Nomination for Fowle-Reed-Wyman House

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

Form No. 10-300 (Rev.

10-74) PH0100188 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF'THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE DATA SHEET FOR NPS USE ONLY NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY -- NOMINATION FORM RECEIVEO MAR 14 1975 DATE ENTERED SPR 11.008 SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN HOW TO COMPLETE NATIONAL REGISTER FORMS TYPE ALL ENTRIES -- COMPLETE APPLICABLE SECTIONS 1 NAME 2 3 4 5 HISTORIC Fowle-Reed-Wyman House U2e th AND/OR COMMON Belcher House (preferred) pusut owr LOCATION STREET & NUMBER 64 Old Mystic Street CITY, TOWN Arlington STATE Massachusetts CLASSIFICATION - VICINITY OF CODE 025 _NOT FOR PUBLICATION CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 8th CQUNTY Middlesex SOPF CATEGORY -DISTRICT X BUILDING(S) _STRUCTURE -SITE OBJECT OWNERSHIP -PUBLIC XPRIVATE _BOTH PUBLIC ACQUISITION -IN PROCESS BEING CONSIDERED STATUS XOCCUPIED _UNOCCUPIED -WORK IN PROGRESS ACCESSIBLE - YES: RESTRICTED XYES: UNRESTRICTED _NO PRESENT USE AGRICULTURE MUSEUM -COMMERCIAL _PARK _EDUCATIONAL X -PRIVATE RESIDENCE -ENTERTAINMENT -RELIGIOUS _GOVERNMENT -SCIENTIFIC _INDUSTRIAL -TRANSPORTATION _MILITARY -_OTHER: OWNER OF PROPERTY NAME Katherine E.

Belcher STREET & NUMBER 64 Old Mystic Street CITY. TOWN Arlington _ VICINITY OF LOCATION OF LEGAL DESCRIPTION STATE Massachusetts 02174 COURTHOUSE. REGISTRY OF DEEDS, ETC. Middlesex County Registry of Deeds STREET & NUMBER CITY,TOWN East Cambridge REPRESENTATION IN EXISTING SURVEYS STATE Massachusetts TITLE Inventory of the Historic Assets of the Commonwealth DATE 1974 _FEDERAL XSTATE _COUNTY _LOCAL DEPOSITORY FOR SURVEY RECORDS Massachusetts Historical Commission CITY. TOWN Boston Massachusetts 7 DESCRIPTION CONDITION XEXCELLENT _GOOD -FAIR _DETERIORATED _RUINS UNEXPOSED CHECK ONE -UNALTERED LALTERED CHECK ONE X_ORIGINAL SITE _MOVED DATE DESCRIBE THE PRESENT AND ORIGINAL (IF KNOWN) PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Description of the property

The Belcher House as it stands today exhibits from an easterly perspective a structure of First Period character. Later prosperity of its owners has brought about additions to the house resulting in an irregular roofline of gambrel additions. The east elevation of the house, which fronts on Old Mystic Street, is composed of five bays with the windows paired on either side of the central doorway. The roof, gently sagging after several centuries, is topped by a large central chimney- The entrance was altered in the 18th century with molded surround and complete entablature. The transom has four bull's eye lights, two of which are replacements of earlier glass. Clapboards cover the frame except on the north facade where there are shingles. The house is painted deep red, characteristic of the earth pigments popular during the eighteenth century. Windows and trim are white.

An integral lean-to falls from east to west, fully visible only on the north side because of the interruptions of later additions on the south and west elevations. Evidence of the slope of the lean-to can be seen on the interior in the ceiling of the upstairs hallway- The First Period plan of the house is clearly visible, but later additions have changed the main entrance to the south side. The original east entrance now opens into a hallway from which the early box stairway has been removed. On either side are the typical parlor and hall which serve today. as a parlor and dining room. Exposed summer beams and intersecting corner posts and girts are also First Period reminders as are the wide painted pine floor planks which survive in the upstairs chambers. The plastered ceiling covering the joists indicates a move toward the more formal aspects of eighteenth century houses.

The fireplace in the original kitchen still retains much of its early 18th century character, and its square oven to the left attests to its early function. The later 18th century kitchen, in what was once the lean-to portion of the house, is now the main entrance hall. The hall is entered through a door on the south side, and later additions of a sitting room and the present kitchen adjoin it. The fireplace wall of the sitting room is adorned with a 17th century mantel and paneling which were installed in the house around 1945. They had been removed from the nearby Pierce House on Hutchinson Road which was demolished for further development of the area. A stairway leads from the south entrance hall to the second floor where one finds the two original 18th century chambers in a state of survival similar to the first floor.

Two other rooms which are part of the gambrel additions make up the second floor.

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

SIGNIFICANCE PERIOD _PREHISTORIC -1400-1499 -1500-1599 X 1600-1699 X1700-1799 X 1800-1899 -1900- ARCHEOLOGY-PREHISTORIC XARCHEOLOGY-HISTORIC XAGRICULTURE XARCHITECTURE ART _COMMERCE _COMMUNICATIONS AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE -- CHECK AND JUSTIFY BELOW _COMMUNITY PLANNING -LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE CONSERVATION -LAW ECONOMICS LITERATURE -EDUCATION -MILITARY LENGINEERING -MUSIC _EXPLORATION/SETTLEMENT _PHILOSOPHY _INDUSTRY -POLITICS/GOVERNMENT INVENTION _RELIGION -SCIENCE -SCULPTURE SOCIAL/HUMANITARIAN -THEATER -TRANSPORTATION -OTHER (SPECIFY) SPECIFIC DATES 1706 BUILDER

Statement of significance

/ARCHITECT STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE The Belcher House is the oldest house in Arlington, Massachusetts, and stands on a historic tract of land which was once known as Squaw Sachem's Farm. The present house was built c. 1706 and the surrounding land continued to be farmed until the tur of this century. As a suburban residential community grew up around the house its acreage dwindled and now the building stands on a six-tenths of an acre lot. The various owners of the farm played prominent roles in the development of Arlington and the house and land are significant in the town's history. The vast tract of land which Squaw Sachem, the widow of the former chief of the Pawtucket Indians, owned was north of the Charles River in what is now Middlesex County, stretching from Charlestown on Massachusetts Bay to beyond Concord.

By 1638 Squaw Sachem had conveyed most of her holdings to the English settlers of Charlestown and Cambridge, reserving for herself her homestead of about 500 acres west of the Mystic Ponds. In 1639 she deeded her farm to Jotham Gibbons, son of Captain Edward Gibbons of Charlestown, stipulating that her tribe be allowed to hunt, fish and plant on the land until her death. Early histories of New Ingland indicate that Edward Gibbons, who arrived from major-general of the colony's militia from 1649 to 1651. His son Jotham was a mariner and had business interest in Boston and Bermuda. After his early death in 1658, Jotham's daughter Love inherited the farm. Love lived in Boston with her first husband William Prout, and following his death she married the Reverend John Fowle of Bermuda. When she died in 1701 Love's 480 acre farm was divided among her eight children.

A map of 1706 showing the division of the land indicates that a house stood on one of the parcels inherited by Love's only surviving son, John Fowle. This house is believed to be the oldest section of the Belcher house. According to structural evidence it could have been built as early as 1701 but there is no documentation to support this. John Fowle sold his parcels in 1707 to Daniel Reed, yeoman, of Woburn. The property in turn was passed on in 1738 to Daniel's son Seth who also farmed the land and served as a Prudential Committeeman and Precinct Assessor. In 1775 the Reed farm entered the hands of the Wyman family, related to the Reeds on the maternal side, and who, with their descendants occupied the house for over a century. The Wymans were diligent farmers and were active in public service in the area.

Seth Wyman, the second Wyman to hold the land, served as Prudential Committee-man, Precinct Treasurer and Precinct Assessor. He was also a Charlestown Selectman and Committee-man, and in 1805 and 1806 he represented Charlestown in the House of the State Government.

The rest of the file

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

MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES Hurd, Duane Hamilton, History of Middlesex County, Mass-, Philadelphia, 1890 Parker, Charles S, Town of Arlington, Past and Present, 1637-1907. Arlington, 1907 Wyman, Thomas Bellows, Charlestown Genealogies and Estates, 1639-1818.

Boston, 1879 10 GEOGRAPHICAL DATA -o acres ACREAGE OF NOMINATED PROPERTY UTM REFERENCES AL21 1312,45,89 9 4,619.917,6,9 ZONE EASTING NORTHING LilILI VERBAL BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION UTM OK CD EASTING NORTHING a LLdLileLud LIST ALL STATES AND COUNTIES FOR PROPERTIES OVERLAPPING STATE OR COUNTY BOUNDARIES STATE CODE COUNTY CODE STATE CODE COUNTY CODE 11 FORM PREPARED BY NAME / TITLE Christine Boulding, Assistant Survey Director, and Judy Dobbs ORGANIZATIO Massachusetts Historical Commission Mafth 1975 STREET & NUMBER 40 Beacon Street 617-725P3250 CITY OR TOWN STATE Boston Massachusetts 02108 12 STATE HISTORIC PRESER VATION OFFICER CERTIFICATION THE EVALUATED SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS PROPERTY WITHIN THE STATE IS: NATIONAL - STATE LOCAL _ As the designated State Historic Preservation Officer for the National Historic Preservation Aut 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 criteria and procedures set forth by the National Park Service.

SAPO PEDERAL REPRESENTATIVE SIGNATURE Sabech R. Amadon TITLE FOR NPS USE ONLY Mass. State Historic Preservation Officer DATE 3/10/75 1 HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS PROPERTY IS INCLUDED IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER unmarleasen DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF ARCHE6 ERVATION DATE ATTEST: DATE 4/14/45 APR 9 1975 KEEPER OF THE NATIONAL REGSTER (Rev. 10-74) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY -- NOMINATION FORM FOR NPS USE ONLY RECEIVED IAR 14 1975 DATE ENTERED APR 14 1975 CONTINUATION SHEET ITEM NUMBER 8 PAGE 1 Seth's daughter Ruth and her husband Luke Wyman lived on the estate for much of neir lives. A descendant of several generations of farmers, Luke Wyman was soc n active participant in Arlington's growing market-gardening industry In 1911 members of the Hutchinson family who were descendants of the Wymans sold the land to Jennie S.

White. By this time the house which stood on the once ex- tensive farm was surrounded by only eight and seven tenths acres. When the house was sold to Donald and Katherine Belcher in 1924, the lot had been shaved to six tenths of an acre. The Belcher House has witnessed many changes in the area surrounding it. Today, standing in the twentieth century Colonial Revival neighborhood which grew up as Arlington developed into a residential community, the Belcher House remains as a reminder of a much more distant past. Belther Homse Property State TECHNICAL Flar Plan Photos 2 choe an Laumiche the state wants w bul as omy name.

Middlesex OK CONTROL pl 3,14,75 ARCHITECTURAL 3/11/75 HISTORIAN ACCEPT LEBoUCe 3-14-75 ARCHEOLOGIST OTHER HAER Inventory - Review REVIEW UNIT CHIEF Aeripi Cole 4.9.75 BRANCH CHIEF Aun 4.10.75 KEEPER National Register Write-up Federal Register Entry 6-3-15 Send-back Re-submit Entered United States Department of the Interior National Park Service WASO No. 7 APR 1 4 1975 * INT:21 Rolcher House Form No. 10-301a (Pev. 10-7+) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES PROPERTY PHOTOGRAPH FORM FOR NPS USE ONLY RECEIVEMAR14 1975 DATE ENTEREDAPR 1 41975 SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN HOW TO COMPLETE NATIONAL REGISTER FORMS TYPE ALL ENTRIES ENCLOSE WITH PHOTOGRAPH 1 NAME HISTORIC Fowle-Reed-Wyman House AND/OR COMMON Belcher House (preferred) LOCATION CITY.

TOWN Arlington __VICINITY OF COUNTY Middlesex STATE MA PHOTO REFERENCE PHOTO CREDIT Judy Dobbs DATE OF PHOTO November 1974 NEGATIVE FILED AT The Old Schwamb Mill, 17 Mill Lane, Arlington IDENTIFICATION DESCRIBE VIEW. DIRECTION, ETC. IF DISTRICT. GIVE BUILDING NAME & STREET east facade, north elevation #l0z2 PHOTO NO. 1 PROPERTY OF THE NATONAL REGISTER #138 Form No. 10-301a (Pev. 10-7+) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES PROPERTY PHOTOGRAPH FORM FOR NPS USE ONLY RECEIVED MAR 14 1975 DATE ENTERED APR 14 1975 SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN HOW TO COMPLETE NATIONAL REGISTER FORMS TYPE ALL ENTRIES ENCLOSE WITH PHOTOGRAPH NAME HISTORIC Fowle- Reed-Wyman House AND/OR COMMON Belcher House (preferred) LOCATION CITY.

TOWArlington VICINITY OF PHOTO REFERENCE PHOTO CREJUdy Dobbs NEGATIVE FILED AT Old Schwamb Mill, 17 Mill Lane, Arlington IDENTIFICATION DESCRIBE VIEW. DIRECTION, ETC. IF DISTRICT, GIVE BUILDING NAME & STREET west elevation #237 COUNTY Middlesex STATE MA DATE OF PHOTO November 1974 PHOTONO. 2 PROPERTY OF THE NATONAL REGISTER #2032 Form No. 10-301 (Rev.

10-74) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES PROPERTY MAP FORM FOR NPS USE ONLY RECEIVED MAR 14 1975 DATE ENTERED ARR 11.1S SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN HOW TO COMPLETE NATIONAL REGISTER FORMS TYPE ALL ENTRIES -- ENCLOSE WITH MAP 1 NAME HISTORIC Fowle-Reed Wyman House AND/OR COMMON Belcher House (preferred) 2 LOCATION CITY, TOWN Arlington VICINITY OF COUNTY Middlesex STATE MA 3 MAP REFERENCE SOURCE sketch map SCALE not to scale DATE February 1975 4 REQUIREMENTS TO BE INCLUDED ON ALL MAPS 1. PROPERTY BOUNDARIES 2. NORTH ARROW 3. UTM REFERENCES INT: 2986-75 FOWLE-REED- WYMAN HOUSE Arlington, Mass.

FIRST FLOOR - ORIGINAL PORTION OF HOUSE - TWENTIETH CENTURY ADDiTIONS SERVANT'S ROOM SITTiNG ROoM KITCHEN SUN ROOM BATH BACK STAiRwAY) STAIRWA PRESENT DAY ENTRANCE FORMER LEANTO -- KITCHEN (HALL) CLOSET PARLOR PARLOR (DiNING ROOM) HALL ORiGiNAL ENTRANCE OLD MYSTiC STREET TOLEN ILLY 8- UNTE RECEIVED MAR 14 1975 NATIONAL REGISTER LOTT -2 SECOND STORY FOWLE-REED - WYMAN HOUSE Arlington, Mass. BEDROOM BATH BACK STAiRWAY ||MAIN STAiRWAY SITTiNG ROOM HALL CLOSET CHAMBER CHAMBER BATH 8 RECEIVED MAR 14 1975 NATIONAL REGISTER Form No. 10-301 (Rev. 10-74) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES PROPERTY MAP FORM FOR NPS USE ONLY RECEIVEDMAR 14 1975 DATE ENTERED SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN HOW TO COMPLETE NATIONAL REGISTER FORMS TYPE ALL ENTRIES -. ENCLOSE WITH MAP APR 1 4.

1975 1 NAME HISTORIC Fowle-Reed Wyman House AND/OR COMMON Belcher House (preferred) 2 LOCATION CITY. TOWN Arlington -VICINITY OF COUNTY Middlesex STATE MA 3 MAP REFERENCE SOURCE SCALE 1:24,000 United States Geological Survey, Lexington, Mass., quadrangle DATE 1971 4 REQUIREMENTS TO BE INCLUDED ON ALL MAPS 1. PROPERTY BOUNDARIES 2. NORTH ARROW 3. UTM REFERENCES INT: 2986-75 Regional Director, North Atlantie Region 4/15/75 Mott PR ENTRIES IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER Date Entered STATE MASSACHUSEITS TPR 1 4 1973 Name Old ship Street Historio District Fort: Sevall First Baptist Church, Carbrlago St. Stephen's Church Fovle-Reod-Wyman ilouse Salem Cross Inn Location Medford Middlesex County Marblehead Essex County Cambridge Miadlesex County Boston Suffolk county Arlington Miditlesex county West Brookfield vicinity Norcester Courty Also Notified Hon. Edward M . Kennedy ion. Edward i. Irooka lion.

Iorbert H. Macdonald lion. Mickael J. Harrington lon. Tomas P. O'veill, üx. Hon. John J. Moakley lion. Idward P. Loland Stata Ilistorio Preservation Officez Nra. Ilizaboth R. Anadon Executivo Directox Massachusetts Historical Coamission 40 Beacon Street Boston, Massachusetts 02108 \NR Data Sheet DATE: Reviewer NR 32377 INITIALS: gioro DOE April 14, 1975 NAME AS IT APPEARS IN FEDERAL REGISTER: Fowle-Reed-Wyman House OTHER NANES: Belcher House - rec. LOCATION: STREET& NUMBER 64 O1d Mystic Stzeet CITY. TOWN Arlington VICINITY OF STATE Massachusetts CONGRESSIUNAL DISTRICT 8th COUNTY Middlesefode 017 . OWNER OF PROPERTY: (Circle) PRIVATE! LOCAL GOV'T MUNICIPAL COUNTY OTHER FEDERAL (AGENCY NAME) : E, sat accercibile to the pubee; G.

ADMINISTRATOR (underline) NPS REGION: (CIRCLE) N.ATLANTIC MID ATLANTIC SOUTHEAST MIDWEST SOUTHWEST ROCKY MOUNTAIN WEST PACIFIC NORTHWEST FEATURES: INTERIOR Lsubstantially intact-1 - unknown - 4 - not applicable - 7 CONDITION- _EXCELLENT _GOOD _FAIR EXTERIOR ENVIRONS bubstantially intact-2 _ Substantially intact-3 _ unknown.-s _. unknown -6 - not applicable - 8 Not applicable-9 -Interioi, exterior, chadrons not intags=o _DETERIORATED _RUINS _UNALIERED LALTERED _UNEXPOSEC _Reconstructed LORIGINAL SITE _MOVED _Unkncwn _Unexcavater _Excavated ACCESS - Yes-restricted historic district? Yes-unrestricted No access Unknown YES WITHIN NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICT? IF YES, NAME: WITHIN NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK? YES IF YES,NAME: YES NO ADAPTIVE USE: YES Saved ?

YES NO FUNCTION (S): (use vocabulary words) then-private rerideuce now- SAWE SIGNIFICANCE: _ARCHEOLUGY-PREHISTORIC LARGHEOLOGY.HISTORIC - / _CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE - -ECONOMICS LARCHITECTURE - L -EDUCATION ART _ENGINEERING _COMMERCE _EXPLORATION -COMMUNICATIONS _INDUSTRY -INVENTION Claims "'first" YES NO G _LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE _LAW/Gov't/politics -LITERATURE _MILITARY _MUSIC _PHILOSOPHY -POLITICS/GOVERNMENT _RELIGION _SCIENCE -SOCIAL/HUMANITARIAN -TRANSPORTATION _OTHER (SPECIFY) .-entertainment -health _recreation -settlement _socio/cultural _urban & commun planning house in Airgten, "'oldest'2 YES NO MA "ronly" YES NO SALTBON EOLONIaL ARCHITECTURAL STYLE: architect/m.builder: landscape/garden designer: interior decorator: engineer: artist/artisan: builder/contractor: ETHNIC GROUP: NAMES: (label role & appropriate date) personal events institutional DATES: DATE OF CONSIRUCTION (sSpecific date or 1/4 of century): (706 DATE (S) OF "MAJOR" ALTERATIONS: 1945 HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT DATE (S) : SOURCE.

(OF NOMINATION) PRIVATE STATE LOCAL GOV"T MUNICIPAL COUNTY OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY: ACREAGE: (to nearest tenth of an acre) 0,6 COM MENTS: (inelude architectural infornation here) FRAME, CLAPBOARDING, SHINGLINE; 24½ STORIES, IRREGULAR SHAPZ, GABLED AND GAMBREL ROOF SECTiONS, ANIERIOR CENTER ANDO SIDE CHHMNEYS, ERAT CENTEN, ENTZÁANCE WITH TRANSOM AUD-ARCHTTRAVE; INTERIOR FEATURSS POEMIZO WIDE PINE FLOOKS AND EXPOSZO SUMMER BEAMS; VARIOUS REAK LEAN-TO aND GAMBREL ADDITIONS; 17TH C. PANELING INSTACCED Hi SITTNE pOOu, C. SIGNIFICA NC Ei (naxinum tno sentencee) 1945 ., tOLONiAA OLDEST HOUSE ni ARLINGTON, Ma. G.