Nomination for King Caesar House

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

Form No. 10-300 (Rev. 10-74) PH0505943 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE FOR NPS USE ONLY DATA SHEET NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY -- NOMINATION FORM RECEIVED OCT 1 8 1977 DATE ENTERED MAR 29 1978 SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN HOW TO COMPLETE NATIONAL REGISTER FORMS TYPE ALL ENTRIES -- COMPLETE APPLICABLE SECTIONS 1 NAME HISTORIC Ezra Weston II House AND/OR COMMON King Caesar House (preferred) 2 LOCATION STREET & NUMBER King Caesar Road, Powder Point CITY.

TOWN Duxoury NOT FOR PUBLICATION 12thRESSIONAL DISTRICT STATE Massachusetts VICINITY OF CODE 025 COUNTY Plymouth CODE 023 3 CLASSIFICATION CATEGORY _DISTRICT * BUILDING(S) STRUCTURE -SITE _OBJECT OWNERSHIP _PUBLIC XPRIVATE _BOTH PUBLIC ACQUISITION -IN PROCESS -BEING CONSIDERED STATUS XOCCUPIED -UNOCCUPIED _WORK IN PROGRESS ACCESSIBLE *YES: RESTRICTED -YES: UNRESTRICTED _NO PRESENT USE AGRICULTURE X_MUSEUM -COMMERCIAL X PARK X EDUCATIONAL -PRIVATE RESIDENCE -ENTERTAINMENT -RELIGIOUS _GOVERNMENT SCIENTIFIC X INDUSTRIAL -TRANSPORTATION MILITARY _OTHER: OWNER OF PROPERTY NAME The Duxbury Rural and Historical Society, Inc. STREET & NUMBER Box 176 Snug Harbor Station CITY. TOWN STATE Duxbury VICINITY OF LOCATION OF LEGAL DESCRIPTION COURTHOUSE. REGISTRY OF DEEDS;ETC. Plymouth County Registry of Deeds Massachusetts 02332 STREET & NUMBER Russell Street CITY.

TOWN STATE PLymouth REPRESENTATION IN EXISTING SURVEYS Massachusetts 02360 TITLE Inventory of the Historic Assets of the Commonwealth DATE 1972 - FEDERAL XSTATE _COUNTY _LOCAL DEPOSITORY FOR SURVEY RECORDS Massachusetts Historical Commission CITY.TOWN STATE Boston Massachusetts 02108 7-DESCRIPTION CONDITION -EXCELLENT _GOOD _FAIR DETERIORATED _RUINS _UNEXPOSED CHECK ONE _UNALTERED XALTERED CHECK ONE _ORIGINAL SITE _MOVED DATE. DESCRIBE THE PRESENT AND ORIGINAL (IF KNOWN) PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Description of the property

The King Caesar House is located on King Caesar Road in Duxbury. The house sits on a slight elevation on Powder Point overlooking Duxbury Bay and the Weston Wharf. A low stone wall and white picket fence separates the house property from the road. The posts of the center gate are topped by urns. The 14 acres of land surrounding the building are meticulously maintained. The grounds include tall shade trees, fir trees, topiary shrubbery, sloping lawns and formal gardens. The wharf lies directly south of the house, across King Caesar Road on the Bay. It includes 3/4 of a acre of additional property, also well landscaped. The surrounding area is residential, consisting pri- marily of large lots with summer and year round homes.

The Federal style, brick-end house was built in 1808 by Ezra Weston II, known as "King Caesar." The original T-plan structure is two stories with a hip roof and four tall inside end chimneys, two on each side elevation. The south facade, rear elevation, and ells are sheathed in clapboards painted yellow. The trimwork is painted white. Cornerboards are wide and plain. Fenestration is 6/6 with slightly projecting lintels and sills, all framed by louvered shutters. The original I-plan form was added on to sometime ago with ells on the rear (north) elevation. The five bay wide, symmetrical facade faces south. Stone steps lead to the three panel wooden door. It is flanked by leaded glass sidelights, and headed by a leaded glass fan with keystone. Directly overhead on the second story is a 6/6 window with side- lights.

The west elevation is four bays deep with a slightly off center door topped by a shaped lintel. The north elevation has a gabled dormer with nine lights on either side of the original two story ell. An early two story addition extends from this ell and presently houses a museum. The ridge roof of the addition carries a small, white steeple and a bell which is said to have been brought to Duxbury on a Weston vessel. The vessel allegedly overcame a privateer which had stolen the bell from a Caribbean mission. A one story enclosed shed runs along the west elevation of the addition. It has a door at the southern end by the summer kitchen ell. The central space of the porch has two 6 light casements which are separated by a stained glass window. Projecting from the west ele- vation of the addition is a one story, ridge roofed ell. This ell houses the summer kitchen.

The ell is also connected to the original house by a small glass porch. The ell facade has an entrance at the western end and a small 6/6 window at the eastern end. The center of the ell facade is occupied by a large, multi-light, segmentally arched win- dow with balustrade. The west (rear) elevation of the ell has a window at its northern end and two windows above in the gable. There is a small end chimney overhead. The north elevation of the ell has an eastern end door flanked by a single window to the east and triple windows to the west. A flat roof dormer with two windows rises over- head. A triangular gable rises from the roof above. The interior of the house retains fine wood detailing: ornate molding, carved and convo- luted ballusters, and interior shutters. The spacious rooms have high ceilings.

One of the front parlors retains original Dufour wallpaper, "Les Incas"; the other parlor has original "Le Parc Francais" wallpaper attributed to Jaquemart and Barnard. The gracious staircase in the center hall rises to a balcony on two sides of the upper hall 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 RECEIVEOCT 1 8 1977 DATE ENTERED MAR 2 9 1978 CONTINUATION SHEET King Caesar House,TEM NUMBER 7 1 PAGE which serves the bedrooms. The public rooms are furnished with period pieces, many of which belonged to the Weston family. Paintings of members of the family and of other prominent people associated with the area and times hang on the walls. The original barn stands to the rear of the house and serves as a meetinghouse for the museum.

The Duxbury Rural and Historical Society Inc. acquired the property in 1965 by public subscription. The house serves as the Society's headquarters , a tne socesay ad pene,

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- AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE -- CHECK AND JUSTIFY BELOW ARCHEOLOGY-PREHISTORIC COMMUNITY PLANNING -LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE ARCHEOLOGY-HISTORIC -CONSERVATION LAW AGRICULTURE -ECONOMICS -LITERATURE X ARCHITECTURE -EDUCATION _MILITARY ART -ENGINEERING _MUSIC X COMMERCE _EXPLORATION/SETTLEMENT PHILOSOPHY -COMMUNICATIONS XINDUSTRY -POLITICS/GOVERNMENT -INVENTION _RELIGION SCIENCE _SCULPTURE _SOCIAL/HUMANITARIAN _THEATER -TRANSPORTATION XOTHER (SPECIFY) Shipping and Shipbuilding SPECIFIC DATES 1808 STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE BUILDER

Statement of significance

/ARCHITECT The King Caesar House is significant for the quality of its architecture and as the home of a prominent local family. It is the finest Federal style structure in Duxbury. The builder, Ezra Weston II, was a leading American shipbuilder. house occupies an attractive location and faces south towards the Weston's harbor. Ezra Weston acquired the name "King Caesar" because of his business acumen and success in shipbuilding and shipping. The Weston family were farmers originally. Weston was engaged in shipping by 1764, and after serving in the Revolution, he returned to the growing trade. Duxbury developed as a shipping center during the years 1764-98, and Weston's affluence grew with the fortunes of the town. With his success he purchased more land in and around Duxbury to increase his ship- building complex.

In 1798 Weston's son, Ezra II, joined as a partner in Ezra Weston and Son. The partnership continued until the father's death in 1822. Ezra II inherited the large holdings, an active business, and the nickname "King Caesar." He proved well educated in shipbuilding and shipping affairs. "King Caesar" married Jerusha Bradford, a member of another prominent Duxbury family, and the sister of several successful local shipmasters. Weston was one of the founders of the Duxbury Bank and served as the first president of this bank in 1833; his son, Gershom, was the second. The Weston holdings included farms for ships' provisions, a ropewalk, a forge shop for tools and ship hardware, a cotton mill for sailcloth, a sail loft, and a ten acre shipyard. Ninety-nine vessels were built and owned by the Westons between 1800 and 1842. Among them was "Smyrna", the first American ship to enter the Black Sea.

"Hope" was Weston's largest vessel. Built in 1841, it measured 159' long and weighed 880 tons. Captain Arthur H. Clark, a reliable maritime historian, claimed, "Ezra Weston was the most famous of the old-time Boston shipowners - the Westons were easily the largest shipowners in the U.S." Daniel Webster, while a resident of nearby Marshfield, referred to Ezra Weston II as " -..the largest shipowner, probably in the United States. During the past year he has made what might suffice for two or three fortunes of moderate size." One of Mr. Webster's tall clocks now stands in the hall of the King Caesar house.

The rest of the file

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

MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES Wentworth, Dorothy, Settlement and Growth of Duxbury 1628-1870, 1974. 10 GEOGRAPHICAL DATA ACREAGE OF NOMINATED PROPERTY 2 Acres UTM REFERENCES AL191362349 14959339 ZONE EASTING NORTHING CLL LilILiy VERBAL BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION SCI BL,J EASTING NORTHING aLELLLL 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 Frederick I.

Potter, Duxbury Historical Commission ORGANIZATION Massachusetts Historical Commission September 19, 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 beet TITLE Executive Director, Mass.

Historical Conmission ked Umado DATE 9/28/27 FOR NPS USE ONLY I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS PROPERTY INCLUDED IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER UFFICE OF ARCHEO DATE 32478 OE THE HATTONAL RECTSTEE DATE 3-16-78 KEZAEA GPO 892.453 Property State MA. Xing Carsar House Working Number 10.18.27.1656 TECHNICAL Photos Maps See phore shet an. appropialo Plymoueth CONTROL pl OK 16.19.22 whauf - 2x0 inclusion Impaulat properly HISTORIAN shak 1-30.73 Io whay on reeteh as map, included innominated Aroperte call - perhaps re quiest continuat, v skeet with inp. on whay. lee telephone sheet ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIAN accept 1.30.78 Bravhar 12.6.77 ARCHEOLOGIST OTHER 2/16/18 HAER Inventory- Review - REVIEW UNIT CHIEF Qcoept, leborich BRANCH CHIEF KEEPER 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 MAR 2 9 1978 INT:2106-74 King Caesar House Duxbury, Massachusetts 1977 Frederick T. Potter Duxbury Town Offices, Duxbury #1 South facade Plymouth County OCT 18 1977 MAR 29 1978 PROPERTY OF IHE NATTONAL REGISTER King Caesar House Duxbury, Massachusetts Frederick T. Potter OCT 1 8 1977 Town Offices, Duxbury South facade, west elevation, summer kitchen Plymouth County PROPERTY OF THE NOANL REASTER King Caesar House Duxbury, Massachusetts 1977 Frederick T. Potter Town Offices, Duxbury #3 43 North (rear) elevation of summer kitchen and west elevation of early two story addition. Plymouth County AR 29 1978 PROPERTY OF TNT AIE PAUL GUZZI Secntary of the Commonuralth The Commonwealch of Massachusetts Office of the Secretary Massachusells Historical Commission 291 Washinglon Siree Boston, Massachuselts 02108 (617)727-8470 October 11, 1977 RECEIVED OCT 1 8 1977 Mr.

Charles Herrington Registration Branch National Register OAHP , National Park Service washington, D.C. 40240 NATIONAL REGISTER IST Ta Dear Charles: Enclosed please find nomination forms for the following properties: 1. Bedford, Nathaniel Page Homestead Cambridge, Harvard Lampoon Building 3. Duxbury, King Caesar House These properties have been reviewed and voted by the State Review Board and signed by the State Historic Preservation Officer. Sincerely, Vat Patricia L. Weslowski Survey Director Massachusetts Historical Commission PLW/ed enc. WASO-166 (August 1971) U. S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE TELEPHONE REPORT DATE TIME OF CALL 1-30:38 AM PM 1. CALL To: FROM (Name) 2. ADDRESS (Tel. No. if needed) Joe Orfant J. SUBJECT, PROJECT NO., ETC. King Coesou Hamss 4.

DETAILS OF USSION - yes - whay what is left of it " inclided little lut f haure siting, vey impartent - ariass mayoe alof - luge land uth sheds. stae nauher cn t- lut a leuldings landfull - fian Westons caueud sare- aw.ership bistaieed. anciely NAME OF PERSON PLACING/RECEIVING CALL Shefy TITLE , OFFICE ENTRIES IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER STATE Date Entered MASSACHUSETTS MAR 29 1978 Name Cottage Farm Historic District Location Worcester City Hall and Common Cutter, Ephraim, House Bixby Block/Home Bank Building Dalton House Page, Nathaniel, House King Caesar House Brookline Norfolk County Worcester Worcester County Arlington Middlesex County Brockton Plymouth Couty Newburyport Essex County Bedford Middlesex County Duxbury Plymouth County Also Notified Hon, Edward W. Brooke Hon. Edward M. Kennedy Hon. Robert F. Drinan Hon. Joseph D. Early Hon. Thomas P. 0'Neil1, Jr. Hon. James A.

Burke Hon. Michael J. Harrington Hon. Paul Isongas Hon. Jerry E. Studds 880 Mott/js - 4/6/78 State Historic Preservation Officer Mrs. Elizabeth R. Amadon Executive Director, Massachusetts Historical Conmission 294 Washington Street Boston, Massachusetts 02108 PH0505943 NATIONAL REGISTER DATA SHEET DNAME as it appears on federal register: )OTHER NAMES: ) county code: King Caesar House Weston 6LOCATION street & number city / town vicinity Ezra II, House of state AROQ GNPS 3 RECION: 23 King Caesar Rd. Duxbury MA NA DOWNER EXPRIVATE OSTATE - MUNICIPAL -COUNTY OMULTIPLE -FEDERAL (agency name) 9) EXISTING SURVEYS DHABS DHAER ONHL (10) FUNDED? OYES ONO (11)CONGRESS.

DISTRICT 12th 12)SOURCE of NOMINATION CONDITION Dexcellent -good Ofair - deteriorated Oruins Dunexposed Ounexcavated Daltered Doriginal site Dunaltered Omoved Oreconstructed Ounknown Dexcavated 1SACCESS OYES-Restricted [YES -Unrestricted - No Access *AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE : DENGINEERING-11 -ARCHEOLOGY - prehistoric-2 -COMMERCE-6 - ENTERTAINMENT-26 -ARCHEOLOGY-historic-1 - COMMUNICATIONS-7 -EXPLORATION -12 - AGRICULTURE -3 - CONSERVATION - 8 - HEALTH-27 -ARCHITECTURE-4 - ECONOMICS- 9 - INDUSTRY- 13 - ART-5 - EDUCATION-10 - INVENTION -14 - Unknown - LANDSCAPE ARCH.- 15 - LAW- 16 - LITERATURE- 17 - MILITARY - 18 - MUSIC - 19 - PHILOSOPHY -20 1features: OSUBSTANTIALLY INTACT-1 2ONOT INTACT-O OUNKNOWN-4 20 NOT APPLICABLE -7 (19) ADAPTIVE USE OYES ONO] SAVED?

DYES - POLITICS/ GOVT." 21 -RECREATION -28 -RELIGION-22 - SETTLEMENT-29 - SCIENCE- 23 CURBAN PLANMING-31 - SOCIAL/HUMANITARIAN-24 OTHER (SPECIFY) - SOCIAL / CULTURAL- 30 - TRANSPORTATION - 25 county Plymouth BADMINISTRATOR: *STATE -FEDERAL if state who prepared form?

-LOCAL -PRIVATE ORGANIZATION @OSUBSTANTIALLY INTACT-2 2OSUBSTANTIALLY INTACT -3 9O NOT INTACT-O 5DUNKNOWN -5 QONOT INTACT - O 5OUNKNOWN-6 SO NOT APPLICABLE-8 ZO NOT APPLICABLE - 9 IS PROPERTY A HISTORIC DISTRICT?DyesOno @CLAIMS: explain 'first'O 'oldest' O 'only' D 2)functions WHEN HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT: CURRENTLY: architectural style(s): dates of initial construction: major alterations : historic events: ETHNIC GROUP ASSOCIATION architeet: @master builder: engineer: -landscape architeet / garden designer: "interior decorator: artist: @artisan: builder/contractor: NAMES give role & date PERSONAL: EVENTS: INSTITUTIONAL: REGISTER WRITE-UP reviewers initials. _date. IF ADDITIONAL SPACE NEEDED, NUMBER & PUT ON REVERSE