Nomination for Oakes, Edward, House

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

FHR-8-300 (11-78) United States Department of the Interior Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form See instructions in How to Complete National Register Forms Type all entries-complete applicable sections 1. Name For HCRS use only received FEB 12 1980 date entered 1e/ nD 80000639 historic Edward Oakes House and/or common same 2. Location street & number 5 Sylvia Road - not for publication Medford city, town vicinity of 7th congressional district Massachusetts 025 state 3.

Classification Category Ownership district public *building(s) x private structure both site Public Acquisition object _ in process being considered code county Middlesex 019 code Status x occupied _ unoccupied - work in progress Accessible xyes: restricted yes: unrestricted _ no Present Use _ agriculture _commercial educational entertainment government industrial military museum park private residence religious _ scientific transportation other: 4. Owner of Property name Frederick and Janet Knox street & number 5 Sylvia Road city, town Medford vicinity of 5. Location of Legal Description state Mass- 02155 courthouse, registry of deeds, etc. Middlesex County Registry of Deeds street & number 208 Cambridge Street city, town Cambridge 6. Representation in Existing Surveys Inventory of the Historic Assets title of the Commonwealth #32 has this property been determined elegible?

state Massachusetts - yes _ no date 1974 federal state _ county local depository for survey records Massachusetts Historical Conmission city, town 294 washington Street, Boston state Massachusetts 7. Description Condition excellent - good fair deteriorated ruins unexposed Check one unaltered X altered Check one _ original site x moved date 8/5/77 Describe the present and original (if known) physical appearance

Description of the property

Located at the southeast corner of Sylvia Road and Main Street, the Edward Oakes House is a rectangular-plan, timber-frame building, two-and-one-half stories high with a massive central chimney. The house rests on a new foundation of poured concrete and is enclosed by a steeply pitched gambrel roof to which an eighteenth-century lean-to ex- tension has been added. The house's exterior is covered with unpainted, stained clap- boards and is trimmed with undecorated corner boards. Windows throughout contain double- hung 6/6sash. The house's facade (north) is symmetrical containing a center-entry flanked by two windows on each side at the first storey and five windows at storey. The heads of second-storey windows are set into the base of the cornice. The entry is approached from a modern, brick stoop.

The entry surround is a modern restoration and con- sists of two pilasters which support a wide entablature and moulded cornice with dentils. Set within this surcound are two three-pane side lights, each of which is set above a panelled base. Set between the side lights is a raised-panel door with six panels. This entry replaced an extensively altered Greek Revival style doorway of which only the side lights and stiles, but no decorative trim or door, remained. Endwalls (east and west) contain five windows each. These windows are of varying sizes and are arranged asymmetrically, two at both the first and second stories and one centered beneath the ridge pole at the attic storey. The house's rear (south) elevation has been completely reconstructed,as it had been covered by a twentieth-century brick addition until 1976, when this addition was demolished in preparation for moving the house.

." 2: 0 ":m ii= is The Oakes House's interior retains many eighteenth-century features. Especially fine are the raised panel room ends of the house's front (north) four rooms (first and second stories). The house's entry hall contains a narrow staircase which rises in stages in front 'of the' central chimney. At the rear of the central chimney (south) is a massive kitchen fireplace which may contain an even larger fireplace behind its current facing bricks.Elsewhere, the house has two fireplaces at'both the first and second sbories..... The Oakes House was moved to its present site on August 5, 1977 from its original site at 460 Riverside Avenue where commercial development plans would have required the house's demolition. Its new site is opposite the Isaac Royall House (A. R.) in a residential neighborhood.

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 Areas of SignificanceCheck and justify below -archeology-prehistoric _ community planning _ archeology-historic _conservation _ agriculture _ economics _architecture education art engineering commerce _exploration/settlement - communications _industry invention _ landscape architecture law literature military music _ philosophy - politics/government _ religion _ science - sculpture _social/ humanitarian theater .transportation other (specify) Specific dates 1728-1729 Statement of Significance

Statement of significance

(in one paragraph) Builder/Architect Builders unknown 0oD1 DODeE Although moved from its original site, the Edward Oakes House possesses integrity of design, materials and workmanship. The house's simple exterior, central chimney, gambrel lean-to roof and interior woodwork mark it as Medford's best preserved example of vernacular eighteenth century architecture. Although this vernacular house-type enjoyed a wide local popularity during the eighteenth century, most other examples have been destroyed, leaving the Oakes House and the slightly later Jonathan Brooks House (2 Woburn Street, ca. 1781-91) as Medford's best examples of the type. The Oakes House is belleved to have been built in 1728 or 1729 by Edward Oakes, the son of Thomas Oakes and Sarah Tufts of Malden.

In 1720, Edward Oakes married a woman named Joanna (last name not given) and by the late 1720's, the couple seems to have moved Sakos was tom conorable and a toncovterer. to Medford. In 1730, Oakes is listed as a taxpayer in Medford; subsequently, in 1733-1734, oakes was town constable and a fenceviewer. During this period, Oakes' brother, Thomas, also became active in town affairs, serving as a selectman, woodcorder and constable. upon oakes's death in 1753, his house was divided between his widow who occupied the western half and his son, Samuel, who occupied the eastern half.

Locally prominent descendants of Rdward oakes include Jonathan oakes, a Revolutionary War soldier and one of Medford's fifty-nine minutemen who set out for Lexington in 1775; Jonathan Oakes is mentioned in local histories as having lived in an "old house" on Riverside Avenue between the original site of the Edward Oakes House and the Peter Tufts House. Originally located at 460 Riverside Avenue on land which Edward Oakes bought from Peter Tufts, the Oakes House stood between the Peter Tufts House (ca. 1678) and the Malden town line on "the highway leading from Medford to Blanchard's Farm," in a section of Medford which remained largely undeveloped until the late nineteenth century. During the nineteenth century, much of the former oakes property was used as a claypit by the New England Brick Company.

When brick-making ceased, land surrounding the house was left as it was filled in the mid-twentieth century. Now one of the largest undeveloped parcels in Medford, this land is owned by a construction company which had planned to demolish the Oakes House and to develop the property. As it was impossible to preserve the house on its original site, it was moved across the Mystic River and Route 93 by by its current owner in 1977 to a site immediately east of the Isaac Royall House (ca. 1750). The new site, in a quiet residential neighborhood, complements the character of the house.

The rest of the file

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

Major Bibliographical References Middlesex County Registry of Deeds, Cambridge, Mass. Hooper, John H. "Some Old Medford Houses and Estates." Medford Historical Register. Volume VII, No. 3, July, 1904. 10. Geographical Data UIM NOT VERIFIED Acreage of nominated property_1/9 acre (4,814 square feet) ACREAGE NOT VERIFIED Quadrangle name Boston, North Quadrangle scale 1:24000 UMT References AL119|| 13|216|31019/ Zone Easting [416 917/41610 Northing E G LLILL Zone Easting -LULLILLL LLL HLULLILu LILILLL Northing LILLL Verbal boundary description and justification Please frefer to the attached massessor's map. The boundary is delinåated in red. 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 Brian Pfeiffer, Consultant with Patricia J.

Lawrence Medford Historical Commission organization Massachusetts Historical Commission date November 1979 street & number 294 Washington St. telephone (617) 727-8470 city or town - Boston state Mass. 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 Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service.

State Historic Preservation Officer signature aturo { Weslowski 1/27/80 title Executive Director, Massachusetts Historical Commission date For HCRS use only I hereby certify that this property is included in the National Register Keper of tho Mational Register Attest: latuck Andus Chier of Hegistration date 1/9/80 date 4/7/80 GPO 938 835 M A N GOLDEN 5178 805 18Pt 60 7180 COLUMBIA 386 3840 14 *15 120 21 40404600 3740 NO- 5239 VIATAS 60 d 33 34 LOTS 1,2 & 3 22,460 5/66 4497 122 2 20 23 23 3600 27 29 3500 32 8 00 308 ST. 222 24 220 BROOKS 7 R 3 2 7275 15,988 1. 7534 6 8 N. N 10 4274 36- ROAD 39 Lm 35 598 3576 29 28 PK 4520 100g 8800 Medford, Mass. 5 Sylvia Road Edward Oakes House 116° #P-9, lot #55 Assessor's Map 45- 47 5247 27 14,025 R 24,100 *ORAIN EASEMENT 25 RECA VED FEB 12 1980 VATIONAL DeiSTER EOWARD OAKES HOUSE 5 SYLVIA ROAD EEOM MEDPOR) ASSESSORS MAPS P-9) 0.

P-9 08e S- 833 Property Oake, ldward Honee State Working Number ma-Middhay 2-12-80 463 TECHNICAT Photos Maps 2 This building is eligible for architectuue - built c.1228 thio two and½ stou CONTROL HISTORIAN Fatrick Andws are reconstiuctions, the hause was moved to prevent destuuction, teso than 4/2/80 ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIAN ARCHEOLOGIST OTHER HAER Inventory- Review REVIEW UNIT CHIEF BRANCH CHIEF KEEPER National Register Write-up Federal Register Entry 2.3,81 Send-back _ Re-submit Entered United States Department of the Interior -Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service 7980 Oakes, Edward House Edward Oakes House 5 Sylvia Rd. Medford, Mass. middles Patricia Lawrence Aug Medford Historical Commission Medford, Mass. Photo #1 of 3 north side (facade) and west en FEB 12 1980 north sidelfocade l ar wes Edward Oakes House Mebford MA, Midlesex by!

Patricia Lawrene negative at : Medfond Histor Photo #1 Edward Oakes House Medford Mddese UsPO / lat Lawene Aypat 1975 at: Medord Aistorical Cam nonth (foced) id cental don Qakes; Edward House Edward Oakes House 5 Sylvia Rd. Medford, Mass. Midd Patricia Lawrence Medford Historical Commis Medford, Mass. Photo #2 of 3 north side (facade) & cer FEB 12 1980 Pnoto #4 Edward Oakes buse Medford Middlosoo Pat Laweno Rayast 1979 nog at: Math, d Histonical Comt north side (focade) Dakes, Edward A Edward Oakes House 5 Sylvia Ra. Medford, Mass. Mid Patricia Lawrence Medford Historical Com Medford, Mass. Photo #3 of 3 North side (facade) FEB 12 Photo #3 ENTRIES IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER Date Entered STATE MASSACHUSETTS APR 9:1980 Name Echo Bridge Swetland-Pease House Rice, Capt.

Peter, House First Baptist Church Oakes, Edward, House McG111, John H., House Dillaway School Berger Factory Location Town of Needham, City of Newton Norfolk and Middlesex County East Longmeadow vicinity Hampden County Marlborough Middlesex County Framingham Middlesex County Medford Middlesex County Medford Middlesex County Boston Suffolk County Boston Suffolk County Also Notified Honorable Paul Isongas Honorable Edward M. Kennedy Honorable John J. Moakley Honorabie Robert F. Drinan Honorable Edward P. Boland Honorable Joseph D. Early Honorable Edward J. Markey NR State Historic Preservation Officer Mrs. Patricia L. Weslowski Executive Director, Massachusetts Historical Commission 294 Washington Street Boston, Massachusetts 02108 Byers/bjr 4/17/80 For further information, please call the National Register at (202)343-6401.