Nomination for Clark Houses

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

Form No. 10-300 (Rev.

10-74) PH0506591 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE DATA SHEET FOR NPS USE ONLY RECEIVEO OCT 271977 NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY -- NOMINATION FORM DATE ENTERED FEB 17 1978 SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN HOW TO COMPLETE NATIONAL REGISTER FORMS TYPE ALL ENTRIES - COMPLETE APPLICABLE SECTIONS 1 NAME HISTORIC Clark Houses AND/OR COMMON Same 2 LOCATION STREET & NUMBER 74 and 76 West Central Street CITY, TOWN Natick STATE Massachusetts - VICINITY OF CODE 025 -NOT FOR PUBLICATION CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 10th COUNTY Middlesex CODE 017 3 CLASSIFICATION CATEGORY DISTRICT XBUILDING(S) -STRUCTURE -SITE _OBJECT OWNERSHIP PUBLIC X _PRIVATE _BOTH PUBLIC ACQUISITION IN PROCESS -BEING CONSIDERED STATUS XOCCUPIED -UNOCCUPIED _WORK IN PROGRESS ACCESSIBLE - YES: RESTRICTED - YES: UNRESTRICTED -NO PRESENT USE AGRICULTURE -_MUSEUM X COMMERCIAL _PARK -EDUCATIONAL XPRIVATE RESIDENCE -ENTERTAINMENT - RELIGIOUS _GOVERNMENT SCIENTIFIC _INDUSTRIAL -TRANSPORTATION _MILITARY _OTHER: OWNER OF PROPERTY NAME Mr.

Arnold Zaltas, Trustee, Salt Pond Trust Joseph and Ellenor Hall STREET & NUMBER 74 West. Central Street 76 West Central Street CITY,TOWN STATE Massachusetts 01760 Natick - VICINITY OF 5 LOCATION OF LEGAL DESCRIPTION COURTHOUSE. REGISTRY OF DEEDS, ETC. Middlesex County Registry of Deeds STREET & NUMBER 208 Cambridge Street CITY. TOWN STATE Cambridge REPRESENTATION IN EXISTING SURVEYS TITLE Inventory of the Historic Assets of the Commonwealth Massachusetts 02141 DATE 1977 _FEDERAL XSTATE _COUNTY _LOCAL DEPOSITORY FOR SURVEY RECORDS Massachusetts Historical Commission CITY, TOWN STATE Boston Massachusetts 02108 7-DESCRIPTION CONDITION TEXCELLENT GOOD -FAIR DETERIORATED RUINS __UNEXPOSED CHECK ONE _UNALTERED -ALTERED CHECK ONE XORIGINAL SITE _MOVED DATE DESCRIBE THE PRESENT AND ORIGINAL (IF KNOWN) PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Description of the property

The Clark Houses are located at 74 and 76 West Central Street near the center of Natick. West Central Street (Route 135) is the main road between Wellesley and Framingham. The two houses are situated in a residential neighborhood and are immediately surrounded by homes of many styles and ages. The two stand side by side and together occupy less than one acre of property landscaped by low bushes and topiary shrubbery. Both of the buildings were constructed in the late 19th century and represent coherent examples of the Second Empire style. The Edward Clark House, 74 West Central Street, is located on the corner of West Central and Forest Streets. The structure was built in 1870 for Edward Clark. It greatly influenced the design of later structures around it. It is a three story T-plan Second Empire style building with a granite foundation.

The house is sheathed in beaded clapboards painted a light umber. All trimwork is painted off white. Cornerboards and watertable are plain. The wide molded entablature has decorative scroll brackets supporting the overhanging eaves. The high mansard roof is covered with fish scale polychromatic floral pattern tiles. The molded roof has ornamental floral designs at the top of each roof corner. There is a center chimney. The building is symmetrical. Fenestration is varied in design and ornate. The three bay wide facade faces east toward the driveway off West Central Street and Forest Street beyond. It is dominated by a central projecting three story pavillion, one bay in width. The pavillion is an open porch at the first story level. Four steps with iron railings lead to this entrance porch. Its triangularly pedimented roofline is supported by two sets of double columns.

Both sets are composed of one round and one square column, each with panels at the base and two distinct decorative capitals above. The two sets of columns are linked by an arch with keystone. Similar arches on both sides of the porch link the double columns to a single squared pilaster flanking the door. Decorative brackets support the mo1ded porch cornice. The entrance itself is double wooden doors, each with a single rectangular light and molded panels below. The door is framed by a plain architrave with a molded base to either side. The second story of the pavilion has a circular patterned sill beneath double 1/1 round arched windows. These are framed by highly ornamental scrolled base pilasters supporting an open triangular pediment with a carved garland motif at its center.

The north and south sides each have a molded panel below a single 1/1 arched window flanked by pilasters and headed by a projecting segmantal pediment and a garland motif at its center. A single small 1/1 round arched window stands on both the north and south sides of the projection. Both of these windows have heavy hood molds. The central pavilion is flanked by the identical east and west end bays of the facade. The single first story windows on either end are 2/2 with scrolled archi- traves, dentils and a triangular pediment with a garland in the center. The two 2/2 second story windows follow the design of the first story windows, but lack the dentils. The two gabled dormers overhead are segmentally arched and headed by a garland within an open triangular pediment. Form No. 10-300a (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 OCT 271977 DATE ENTERED FEB 17 1978 CONTINUATION SHEET The Clark Houses ITEM NUMBER 7 PAGE 1 The north elevation faces West Central Street. It has a full three story projecting bay at its eastern end. The three sides of the bay are at 45 degree angles to one another in a single-double-single 1/1 window pattern on the first two stories. First story windows are segmentally arched with scrolled architectraves and hood molds. Second story windows are round arched with keystone. Molded panels define the first, second and third story floor levels. The gable dormer overhead repeats the design of those on the facade. The western end bay of the elevation has single windows on the first and second story, and a dormer above.

All three are identical to their counterparts on the facade. The south elevation has a two story mansard roofed ell with an entrance portico. The exterior of the building was carefully restored in 1976 following a long period of neglect. The Mary Clark Whitney House stands directly west of the Edward Clark House at 76 West Central Street. It was built during the early 1870's for Mary Clark Whitney, a cousin of Edward Clark. The house resembles its neighbor at #74, but has less elaborate detailing. It is a three story, I-plan Second Empire structure set on a granite foundation. The main rectangle is three bays wide by two bays deep. The hip roofed ell attached to the rear elevation is two bays wide by two bays deep. The house is sheathed in beaded clapboards painted beige. Cornerboards and water- table are plain.

The wide entablature is ornamented by irregularly placed paired brackets beneath the widely overhanging eaves. The high mansard roof is covered by fish scale slate tiles. Fenestration is 2/2 framed by green louvered shutters on the first two stories. First story windows are headed by a molded projecting cornice. Second story windows are headed by a triangular pediment with a boss at their center. The gable dormers contain 2/2 windows flanked by a stepped architrave and headed by an open triangular pediment. The facade faces north toward West Central Street. A central projecting pavillion rises the full three stories, with the first story being an entrance portico. Paired Doric columns support the portico entablature with its bracketed corners. Narrow Doric pilasters frame double Italianate style entrance doors.

The second story of the pavillion has a wide molded sill beneath double arched 1/1 windows with a projecting flat cornice on the facade and a segmentally arched 1/1 window on both the east and the west sides of the projection. The gable dormer above has a segmentally arched window. The east elevation has a three sided flat roofed projection on the first story. The three sides are at 45 degree angles to one another. Each corner has two pairs Form No. 10-300a (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 OCT 2 7 1977 DATE ENTERED 1978 CONTINUATION SHEET The Clark Houses ITEM NUMBER 7 2 PAGE of brackets beneath the cornice. Iwo windows stand above on the second story, with a dormer overhead.

The east elevation of the ell has an open porch with a single window overhead on the second story. The teseieleyation cothe hayse The west elevation of the house has two windows on both stories. The west elevation of the ell has a second story window at the northern end and a first story window at the southern end. There is an entrance to the ell on the south (rear) elevation.

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

SIGNIFICANCE PERIOD _PREHISTORIC _1400-1499 -1500-1599 _1600-1699 1700-1799 X1800-1899 1900- ARCHEOLOGY-PREHISTORIC ARCHEOLOGY-HISTORIC AGRICULTURE XARCHITECTURE ART XcoMMERCE _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 -SOCIAL/HUMANITARIAN _THEATER -TRANSPORTATION _OTHER(SPECIFY) SPECIFIC DATES 1870 and c. 1870 STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

Statement of significance

BUILDER/ARCHITECT The Clark Houses are significant as two of the finer examples of the Second Empire/ mansard style in Natick. They are also significant for their association with Edward Clark, a local entrepreneur. Edward Clark was born in Natick in August of 1838. He was the son of Nathaniel Clark, builder of the Clark Block in Natick Center (N.R. nomination - Natick Center H.D.). Edward was established as a prominent Natick grocer by 1882. His business was housed in the Clark Block. He succeeded his father as town treasurer from 1889-1910 and while in office handled more than four million dollars. Edward was a director of the Natick National Bank, of which his father was a founder. During his lifetime, he also served as the Water and Sewer Commissioner, a Trustee of the Morse Hospital, and the Treasurer of the Park Cemetery Association. He died in 1910.

The rest of the file

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

MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES Ferro, Max, How to Love and Care for Your Old Building in New Bedford, (section on styles), New Bedford, 1977. Whiffen, Marcus, American Architecture Since 1780, M.I.T. Press, Cambridge, 1969.

10 GEOGRAPHICAL DATA ACREAGE OF NOMINATED PROPERTY Less than one UTM REFERENCES A|1,91 1310,516,6,0 ZONE EASTING CL1 VERBAL BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION 14,618,315,8,01 NORTHING acre ZONE EASTING WLIlIL NORTHING DULLILIHIILLI 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 ORGANIZATION Caro1 Ann Nelson, The Preservation Partnership, Natiok Massachusetts Historical Commission October 6, 1977 STREET & NUMB294 Washington Street- 6IYEP42YE84707 CITY OR TOWN Boston Mâssachusetts 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), 1 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 liabut Kel Amadon Executive Director, Mass. Historical Commission 10/18/22 FOR NPS USE ONLY I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS PROPERTY IS INCLUDED IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER Rohut B. Retti DIPTETaD fi ATTEST: DATE 2/17/78 KREREBAE LOEAATTONAT RRETSTEN GPO 892.453 Form No. 10-300a (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 OCT 271977 DATE ENTERED FEB 17 1978 CONTINUATION SHEET ITEM NUMBER PAGE NORTH TAYLOR AVENUE STREET WEST CENTRAL STREET #76 #74 The Clark Houses Natick, Massachusetts Scale: 1"=100' Source: Town Assessor's Map #43 Date: 1977 MARY 'EDWARD CLARK ,* CLARK WHTNEY, HOUSE HousE. FOREST TUCKER STREET Property Clack Nouses State Mass. Working Number/8.

23.27.1725 Middlesca TECHNICAL CONTROL Photos - 3 Maps pl OK0.22.23 tocally promenent 19'8 famuly/ Ricehoune HISTORIAN Aecuptun 2-2.78 not ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIAN how much can realy n ing htaeut 2 sesond Impire accept -So.. 12.7.77 ARCHEOLOGIST OTHER HAER Inventory - Review REVIEW UNIT CHIEF -beyt zu Engiue reidenes 2/7/78 BRANCH CHIEF 2-9.78 KEEPER Rettig for Murtagh 2/17/78 FEB 1V 1970 National Register Write-up Federal Register Entry 4.4.78 Send-back Re-submit Entered INT:2106-74 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service WASO No. 7 FEB 17 1978 Clark Houses Natick, Massachusetts 1977 OCT 27 1977 Carol Ann Nelson Preservation Partnership 74 West Central Street, Natick tloking southeast toward facades and west elevations of 74 and 76 West Central St. (left to right) midllesey Co.

IVHINEH HOOSE #76W CENTRA NTRAL PROPERTY OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER FEB 17 1978 Clark Houses Natick, Massachusetts 1977 OCT 271977 Carol Ann Nelson Preservation Partnership 74 West Central St., Natick #2q Looking southwest toward facade and north elevation of Edward Clark House, 74 West Central Street. middle SEx Co. ENTeML LNSIS JAOIN TNT PROPERTY AECTME NATIONAL Clark Houses Natick, Massachusetts OCT 2 7 1977 1977 Carol Ann Nelson Preservation Partnership FEB 17 1978 74 West Central Street, Natick #3 d 3 Looking southwest toward facade and east elevation of Mary Clark Whitney House, 76 West Central Street. middlesex Co. 4 HOUSE #76 IV.

CENTRAL MNALIA SIVEETLANO HOUSET #8C PROPERTY OF THE NATIO PAUL GUZZI Sermlary of the Commonucalth The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Cffice of the Secretary Massachusells Historical Commission 291 Washinglon Siree Boston, Massachuselts 02108 (617)727-8470 October 21, 1977 OCT 2 7 1977 F7 Mr. Charles Herrington Registration Branch National Register VAH, National Park Service REGISTER washington, D.C. 20240 Dear Charles: Enclosed please find nomination forms for the following properties: 1. Worcester, City Hall and Common 2. Brockton, Moses Packard House Natick, Clark Houses 4. Tisbury, Ritter House 5. Duxbury, Gamaliel Bradford House These properties have been reviewed and voted by the State Review Board and signed by the State Historic Preservation Officer. Sincerely, Pat Patricia L. Weslowski Survey Director Massachusetts Historical Commission PLW/ed enc.

ENTRIES IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER STATE MASSACHUSETTS Date Entered _FEB 17 1978 Name Bradford, Capt., Gamaltel, House Clark Houses Packazd, Moses, House Location Duxbuxy vicinity Plymouth County Natick Middlesex County Brockton Plymouth County Also Notified Hon. Edward W. Brooke Hon. Edvard M. Kennedy Bon. Gerry . Studds Hon. Margaret M. Heckler Hon, James A. Burke Regional Director, North Atlantic Region 880 Mott/js 3/2/78 State Historic Preservation Officer Mre. Blizabeth Amadon . Executive Director, Massachusetts Historical Counission 294 Washington Street Boston, Massachusetts 02108 PH0506591 NATIONAL REGISTER DATA SHEET ONAME as it appears on federal register: 2OTHER NAMES: 3) date of FEB 17*1978 county code: Clark Houses 17 5 LOCATION street & number city / town vicinity of 74 and 76 W. Central St.

Natick state MA 6)NPS REGION: NA OWNER XPRIVATE COSTATE DOMUNICIPAL -COUNTY [OMULTIPLE CFEDERAL(agency name), 9) EXISTING SURVEYS | CHABS -HAER ONHL (10) FUNDED? OYES CONGRESS.

DISTRICT 10th 12)SOURCE of NOMINATION COWTHIN NATIONAL REGISTET HISTORIC LANOMA ACREASE 38 CONDITION Dexeellent Ogood Ofair - deteriorated Oaltered Oruins Dunexposed Ounaltered Oreconstructed Ounexcavated Dexcavated ACCESS OYES-Restricted [YES -Unrestricted - No Access AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE : CENGINEERING-11 DARCHEOLOGY - prehistoric-2 -COMMERCE-6 -ENTERTAINMENT-26 CARCHEOLOGY - historic- 1 - COMMUNICATIONS- 7 CEXPLORATION -12 - AGRICULTURE-3 - CONSERVATION - 8 - HEALTH-27 - ARCHITECTURE-4 - ECONOMICS - 91 - INDUSTRY - 13 - ART-5 - EDUCATION-10 -INVENTION -14 Ooriginal site Omoved Ounknown - Unknown - LANDSCAPE ARCH.- 15 - LAW - 16 - LITERATURE - 17 - MILITARY - 18 - MUSIC- 19 - PHILOSOPHY -20 D10 17)features: CSUBSTANTIALLY INTACT-2 NOT INTACT-O UNKNOWN-4 20 NOT APPLICABLE -7 19) ADAPTIVE, USE CYES OONO SAVED?

OYES - POLITICS/ GOVT.- 21 -RECREATION -28 ORELIGION-22 - SETTLEMENT-29 - SCIENCE- 23 -URBAN PLANMING-31 - SOCIAL/HUMANITARIAN -24 - OTHER (SPECIFY) - SOCIAL / CULTURAL-30] - TRANSPORTATION -25| county Middlesex 8ADMINISTRATOR : X STATE CFEDERAL if state who prepared form? OLOCAL -PRIVATE ORGANIZATION @OSUBSTANTIALLY INTACT - 2 2OSUBSTANTIALLY INTACT - 3 CO NOT INTACT - O QONOT INTACT - O WOUNKNOWN-5 5O UNKNOWN-6 $ONOT APPLICABLE-8 ZO NOT APPLICABLE - 9 IS PROPERTY A HISTORIC DISTRICT?

DyesOno @OCLAIMS: explain 'first'D 'oldest' O 'only' O )functions WHEN HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT: CURRENTLY: architectural style(s): @dates of initial construction: major alterations: historic events: ETHNIC GROUP ASSOCIATION garchiteet: master builder: 2 engineer: -landscape architect / garden designer: S interior decorator: @artist: @artisan: Sbuilder/contractor: BNAMES give role & date PERSONAL: EVENTS: INSTITUTIONAL: NATIONAL REGISTER WRITE-UP eviewers initials. _date. E IF ADDITIONAL SPACE NEEDED, NUMBER & PUT ON REVERSE BIN