Nomination for Bellingham-Cary House

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

PH0026875_ Form 10-300 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR (Rev. 6-72) NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Massachusetts COUNTY: Suffolk NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM n 19 FOR NPS USE ONLY ENTRY DATE (Type all entries - complete applicable sections) SEP 6.

1974 NAME COMMON: The Gev.Bellingham-Cary House AND/ OR HISTORIC: same LOCATION STREET AND NUMBER: 34 Parker Street CITY OR TOWN: -Chelsea STATE Massachusetts CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT: 7th N4695730 CODE COUNTY: 025 Suffolk CODE 025 CLASSIFICATION CATEGORY (Check One) District Site OWNERSHIP Building Structure Object Public Private Both Public Acquisition: - In Process Being Considered ACCESSIBLE STATUS TO THE PUBLIC Occupied Yes: Unoccupied E Restricted - Preservation work - Unrestricted in progress No PRESENT USE (Check One or More as Appropriate) L Agricultural Government Commercial Industrial Educational Military Entertainment Museum Park Private Residence Religious Scientific L Transportation - Other (Specity) 5.- Comments RECÊNED JUNT OWNER OF PROPERTY OWNER'S NAME: Gov.Bellingham-Cary House Association STREET AND NUMBER: 34 Parker Street CITY OR TOWN: ,CheIsea LOCATION OF LEGAL DESCRIPTION COURTHOUSE, REGISTRY OF DEEDS, ETC: Suffolk County Registry of Deeds STREET AND NUMBER: ourt Street CITY OR TOWN: Boston se NATIONAL REGISTER STATE: Massachusetts CODE 025 Massachusetts Suffolk STATE- COUNTY: STATE Massachusetts CODE 025 REPRESENTATION IN EXISTING SURVEYS TITLE OF SURVEY: Inventory of Historic Assets of the Commonwealth DA TE OF SURVEY: 1967 Federal X State DEPOSITORY FOR SURVEY RECORDS: Massachusetts Historical Commission STREET AND NUMBER: 40 Beacon Street CITY OR TOWN: Boston County Local SEP 6 1974 ENTRY NUMBER FOR NPS USE ONLY STATE: Massachusetts CODE 025 DATE DESCRIPTION (Check One) Deteriorated Excellent CONDITION F Good_ - Fair (Check One) Ruins Unexposed X Altered Unaltered DESCRIBE THEPRESENT AND ORIGINAL (if known) PHYSICAL APPEARANCE Moved (Check One) riginal Site The Gov.Bellingham-Cary House is situated onca small hill behind a wide expanse of lawn,amidst large maple and oak trees in 'a residential area of Chelsea.

The 1791 mansion incorporated tworearlier sections.: In its northwest corner is the original 1659 hunting lodge of Gov.Bellingham, now called the "old kitchen"; and adjacent to that is the southwest parlor and two rooms above, dating from the mid-18th c. The house as seen today is a large 24 story clapboard Federal with a hip roof and two interior end chimneys. There are two pedimented dormers on both the east and west elevations and three on the south facade. The house is five ays wide and three with a 1908 2-story hip roof ell projecting from the center rear elevation, A Doric pedimented entrance accents the facade center and contains the original late 18th c. door. All window sash are 6/6. The house plan is that of a double stairway dividing 8 rooms. There are 10 original fireplaces in the house and an Indian escape passage runs from the northwest bedroom to the cellar.

The interior of the house retains its origi- nal elaborate panelling and mouldings. 5) JUN RECÊiVED 1 9 19% NATIONAL REGISTER TT6. M6z3ALeS 603 ESO 8S3s 0de209 a 000 20 0 3209 770 1 0I2 = LOTE 3.1 SIGNIFICANCE PERIOD (Check One or More as Appropriate) Pre-Columbian! 15th Century 16th Century 17th Century 18th Century 19th Century 1659,c.1750, and 1791 20th Century SPECIFIC DATE(S) (If Applicable and Known) AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE (Check One or More as Appropriate) Abor iginal Education Prehistoric Engineering Historic Industry Agriculture Invention Architecture Landscape Art Architecture Commerce Literature Communications Military Conservation Music Political Religion/Phi- losophy Science Sculpture Social/Human- itarian Theater U Transportation Urban Planning Other (Specify) STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

Statement of significance

The Gov. Bellingham-Cary House,1659, is the only existing house built (in part) by one of the founders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. It is also the only remaining historically significant . 17th-18th c. structure in Chelsea. The original part of the building, known as the "old kitchen", was built by Gov.Bel1ingham in 1659 as a hunting lodge. Richard Bellingham came from Boston,England to Boston,Massachusetts in 1634 and served as Governor in 1651,54, and 65. Amongst his properties were a town house in Boston, a summer home in Charlestown, and the hunting lodge in Chelsea. In 1650 Gov. Bellingham divided his 365 acre property in Chelsea into four farms, named after their tenants, one of which was the Cary Farm. Gov.Bellingham died in 1672 and left the property to his son Samuel. Gov.Bellingham was buried in the Granary Burying Ground (on the National Register).

Samuel Bellingham left the property to his wife,Mrs.Elizabeth Savage, who left it to her sister,Mrs.Rebecca Watts, who left it to her daughter-in-law, Ann Antram Watts. At Ann Watts' death, the property passed to her daughter, who was married to in 1741. In the 1750's the Carys added the west parlor and the two rooms upstairs-to the house. In 1763 the property was bequethed to the Cary sons, Samuel, Thomas, and Jonathan. Samuel bought the shares from his brothers. tortnd Cary had prosperous plantations in Granada, West Indies, and came back Cary House bringing his plantation ideas. In 1772 he married Sarah Gray and they made the Cary House their home. In 1791 Samuel spent $12,000 making the small home into an elaborate mansion, with a stately staircase and elaborate panelling brought over from England.

The property was extens- ively landscaped and it became the showplace of the area. It was called "The Retreat" and high society from miles around visited Planter Cary. After Samuel Cary's death in 1812 and that of his wife in 1825, their two daughters sold most of the property to the Cary Improvement Society in 1825. It was bought by the Gov.Bellingham-Cary House Assoc. in 1908, and is still ownedby that association. 151 16 JUN 19 VED 1974 REGIS- NATIONAI

The rest of the file

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

MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES 1. Chamberlain,Mellen, History of Chelsea 1624-1824, Cambridge, 1908. 2. Pratt,Walter M., Seven Generations, 1930. 3. Cary,Seth C., John Cary,The Plymouth Pilgrim, Cincinnati, 1911. GEOGRAPHICAL DATA LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE COORDINATES LATITUDE AND LONGITJDE COORDINATES DEFINING A RECTANGLE LOCATING THE PROPERTY DEFINING THE CENTER POIN| OF A PROPERTY OF LESS THAN TEN ACRES CORNER LATITUDE LONGITUDE LATITUDE LONGITUDE Degrees Minutes Seconds Degrees Minutes Seconds Degrees Minutes Seconds Degrees Minutes Seconds NW NE 42° 23 71° 01 ' *46 SE SW APPROXIMA TE ACREAGE OF NOMINATED PROPERTY: C.

1 & 1/8 acres ILIST ALL STATES AND COUNTIES FOR PROPERTIES OVERLAPPING STATE OR COUNTY BOUNDARIES STATE: CODE COUNTY CODE RECÊVEN STATE: CODE COUNTY: CODE STATE: CODE COUNTY: JUN 1 9 1974 NATIONAL REGISTER CODE STATE: CODE COUNTY: CODE FORM PREPARED BY NAME AND TITLE: For Elizabeth Amadon,State Survey Director, By Mindy Arbo,N.R.Editor ORGANIZATION 1/8/74 Massachusetts Historical Commission STREET AND NUMBER: 40 Beacon Street CITY OR TOWN: Boston 617-727-8470 STATE LIAISON OFFICER CERTIFICATION STATE Massachusetts 02108 NATIONAL REGISTER VERIFICATION CODE 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: National State Local I hereby certify that this property is included in the Nationa1 Register. Akmorlausen piector, olice o1 apolg14l and Historic Preservation Name etil.n Honorable John F.X.Davoren Secretary of the Commonwealth Title Chairman,Massachusetts Historical Commission Date 5|23/74 Date ATTEST: Date exeni ~Keeper of The National Registe 5.6.74 * U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1973-729-147/1442 3-1 M povun tke Yove. Bachinghan - Cary Naue sTE Maseshusetts WORKING NUMBER 6.19.74.981 TECH REVIEW PHOTOS / MAPS Sufialk 74000908 CONTROL REVIEW 6,20 HISTORIAN ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIAN Is old kitchen "section visible fiom exterior? ACCEPT. 8/5/74 ARCHEOLOGIST sig. in cerchitechure is weak, tout otherusse ok. 9.

87/74 REVIEW UNIT CHIEF BRANCH CHIEF KEEPER Dicyt far Mutrah 5.674 National Register Write-up Federal Register entry Onta9 J9n4 11/5/74 Send-back Re-submit Entered SEP 6 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 same 1. NAME COMMON Gov.Bellingham-Cary House 2. LOCATION STATE Massachusetts STREET AND NUMBER 34 Parker Street 3. PHOTO REFERENCE PHOTO CREDIT William Owens 4. IDENTIFICATION DESCRIBE VIEW, DIRECTION, ETC. Southeast corner of the facade NUMERIC CODE (Assigned by NPS) COUNTY Suffolk TOWN Chelsea DATE 1973 TNEGATIVE FILED AT photograp her #1of1 PROPERTY OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER TiOL RECÊiVED JUN 1 9 1974 NATIONAL REGISTE Uii GPO WILLIAM W. OWENS, JR. 5 WEST HILL PLACE BOSTON, MASS.

02114 Form No. 10-301 Rev. 7-72 UNITED 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) STATE Massachusetss COUNTY Suffolk FOR NPS USE ONLY ENTRY NUMBER SEP 6 1974 DATE NAME ICOMMON: Gov .Bellingham-Cary House AND/OR HISTORIC: Same LOCATION STREET AND NUM BER: 34 Parker Street CITY OR TOWN: Chelsea STATE: Massachusetts MAP REFERENCE SOURCE: U.S.G.S. Boston North,Mass. SCALE: I: 24,000 DATE: 1956 REQUIREMENTS TO BE INCLUDED ON ALL MAPS 1. Property broundaries where required. 2. North arrow. 3. Latitude and longitude reference.

CODE 025 COUNTY: Suffolk CODE 025 SIOLS RECEIVED NATIONAL REGISTER 110, INT: 155-72 ENTRIES IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER STATE MASSACHUSETTS Date Entered SEP 6 1974 Name Location Adans Academy AbbotHall Parson-Barnard House Wayland Center Historic District ThenGov. Bellingham-Cary House Spofford-Baznes House Quincy Nozfolk County Marbichead Essex County North Andover Essez County Wayland Middlesex County Chelsea Suffolk County Bozford Essex County Also Notified Hon. Edward M. Kennedy Hon. Edward W.5rooke Hon. James A. Eurke Ion. Michael J. Iarrington Hon. Robert F. Drinan Hon. Torbert H. MacDonald State Historic Preservation Officer Ilon. John E. X. Davoren Secretary of the Cormonwealth Chaiznan, Nassachusetts Iistorical Conmission 40 Beacon Street Boston, Massachusetts 02108 Regional Director, North Atlantic Region PR MMott 9/10/74