartment complexes and a service station. In 1972, Effie Turner decided to sell the house to Thomas Conlon, a local developer. Mr. Conlon sold the house to the Western Hampden Historical Society for one dollar, on the condition that the house be moved from its site so that the land could be cleared for construction of an apartment complex. The house was moved about two hundred feet west of its original site on South Maple Street and situated so that its setback remained the same as on its original location.

The Dewey House and its neighbor, the Victorian-style Grange building (originally a school), serve as reminders of the neighborhood's 18"h- and 19t*-century history amidst the larger-scale modern buildings that now surround them. (continued) NPS Form 1 10-900-8 (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page 16 OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 Joseph Dewey House Westfield (Hampden), MA The Western Hampden Historical Society decided to restore the Dewey House as much as possible to its appearance shortly after its original construction. The Historical Society engaged the services of John Curtis, Director of Curatorial Staff at Old Sturbridge Village as a consultant. Mr.

Curtis and Hugh McCann, chairperson of the Historical Society's restoration committee, conducted a thorough study of the house in order to discover its original configuration and finishes. Fortunately, there was a considerable amount of structural evidence, not only for the locations of walls and openings, but also for paint colors and decorative finishes. Many features, such as doors, windows, fireplaces, and paneling were found either stored on the property, or intact beneath newer finishes. In the course of the house's restoration, great care was taken to document the physical evidence for the restoration and identify the structural clues that influenced the restoration process. Hugh McCann supervised the restoration. Funds were raised from individual donations and from grants awarded by the Massachusetts Bicentennial Commission and Stanley Home Products, Inc.

Contractor Ernest Sattler of West Granville, Massachusetts was selected, based on his experience in early American restorations. Throughout the restoration process, Mr. Sattler was careful to leave evidence of the layers of finishes in many of the rooms, so that the house now serves as a teaching tool, not only for the building's original use, but for the various construction techniques used in the building, and for the tracing of the house's history. When the Western Hampden Historical Society completed the project in 1977, the Dewey House became the Society's first permanent home as well as Westfield's first (and only) authentically restored colonial home open to the public.

The Historical Society decided to use the Dewey House as a teaching tool to educate visitors, not only about 18th -century lifestyles and construction techniques, but also about the research and restoration processes involved in returning the Dewey House to its 18"*-century appearance. In 1979, the Western Hampden Historical Society received a Certificate of Commendation from the American Association for State and Local History both for its work in restoring the house, and for its use of the house as an educational resource. Restoration Committee chair Hugh McCann noted, "To use the house for education was thought to be right (continued) NPS Form 1 10-900-8 (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page_17 OMB Approval No.

1024-0018 Joseph Dewey House Westfield (Hampden), MA from the beginning." (Simison, Cynthia. "Opening doors to our past." Springfield Daily News, 6 Nov 1979) Westfield is fortunate in having a considerable number of surviving 18"-century homes, including nearly twenty identified on the 1984 Historic Buildings Survey as dating from the Revolutionary period or earlier. Houses of the period range from the grand 2 ½-story, five-by- two-bay Sackett Tavern (c. 1776, Inventory Form #590), with its classic Connecticut River Valley doorway with its heavy swan's neck pediment, to more modest 1 ½-story examples on Honey Pot Road (c.1770, David Drake House, Inventory Form #550) and Old Feeding Hills Road (c. 1750, Inventory Form #577). The 2 ½-story, three-bay wide Dewey House is somewhere in the middle in terms of size and scale.

Of similar construction, though larger in size, is the Alvin Fowler House at 39-41 Pleasant Street (c. 1750, Inventory Form #98), which shares the Dewey House's unusual plank wall construction. While some of Westfield's early 18'h-century homes have been altered with the addition of synthetic siding, several have well- preserved exteriors. The Dewey House, however, is the only fully restored home of its time period that is open to the public. The Dewey House's ties with descendants of Westfield's pioneering brothers remain quite strong. Not only do members of the Dewey family remain in Westfield, but also family members from all over the country are counted as members in the Western Hampden Historical Society and have taken an interest in the restoration and use of the Dewey House.

Listing of the Dewey House on the National Register of Historic Places would accomplish several goals for both the Western Hampden Historical Society and the Westfield Historical Commission. Because the house is situated on a busy state highway ( MA Route 10 and US Route 202), the potential for endangerment by encroaching commercial uses and highway improvements is great. Designation as a National Register property would give the Dewey House greater protection if projects are planned using State or Federal resources that might adversely affect the house. Designation would provide official recognition of the house's role in Westfield's social and architectural history, and would make the house eligible for funds for continued preservation and education activities.

Designation would also provide (continued) NPS Form 1 10-900-3 (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page 18 OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 Joseph Dewey House Westfield (Hampden), MA encouragement for owners of similar structures to use the Dewey House as a model for research and restoration activities. As one of a small group of surviving colonial-era houses, the Dewey House provides a well-researched example of both the interior and exterior of an upper middle- class 18'h-century Westfield home. Archaeological Significance Since patterns of prehistoric settlement and subsistence in Westfield are poorly understood, any surviving sites could be significant.

Prehistoric resources on the nominated property may contain data that identifies patterns of Native American landuse in a temperate forest riverine environment. Important information may be present indicating the role of sites along secondary drainages of the Connecticut River to larger core areas along the main branch of the river. Regional and/or seasonal variability may also be present between sites and secondary drainages. Information may be present at sites on the property that contribute to research topics focusing on lithic tool assemblages and chronologies, ceramic technology and style, and the analysis of prehistoric exchange.

While the Connecticut River provided a regional north/south corridor for transportation and the movement of goods and ideas, smaller drainages including the Little River may have played a vital role in a similar function for an east/west corridor covering a much smaller geographical area. Because the Joseph Dewey House was moved to its present site in 1973, little if any archaeological information found on the nominated property could contribute significantly to the significance of the house. Any structural evidence related to the initial house site or outbuildings and occupational-related features (trash pits, privies, wells) would be found at the original site of the house.

Structural evidence and occupational-related features related to temporary homes of the first English settlers in the area could be significant by validating local oral tradition in the area and providing physical examples of the town's early settlement history. (end) NPS Form 1 10-900-3 (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 9 Page 1 OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 Joseph Dewey House Westfield (Hampden), MA BIBLIOGRAPHY Atlas of Hampden County, Massachusetts. Springfield, Massachusetts: Richards Map Co., 1912. Atlas of Surveys - Hampden County, Massachusetts. Springfield, Massachusetts: L.J. Richards & Co., 1894. Atlas of Westfield Town, Massachusetts, 1884 (photostatic copy at Westfield Athenaeum, no place of publication listed.) Ballantine, John.

"Westfieldiana." Typescript transcribed from Westfield Journal and Democratic Herald, 10 Sep 1833-8 Sep 1835. Bates, William G. "Pictures of Westfield as It Was." Typescript transcribed from Western Hampden Times 17 Mar 1869-3 Aug 1870. Transcription project of National Youth Administration, Apr 1936. Beers, F.W. Beers' Atlas of Hampden County. New York: Beers, Ellis & Soule, 1870. Connecticut Valley Historical Museum. Vertical File SPFD F.1--Westfield. Copeland, Alfred Minot, Ed. A History of Hampden County, Massachusetts. Century Memorial Publishing Co., 1902. Dewey, Adelbert M., Dewey, Louis Marinus, Dewey, William T., and Dewey, Orville C. Life of George Dewey Rear Admiral, USN and Dewey Family History. Westfield, Massachusetts: Dewey Publishing Company, 1898. Dewey, Benjamin. Probate Case #3514. Hampden County Registry of Probate.

(continued) NPS Form 1 10-900-a (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number_ 9 Page 2 OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 Joseph Dewey House Westfield (Hampden), MA Dewey, Charles. Probate Case #3516. Hampden County Registry of Probate. Dewey House Title Search. Scharof and Smith, Inc., Attorneys at Law, Westfield Massachusetts, 1973. Dewey, Louis Marinus. "An Authentic History of Westfield, Massachusetts," 1919. In Connecticut Valley Historical Museum Manuscript Vertical File F.1 - Westfield. Dewey, Louis Marinus. "Historical Map of the Original Settlement." 1905. Dewey, Louis Marinus. History of Ancient Westfield, 1892-93. (Typescript) Westfield, Massachusetts, circa 1905. Transcription project of National Youth Administration, May 1936. Dewey, Louis Marinus.

"Old Landmarks." Typescript transcribed from Westfield Times and News Letter, 2 Jan 1895-6 Oct 1897. Encyclopedia of Massachusetts. Boston: The American Historical Society, 1916. Everts, Louis H. History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Some of its Prominent Men and Pioneers. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott & Co., 1879. Goldthwait, J. H., engraver. A Plan of Westfield from the Survey of 1831. 1834 (Photocopy held by Westfield Athenaeum.) Hampden County Registry of Deeds Records. Heyl, Scott P., and Hamberg, Lee David. Historic Building Survey of Westfield, Massachusetts, Jul 1984. (continued) NPS Form 1 10-900-a (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service OMB Approval No.

1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 9 Page3 Joseph Dewey House Westfield (Hampden), MA Holland, Josiah Gilbert. History of Western Massachusetts: The Counties of Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin, and Berkshire, Volume II, part III. Springfield, Massachusetts: Samuel Bowles & Co., 1855. Janes, Edward C., and Scott, Roscoe S., editors. Westfield Massachusetts, 1669-1969: The First Three Hundred Years. Westfield, Massachusetts: Westfield Tri-Centennial Association, Inc., 1968. Lockwood, Reverend John H., D.D. Westfield and Its Historic Influences: 1669-1919 Springfield, Massachusetts: Springfield Printing and Binding Company, 1922. Lockwood, Rev. John H., D.D., et al. Western Massachusetts: A History 1636 - 1925. New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, Inc., 1926. Massachusetts State Census, 1855, 1865. McCann, Hugh.

"The Dewey House." (Typescript - historic structure report, undated, circa 1972) Picturesque Hampden. Northampton, Massachusetts: Picturesque Publishing Company, 1892. Pitoniak, Stephen J., Sr. Western Massachusetts History: The Westfield Area. Westfield, Massachusetts: Stephen J. Pitoniak, Sr., 1970. Plan of Westfield. Westfield, Massachusetts: H. B. Smith Co., Inc., 1870. Roberts, George S. Historic Towns of the Connecticut River Valley. Schenectady, New York: Robson & Adee, 1906. Stiles, Chester D. A History of the Town of Westfield. Westfield, Massachusetts: J. D. Cadle & Co., 1919. (continued) NPS Form 1 10-900-a (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 9 Page_ 4 OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 Joseph Dewey House Westfield (Hampden), MA Taylor, Edward. The Diary of Edward Taylor.

(Edited by Francis Murphy). Springfield, Massachusetts: Connecticut Valley Historical Society, 1964. United States Census Records for Massachusetts, 1790-1920 United States Tax Census, 1798. Walling, Henry F. Map of Hampden County, Massachusetts. Boston: H.A. Haley, 1855. Western Hampden Historical Society. "The Dewey House, circa 1735." Open House and Dedication Program, 1977. Westfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts. New York: Sanborn Map Company, 1910, 1917, 1924, 1947. Westfield Jubilee: A Report of the Celebration at Westfield, Massachusetts on the 200th Anniversary of the Incorporation of the Town, October 6, 1869. Westfield, Massachusetts: Clark & Story, Publishers, 1870. Westfield Town and City Directories, 1873-1970. (end) Joseph Dewey House Name of Property Hampden,MA County, State 10. Geographical Data Acreage ofPropertyless than oneacre UTM References See continuation sheet.

(Place additional UTM references on a continuation sheet) 1. 18 684900 4664390 Zone Easting Northing " Zone Easting Northing 3. Zone Easting 4. Zone Easting - See continuation sheet Northing Northing 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_Michele Plourde-Barker for the Westfield Historical Comm., and Betsy Friedberg, MHC, NR director organization. Massachusetts Historical Commission _date May 2001 street & number_220 Morrissey Boulevard city or town_ Boston state MA _ zip code _ telephone- 617-727-8470 _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 thisitem at the request of the SHPO or FPO.) name Western Hampden Historical Society street & number 87 South Maple Street _ telephone 413-562-3101 city or town_ Westfield state MA _ zip code 01085 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 NPS Form 1 10-900-a (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number_10 Page_1 OMB Approval No.

1024-0018 Joseph Dewey House Westfield (Hampden), MA VERBAL BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION The Dewey House property is bounded as follows: Beginning at an iron rod in the northerly line of South Maple Street, said rod being Bound #9 as shown on the 1889 County layout of South Maple Street, thence running: North 89° 3' West along South Maple Street a distance of 94.68 feet to a point in said northerly line at land of Westfield Grange #20, Patrons of Husbandry, Inc., said point bearing North 13° 30' East and distant 1.49 feet from an iron pipe; thence North 13° 30' East along land of said Westfield Grange #20 Patrons of Husbandry, Inc., a distance of 152.05 feet to a point at other land of Thomas E. Conlon and Margaret C.

Conlon; thence South 03° 30' East a distance of 52.01' to a point; thence North 86° 30' East a distance of 75.00 feet to a point; thence South 03° 30' East a distance 100.00 feet to a point in said northerly line of South Maple Street; the last three courses being along other land of Thomas E. Conlon and Margaret C. Conlon; thence South 86° 30' West along South Maple Street a distance of 25.00 feet to the iron rod at the place of beginning. (Description taken from Hampden County Registry of Deeds, Book 3761, Page 303, from Thomas E. Conlon and Margaret C. Conlon to Western Hampden Historical Society, 11 BOUNDARY JUSTIFICATION The boundary of the site is identical with the property lines indicated in the deed to 87 South Maple Street.

(end) NPS Form 1 10-900-8 (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section numberphotos Page OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 Joseph Dewey House Westfield (Hampden), MA Photographer: Michele Plourde-Barker Date: February 1999 Negatives: at Westfield Historical Commission, City Hall, 59 Court Street 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17.

View of South Maple Street, facing E View of South Maple Street, facing W, showing Grange next to Dewey House View of Dewey House, facing NW View of south façade, facing N View of north façade, facing SW View of central entry, facing N View of east kitchen, facing NW View of east kitchen, facing N View of north kitchen, facing SE View of first-floor bedroom, facing W View of west parlor, facing NE View of buttery, facing W View of east bedroom, facing NE View of west bedroom, facing NW View of west bedroom, facing NE View of second-floor back hall, facing NW View of rear bedroom, facing NE (end) NPS Form 10-900-a (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number Page OMB Approval No.

1024-0018 SUPPLEMENTARY LISTING RECORD NRIS Reference Number: 01000746 Date Listed: 7/27/2001 Property Name: Joseph Dewey House County: Hampden State: MA Multiple Name This property is listed in the National Register of Historic Places in accordance with the attached nomination documentation subject to the following exceptions, exclusions, or amendments, notwithstanding the National Park Service certification included in the nomination documentation. Patick Andues Signature of the Keeper 7/27/2001 Date of Action Amended Items in Nomination: This SLR makes a substantive change in the registration form by amending the Period of Significance to reflect the Areas of Significance. The form defines the period as 1735-1951 and the Areas of Significance are Architecture, Social History, and Settlement.

The Statement of Significance says that the house is important for its association with the Dewey family. The Period of Significance is amended to end with the date the Dewey family was no longer associated with the building - 1848 (Section 8, p. 10). The new Period of Significance (1735- 1848) covers both architecture (for the building's original construction and 19th century changes), and includes the Dewey family association with the building..

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: NOMINATION PROPERTY NAME : Dewey, Joseph, House MULTIPLE NAME: STATE & COUNTY: MASSACHUSETTS, Hampden DATE RECEIVED: DAIE OF 16TH DAY: DATE OF WEEKLY LIST: 6/12/01 7/18/01 DATE OF PENDING LIST: DATE OF 45TH DAY: REFERENCE NUMBER: 01000746 7/02/01 7/28/01 REASONS FOR REVIEW: APPEAL: N DATA PROBLEM: N LANDSCAPE: N LESS THAN 50 YEARS: N OTHER: N PDIL: N PROGRAM UNAPPROVED: REQUEST: N SAMPLE: N SLR DRAFT: Y NATIONAL: N COMMENT WAIVER: N ACCEPT RETURN REJECT DATE ABSTRACT/ SUMMARY COMMENTS : RECOM./CRIFERIA_ Qucept AçC REVIEWER Yatuik Andus DISCIPLINE Historian TELEPHONE 7/22/01 DOCUMENTATION see attached comments Y/N see attache, SIR JosEen Dewey 81 Soura Mare WESTHIELD, HAM PNOTO #E, LOSERHD 57 SOUTH.

WESTFIELD PINOTO #2 TOSEPHD 87 SouTH WESTFIRLI PHOTO # JOSEPH DEU 87 SouTH M WESTFIELDN PHOTO #4 Toszor De 81 Sourn M WESTKIELD, PNOJO #5 DEWEY HOUSE CIRCA 1735 HISTORICAL SOCIETN Joster Dewey Houst 87 Soura Maeue ST. WESTEIELD, MAnODEN Co., MA PAOTO #6 Tosten Dew 67 SOUTH A WESTRIELDI PWOTO#7 LOSEPH DEL 57 Soura N WESTFIELDI PHOTO #8 Joster i 87 Sovi WESTAIEL PHOTO# Joseen Deway Houst 87 SouTa MAPLa ST WASTAIELD, NAmeDENCOMA PNOTO*/D Joser. 87 Soui WESTFIR PHOJO# JOsERH DEWEy Houst 87 Soura MoeLe ST. WesTrItLo, AmeDen Co PWOSO # 12 JOsErA ] 87 Sour WESTFIEL. PNOTO #1. JoszeN 81 So1 WESTK PNOTOF 13d 11dYd TYNO 1Vd o 83dVd oxd 13dVd e TVNOISS? IVa 134 13dN TVNO1 13dYd TVN FOSEPH PEWE 87 Souos M WESSRIELD, PWOT # 15 Tosten. 87 sou WESTRIK PHOO # TOSEPHDEWE 7 SourH N 141 City of Westfield rec'd by hand 3/14/01 OFTHE RICHARD K. SULLIVAN, JR.

MAYOR City Hall 59 Court Street Westfield MA 01085 Telephone: (413) 572-6200 Fax: (413) 572-6274 E-mail:r.sullivan@mail.ci.westfield.ma.us March 8, 2001 Massachusetts Historical Commission Attn: Brona Simon, Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer 220 Morrissey Boulevard Boston, MA 02125 Dear Ms Simon: I was pleased to hear that the Massachusetts Historical Commission is considering the nomination of the Dewey House in Westfield, Massachusetts to the National Register of Historic Places. I am writing to lend my support to this nomination. I feel that the addition of the Dewey House to the listing would not only be invaluable to the Dewey House itself in its efforts of preservation, but it would also be a valuable addition to the National Register. The Dewey House is the only dwelling of its era (circa 1735) open to the public in Westfield.

With its fireplaces, tools, and equipment for daily living, it provides a picture of life in the 1700's that cannot be duplicated in the classroom, in pictures, or in writing. Its genealogy reveals a long list of prominent individuals who have held town office, served in the Revolutionary Army, and have generally developed a frontier settlement into a flourishing community. Some of these well known individuals include Admiral George Dewey, Melvil Dewey, inventor of the Dewey Decimal System, and Thomas E. Dewey, Governor of New York and Presidential candidate in 1944 defeated by Harry Truman. The Dewey House has an educational program that consists of scheduled tours of the house by all fourth graders in the city. This is conducted entirely by volunteers and is of no cost to the students or the school system.

Listing on the National Register would help preserve this priceless historic resource. Taking care of America's history is of great importance in order to protect the knowledge it can provide for future generations. That is why I believe it would be a great benefit to add the Dewey House to the National Register of Historic Places. Sincerely, Sullivan, Jr. Mayof of Westield The Commonwealth of Massachusetts William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth Massachusetts Historical Commission May 31, 2001 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: Joseph Dewey House, Westfield (Hampden), 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. One letter of support has been received. Sincerely, Betay Fruedieg Betsy Friedberg National Register Director Massachusetts Historical Commission enclosure Cc: Lawrence Brady, Western Hampden Historical Society Michele Plourde-Barker, consultant Richard K.

Sullivan, Jr., Mayor, City of Westfield Mildred Zombick, Westfield Historical Commission Westfield Planning Board 220 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, Massachusetts 02125 (617) 727-8470 - Fax: (617) 727-5128 www.state.ma.us/sec/mhc Author: Date: Normal Patrick Andrus at NP-WASO-NRHE 7/24/01 8:33 AM TO: betsy.friedberg@sec.state.ma.us at NP--INTERNETSubject: Re: Joseph Dewey House----- - -- Message Contents Betsy: I am reviewing the Joseph Dewey House in Westfield and I think that the Period of Significance needs to be amended to reflect the Areas of Significance. Period is defined as 1735-1951; Areas are Architecture and Social History and Settlement. Significance says its important for its association with the Dewey family. I think the Period of Significance should end with the date the Dewey family was no longer associated with the building - 1848 (Section 8, p. 10).

This period would cover architecture for original construction and 19th century changes and include the Dewey family association. Is this ok? Patrick