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147/ NPS Form 10-900 (Rev. 10-90) RECEIVED 2280 OMB No. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NAT. DEC - 9 2003 VCS 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 Winthrop Parkway, Metropolitan Parkway System of Greater Boston other names/site number Same 2. Location street & number Winthrop Parkway -not for publication city or town Revere vicinity state. Massachusetts code MA county Suffolk County code 02151 zip code 3. State/Federal Agency Certification As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1986, as amended, I hereby certify that this Elnomination - request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of Historic Places and meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60. In my opinion, the property meets does not meet the National Register Criteria.
I recommend that this property be considered significant L nationally statewide - locally. (- See continuation sheet for additional comments.) betsx treduere, National Kegcore Nerectos 12/2/03 Signatureiof certifying official/Title Cara H. Metz, Executive Director Massachusetts Historical Commission, State Historic Preservation Officer State or Federal agency and bureau In my opinion, the property meets does not meet the National Register criteria. (O See continuation sheet for additional Comments.) Signature of certifying official/Title Date State or Federal agency and bureau 4. National Park Service Certification 1, hereby certify that this property is: Mentered 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): VeVãm . Beall ü7ot Winthrop Parkway Name of Property 5. Classification Ownership of Property (Check as many boxes as apply) - private _ public-local xpublic-State - public-Federal (Check only one box) - building(s) x district _ site - structure _ object Name of related multiple property listing (Enter "N/A" if property is not part of a multiple property listing.) Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston 6. Function or Use Historic Functions (Enter categories from instructions) RECREATION/CULTURE - outdoor recreation LANDSCAPE - park, natural feature IRANSPORTATION - road related Z.
Description Architectural Classification (Enter categories from instructions) N/A Narrative Description See Section 7 Continuation Sheet Suffolk County, Massachusetts County and State Number of Resources within Property (Do not include previously listed resources in the count.) Contributing Noncontributing 3 0 building _sites _ structures _ objects - Total 2 0 Number of contributing resources previously listed in the National Register None Current Functions (Enter categories from instructions) RECREATION/CULTURE - outdoor recreation LANDSCAPE - park, natural feature IRANSPORTATION - road related Materials (Enter categories from instructions) foundationN/A walls N/A roof N/A other asphalt, concrete, granite, plantings NPS Form 1 10-900-8 (8-86) OMB Approval No.
1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Winthrop Parkway Revere (Suffolk), MA Metropolitan Parkway System of Greater Boston MPS Section number 7 Page_ 1 DESCRIPTION Winthrop Parkway, located along the north shore of Massachusetts Bay in the city of Revere, Massachusetts, is one of eight ocean parkways in Boston's Metropolitan Park System. Like all of the ocean parkways under the aegis of the former Metropolitan District Commission (MDC), the adjacent beach and ocean views have an integral connection with the parkway and are the primary reason for its existence.
(In July 2003, the MDC was reorganized as the Division of Urban Parks and Recreation within the newly created Department of Conservation and Recreation [DCR].) The waters of Massachusetts Bay dominate the views to the east/northeast, while Belle Isle Marsh, the last saltmarsh in Boston, is visible to the west/southwest. Winthrop Parkway, approximately three-quarters of a mile in length, is broken into two segments for the purposes of this nomination: a connecting segment and a shoreline segment. Winthrop Parkway's northwestern terminus is located just south of Eliot Circle in Revere, and its southeastern terminus is at the Winthrop/Revere line, afterwhich the road becomes Revere Street-Crest Avenue. The road is discussed, from north to south, in two segments.
Winthrop Parkway, Segment One - Eliot Circle to Leverett Avenue The northwestern terminus of Winthrop Parkway, Segment One (#1 on the data sheet), is located just south of Eliot Circle, atraffic rotary where Revere Beach Parkway, Bennington Street-State Road, Revere Beach Boulevard, and Winthrop Parkway all converge. The southern terminus of the segment is located at the intersection of the parkway and Leverett Avenue. This connecting segment, which is less than one half mile in length, travels through the Beachmont residential neighborhood that consists primarily of one- to two-story, mid- to late-twentieth century wood-frame and brick residences. Houses stand at a consistent setback of about 25 feet from the outer edge of the roadway.
Broad Sound Avenue, a looping, primary road through the residential neighborhood on the eastern side of the parkway, intersects the segment attwo points: at its northern end, Broad Sound Avenue intersects approximately 500 feet from Eliot Circle; and at its southern end, less than 200 feet north of the Leverett Avenue intersection. Two DCR-owned pocket parks are also located along this stretch of roadway. The first; located at the northern intersection of Broad Sound Avenue and Winthrop Parkway, is triangular in shape and features turf with mature trees, ornamental shrubs, flowerbeds, benches, and cobra-head lighting. The other, Leverett Avenue Park, is located at the intersection of Leverett Avenue and Winthrop Parkway just before the roadway begins to leave the Beachmont neighborhood and parallel the shore.
This park gently slopes with the topography at Leverett Avenue and features ornamental fruit trees and shrubs, flowerbeds, cobra- head lighting, and a late 20" century wood-frame pavilion with two wooden picnic tables. (continued) NPS Form 110-900-2 (8-86) OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Winthrop Parkway Revere (Suffolk), MA Metropolitan Parkway System of Greater Boston MPS Section number 7 Page_2 The parkway alignment, which runs southeasterly in this connecting segment, is gently curving and level. Two 14-foot-wide lanes travel one in each direction with no median in between. Informal parking is permitted intermittently along the southbound lane. The curbs are vertical granite, and there are curb cuts associated with most of the residences.
Sidewalks,typically bituminous concrete and four to six feet wide, line both sides of Segment One for most of its length. Narrow turf strips with intermittent deciduous trees line the outer edges of the parkway in most places along this segment. Occasionally, particularly in front of the parks, the planting strip is eliminated and the sidewalk abuts the curb of the road directly. The overall feel of this segment is that of a pleasant, tree-lined, residential road. Views are consistently along the corridor itself, with no long-distance views. The boundary in this area is visually defined by the trees and sidewalks and corresponds to the backs of the sidewalks or ten feet on either side of the roadway.
Winthrop Avenue, Segment Two - Leverett Avenue to the Revere/Winthrop line Leverett Avenue marks the transition to Winthrop Parkway, Segment Two (#2 on the data sheet), and there is a dramatic change in character between this segment, which is that of an ocean parkway, and the first segment described above. Segment Two, just under a quarter mile in length, travels adjacent to the shore and is separated from the beach area by only a sidewalk and a seawall. Near-distance views to the east, limited in certain sections by the four-foot height of the seawall, are of the rocky shore, Short Beach (straddling the Revere/Winthrop line), and several stone jetties extending into the ocean. In the medium distance are dramatic views of Nahant and Little Nahant to the northeast, the high-rise apartments of Revere Beach to the north, and Winthrop Highlands to the southeast.
Far-distance views are of Massachusetts Bay. Views to the west are along the corridor near the northern end of Segment Two. At the southern end of the segment, near-distance views are of Winthrop Avenue, Belle Island Reservation, and Belle Island Inlet. Medium-distance views are limited to Logan Airport. The Boston skyline can be seen in the far distance. For Segment Two, the west, or inland, side is discussed first, followed by the east, or ocean, side. On the inland side of the road, particularly near the northern end of this segment, there are pockets of late nineteenth and early to late-twentieth century residences. Houses in this segment are typically larger than in Segment One and are two to four stories in height.
Most are set about 10 feet above the road and are separated by a retaining wall from the roadway, which consists of two 14-foot-wide lanes that travel in either direction with no median. There are no sidewalks or curbs along the west side of the roadway in Segment Two, with only one exception, near the northernmost point of the segment, where the setback and retaining wall have been entirely eliminated and several houses are set immediately at the road; here, the houses are buffered from the southbound lanes by a granite curb. Residential development ceases (continued) NPS Form 1 10-900-8 (8-86) OMB Approval No.
1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Winthrop Parkway Revere (Suffolk), MA Metropolitan Parkway System of Greater Boston MPS Section number Page 3 along the west side of the roadway as it approaches Belle Island Reservation near the southern terminus of the parkway. At this point, views to the west open up beyond the corridor itself to Belle Island, the Belle Island Inlet, Logan Airport, and the Boston skyline. On the ocean side of the shoreline segment, Winthrop Parkway is bordered by a granite curb, sidewalk, and concrete retaining wall. Both the retaining wall and sidewalk are set upon a concrete seawall. The retaining wall varies in height from approximately six feet near the northern end to four feet along the remainder of the parkway.
The sidewalk is generally six feet in width, but it widens at certain points where there are lookouts toward the shore and beyond. Periodic breaks in the seawall provide access to the beach via stairs. This configuration is consistent along the entire length of the east side of Segment Two. Views looking northeast from the ocean side of the road include the adjacent shore at Short Beach as well as medium-distance views of the Beachmont neighborhood and Rocky Beach (Revere). Facing southeast, views include Short Beach, Winthrop Highlands, and long-distance views of Massachusetts Bay. Also part of the Winthrop Parkway nomination are the Winthrop Parkway Tide Gates (#3 on the data sheet), located on either side of the parkway near Leverett Avenue. These gates control the flow of water coming from Belle Isle Inlet and its outlet, Short Beach Creek.
Several houses are built atop this structure along the west side of the road. While it is not known exactly what year the gates were added to the parkway, this feature shows on MPC plans as early as 1946 and is, therefore, considered a contributing element of this nomination. Archaeological Description While no ancient Native American sites have been identified within the boundaries of the Winthrop Parkway, sites may be present. One site is recorded in the general area (within one mile), a site density that is likely the result of underreporting for this region. Early historic settlement dating from the 17* century and 19t* century residential development may have reduced the potential for late 19t and 20t* century collector activity in this area. Environmental characteristics indicate a high potential for the presence of ancient Native American sites in the Winthrop Parkway locale.
The parkway corridor intersects several well-drained, level to moderately sloping terraces and other shoreline areas along its route.The entire parkway lies within 1000 feet of Broad Sound, part of Massachusetts Bay. Environmental characteristics and historic sources also indicates a high potential for the presence of historical archaeological sites on the vicinity of the parkway corridor. First Period settlement and coastal development, (continued) NPS Form 1 10-900-8 (8-86) OMB Approval No.
1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Winthrop Parkway Revere (Suffolk), MA Metropolitan Parkway System of Greater Boston MPS Section number Page 4 particularly during the 19" and 20"-centuries, indicates the potential for locating 17" through 20**-century domestic, agricultural, industrial and commercial sites throughout the area. In spite of the high potential for the presence of both ancient Native American and historical archaeological sites along the parkway route, the potential for the recovery of intact and significant archaeological resources, both ancient Native American and historic within the nominated parkway area is low.
Construction of the four-lane parkway corridor in the early 20h century would have had an adverse effect on any archaeological resources that may have been located in the right-of-way. Grading, paving and construction of sidewalks, curbs, planting strips, utilities, and tide gates, where they exist would have destroyed archaeological resources within the nominated parkway area. Fragmented portions of archaeological sites including deeply buried artifact concentrations and truncated features may survive within the right-of-way; however, it is doubtful NR eligible sites survive. Known sites that existed within or extended into the parkway right-of-way have been essentially destroyed. GNOG81 (end) Winthrop Parkway Name of Property 8. Statement of Significance