Nomination for Fowler House

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

Z Form 10-300 (Rev.

6-72) JNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM PH0O15601 ESTATE: Massachusetts COUNTY: Essex FORNPS USE ONLY ENTRY DATE (Type all entries:, complete applicable sections) SEP 17 1974- NAME COMMON: The Fowler House AND/OR HISTORIC: same LOCATION STREET AND NUMBER: 166 High Street CITY OR TOWN: Danvers (Danversport} STATE Massachusetts CLASSIFICATION CATEGORY (Check One) District Site Building Structure CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT: 6th CODE COUNTY: 025 Essex CODE 009 OWNERSHIP ~- STATUS Object Public Private Both Public Acquisition: - In Process Being Considered Occupied Unoccupied * Preservation work in progresr ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC Yes: Restricted Unrestricted No PRESENT USE (Check One or More as Appropriate) Agricultural Government Commercial Industrial Educational Military Entertainment Museum Park Private Residence Religious Scientific Transportation - Other (Specify) - Comments OWNER OF PROPERTY OWNER'S NAME: The Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities STREET AND NUMBER: 141 Cambridge Street CITY OR TOWN: STATE: Boston Massachusetts LOCATION OF LEGAL DESCRIPTION COURTHOUSE, REGISTRY OF DEEDS, ETC: Essex County Registry of Deeds, South District STREET AND NUMBER: Federal Street CITY OR TOWN: STATE Salem CODE 025 Massachusetts Essex Massachusetts 17 CODE 025 6.

REPRESENTATION IN EXISTING SURVEYS TITLE OF SURVEY: Inventory of Historic Assets of the Commonwealth DATE OF SURVEY: 1974 - Federal 8 State DEPOSITORY FOR SURVEY RECORDS: RECEIVED T CONNY 19 197Eocal Massachusetts Historical Conmission STREET AND NUMBER: NATIONAL REGISTER 40 Beacon Street CITY OR TOWN: SEP 1 7 1974 ISTATE: CODE 025 Boston Massachusetts STATE- COUNTY: ENTRY NUMBER DATE FOR NPS USE ONLY 7 DESCRIPTION (Check One) Deteriorated CONDITION Excellent X Good (Check One) Fair Ruins - Unexposed (Check One) X Altered - Unaltered Moved Original Site DESCRIBE THEPRESENT ANDORIGINAL (if known) PHYSICAL APPEARANCE The four-square brick Fowler House, built in 1810, is located on a 14 acre lot bounding on the intersection of High Street and Route 35 in Danversport. The area is high-density residential and the intersection is busy. A truck- stop cafeteria and 19th c.

church are on corners adjacent to the Fowler House; a house stands on the opposite corner. The southwest side of the lot, bounding on Route 35, is outlined partially by a wooden spail fence, and partially by a black iron spail fence directly in front of the house. No fence separates the lot from High Street on the southeast, although a wooden split rail fence runs along the north- east bound, and a wooden picket fence separates the lot from the neighboring house to the northwest. Samue1 Fowler, Jr. purchased his house in 1799, in the part of Danvers then known /as New Mills. In 1810 he contracted with Stephen Whipple and Levi reston to have the house built, measuring 44' long and 40' wide. The ten room house was to be of brick and was to have four outer doors. The hip roof was to rise to a flat top, measuring 10'x14'.

Many of the rooms were to have interior folding shutters with window seats, or just window seats. The contract was dated Jan.31,1810, and the 13 member Fowler household moved in on Oct. 29 of the same year. The Fowler House today is not significantly different from the specifications in whipple and Preston's contract. It had remained in the posession of the Fowler family until 1912, when ownership was transferred to William Sumner Appleton, founder of SPNEA.

At that time, Sarah Fowler noted that the house had "never been altered or changed, several of the rooms have original wall- paper, handcarved fireplaces, wainscotting and other carvings." Since the has been in SPNEA's ownership, necessary repairs have been made to the house, a modern hood over the Liberty Street entrance has been removed, and the later additions of wooden sheds and outbuildings forming the ell have M IN The southwest facade and the two side elevations of the two story house all have five bays and regular fenestration of 6/6 windows, which have plain surrounds. to these elevations are all centrally placed and have wooden door shutters. The facade entrance is ornamented with a 7-pane fanlight and 4-pane sidelights; the southeast and northwest doors are ornamented with 5-pane fanlights.

RECÊNED JUN 1 9 1S74 NATIONAL REGIC Form 10-300a (July 1969) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM STATE Massachusetts cOUNTÉssex FOR NPS USE ONLY ENTRY NUMBER DATE (Continuation Sheet) (Number all entries) Ihe Fowler House, Danversport, Nassa2nusetts 7. Physical Description (Cont'd) -2- There are four windows on the first story of each elevation, and five on the second. The shingled hip roof is truncated as specified in the 1810 contract; a widow's walk is located on the top. There are four end chimneys; one each to the south of center on the southeast and northwest rooi planes, and two regulariy placed on the northeast roof plane. The foundation is granite. smaller, two-story, two-bay brick ell, probably dating to the nineteenth century, is attached to the back, northeast elevation of the house.

fenestration It has a flat roof, and end chimney, and its of (6/6) and (3/6) windows is regular. Yet another two-story addition, probably twentieth century, with a north- east-southwest ridge roof, and irregularly placed (6/6) windows is appended to the northeast elevation of the brick ell. The exterior of this addition is both clapboarded and shinglea. RECÊIVED JUN 1 9 1974 NATIONAL REGISTER LIITE GPO 921.724 F W 8. SIGNIFICANCE PERIOD (Check One or More as Appropriate) Pre-Columbian!

15th Century - 16th Century 17th Century - 18th Century X] 19th Century 20th Century SPECIFIC DATE(S) (If Applicable and Known) 1810 AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE (Check One or More as Appropriate) Abor iginal Education Prehistoric Engineering Historic LX Industry Agriculture Invention Architecture Landscape Art Architecture Commerce Literature Communications Military Conservation Music Political Religion/Phi- losophy Science Sculpture Social/Human- itarian Theater Transportation Urban Planning Other (Specify) STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

Statement of significance

The Fowler House is architecturally significant since it has remained sub- stantially unaltéred since its construction in 1810, and it is a good example of Country Federal period architecture. The house served as the homestead for Samuel Fowler,Jr., an important commercial figure in Danvers during the first half of the 19th c. The civic involvements of Fowler and his children make the property an important one in local history and government. Documentation relating to the construction of the house, including Fowler's contract with Stephen Whipple and Levi Preston, the builders, as well as Fow- ler's own accounts, are included in the collection of Fowler's papers located at the Essex Institute. Original and unusual wallpapers exist in the house today, the prime example being the hand-blocked "Pompeian Medallion" design in the front hall.

Hand carving worthy of note includes egg-and-dart mouldings, scrolls, reeding, finger flufing, and spiral carvings in the first floor rooms. Some of the original Fowler family furnishings are on view at the house today; of note are family portraits and needlework examples. Samuel Fowler Jr. (1776-1854) began his commercial ventures in 1799, in that area of Danversport then known as New Mills, with the purchase of 1/36 part pI two corn mills, an old saw mill,and a dam. Bycke mht and Poied by 1821, he applied for insurance on his currier's shop, his grist mill, his bark mill and house, his large building for sawing marble, and his pulverizing mill. He was one of eight men who financed the construction of the Liberty Bridge across Porter's River. Fowler is also credited with the introduction of the tanning industry into this part of Danvers.

His account books and papers at the Essex Institute are an important source of information on the leather and mill businesses from the late 18th c. to about 1850. Fowler served as a private in the 1812 "alarm list" at Danvers New Mills, when the Frigate CONSTITUTION, driven into Marblehead by the English, was sighted by residents of New Mills. cont'd JUN 1 8 1974 NATIONAL REGISTER

The rest of the file

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

MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES 1. Collection of Samuel Fowler,Jr.'s papers at the Essex Institute. 2. "Essex Institute Historical Collections",Vol.IXVII, Jan.1931. 3. Stickney, The Fowler Family,Salem, 1883. 4. History of the Town of Danvers,J.W.Hanson, Danvers, 1848. 5. Tapley,Harriet, Chronicles of Danvers,Old Salem Village 1632-1923, Danvers Historical Society,1923.

10 GEOGRAPHICAL DATA LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE COORDINATES LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE COORDINATES DEFINING A RECTANGLE LOCATING THE PROPERTY DEFINING THE CENTER POINT OF A PROPERTY -OFLESS THAN TEN ACRES CORNER LATITUDE LONGITUDE LATITUDE LONGITUDE Degrees Minutes Seconds Degrees Minutes Seconds Degrees Minutes Seconds Degrees Minutes Seconds NW 42 NE 33 22° 70 ° 55' 29 " SE SW APPROXIMATE ACREAGE OF NOMINATED PROPERTY: ILIST ALL STATES AND COUNTIES FOR PROPERTIES OVERLAPPING STATE OR COUNTY BOUNDARIES STATE: CODE COUNTY CODE STATE: CODE COUNTY: STATE: CODE COUNTY: STATE: CODE COUNTY: RECEIVED JUN 1 9 1974 NATIONAL REGISTER CODE CODE CODE FORM PREPARED BY NAME AND TITLE: Fox Elizabeth Amadon, State Survey Director, By Barbara ChapiDATS SPNEA ORGANIZATION Massachusetts Historical Commission STREET AND NUMBER: 40 Beacon Street CITY OR TOWN: 5/7/74 STATE CODE Boston 617-727-847012 T2.

STATE LIAISON OFFICER CERTIFICATION Massachusetts NATIONAL REGISTER VERIFICATION 025 As the designated State Liaison Officer for the Na-" : tional Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Public Law 89-665), I hereby nominate this property for inclusion in the National Register and certify that it has been evaluated according to the c-iteria and procedures set forth by the National Park Service. The recommended level of significance of this nomination is: ational State Local I hereby certify that this property is included in the Nationa1 Register.

ARiuoiteusen Director, Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation Name Title Date ohat.XLanose norable John F.X.Davoren Secretary of the Commonwealth Chairman, Massachusetts Historical Commission 6/11|74 Date 9/1/74 ATTEST: Chackdtten ele-Keeper of The National Date 7 B-74 Fogister GPO 931-894 UTN) 19/341960 47/3 090 Form 10-300a (July 1969) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM sTA Massachusetts COUNTY Essex FOR NPS USE ONLY ENTRY NUMBER DATE (Continuation Sheet) SEP 17 1974 (Number all entries) The Fowler House, Danversport, Massachusetts 8. Significance (Cont'd) -2- He was also a captain of the Danvers Light Infantry. He served his community as Danvers Selectman from 1835 through 1840, and was twice its Representative to the General Court, in 1837 and in 1839.

Fowler's third eldest son, Henry, whose daughters, the Misses Sarah and Adelaide Fowler, were to offer the Fowler House to SPNEA, grew up in the house. In 1826, Henry Fowler set off with William Endicott and Leonard Poole, on an expedition to the Fiji Islands aboard the Ship GLIDE. They were shipwrecked on an island reportedly occupied by cannibals. Henry was the only one of the three who lived to tell the tale, and he arrived home in Danvers from his adventure in 1830. In 1838, he married Sally Putnam, the first white child to have been born at New Mills. Henry went on to serve as Danvers Selectman in 1844 and in 1845. and was on the committee which oversaw the division of Danvers into north and south portions in 1855. Fowler's fourth eldest son, Augustus, who also grew up in the Fowler House, acted as Danvers Selectman in 1855, in 1856, and in 1862.

16U17 RECÊIVED JUN 1 9 1974 NATIONAL REGISTER KELLIT EU GPO 921.724 PROPERIY The towler House WORKING NUMBER 6.19.74.984 TECH REVIEW PHOTOS / MAPS CONTROL REVIEW Nerear is nissing STATE Mass. Essey 74000367 Cm 6.14 72 ethersse OK HISTOR IAN #7 weak- #8."politica/" nof realk but Accept us. fuistified 8/5/74 what's a "spau ence? I called mind Asbo- she wch- L Spoketo Mr7 tyres (sp.), tuperiisa 2 properties on SPNEA-nevdo.

JCT 8/7/74 ARCHEOLOGIST REVIEW UNIT CHIEF Cols 9/12/74 BRANCH CHIEF KEEPER Zenago prllutigh 9.13.74 National Register Write-up October 24,1974 Federal Register entry 1/5/74 Send-back _ Re-submit_ Entered SEP 17 1974 INT: 1538-73 FORM 10-301 A (6/72) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES PROPERTY PHOTOGRAPH FORM (Type all entries - attach to or en close with photograph) AND/OR HISTORIC The Fowler House 1. NAME COMMON The Fowler House 2. LOCATION STATE Massachusetts STREET AND NUMBER 166 High Street 3. PHOTO REFERENCE PHOTO CREDIT SPNEA 4. IDENTIFICATION DESCRIBE VIEW, DIRECTION, ETC. Southwest facade NUMERIC CODE (Assigned by COUNTY Essex TOWN Salem DATE 1935 NEGATIVE FILED AT SPNEA 8 RECEIVED JUN 1 9 1974 NATIONA!

REGIST PROPERTY OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER H-1471B Form 10-301 (July 1968) UNI TED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES PROPERTY MAP FORM (Type all entries - attach to or enclose with map) AND/OR HISTORIC same 1. NAME COMMON The Fowler House 2. LOCATION STATE Massachusetts STREET AND NUMBER 166 High Street 3. MAP REFERENCE SOURCE U.S.G.S. Salem,Mass. COUNTY Essex DATE 1970 REQUIREMENTS: PROPERTY BOUNDARIES, WHERE REQUIRED, AND NORTH ARROW. NUMERIC CODE (Aeeigned by NPS) SEP 17 1974 TOWN Danvers TSCALE 1:24,000 BLIOI1Z RECEiVED JUN 1 91974 NATIONAL REGISTER Ofi GPO 932:010 ENTRIES IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER STATE Date Entered MASSACHUSETTS SEP 17 1974 Name Location The Towler House Danvers Danversport), Essex County Also Notified Hon. Edward M. Kennedy Hon. Edward W. Brooke Hon. Michael J.

Harrington Regional Director, North Atlantic Region MMott/row 9/20/74 State Historic Preservation Offtcer Hon. John F. X. Davoren Secretary of the Conmonvealth Chairman, Massachusetts Historical Coumission 40 Beacon Street Boston, Massachusetts 02108