Nomination for Lawson Tower

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

Form No. 10-300 (Rev.

10-74) PH0355194 DATA SHEET UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OFTHE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE FOR NPS USE ONLY FEB 24 1976 RECEIVED NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY -- NOMINATION FORM DATE ENTERED SEP 2 8 1976 SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN HOW TO COMPLETE NATIONAL REGISTER FORMS TYPE ALL ENTRIES -- COMPLETE APPLICABLE SECTIONS NAME HISTORIC Lawson Tower * AND/OR COMMON same LOCATION STREET & NUMBER off First Parish Road CITY, TOWN Scituate Ce.ter STATE Massachusetts -_ VICINITY OF CODI 3 CLASSIFICATION CATEGORY DISTRICT BUILDING(S) XSTRUCTURE SITE _OBJECT OWNERSHIP XPUBLIC PRIVATE _BOTH PUBLIC ACQUISITION _IN PROCESS _BEING CONSIDERED STATUS _OCCUPIED X UNOCCUPIED _WORK IN PROGRESS ACCESSIBLE -YES: RESTRICTED - YES: UNRESTRICTED XNO 4 OWNER OF PROPERTY NAME Town of Scituate, Department of Public Works STREET & NUMBER 600 Chief Justice Cushing Way CITY, TOWN Scituate - VICINITY OF 5 LOCATION OF LEGAL DESCRIPTION COURTHOUSE, REGISTRY OF DEEDS, ETC.

STREET & NUMBER Plymouth County Registry of Deeds Russell Street CITY. TOWN 6 Plymouth REPRESENTATION IN EXISTING SURVEYS NOT FOR PUBLICATION CONGRESSORAL DISTRICT COUNTY Plymouth CODE 023 PRESENT USE AGRICULTURE -MUSEUM _COMMERCIAL _PARK _EDUCATIONAL _PRIVATE RESIDENCE _ENTERTAINMENT -RELIGIOUS _GOVERNMENT _SCIENTIFIC _INDUSTRIAL TRANSPORTATION _MILITARY XOTHER: tower water STATE Massachusetts 02066 STATE Massachusetts TITLE Inventory of the Historic Assets of the Commonwealth DATE 1972 DEPOSITORY FOR SURVEY RECORDS _FEDERAL XSTATE _COUNTY _LOCAL Massachusetts Historical Commission CITY, TOWN Boston STATE Massachusetts 7 DESCRIPTION CONDITION X EXCELLENT _GOOD -FAIR _DETERIORATED _RUINS _UNEXPOSED CHECK ONE XUNALTERED ALTERED CHECK ONE X_ORIGINAL SITE -MOVED DATE DESCRIBE THE PRESENT AND ORIGINAL (IF KNOWN) PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Description of the property

The Lawson Tower stands on a slight rise in a large expanse of lawn near the Scituate Common. A large modern school building is located just north of the tower and a church, directly south of the tower, faces onto Parish Road. The tower as originally built in 1900 was a wrought iron standpipe, seventy-five feet high and twenty-five feet in diameter. It was altered considerably in 1902 when the standpipe was completely covered with a wood and shingle cladding and superstructure in a high eclectic revival style. The tower now stands 153 feet high and is a striking visual landmark for miles around. The base of the tower is slightly curved out and then rises, interrupted only by window slits, to the top of the wrought iron tank that the tower encloses. A massive bracketed band encircles the tower at this point, and supports the bell room, the clock room, and the flared conical roof.

The rafter ends under the eaves of the roof of the tower are exposed, adding a decorative touch to the cornice. There are four dormers with pagoda-like roofs topped with small spires on the steeply pitched shingled roof, and a weather vane supported by a decorated pole completes the tower. A turret, attached to the side of the tower and extending up to the cornice, contains a spiral staircase with 123 steps which rise to the bell room. The ground floor entrance to the turret has a pointed arch door, with massive curvilinear hinges. A graceful shingled portico leads into the tower structure itself. The interior of the tower has circumferential landings at fifteen foot intervals to facilitate the cleaning and painting of the wrought iron water tank.

The bell room floor, which also serves as the cover of the water tank, is zinc covered to prevent air-born bacteria and dust from entering the water supply. Eleven open ports, each six feet square, look out over the landscape. Rain water, which is sometimes forced into the open ports by high winds in the area, runs off through scuppers similar to those in a boat, at the bell room floor level. The ten bells in the room, which were cast especially for the tower by the Mensely Co. of West Troy, N.Y., are connected by steel cables to a keyboard in the music room at the ground level. Above the bell room is the clock room, containing a huge clock which strikes the hour and automatically plays the Angelus on the chimes at 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.

A chain link fence, 300 feet in circumference, has been installed around the tower, and the area enclosed by the fence covered with bituminous concrete in order to reduce the fire hazard. The tower has recently been completely re-shingled by the Town of Scituate, and is still in active use as the town's water supply.

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

SIGNIFICANCE PERIOD _PREHISTORIC _1400-1499 -1500-1599 1600-1699 1700-1799 -1800-1899 -1900- ARCHEOLUGY-PREHISTORIC ARCHEOLOGY-HISTORIC AGRICULTURE X ARCHITECTURE ART _COMMERCE COMMUNICATIONS AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE -- CHECK AND JUSTIFY BELOW COMMUNITY PLANNING -LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE _CONSERVATION -LAW ECONOMICS _LITERATURE EDUCATION -MILITARY -ENGINEERING _MUSIC _EXPLORATION/SETTLEMENT _PHILOSOPHY _INDUSTRY -POLITICS/GOVERNMENT _INVENTION _RELIGION -SCIENCE SCULPTURE XSOCIAL/HUMANITARIAN -THEATER _TRANSPORTATION _OTHER (SPECIFY) SPECIFIC DATES 1902 STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE BUILDER

Statement of significance

/ARCHITECT The Lawson Tower, a significant architectural landmark in Scituate, is a fas- cinating example of what one man's impact on a community can be. As such, the tower stands today as a memorial to Thomas Lawson, the "Copper King", who did so much for the town of Scituate. Thomas Lawson, a self-made man, was a wealthy Wall Street magnate with a decided flair for attracting attention. When the original wrought iron standpipe was con- structed in 1900 Lawson was in the process of building his home, Dreamwold, which stands across the open lawn north of the tower. Lawson spent close to a million dollars on his estate, and when it was finished in 1901 he was not at all pleased to have to look at the unadorned tank from his bedroom window.

He met with the owners of the private water company that had just erected the standpipe, and ob- tained permission to enclose the tank in a tower which would be more pleasing to Lawson hired an architect to travel to Europe to sketch designs of interesting and unusual towers in England, the continent, and as far east as Con- stantinople. On his return Lawson picked the design of the present tower, said to be from a fifteenth century 'Roman' structure. Lawson then paid to have the tank enclosed by this tower, at a cost of $60,000. At the present cost of materials and labor the tower would cost about $370,000 to replace. The tower, with its shingle covering and architectural detail, may be unique in Massachusetts. The town takes great pride in the structure, and the community's image is closely linked with this distinctive architectural landmark.

The rest of the file

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

MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES Lawson Scrapbook and Other Scituate History, Pierce Library, Scituate Sherman, William I., "Scituate' s Unusual Water Tower", unpublished manuscript 10 GEOGRAPHICAL DATA ACREAGE OF NOMINATED PROPERTY UTM REFERENCES AL9 315,510,3,0 ZONE EASTING CLI VERBAL BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION acre 14,617.313,0,01 NORTHING BLJLL ZONE EASTING NORTHING VORTHING DLU LLILIL JuLL 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, Assistant Survey Director ORGANIZATIOMassa chusetts Historical Commission DATE February 11, 1976 STREET & NUMBER 294 Washington Street CITY OR TOW Boston TELEPHONE 617-727-8470 STATE Massachusetts 02108 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).

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 forthby the National Park Service. STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER SIGNATURE Oljabeek Reel Amoeon TITLE Executive Director, Mass. Historical Commission DATE 2/17/76 FOR NPS USE ONLY I HEREBY CERTIFY TTHIS PROPER LUDED IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER AcFIng DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF AACHEOLOGY AND FISTORIC PRESERVATION ATTEST: DATE DATE KEEPER OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER 9/28/26 7202 GPO 888-445 Property Lauson tawen State Mass. Working Number 2.24.76.2593 TECHNICAL Photos Maps Phymouth CONTROL 3.9.76 HISTORIAN Dood. Kate, e called Pat Wedowskei 6-3-76 abont Accept Dneamwold. elt is ounon ledly modern intruaions E Smith ant is actually not a good house anyway.

1-76 ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIAN Gccept, uvcl 2,26/1 ARCHEOLOGIST OTHER HAER Inventory - Review REVIEW UNIT CHIEF Accept w.C.Luce 9/11/76 BRANCH CHIEF 9.20.26 KEEPER 227/21 SEP 2 8 1976 INT:2106- 74 National Register Write-up Federal Register Entry Send-back 11-2-26 Re-submit Entered United States Department of the Interior National Park Service WASO No. 7 hawsonfower ENTRANCE TO WATER TOWER FRAME EASTERN FACADE ATHLETIC GROUNDS, CENTRAL SCMOOL, SCITUATE, MASS. Plymoucs Co, Mis. NiCK mILLS, PHOTOGRAPHER Feb., 1975 NEGATIVES WITH: MRS. ELIOT LAIDLAW 121 MAPLE 3T. SCITUATE, MASS. NPS Number Title: Loc. 9.28.26 Lawan Town Plymouth Co, Mino detail of musii um. on N.W. eleostes of tuvn (of3 PROPERTY OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER Saiz 121 Neg: MRS. Feb, 1975 Nick m Athletic EASTE 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 FEB 241976 RECEIVED SEP 2 8 1976 LAW SON WATER Tower DATE ENTERED SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN HOW TO COMPLETE NATIONAL REGISTER FORMS TYPE ALL ENTRIES ENCLOSE WITH PHOTOGRAPH NAME HISTORIC Lawson Tower AND/OR COMMON same LOCATION CITY, TOWN Scituate - VICINITY OF PHOTO REFERENCE PHOTO CREDIT Mick Mills NEGATIVE FILED AT 121 Maple Street, Scituate, MA IDENTIFICATION DESCRIBE VIEW. DIRECTION, ETC. IF DISTRICT, GIVE BUILDING NAME & STREET COUNTY Plymouth DATE OF PHOTO 1975 detail of music room, on north western elevation of tower MSb STATE MA PHOTO NO 2 Zawsan Tavce ENTRANCE TO TURRET STAIRCASE LAWSON WATER Tower Athle tie Grounds, Central Sahooi, Seituate, Mass. Plymatl Nick Mills, Photo. Febs. 1975 Neg.: Mro Fliot LAIDLAW 121 MAPLESt. Scituate, Mass.

NPS Number Title: 9.28.76 Xawam Tawan Plymbuth , Mane. detail of entiane to teeut staircare PROPERTY OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER ICBACIB PAUL GUZZI Secretary of the Commonwealth The Commonvealth of Massachusetts Ofice of the fecretary Massachusells Historical Commission 291 Washington Street Boston, Massachusells 02108 (617) 727-8470 February 18, 1976 6 Mr. Charles Herrington Chief, Registration National Register National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Washington, D.C. 20240 8 Dear Charles: RECEIVED FEB 24 1976 NATIONAL > REGISTER Enclosed please find three nomination forms for the following properties: 1. Concord, Thoreau-Alcott House 2. Sandwich, Wing Fort House 3.

Scituate, Lawson Tower These properties have been voted eligible for submission by the Massa- chusetts Historical Commission (State Review Board) and have been signed by the State Historic Preservation Officer, Elizabeth Reed Amadon. Sincerely yours, Vat Patricia I. Weslowski Survey Director Massachusetts Historical Commission PLW/mw Enclosures ENTRIES IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER STATE Date Entered MASSACHUSETTS SEP 2 8 1976 Name Location Lawson Tower Scituate Center Plymouth County Also Notified Hon. Edward M. Kennedy Hon. Edward W. Brooke Hon. Gerry E. Studds Regional Director, North Atlantic Region PR MMott/row 9/30/76 State Historic Freservation 0fficer Mrs. Elizabeth R. Amadon Executive Director Massachusetts Historical Coumission 294 Washington Street Boston, Massachusetts INT: 2950-75 SOUTH SHORE NEWS ROCKLAND, MA. W. 58,000 Mors.

19TG New Englana Newsclip Olymouth Lawson Tower now officially a historic place SCITUATE Tower, off First Parish Road Lawson constructed in 1900, Lawson the design of the present. huge clock which strikne the entering the water supply. room floor level: The ten- was inthe in-Scituate, nominated for building his process of lower, said to be from a 15th Eleven open ports, each home, bells in the room, which century 'Roman' structure:hour and inclusion automatically were cast especially for the in the National- Dreamwold,which stands At the present cost of: plays "The Angelus" on the six feet square, look out over tower by the Mensely Com- - .Register of Historic Places across the open lawn north of by the Massachusetts the tower materials. and, labor the chimes at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. the landscape. Rain water.

pany of West Troy, New tower would cost about* Below the clock room is Historical Commission, has*: Lawson spent close to $1 $370,000 to replace. the bell which is sometimes forced York, are connected by steel room floor; which been accepted. State Secre , million on his estate, and The tower stands 153 feet also serves as the cover of 'into the open ports by high cables to.a keybord in the music room at the ground tary - Paul Guzzi, -when it was finished in 1901. : high and is a striking visual water tank. It is zinc winds in the area, runs off Chairman of the,Com he was not at all pleased to landmark for miles around level. covered to prevent air-born through scuppers similar to: mission, was informed of have to:lookat A turret, attached to the . the.

The clock room contains a this last week by Gary unadorned: tank from, his- bacteria and dust from those in a boat, at the bell side of the tower and ex-. tending up to the cornice, Everhardt, Director of the bedroom window._He National Park Service in the contains a spiral staircase with the owners of the United States Department of private water company that with 123 steps which rise to the Interior, -had just erected the stand- the_bell room. The ground The Lawson : Tower, -a pipe, and obtained per- floor entrance to the turret significant- has a pointed arch door with architectural mission to enclose the tank landmark in Scituate, is a: in à tower more pleasing to massive curvilinear hinges. memorial Thomas. ,his eye.

A graceful shingled portico Lawson the "Copper King." Lawson hired an architect to leads into the tower struc- Thomas Lawson, a self- travel to Europe to sketch- ture itself. made man, was a wealthy. designs of interesting and A chain link fence, 300 feet* in circumference has been Wall Street magnate with a l unusual towers in England, installed around the tower, decided flair.for attracting_the continent, and as far and the area enclosed by the attention. When the original East as Constantinople. On fence. wrought iron standpipe was his return, Lawson selected covered with bitumenous concrete in order Fto reduce the fire hazard.

- NR Data Sheet DATE: Reviewer NR 5-21-76 INITIALS: EAS DOE EP 1 2 8 1976 9- NAME AS IT APPEARS IN FEDERAL REGISTER: Lawson Dower OTHER NANES: LOCATION: STREET & NUMBER Off Finat Farish Rosde CITY.TOWN Xeituate cen , Ter VICINITY OF STATE massachusetts 025 CONGRESSIUNAL DISTRICT 1 th counry Plymouth code 023 OWNER OF PROPERTY: (Circle) PRIVATE STATE LOCAL GOV'T MUNICIPAL COUNTY OTHER ADMINISTRATOR(underline) FEDERAL (AGENCY NAME) : NPS REGION: (CIRCLE) N.ATLANTIC MID ATLANTIC SOUTHEAST MIDWEST SOUTHWEST ROCKY MOUNTAIN WEST PACIFIC NORTHWEST FEATURES: INTERIOR EXTERIOR <substantially intact-1 KSubstantiaily intact-2 - unknown - 4 _ unknown.-5 - not applicable - 7 - not applicable - 8 ENVIRONS <Substantially intact-3 -.

unknown -6 Not applicable-9 CONDITION - LEXCELLENT _GOOD -FAIR _Interior, exterior, environs not intact-o _DETERIORATED LUNALTERED -RUINS ALTERED _UNEXPOSED -Reconst.ructed -Unexcavated -Excavated KORIGINAL SITE _MOVED _Unkncwn ACCESS - Yes-restricted Yes-unrestricted No access Unknown historic district? YES NO WITHIN NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICT? IF YES, NAME: YES WITHIN NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK? IF YES, NAME: YES NO ADAPTIVE USE: YES NO Saved? YES NO FUNCTION (S): (use vocabulary words) then- Water Zower now-Water Jower SIGNIFICANCE: -ARCHEOLUGY-PREHISTORIC ARCHEOLOGY-HISTORIC AGRICULTUR ARCHITECTUR ART -COMMERCE -COMMUNICATIONS Claims "first" YES _CONSERVATION LECONOMICS -EDUCATION -ENGINEERING EXPLORATION.

_INDUSTRY -INVENTION NO _LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE _LAW/Gov't/politics _RELIGION SCIENCE LITERATURE _MILITARY MUSIC 24 SOCIALHUMANITARIAN _PHILOSOPHY POLITICS/GOVERNMENT _TRANSPORTATION _OTHER (SPECIFY) -entertainment _health -recreation -settlement _socio/cultural _urban & commun planning "'oldest? YES NO "only" YES NO ARCHITECTURAL STYLE: Edectic architect/m.builder: landscape/garden designer: interior decorator: ETHNIC GROUP: NAMES: (1abel role & per sonal appropriate date) events engineer: artist/artisan: builder/contractor: Dhomas Lauroon, late 19tt and ealy 20tK centur Wall fteet magnate had this tower -190g. Covered in 1902. institutional DATES: DATE OF CONSTRUCTION (Specific date or 1/4 of century): 1900-1902 DATE (S) OF "MAJOR" ALTERATIONS: /902 HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANI DATE (S): /902 SOURCE: (OF NOMINATION) PRIVATE OTHER FEDERAL 'AGENCY: ACREAGE: (to nearest tenth of an acre) .

3 STATE LOCAL GOV"T MUNICIPAL COUNTY COMMENTS: (include architectural information here) bnilt in 1900 this Fowennas a urought ino standpipe, cen 1902 Shomas tauponhad it shcloeed math wook and shingles 15 wrrught-irm standpipe encloed inh a high ecect revivel style wahin a pame and dingedgspsegh surmounted ley windowed wraught-rree standpope orcoud ly wood and stanghng bl ron and coical rayt; pipe dill 75twrrught-iro standpise attered in 1402 Shudan Brilt uy SIGNIFICA NCE:(maximum two sentences) magnate, to hide pipe tutet which was if urey y higj estate The Laysan Dower is a significant architecu in Acitrate. alts shngle conering anfa achitectre detail my Origrias 1700 urnuget 75 urnight-tim etandpipe cored with framg and shingled shusture, is3'hegh; feaborw enhande uestibule, ematte snce pornted axched opening" band af windows beneath conicat cep roaft bull room.