Nomination for Gedney and Cox Houses

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

F - Form 10-300 (Rev. 6-72) PH002684/ 0B -74000 389 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR STATE: NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Massachusetts COUNTY: Essex NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM FOR NPS USE ONLY ENTRY DATE (Type all entries complete applicable sections) OCT1 1974 NAME COMMON: The Gedney and Cox Houses AND/ OR HISTORIC: same LOCATION STREET AND NUMBER: 19 and 21 High Street CITY OR TOWN: Salem STATE OIIZI RELENED CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT NATIONAL JUN 1 21974 REGISTER Massachusetts CODE COUNTY: 025 Essex CODE 009 3. CLASSIFICATION CATEGORY (Check One) District Site OWNERSHIP STATUS Buildings Structure Object Public Private Both Public Acquisition: In Process Being Considered Occupied Unoccupied X] Preservation work in progres?

ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC Yes: Restricted Unrestricted No PRESENT USE (Check One or More as Appropriate) Agricultural Government Commercial ) Industrial Educational Military Entertainment X 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 NÜMBER: 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 Massachusetts CODE 025 CODE 025 REPRESENTATION IN EXISTING SURVEYS TITLE OF SURVEY: Inventory of Historic Assets of the Commonwealth DATE OF SURVEY: 1974 Federal * State DEPOSITORY FOR SURVEY RECORDS: Massachusetts Historical Commission STREET AND NUMBER: 40 Beacon Street CITY OR TOWN: STATE: Boston County Local CODE Massachusetts 025 STATE Massachusetts COUNTY: Essex ENTRY NUMBER OCT1 1974 Zn19 N 4708860 FOR NPS USE ONLY HB 344080 DESCRIPTION CONDITION Excellent (Check One) Deteriorated * Good (Check One) [ Unexposed (Check One) * Original Site DESCRIBE THE PRESENT AND ORIGINAL (if known) PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Description of the property

The Gedney and Cox Houses sit on a quarter-acre lot in a high-density residen- tial area of Salem, just to the south of the city's main historic district. The north elevation of the Gedney House faces High Street, separated from it by a wooden picket fence. The Cox House is set farther back from the street; its facade faces north. The lot is bounded on the east by the wall of a neighboring house, on the southeast and south by a wire fence, and on the west by a hedge and stone retain ing wall. The bounds of the house lot are the same as those of the house lot as originally purchased in 1664 by Eleazer Ged- ney. The older of the two houses is the Gedney House, the original portion of which was built by the Salem shipwright, Eleazer Gedney, c.1665, a date confirmed by tree-ring analysis.

The frame of this house has been stripped of most of its original and later trim, and in this form it has been preserved by the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities (SPNEA) for study purposes. The evidence thus exposed clearly indicates that the house, as originally constructed, consisted of two rooms on the graund floor with a central chimney._ To the left of the chimney, the house was 2% stories high and covered with a north-south ridge roof from which a gable dormer projected on the east facade Z un To the right of the chimney, however, a lean-to roof, at right angles to the gable roof, covered a 1-story high room. Furthermore, there is evidence that the house contained some kind of rear lean-to construction.

(All the rooms in this original house are mentioned in Eleazer Gedney's 1683 estate inventory.) C.1700, the room at the right was raised to a full 2% stories, creating the roof slope as seen from the street today, and the rear roof slope as it can be seen from the attic. The facade gable dormer was probably removed at this time. C.1800, whatever had existed at the rear of the house was shorn away, and a full 2-story lean-to was built across the whole west rear of the house with separate stairs and a separate chimney. UCTION Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries there were the usual changes of trim, but the final alteration of the house is noteworthy because it has gaven the house its present form. In the early 1960's, the property was purchased for investment purposes and the builder, as noted earlier, tore out most of the original and later trim in the Gedney House.

He also removed all of the brickwork of the second chimney except for its frontwall, and it was in this form that SPNEA acquired the house. cont'd 16117 RECÊÎVED JUN 1 9 1974 NATIONAL REGISTER Form 10-300a (July 1969) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM STATE Massachusetts COUNTY Essex FOR NPS USE ONLY ENTRY NUMBER (Continuation Sheet) 1974E OCTI (Number all entries) 7.DESCRIPTION Gedney and Cox Houses, Salem the house into overseer's quarters. Fireplaces were opened, revealing original The north facade has 3 bays with a central front entrance having a simple door casing. All of the windows are double-hung sash of 6/6 and are regularly placed on the facade. A brick chimney projects from the south plane of the asphalt shingled roof. The foundation is brick.

All elevations of the house are covered with red clapboards. T6117 RECENED JUN 1 9 1974 NATIONAL REGISTER Ori GP O 921.724 Form 10-300a (July 1969) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM (Continuation Sheet) Gedney and Cox Houses STATE Massachusetts COUNTY Essex FOR NPS USE ONLY ENTRY NUMBER OCT1 1974 DATE (Number all entries) 7.DESCRIPTION Today the Gedney House has a five-bay east facade; the front entrance has only a simple door casing- The fenestration of 6/9 and 6/6 windows is regular on the and on the back elevation, and is irregular on the side elevations. A ack entrance is located in the north half of that elevation. The peaked roof rises steeply on the east side, but reaches out obliquely to the west to cover the 18th c. addition, giving the house a salt-box profile.

A cemented brick inter- chimney projects from the west roof plane. The house sits on a brick founda- tion. Its facade and side elevations are covered with yellow clapboards and the back elevation with wooden shingles. The one-and-a-half story gambrel salt-box Cox House was built circa 1775, prob- ably by Benjamin Cox, to whom the ownership of the Gedney property has passed by this date. When SPNEA acquired it in 1967, along with the Gedney House, a back room was lengthened to make the house into overseer's quarters. Fireplaces were reopened, revealing original cranes and an oven. The north facade has three bays with a central front entrance having a simple door casing. All of the windows are 6/6 sash and are regularly placed only on the facade. A brick chimney projects from the south plane of the asphalt-shingled east-west gambrel roof. The foundation is also brick.

All elevations of the house are covered with red clapboards, this probably having been the original color of the house. 161|17 4, RECÊIVED AUG 1 5 1974 NATIONAL REGISTER GP0 921.724 how S07 Z

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

SIGNIFICANCE PERIOD (Check One or More as Appropriate) - Pre-Columbian! 15th Century 16th Century LX 17th Century 18th Century 19th Century 20th Century SPECIFIC DATE(S) (It Applicable and Known) C.1665, c1700, andc1800. AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE (Check One or More as Appropriate) Abor iginal Education Prehistoric Engineering Historic Agriculture Architecture Art Commerce Communications Conservation Invention Landscape Architecture Literature Military Music Political Religion/Phi. losophy Science Sculpture Social/Human- itarian Theater Transportation Urban Planning Other (Specify) Local history STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

Statement of significance

The earliest part of the Gedney House was constructed c.1665 and changes were made to it c.1700 and again,c.1800. It was, however, the final alteration to the house, madefin the early 1960's, which determined the major importance pue fran and the buszder tate tiutmobt or che today. At that time, the property was purchased for investment purposes and the builder tore out most of the original and later trim. Only che frame of the house remains and, according to Abbott Cummings, this fact has made the Gedney House the most important study house of 17th c. Massachusetts, civalled only by SPNEA's Boardman House in Saugus. This makes the house very important in the area of architectural study. The property is also significant in local history as the homestead of Eleazer Gedney, a prominent figure in 17th c. Salem. While the Cox House was con- structed later, c.

1775, after ownership of the property had left the Gedney family, it is anintggral part of the small house lot whose bounds are the same as those of the original lot which Gedney purchased in 1664. ortaimas be mio Eleazer Gedney (1642-1683) was the 6th child of John Gedney, who immigrated to Salem from Norwich County,England in 1637. The younger Gedney became a shipwright and in 1664, he purchased his house lot near the South River in Salem. There he constructed Gedney's Wharf and built the original part of the Gedney House structure. Gedney served as Salem juryman in 1670 and as grand juryman in 1675 and 1676. He was Clerk of the Market in 1667/68 and a Fence Surveyor for the North Field in 1678/79. He acted as Salem constable in 1671, the same year that he became Upon his death in 1683, his widow conveyed the house to their afest son, Bleazex, ix.

who occupied it with bis wite until about 1690. The property changed hands several times until - Benjamin Cox acquired it sometime before the American Revolution. It was apparently he who constructed the second house on the lot c.1775. Cox's heirs owned the property until 1874, after which time it passed through many owners until it was purchased by SPNEA in 1967. 5116) RECEIVED JUN 1 .9 1974 NATIONAL REGISTER

The rest of the file

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

MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES 1. 2. 3. Perley,Sidney, History of Salem,Mass., 1924. Essex County, South District, Registry of Deeds. Cummings, Abbott Lowell, Book manuscript on 17th c. architecture, in prep- aration, April 1974. Parth 0. GEOGRAPHICAL DATA LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE COORDINATES DEFINING A RECTANGLE LOCATING THE PROPERTY LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE COORDINATES DEFINING THE CENTER POINT OF A PROPERTY OF LESS THAN TEN ÁCRES CORNER LATITUDE Degrees Minutes Seconds LONGITUDE Degrees Minutes Seconds R LATITUDE LONGITUDE Degrees Minutes Seconds Degrees Minutes Seconds NW 42 ° 31' 06 * NE " 70 53- 53%" -Josalnos ast SE SW.

APPROXIMATE ACREAGE OF NOMINATED PROPERTY: less than 1 acre ILIST ALL STATES AND COUNTIES FOR PROPERTIES OVERLAPPING STATE OR COUNTY BOUNDARIES STATE: CODE COUNTY 5 CODE STATE: CODE COUNTY: STATE: CODE COUNTY: STATE: CODE COUNTY: RECENVED JUN 1 0 1974 NATIONAL REGISTER CODE ODE CODE FORMPREPARED BY TTT NAME AND TITLE: For Elizabeth Amadon, State Survey Director, By Barbara Chapinte SPNEA ORGANIZATION Massachusetts Historical Commission 11402 ola zan (ranieeds 5/7/74 TOcr9. STREET AND NUMBER: ina 40 Beacon Street CITY OR TOWN: STATE CODE 025 11 Boston 617-727-8470 T2.

STATE LIAISON OFFICER CÉRTIFICATION Massachusetts NATIONAL REGISTER VERIFICATION 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 Nationa1 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: Nationa1 State LocalaR Name Joh Iik Vannen Secretary of the Commonwealth TitleChairman,Massachusetts Historical Commission -0ss5 -29830=2 P9-2H I hereby certify that this property is included in the Nationa1 Register.

Akuarlense Director, Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation Date 10/i/74 ATTEST: Date 6/1174 Astun , Keeper of The National Begister Date 2.18.24 GPO 931-894 PROPERY he Gedney and Cof Heuse STAts Mass WORKING NUMBER 6. 19. 74.985 TECH REVIEW 2 PHOTOS MAPS Essex CONTROL REVIEW 6.19. 74 HsDEEN Hearry restoration ff epterion bothers me Accetuce 9/15/74 ARCHITBCTURAT, HISTORIAN I Apoke to Meady Arbo 8/7. Ahe uill sena nntimatim 2~ of means that there is no interion-it's all zme, leauring orly the shuctural frame visibll - JCT 5|7/74 ARCHEOLOGIST REVIEW UNIT CHIEF Acapo Coe 9|/2/74 BRANCH CHIEF KEEPER jn Heno - 9/8.74 National Register Write-up Federal Register entry October 29,74 "/5/74 Send-back - Re-submit_ Entered OCT1 1974 INT: 1538-73 Form No.

10-301a (7/72) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES PROPERTY PHOTOGRAPH FORM (Type all entries - attach to or enclose with photograph) STATE Massachusetts COUNTY Essex FOR NPS USE ONLY ENTRY NUM9534 DAT #/ 72 NAME COMMON: AND/OR HISTORIC: LOCA TION The Gedney and Cox Houses Same STREET AND NUMBER: 19 and 21 High Street CITY OR TOWN: Salem STATE: Massachusetts CODE COUNTY: 025 Essex RECÉiVED JUN 1 9 1974 NATIONAT REGISTE 10 PHOTO REFERENCE cor OC PHOTO CREDITSPNEA DATE OF PHOTO:April, 1974 NEGATIVE FILED AT: IDENTIFICATION SPNEA, 141 Cambridge Street. Boston. Massachusetts 02116 DESCRIBE VIEW, DIRECTION, ETC. of Cox House Looking southeast, and showing north facade and east elevati PROPERTY OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER * U.S.

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1973-729-152/ 1446 I| 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) 1. NAME COMMON AND/OR HISTORIC The Gedney and Cox Houses NUMERIC CODE (Assigned by NPS OCT1 same 6 2. LOCATION STATE Massachusetts STREET AND NUMBER 19& 21 High Street COUNTY Essex RECEIVED JUN I 9 1974 NATIONAL REGISTE TOWN Salem 3. PHOTO REFERENCE PHOTO CREDIT SPNEA DATE April, 1974 NEGATIVE FILED AT SPNEA 4. IDENTIFICATION DESCRIBE VIEW, DIRECTION, ETC. Looking southwest, and showing east facade and north elevation of Ge #2082 PROPERTY OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER GPO ENTRIES IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER STATE MASSACHUSETTS Date Entered Name Gedney and Cox Houses, The Location Salem Essex County Also Notified Hon. Edward M. Kennedy Hon.

Edward W. Brooke Hon. Michael J. Harrington Regional Director, North Atlantic Region MMott/cha State Historic Preservation Officer Hon. John F.X.

Davoren Secretary of the Commonwealth Chairman, Massachusetts Historical Commission 40 Beacon Street Boston, Massachusetts 02108 10/4/74 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION PROPERTY NAME: Gedney and Cox Houses MULTIPLE NAME: STATE & COUNTY: MASSACHUSETTS, Essex DATE RECEIVED: 4/28/11 DATE OF 16TH DAY: DATE OF WEEKLY LIST: DATE OF PENDING LIST: DATE OF 45TH DAY: 6/13/11 REFERENCE NUMBER: 74000389 NOMINATOR: STATE REASONS FOR REVIEW: APPEAL: N DATA PROBLEM: N LANDSCAPE: N LESS THAN 50 YEARS: N OTHER : N PDIL: N I PERIOD: N PROGRAM UNAPPROVED: REQUEST: N SAMPLE: N SLR DRAFT: N NATIONAL: N COMMENT WAIVER: N ACCEPT RETURN REJECT DATE ABSTRACT/ SUMMARY COMMENTS : Additional Documentation Approved t TELEPHONE DATE 6-13-11 Dtatory DOCUMENTATION see attached comments Y/N see attached SLR Y/N If a nomination is returned to the nominating authority, the nomination is no longer under consideration by the NPS.

NPS Form 10-900 (Rev. 10-90) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places 74000389 Continuation Sheet Gedney House (Gedney and Cox Houses HD) Salem (Essex), MA Section number _2009 supplemental information Page1 Re-evaluation of construction date due to dendrochronology As a result of the dendrochronology testing of Phase I and Phase II of Gedney House in November of 2001, the construction date of Phase I has now been identified as the middle of 1664, or possibly into 1665, and the date of Phase II as 1706. The research team consisted of Daniel Miles and Michael Worthington of the Oxford Dendrochronology Laboratory, England, with Anne Grady of the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities (SPNEA) acting as liaison. Their report, cited below, presented the following results and conclusions.

Eight timbers from the first phase were sampled including various studs, a rear girt from the rear (east) lean-to, a story post, and a chimney girt. The front story post and two studs matched one another and were dated to the spring of 1664. The rear girt in the ground-floor wall-framing of the east lean-to was felled in the winter of 1664/5. The other four timbers were not dated successfully. Five samples were taken from Phase II, the south end lean-to that later was raised to two full stories. The samples came from the front girt, two studs, the rear wall plate, and a principal rafter in the upstairs. Three of these timbers were dated individually but cross-matching among them was poor. The front girt was felled in the spring of 1703, a stud was felled in the winter of 1704/5, and the wall plate was felled during the winter of 1705/6.

The construction date of Phase Il is not as conclusive as Phase I, but construction was not commenced until 1706. The full results of the analysis are presented in: D. W. H. Miles, M. J. Worthington, and Anne Andrus Grady, Development of Standard Tree-Ring Chronologies for Dating Historic Structure in Eastern Massachusetts, Phase II, Massachusetts Historical Commission Survey and Planning Grant Completion Report, Interim Report 2002/6, Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities and Oxford Dendrochronology Laboratory, May 31, 2002. An abridged version of the report can be found on the website www.dendrochronology.com. The full report can be found at SPNEA, now known as Historic New England, and at the Massachusetts Historical Commission.

A note on dendrochronology dating In recent years tree-ring chronologies have been developed for eastern Massachusetts and adjacent regions, and a number of buildings or parts of buildings have been evaluated and given new construction dates due to tree-ring dating, or dendrochronology. The principle behind tree- ring dating is a simple one: the seasonal variations in climate produce variations in growth which are reflected in the varying width of the annual rings of the tree. The rings in timbers from historical houses are compared with previously dated ring sequences from old-growth trees and from timber from structures with well-established dates to allow precise dates to be ascribed to each ring. Computer comparisons quantify how good the match is between the two. A dendrochronologist then analyzes the results and establishes the date the tree was felled.

Some caution must be used in interpreting these dates to determine the construction date of a building. (continued) NPS Form 10-900 (Rev. 10-90) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Gedney House (Gedney and Cox Houses HD) Salem (Essex), MA Section number _2009 supplemental information Page 2 Sometimes timbers from the same construction phase of the same building have been felled one, two or more years apart. However, it was common practice to build timber-framed structures with green or unseasoned timber, and it is likely that construction was completed within twelve or eighteen months from the felling date. (end) SNIT BETO CHACHAE RECEIVED 2280 TER EIBEANTALD DRTEN APR 28 2011 NAT.

REGISTER C*HISTORIC PLÄCES NATIONAL PARK SERVICE The Commonwealth of Massachusetts April 19, 2011 William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth Massachusetts Historical Commission Mr. J. Paul Loether National Park Service National Register of Historic Places 1201Eye Street NW, 8" floor Washington, DC 20005 Dear Mr. Loether: Enclosed please find supplementary information for 34 properties previously listed on the National Register of Historic Places, reflecting recent scholarship regarding their dates of construction, based upon dendrochronological techniques.

These properties include: Boston (Suffolk County): James Blake House (NRIND, 5/1/74) Pierce House (NRIND, 4/26/74) Cambridge (Middlesex County): Cooper-Frost-Austin House (NRIND 9/22/72) Dedham (Norfolk County): Fairbanks House (NRIND, NHL, 10/15/66) Deerfield (Franklin County): All properties are located within the Old Deerfield Village HD (NRDIS, NHL 10/15/66) Allen House (MHC # 20) John Ashley House (MHC #31) Eldad Bardwell House (MHC #23) Bull-Williams House (MHC #47) Childs House (MHC #53) Frary House (MHC #13) Eliezer Hawks House (MHC #58) Hinsdell-Williams House (MHC # 24) Jonathan Hoit House (MHC #9) 220 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, Massachusetts 02125 (617) 727-8470 - Fax: (617) 727-5128 www.sec.state.ma.us/mhc Little Brown House (MHC #79) Moors House (MHC #39) Nims House (MHC #12) Russell House (MHC #49) Saxton House (MHC #48) Severance House (MHC #19) John Sheldon - Hawks House (MHC #32) Stebbins House (MHC # 36) John Williams House (MHC # 50) Essex (Essex County): Cogswell's Grant (NRIND 4/19/90) Gloucester (Essex County): White-Ellery House (NRIND, NRTRA 3/9/90) [First Period Buildings of Eastern MA, TRA] Ipswich (Essex County): Paine-Dodge House (NRIND, NRTRA, 3/9/90 First Period Buildings of Eastern MA, TRA Merchant-Choate House (NRDIS, NRMRA, 9/17/80) [High Street HD] Lexington (Middlesex County): Hancock - Clarke House (NRIND.

NHL, 7/17/71) Millville (Worcester County): Chestnut Hill Meeting House (NRIND 11/13/84) Newbury (Essex County): Tristram Coffin House (NRIND, NRDIS, 5/24/76) [Newbury HD] Salem (Essex County): Eleazer Gedney House (NRDIS, 10/1/74) [Gedney and Cox Houses HD] Pickering House (NRDIS 8/28/73) [Chestnut Street HD] Sandwich (Barnstable County): Wing Fort House (NRIND 6/3/76) Winthrop (Suffolk County): Deane Winthrop House (NRIND, NRTRA 3/9/90) [First Period Buildings of Eastern MA, TRA] Please add the enclosed continuation sheets to the existing National Register nomination files. Sincerely, Betsy twedkery Betsy Friedberg National Register Director Massachusetts Historical Commission Enclosures