Nomination for Belcher, Jonathan, House

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

Form No. 10-300 (Rev.

10-74) DATA SHEET UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OFTHE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE FOR NPS USE ONLY NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY -- NOMINATION FORM RECEIVED APR 6 1976 DATE ENTERED APR 3 0 1976 SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN HOW TO COMPLETE NATIONAL REGISTER FORMS TYPE ALL ENTRIES -- COMPLETE APPLICABLE SECTIONS 2 NAME nhr HISTORIC/ Jonathan Belcher House AND/OR COMMON Ladies' Library Association of Randolph LOCATION STREET & NUMBER 360 North Main Street CITY.TOWN Randolph STATE -VICINITY OF CODE 025 3 Massachusetts CLASSIFICATION CATEGORY _DISTRICT X_BUILDING(S) _STRUCTURE _SITE _OBJECT OWNERSHIP PUBLIC X PRIVATE _BOTH PUBLIC ACQUISITION _IN PROCESS _BEING CONSIDERED STATUS X OCCUPIED _UNOCCUPIED _WORK IN PROGRESS ACCESSIBLE X YES: RESTRICTED _YES: UNRESTRICTED -NO OWNER OF PROPERTY NAME Ladies' Library Association of Randolph STREET & NUMBER 360 North Main Street CITY, TOWN Randolph VICINITY OF 5 LOCATION OF LEGAL DESCRIPTION COURTHOUSE.

REGISTRY OF DEEDS, ETC. STREET & NUMBER Nor folk Country Registry of Deeds 650 High Street CITY. TOWN Dedham REPRESENTATION IN EXISTING SURVEYS TITLE -NOT FOR PUBLICATION CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 11 COUNTY Norfolk CODE 021 PRESENT USE AGRICULTURE XMUSEUM _COMMERCIAL PARK X EDUCATIONAL _PRIVATE RESIDENCE ENTERTAINMENT _RELIGIOUS GOVERNMENT -SCIENTIFIC _INDUSTRIAL _TRANSPORTATION _MILITARY XOTHER Women's STATE Massachusetts 02368 STATE Massachusett.s Inventory of the Historic Assets of the Commonwealth DATE 1976 DEPOSITORY FOR SURVEY RECORDS CITY, TOWN FEDERAL XSTATE COUNTY LOCAL Massachusetts Historical Commission Boston STATE Massachusetts 7-DESCRIPTION CONDITION _EXCELLENT XGOOD -FAIR -DETERIORATED _RUINS _UNEXPOSED CHECK ONE -UNALTERED XALTERED CHECK ONE X_ORIGINAL SITE _MOVED DATE. DESCRIBE THE PRESENT AND ORIGINAL (IF KNOWN) PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Description of the property

The Jonathan Belcher House is located on a 3/4 of an acre lot on North Main Street in a residential section of Randolph. The house is surrounded by a few later nineteenth century houses and many twentieth century buildings. The area is being encroached on by commercial development moving north up North Main Street from the town center, but the streets are still tree lined, and the Belcher property is set off by low stone walls. The Federal period house, constructed in 1806, is two stories high, with a hip roof and several one story additions. The building is covered with clapboards and rests on a granite foundation with a full basement. The east facade, looking out over North Main Street, is five bays wide with regularly spaced 6/6 sash windows and a central doorway. The door is flanked by half length sidelights and topped by a half circle fanlight.

Granite steps quarried in Randolph lead up to the door. The center window on the second floor repeats the sidelight motif of the front door; it is flanked by narrow 2/2 windows, one light in width, and has a heavy wooden lintel. All of the windows of the main block of the house have louvered shutters. A one story addition constructed to the south in 1838 is four bays wide and has its own entrance and chimney. A kitchen addition to the west and north was added in this cen- tury. This addition has a granite foundation and a crawl space, with a dry fieldstone wall for support in the center of the space. An original cistern or well, approximately eight feet in circumference and thirty-five feet deep is located under the addition. Iwo outbuildings, a clapboard carriage shed attached to the south addition and a shingled and clapboarded:hip roof barn are still on the property.

The interior of the building has retained much of its original fabric. A circular Federal stairway rises from the first floot" to the second in the front hall, and most of the ori- ginal wainscotting is still extant. The mantels are original, but the fireplaces are not in working order. 21 yau'1 .... ... 1- T. c. TownTo ini na 10 8

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

SIGNIFICANCE PERIOD PREHISTORIC -1400-1499 - _1500-1599 -1600-1699 -1700-1799 X 1800-1899 -1900- AREAS OF SIGNIFIÇANCE -- CHECK AND JUSTIFY BELOW ARCHEOLOGY-PREHISTORIC - COMMUNITY PLANNING _LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE ARCHEOLOGY-HISTORIC -CONSERVATION -LAW AGRICULTURE -ECONOMICS _LITERATURE XARCHITECTURE -EDUCATION -MILITARY ART _ENGINEERING _MUSIC _COMMERCE X EXPLORATION/SETTLEMENT -_PHILOSOPHY _COMMUNICATIONS LINDUSTRY: POLITICS/GOVERNMENT INVENTION -RELIGION -SCIENCE _SCULPTURE X SOCIAL/HUMANITARIAN -THEATER -TRANSPORTATION -OTHER (SPECIFY) SPECIFIC DATES 1806 STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE BUILDER

Statement of significance

/ARCHITECT Jonathan Belcher The Jonathan Belcher House issignificant for its associations with the Belcher family, original settlers in what is now Randolph, and for its use by the Ladies' Libraxy Asso- ciation, founded in 1855. The house is also one of the most architecturally signifi- cant Federal period buildings in Randolph. Gregory Belcher came to this country around 1639, and settled in the area that is now known as Quincy. His son Samuel (1637-1679) built the house now called the John Quincy Adams Birthplace (NHL) in Quincy. Samuel III, the great great grandson of Gregory, relocated to another part of Braintree, the portion now called Randolph. In 1762 he built a house on North Main Street which was demolished in the early twentieth century.

In 1788 Jonathan Belcher (1767-1839), Samuel III's second son, married Abigäil Thayer of Braintree, and after eighteen years of married life in the old family homestead, finally built his own house in 1806. The new house was built just across the street from the old homestead, but since Jonathan was a builder and architect and the family was wealthier than it had been, the house was constructed on a much grander scale.

The house was lived in by the Belcher family until 7917 when Annie, Tower Tarbe11, Jonathan's great grand daghter, gave the house and the furnishings to the Ladies' Library Association The Ladies' Library Association of Randolph was formed in 1855 by nine Randolph ladies "to consider the expediency of uniting ourselves together for the purpose of mutual in- tercourse, social entertainment, and attainment of some benevolent object." The library was begun with fifty books, and the collection, while not large, is still used by mem- bers of the Association. In 1862 the Ladies' Library Association raised money to pur- chase clothing for Randolph's Civil War soldiers. They have continued their "benevolent objects" this century, by introducing sewing in the public schools, instituting school lunches, and conducting a well baby clinic, started in 1927.

The Ladies also conduct an amblyopia clinic for pre-school children, and do volunteer work in the Brockton Veter- ans Hospital. Many ladies in the Belcher family were members of the Association in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries so it was not surprising that the house was given to the Library Association in 1911. dition by the Association, who encourage school children and other interested people to tour the building. The building is significant architecturally to Randolph because it is believed to be the only local Federal period house to retain its architectural integrity. Randolph was settled early in the eighteenth century, and incorporated in 1793, but its proximity to Quincy and Boston has caused most of its earliest buildings to be destroyed.

The Bel- cher House, because it was lived in by only one family and then cared for by the Li- brary Association, escaped destruction or alteration and remains one of the last and best examples of the Federal period in Randolph.

The rest of the file

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

MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES Anderson, Corinne White, "Ladies' Library Association", 1955 (unpublished manuscript) Clark, E.

Eugenie, "The Jonathan Belcher Homestead", 1919 (unpublished manuscript) Meeting Records of the Ladies' Library Association 10 GEOGRAPHICAL DATA ACREAGE OF NOMINATED PROPERTY_ UTM REFERENCES A|1,91 ZONE CLL 133,019,8,0 EASTING VERBAL BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION 3/4 acre 141617.013,8,01 NORTHING BLL ZONE EASTINC NORTHING LILLLL LIST ALL STATES AND COUNTIES FOR PROPERTIES OVERLAPPING STATE OR COUNTY BOUNDARIES STATE CODE COUNTY CODE STATE CODE COUNTY CODE FORM PREPARED BY NAME/ TITLE Christine Boulding, Preservatiön Planhergcand Marie Carr ORGANIZATION Massachusetts Historical Commission STREET & NUMBER 294 Washington Street CITY OR TOWN Boston DATE March 1976 TELEPHONE 617-727-8470 STATE Massachusetts 12 STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION 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 Act of 1966 (Public Law 89-665).

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. STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER SIGNATURE Eliakuee Rud Amodon TITLE Eixecutive Director, Massachusetts Historical Commission DATE 3/30/76 FOR NPS USE ONLY DATE DATE 4/30/98 430-26 GPO 892-453 Property Belcher, Jonathan House State Massachusetts TECHNICAL Photos _4 Maps Working Number 4.6.76.3014 Norfolk BEICHER IS AN VERXJMPERTAW MASS FAMILX. OK LEBOrELT CONTROL 4.9.76 HISTORIAN Accept E.

Amith 14-16 ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIAN Accept 4/16/76 Nerteltutenn ARCHEOLOGIST OTHER HAER Inventory - Review REVIEW UNIT CHIEF Acczpi Cole 4/20/76 BRANCH CHIEF National Register Write-up Federal Register Entry 6-1-76 Send-back Re-submit Entered United States Department of the Interior National Park Service WASn Nn KEEPER Hemy 4.30.72 APR 30 1976 INT:2106-74 7 NORFOLK COUNTY L Jonathan Belcher House, Randolph, MA Harold Le Blanc 1975 Randolph Historical Commission looking southwest at the east facade and north elevation photo #1 of 4 APR 6 1976 Date Entered APR 30,1976 PROPERTY OF THE NATIONAL R - NORFOLK CounTY.

Jonathan Belcher House, Randolph, MA Harold Le Blanc 1975 Randolph Historical Commission looking northwest at east facade photo #2 of4 APR 6 1976 Date Entered APR 30,1976 PROPERTY OF THE NATION Norfolk County Jonathan Belcher House, Randolph, MA Harold Le Blanc 1975 Randolph Historical Commission Iooking north at south elevation, addition and carriage shed photo #3 of 4 APR f 1976 Date Entered APR 30,1976 PROPERTY OF THE NATIONAL Jonathan Belcher House, Randotph, OUNTY Harold Le Blanc 1975 Randolph Historical Commission looking south at north elevations of carriage shed and barn photo #4 of 4 APR 6 1976 Date Entered APR 30,1976 PROPERTY OF THE NATIONAL Regional Director, North Atlantic Region MT1:djb 5/4/76 PR 7 ENTRIES IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER STATE _VASSACIISEWS Date Entered APR 3^ 1976 Name Peirce,Peter, Store Belcher, Jonathan, House Fernald, George P., House Albzee-liall-Lavrence, Eouse Saith Alumnae Gyrmasium Futnan, General Isrsel, House Di1lingham House Wellesley Town Hall Location Middleborough Plymouth County Rondolph Norfolk County Madford Middlesex County Medford Middleser County Horthampton Hampshire County Danvers Essex County Brevater vieinity Bazastablo County Fellesley Noxfolk County Also Notified Hon.

Edward M. Kennedy Hon. EdwardW. Brooke Hon. Margaret M. Heckler Hon. James A. Eurke lion. Torbert 1l. MacDonald Hon. Silvio 0. Conte Ion. Michael J. Harringcon Eon. Gerry E, Studds State Historic Preservation Officer Mes. Elizabeth R. Amadon Executive Director, Massachusette Iistorical Conmiesion 294 Waghington Street Boston, Massachusetts 02108 INT: 2950-75 Mass Hist TIVES HOLEROOK, :. 1,000 MAY 20 1976 INEV! Englant Decsctig Jonathan Belcher House Federal home accorded hisioric The Jonathan Belcher. buildings in Randolph. house was lived in by thé starled in 1927. The Ladics House, 360 North Main Gregory Belcher came to Belcher family until 1911 also conduct an amblyopia Street, Randolph, nominated America about 1639 and for inclusion in the National settled in the area that now ybeamae Tower Tarbell, Cinic for presschool chidien, Jonathan's great.

Register of Historic Places known as Quincy. His son, granddaughter, gave th by the Massachusetts Samuel (1637-1679) built the house and the furnishings to Historical Commission, has house now called the John the Ladies' Library been State Secretary accepedl Guzzi, Quincy Adams Brithplace in Association. Quincy, (then a part of The Association was chairman of tbe Com- Braintree). Samuel III, the formed in mission, has been informed great-great-grandson of 1855 by nine Randolph ladies "to consider by Gary Everhadt, director Gregory, relocated to the expediency of uniting of the National Park Service another part of Braintree, ourselves together for the in the United -States now Randolph. In 1762, he purpose of mutual in- Department of the Interior.

built a house on North Main Also known 2S the Street which was tercourse, social en- tertainment, and attainment headgparters of the Ladies' demolished in the early 20th of some benevolent object." Library Association of century. In 1788, Jonathan The library was begun with Randolph, the Jonathan Belcher (1767-1839), Samuel 50 books, and the collection, Belcher House is located on Ill's second son, married while not large, is still used three cuarters of an acre lot Abigail Thayer of Braintree, by members of the on North Main Street in a and after 18 years of married residential section just life in the old family Association. In 1862 the Ladies Library beyend Crawford Square. It bomestead, finally built nis Association raised money to is sigrificant its own house in 1806.

The new purchese clotbing for associalions Pith the boue wes bait just across Randolph's Civil War Bdlcier tamily, origipal the street from the old soldiers. They huie con- setters in what is now horestrad, but since finued their "lenerol.nt Randolah, and for its tre by Jorethan ves a helder and cojects" this cunhiry Ly the Association, fornoed in architect and the family was intredueing sewing in te 1055. The house is also one of Meathier than it had been, peblic schools, institeting the most architecturally the house was construcied on school lenches, and con- sigrificent Federal period -a much grander scale. The dueting a viell-baby clinic, and the Many iccorded historic place status suse was lived in by thht, also conduct an, amblyopia Many. ladies in the Belcher Icher family until 1911 stared tn 1on.

The Ladie Ae Brodkion VA Hospldl" hèn Annie Tower Tarbell, clinic for pre-school chidren, onathants great. anddaughter,gave th ese and the furishings td Ladies:S Library sociation. he Association was ned in 1855 by nine ndolph ladies *to consider expediency ofuniting elve of mheuat: t- course, socialen- ainment, and attainment ome benevolent object" library was begun with ooks, and the collection, le not large, is still used members of" the Tation. ;862 the Ladies' Library ciation raised money to hase clothingsfor dolph's Civil" . War ers.

They have con- d their "benevolent ts" this century by ducing sewing in the schools, instituting lunches, and con- g'a well-baby clinic, family were members of the ASsociation in the late 19th century andearly 20th century,soritg wass nota was pising that the house was given to the Association: in 1911: househasl been kept- 20322 excellent condition' bye the and other interested persons and other interested persons are encouraged to tour the building. Thehousejs significant architecturatly to Randolph because it is believed to be the only local Federal period house to retain, its" ar- chitectural: integrify Randolph was settled early in the 18th centurt, and in- corporated in 1793, but its proximity to Quincy and Boston has caused mostof its earliéstbuildings tobe destroyed.

The Belcher house, because it was lived in by only one family and then cared for by the Library Association, escaped destruction or- serious alteration and remains one of the last and best examples of the Fedfral period in Randolph. The interior of the building has retained"much of its original fabric. A circular Federal stairway rises from the first floor to the second in the front hall, and most of the original wainscoting is still extant. The mantels are original, but the fireplaces are not in working order. All of the windows-of the main block of the house have louvered shuttere DO NOT FILM NR Data Sheet XX ENTO NAME AS IT APPEARS IN FEDERAL REGISTER: DATE: Reviewer 116/76 INITTALS: KP NR DOE 4-30-76) Belchen, Jonathan, House LOCATION: STRET& MUMEA 360 N° Main St.

cr, TowL Randolph VICINITY OF STATE Mass OWNER OF PROPERTY: (Circle) CONGRESSIUNAL DISTRICT 11 COUNTY code Nonfolk 02/ PRIVATE STATE LOCAL GOV'T MUNICIPAL COUNTY OTHER ADMINISTRATOR (underline) FEDERAL (AGENCY NAME) : NPS REGION: (CIRCIE) N.ATLANTIC MID ATLANTIC SOUTHEAST MIDWEST SOUTHWEST ROCKY MOUNTAIN WEST PACIFIC NORTHWEST FEATURES: INTERIOR . Substantially intact-1 - unknown - 4 - not applicable - 7 CONDITION - -EXCELLENT .GOOD -FAIR EXTERIOR YSubstantially intact-2 _ unknown.-5 - not applicable - 8 -Interior, exterior, environs not intact-o _DETERIORATED -UNALTERED _RUINS -ALTERED _UNEXPOSED -Reconstructed _Unexcavated -Excavated ENVIRONS Msubstantially intact-3 _ unknown -6 Not applicakle-9 -ORIGINAL SITE _MOVED -Unknown ACCESS - Yes-restricted historic district? Yes-unrestricted No access Unknown YES WITHIN NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICT?

IF YES, NAME: YES NO ADAPTIVE USE: WITHIN NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK? IF YES, NAME: YES NO YES Cto Saved?

YES FUNCTION (S): (use vocabulary words) then-House now-Humanitauian onganig ation; Library SIGNIFICANCE: ARCHEOLUGY-PREHISTORIC ARCHEOLOGY-HISTORIC _AGRICULTURE Y AARCHITECTURE ART -COMMERCE -COMMUNICATIONS Claims -CONSERVATION -ECONOMICS -EDUCATION _ENGINEERING -EXPLORATION _INDUSTRY INVENTION -LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE -RELIGION -entertainment _LAW/Gov't/politics _SCIENCE -health _LITERATURE recreation -MILITARY _MUSIC 2SOCIALHUMANIARIAN27settLement - PHILOSOPHY _POLITICS/GOVERNMENT -TRANSPORTATION _OTHER (SPECIFY) _socio/cultural _urban & commun planning to mssintauri its architectural integrety "first" YES "oldest"' YES "only" local Fed'T house in Renddph - ARCHITECTURAL STYLE: Federal architect/m.builder: Jonathan Belcher engineer: landscape/garden designer: artist/artisan: interior decorator: builder/contractor: ETHNIC GROUP: NAMES: (label role appropriate date) pereon reteay Belchasio famdu dp4,762 events DATES: institutional Ladies Librany AssoC.

founded 1855 DATE OF CONSTRUCTION (Specific date or 1/4 of century): 1806 DATE (S) OF "MAJOR" ALTERATIONS: 1838 HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT DATE (S) : SOURCE: (OF NOMINATION) PRIVATE OTHER FEDERAL 'AGENCY: ACREAGE: (to nearest tenth of an acre) STATE LOCAL GOV"T MUNICIPAL COUNTY COMMENTS: (include architectural information here) frametrousr ctatid clap boon din?, chemnegs; Actenyuhn wt 2 storios # thipped 10oh Anitain megua snape , Pe tematon ey tendegunt stopped wffan light; centa wendor an secgtaflon repeats sede light motif; torer twoa daes - Federal. "SIGNIFICANCE: (maximum two sentences) The dohn Belcher House is sigrificant for es cssocations w/ the Belcher family, original settlers in the aree which is nowRaudolph and for its use by uny hetahbrary Asseaism Sinee 1855. Archtacmdl, itis me of, th gpamples Ath Federal percid in Randolph.

ARCHITECTURAL STYLE: Federal architect/m.builder: Jonathan Belcher engineer: landscape/garden designer: interior decorator: artist/artisan: builder/contractor: ETHNIC GROUP: NAMES: (label role appropriate date) perema beretan Belchac i do mau a2l,062 events DATES: inslitutional Ladies'Librany Assoc.

founded 1855 DATE OF CONSTRUCTION (Specific date or 1/4 of century): 1806 DATE (S) OF "MAJOR" ALTERATIONS: 1838 HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT DATE (S) : SOURCE: (OF NOMINATION) PRIVATE OTHER FEDERAL 'AGENCY: ACREAGE: (to nearest tenth of an acre) STATE LOCAL GOV"T MUNICIPAL COUNTY COMMENTS: (Include architectural information here) Framatrons dansind lap brra d, 2 stoviso, e thupped noe Amturun Amathen Belch frovaptoor tovatcet Hfsida stone oundation mregulay shape tramef chapboarding), 2etowesp, hpped roof, interion shemnep, vont center entiance uth) sidelights, o fanteohtes, peentejurado ohcerte sdshe choy aaditionigus v y Jid Dukkuldinge prome of Beleher zamily, ouopnae auo settlero, laté uged by-nadier pebrary daociationi/ emaia one fuürenidinng fre ederal buldinge in Randalfh;