Nomination for Butterfield-Whittemore House

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

Form No. 10-300 (Rev. 10-74) PHO66O UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HIS TORIC PLACES INVENTORY -- NOMINATION FORM FOR NPS USE ONLDATA, SHEET RECEIVED JAN 6 1978 DATE ENTERED MAR :0 1978 SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN HOW TO COMPLETE NATIONAL REGISTER FORMS TYPE ALL ENTRIES -- COMPLETE APPLICABLE SECTIONS 1 NAME HISTORIC Butterfield-Whittemore House AND/OR COMMON Samuel Whittemore House 2 LOCATION STREET & NUMBER 54 Massachusetts Avenue CITY. TOWN Arlington STATE - VICINITY OF CODE 025 Massachusetts 3 CLASSIFICATION CATEGORY DISTRICT XBUILDING(S) STRUCTURE SITE -OBJECT OWNERSHIP _PUBLIC _PRIVATE BOTH PUBLIC ACQUISITION -IN PROCESS _BEING CONSIDERÉD LENO STATUS XOCCUPIED _UNOCCUPIED -WORK IN PROGRESS ACCESSIBLE AYES: RESTRICTED SR/LYES: UNRESTRICTED E2O_NO 4 OWNER OF PROPERTY NAME Ethel B.

and Maynard Large STREET & NUMBER 54 Massachusetts Avenue CITY, TOWN Arlington -VICINITY OF 5 LOCATION OF LEGAL DESCRIPTION COURTHOUSE. REGISTRY OF DEEDS, ETC. Midalesex County Registry of Deeds STREET & NUMBER 208 Cambridge Street CITY. TOWN Cambridge 6 REPRESENTATION IN EXISTING SURVEYS TITLE -NOT FOR PUBLICATION CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 8th COUNTY Middlesex CODE 017 PRESENT USE AGRICULTURE -MUSEUM -COMMERCIAL _PARK -EDUCATIONAL X PRIVATE RESIDENCE ENTERTAINMENT - RELIGIOUS GOVERNMENT -SCIENTIFIC INDUSTRIAL- -TRANSPORTATION MILITARY: _OTHER: 10": STATE Massachusetts 02174 STATE Massachusetts - 02141 Inventory of the Historic Assets of the Commonwealth DATE 1973 _FEDERAL XSTATE _COUNTY _LOCAL DEPOSITORY FOR SURVEY RECORDS CITY.

TOWN Massachusetts Historical Commission Boston STATE Massachusetts : 02108 7- DESCRIPTION CONDITION XEXCELLENT _GOOD -FAIR CHECK ONE XUNALTERED -ALTERED _DETERIORATED -RUINS _UNEXPOSED DESCRIBE THE PRESENT AND ORIGINAL (IF KNOWN) PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Description of the property

CHECK ONE ZORIGINAL SITE -MOVED DATE The Butterfield-Whittemore House is located at 54 Massachusetts Avenue in Arlington. Originally part of an estate of over 80 acres, the house is now at an angle to the road on a small plot of land surrounded by 20th century residential/commercial buildings. A black metal fence separates the property from the well traveled thoroughfare. The 2 story brickender has a lcw hip roof and sits on a granite foundation. There are 2 inside end chimneys and l interior chimney. The original portion of the house, believed to have been built in 1695 by Jonathan Butterfield Sr., was a central hall plan with one room to either side and two bays deep. The building was extended full width to the rear (west) elevation at a later date. This extension added three bays to the depth of the structure. Later a 1½ story wing was added to the rear (west) elevation.

The clapboarded five bay wide facade faces east toward Massachusetts Avenue. Fenestration is 6/6 with plain architrave and is framed by black shutters. A later date entrance porch shelters the center entry. Slender, turned paired posts with a low railing at their bases support the porch entablature and flat roof with balustrade. The paneled entrance door is surmounted by a fanlight and flanked by sidelights. The north and south elevations are identical with 6/6 fenestration on the two bay deep original portion of the house. The additional three bays of the later section of the western end of the rear elevation are narrower and have 9/6 sash placed slightly lower than those on the eastern end. The north elevation of the 1½ story rear wing has an irregular window pattern. The first story is two 6/6 windows, one with plain architrave, the other with ornament.

There is a three light casement at the western end. The two windows above are both framed by plain architraves. The south elevation of the wing is also irregular. A one story shed at the eastern end has a . 2/2 window with 2 6/6 windows above in a large dormer. The western end has a 20th century entrance headed by a 3/6 window directly under the eaves. The west (rear) elevation of the wing has a six panel door and a 6/6 window on the first story and an 8 panel door and 6/6 window above on the second. The second story door is no longer used.

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

SIGNIFICANCE PERIOD PREHISTORIC _1400-1499 -1500-1599 -1600-1699 X 1700-1799 _1800-1899 -1900- ARCHEOLOGY-PREHISTORIC ARCHEOLOGY-HISTORIC AGRICULTURE XARCHITECTURE ART COMMERCE COMMUNICATIONS AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE -- CHECK AND JUSTIFY BELOW _COMMUNITY PLANNING _LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE CONSERVATION -LAW ECONOMICS - LITERATURE EDUCATION XMILITARY _ENGINEERING _MUSIC XEXPLORATION/SETTLEMENT _PHILOSOPHY _INDUSTRY XPOLITICS/GOVERNMENT _INVENTION -RELIGION -SCIENCE SCULPTURE SOCIAL/HUMANITARIAN -THEATER -TRANSPORTATION _OTHER (SPECIFY) SPECIFIC DATES 1695-1729 STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE BUILDER

Statement of significance

/ARCHITECT Jonathan Butterfield eseutialley late 1974-65l,20t4C Maasine, /front Lelovial The Butterfield-Whittemore House is one of the oldest structures in Arlington. It is significant for its long association with two families prominent in the 3|15/78 early political, military, religious, and agricultural life of Arlington and Cambridge. Jonathan Butterfield Sr., cordwainer, first appears in the records as a field driver for Menotomy (a district of Cambridge) in 1693. He married in 1694 and bought several pieces of property along the south side of the present Massachusetts Avenue around the time of the birth of his first child, Jonathan, in 1695. He built the house some time over the next few years and in 1729 sold what had become a 16 acre farm with dwelling house and barn to his son Jonathan. Jonathan Butterfield Jr.

was active in the movement to establish Menotomy as a separate precinct. He served on a committee to call meetings as well as on= the committee to build a meetinghouse. Both he and his father signed the Church Cove- nant in 1739 establishing the Second Church of Cambridge (Menotomy). He was one of the original pew-holders in this church. Over a period of several years both father and son served as the town assessors and as members of the Prudential Committee of their precinct. Jonathan Butterfield Jr. lived in the house for twenty years, expand- ing his holdings to 46.5 acres. He was childless. In 1749 he moved to the south parish of Bridgewater, selling the farm and all his other property to Samuel Whittemore. The Whittemore family first came to the Menotomy area when Capt.

Samuel Whittemore, father of Samuel III, purchased a house and land in 1730 opposite the Butterfield property on the north side of Massachusetts Avenue. Capt. Whittemore, assessor, Prudential Committeeman, and captain of the Royal Dragons, found fame during the beginning of the Revolutionary War. He had served on various pre-war committees and, on April 19, 1775, when almost 80 years old, he sniped at British soldiers during their retreat from Lexington, killing two. In the engagement he lost part of his cheek, was bayoneted and left for dead. He was found four hours later, recovered, and lived another 18 years. His son, Samuel III, also served in the Revolutionary War. He served for five days in 1776 in a company under Capt. William Adams. This company assisted in General George Washington's assault on Dorchester Heights. Samuel III and his son Samuel continued in the tradition of Capt.

Samuel Whittemore and became involved in local politics, serving as precinct treasurers and selectmen. Another grandson of the cap- tain revolutionized the wool carding industry with his invention of the card-manufac- turing machine. Together with his brother William, he brought prosperity to the town with their new manufacturing industry.

The rest of the file

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

MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES Arlington Vital Records to 1850, New England Historical and Genealogical Society, Boston, 1904- CutBostm, Janin and wi11iam Re, Hästory of the Towm of Arlington, David CLapp & Son, parer, cnHeo oon cabriane at and 103e t S. Pato don, Aosoto, 1907.

10 GEOGRAPHICAL DATA ACREAGE OF NOMINATED PROPERTY_less than = acre UTM REFERENCES AL1gl ZONE 13/214/01210/ EASTING 416/916/31810 NORTHING CLI LLIL VERBAL BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION ZONE EASTING NORTHING Llbil 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 Blaine Mallory and Joseph Orfant, National Register Editor Marianne Balazs, Arlington Historical Commission ORGANIZATION DATE Massachusetts Historical Commission October 20, 1977 STREET & NUMBER TELEPHONE 294 Washington Street 617-727-8470 CITY OR TOWN STATE Boston 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 forth by the National Park Service. STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER SIGNATURE TITLE Executive Director, Mass. Historical Commission iahalleed Amado DATE /2/5/77 FOR NPS USE ONLY I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS PROPERTY INGLUDED IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER DIRECTOR, OFFICE OFAACHEOLOGAND-HISTORIC-PRÉSERVATION ATTEST: absoud KEEPER OFTH IONAL REGISTER DATE 33028 OE THE" NATTOTAL REGISTAE DATE 3-16-78 GPO 892.453 Form No. 10-300a (Kev.

10-74) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY -- NOMINATION FORM FOR NPS USE ONLY RECEIVED/AN 6 1978 DATE ENTERED MAR 3 0 1978 Butterfield- CONTINUATION SHEET Whittemore House ITEM NUMBER PAGE The house remained the property of the Whittemore family until shortly after the death of Samuel III's son Jonathan. Then a farm of about 78 acres, property was subdivided and developed as Whittemore Park in the early 20th Today the area contains simple two-family houses and small scale commercial development. Form No. 10-300a (Kev.

10-74) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY -- NOMINATION FORM FOR NPS USE ONLY RECEIVED.JAN 6 1978 DATE ENTERED MAR 3 0 1978 CONTINUATION SHEET ITEM NUMBER 9 PAGE 1 Bibliography, continued: Whittemore, B.A., "The Whittemore Family in America", The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, January, 1952-October, 1954. Whittemore, B.B., tteners . Bhittcenea as of Severa1 Branches of the Whittemore Fami2y, Wyman, T.B., Charlestown Genealogies and Estates, David Clapp and Son, Boston, 1879. property Butterfeld-Whittemone Sause state Mass. Working Number . 6. 78.2/96 Middlesex CONTROL Photos - Maps pl OK 1.9.28 HISTORIAN lecept Franke 2.22-78 fortions of houe supposdly bruet ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIAN 1695.

accept Aravhan 2-16:78 ARCHEOLOGIST OTHER HAER Inventory - Review 3/15/78 BRANCH CHIEF National Register Write-up Federal Register Entry 5.2.28 Send-back Re-submit Entered United States Department of the Interior National Park Service WASO No. 7 KEEPER pequen 3/20/38 MAR 3 0 1978 INT: 2106 - 74 Butterfield-Whittemore House Arlington, Massachusetts 1975 Edward Jacoby Architectural Photography Group #1%3 East facade miadlesex County JAN 6 1978 IMAR 3 0 1978 PROPERTY OF THE NATTONAL REGISTER APG Architectural Photography Group All reproductions of this Photograph must be credited To: © EDWARD JACOBY Eastfacade Buttufield-Whittemae Houe.

54 Maunhmed Que 9-75 A -103 Butterfield-Whittemore house, 54 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington PROPERTY OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER Butterfield-Whittemore House Arlington, Massachusetts 1975 Edward Jacoby MAR 3 O 1978 Architectural Photography Group #3 North elevation middlesey County JAN & 1978 Butterfield-Whittemore House, 54 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington PROPERTY OF THE NATONAL L REGISTER Butterfield-Whittemore House Arlington, Massachusetts 1975 Edward Jacoby Architectural Photography Group #2 3 Western end of south elevation middlEsex County MAR 3 0 1978 JAN 6 1978 Deas fir-Ireceived fien le thont ae yeuaapeu bridet fetry wraght Mayrand Jage P.A. if there is any berifits we ma seciive bir any sectn tton o on heame phose Butterfrald - Whittemore House Fad. 1.24.78 vecd 1-4.78 THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES JAN 3 4 1978 DATE REC'D DATE /C.

INITIALS TSgrrs - Name Harvard Lampoon Building /Butterfield-Whittemore House ENTRIES IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER STATE MASSACHUSETTS Date Entered MAR 3 0 1978 - Location Cambridge Middlesex County Arlington Middlesex County Also Notified Hon. Edward W. Brooke Hon. Edward M. : Kennedy Hon. Thomas P. O'Neill, Jr. /880 Mott/js 4/10/78 State Historic Preservation Officer Mrs. Elizabeth R. Amadon Executive Director, Massachusetts Historical Commission 294 Washington Street Boston, Massachusetts 02108 NATIONAL REGISTER DATA DNAME as it appears on federal register: 2 OTHER NAMES: Butterfield-Whittemore House Whittemore, Samuel, House S LOCATION street & number 54 Massachusetts Ave. D OWNER XPRIVATE LOSTATE OMUNICIPAL 9 EXISTING SURVEYS CHABS CHAER ONHL IATIONAL RECISTER HISTORIC city / town Arlington -COUNTY OMULTiPLE [FEDERAL(agency name) (10) FUNDED? DYES -NO LCONGRESS.

DISTRICT 8th MAL HISTORIC LANBMARK vieinity of state MA 12) SOURCE oF NOMINATION coun Middle BADMII X STATE ACREAGE )CONDITION Dexcellent Ogood Dfair - deteriorated Druins Junexposed Ounexcavated Oaltered Doriginal site Dunaltered Omoved Oreconstructed Ounknown Oexcavated (IACCESS OYES-Restricted DYES-Unrestricted - No Access { AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE : DENGINEERING-11 CARCHEOLOGY - prehistoric-2 -COMMERCE- 6 DENTERTAINMENT-26 - ARCHEOLOGY-historic-1 - COMMUNICATIONS-7 CEXPLORATION -12 - AGRICULTURE -3 - CONSERVATION-8 -HEALTH-27 -ARCHITECTURE-4 - ECONOMICS- 9 - INDUSTRY- 13 - ART-5 - EDUCATION-10 - INVENTION - 14 17)features: COSUBSTANTIALLY INTACT-1 QONOT INTACT-O uCUNKNOWN-4 ZO NOT APPLICABLE -7 - Unknown (19 ADAPTIVE USE OYES ONO] SAVED?

DYES -LANDSCAPE ARCH.-15 - POLITICS/ GOVT." 21 - LAW - 16 -RELIGION-22 - LITERATURE - 17 - SCIENCE- 23 - MILITARY- 18 - SOCIAL/HUMANITARIAN-24 -RECREATION -28 -SETTLEMENT-29 -URBAN PLAMNING-31 DOTHER (SPECIFY) - MUSIC- 19 - SOCIAL / CULTURAL-30 - PHILOSOPHY -20 - TRANSPORTATION -25 -OSUBSTANTIAI 90 NOT INTACT WOUNKNOWN- EO NOT APPLIC IS PROP CL 'firs 'olde 'onl 2 functions WHEN HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT: CURRENTLY: ®architectural style(s): )dates of initial construction: major alterations : historic events: @architect: master builder: landscape architeot / garden designer: () interior decorator: artist: ®artisan: NAMES give role & date PERSONAL: EVENTS: INSTITUTIONAL: CNATIONAL REGISTER WRITE-UP reviewers initials _date IF ADDITIONAL SPACE NEEDED, NUMBER & PUT ON REVERSE