Nomination for Fogg Library

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 MAY 1 1 1981 date entered JUN | | 1981 historic Fogg Library and/or common 2. Location Same street & number 1 Columbian Street not for publication city, town Weymouth vicinity of congressional district 12th stateMassachusetts 3. Classification Category Ownership _ district X public X building(s) - private . structure both . site Public Acquisition .

object _in process being considered' code 025 county Norfolk code 021 Status Xoccupied - unoccupied - work in progress Accessible - yes: restricted X yes: unrestricted no Present Use _ agriculture commercial X educational _ entertainment - government industrial military museum park private residence religious scientific transportation other: 4. Owner of Property name Town of Weymouth, Town Hall street & number 75 Middle Street E. Weymouth city, town - vicinity of 5. Location of Legal Description state Massachusetts 02189 courthouse, registry of deeds, etc. Norfolk County Registry of Deeds street & number 650 High Street city, town Dedham state 6. Representation in Existing Surveys Inventory of the Historic Assets of the Commonwealth title has this property been determined elegible?

Massachusetts - yes X no date 1978 _federalX state - county local depository for survey records Boston Massachusetts Historical Commission city, town stateMassachusetts 02108 7. Description Fogg Library Condition X excellent - good fair . deteriorated ruins unexposed Check one X unaltered - altered Check one X original site -moved Describe the present and original (if known) physical appearance

Description of the property

The Fogg Library (1897-1898) is an excellent example of late Victorian eclecticism in Weymouth. The building combines Dutch and classical elements in an unusual but dignified composition. Fogg Library is impressively sited on a generous lot over- looking Columbian Square, a major traffic intersection. The architects of the Fogg Library were the well-known firm of Cutting, Carlton, and Cutting of Worcester. The style of architecture, while not strictly pure, approaches the Italian Renaissance. Dutch motifs may have been influenced by the "Dutch House," Holland's pavilion at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, which was re- constructed in Brookline in 1894. The 1½ story building is composed of a small central block with a hip roof and two asymmetrical, gabled wings.

The exterior is built of random coursed ashlar with a granite water table and limestone cornices, quoins, pilasters, copings, window sills, and lintels. The roof is covered with green slate, and all the metal work of the roof, as skylights, crestings, and gutters, are of copper. The 1-story wings of the building feature step gables and slightly projecting end chimneys. The fenestration consists of paired rectangular windows on the facade and single windows on the other elevations, all with rectangular limestone sills and lintels. Windows on the east wing have stained glass transoms created by Redding, Baird, & Co. of Boston. The delicately colored Brisi glass reproduces the marks or trade devices of early printers and booksellers.

The walls are ornamented with a molded water table above the basement, a stringcourse above the first floor windows, a molded cornice on the wings, and a decorative entablature on the central block. The 1½ story central block is the most distinctive exterior feature of the build- ing, with its first floor loggia and second story gabled pavilion. Renaissance-derived loggia, enclosed on one side, has Doric and Ionic pilasters supporting a full entablature. round arches and portions of the original stone balustrade. The pavilion cen- tered above the loggia has a step gable enclosing a large arched window. The interior plan is typical of the period: a reading room on the right, a centra] part for library business, and on the left a long room for the stacks. These sections are separated, in an open fashion, by rows of Tuscan columns.

The interior finish throughout the first and second stories, including floors (except those of the two vestibules, which arlafmofaic), wainscoting, doors, door and window trimming, book stacks, and all the furniture, is in quartered oak. The walls and ceilings are finished in hard plaster and decorated. At either end of the building, one in the reading room and one in the stack room, are very large fireplaces with grilled openings for ventilation. The fireplace in the reading room has a large quartered oak mantel, with Sienna marble facings and wrought brass grilles. The stacks are each decorated with a recessed upper panel, edged with an egg and dart molding.

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

Significance Period - prehistoric 1400-1499 1500-1599 1600-1699 1700-1799 X -1800-1899 1900 Areas of Significance - Check and justify below - archeology-prehistoric community planning - archeology-historic conservation agriculture economics X architecture _ education art engineering commerce exploration/settlement communications industry invention _ landscape architecture literature military music philosophy - politics/government religion science sculpture social/ humanitarian theater transportation other (specify) Specific dates 1897-98 Builder

Statement of significance

/Architect Cutting, Carlton, and Cutting (Worcest Statement of Significance (in one paragraph) The Fogg Library is an architectural and visual landmark of the village of South Weymouth and represents the philanthropy of one of the town's leading nineteenth- century industrialists. The building thus meets criteria B and C of the National Register of Historic Places. The Fogg Library is the third such association in South Weymouth. The establish- ment of this library and building was the result of the munificence of the late John S. Fogg, a prominent Weymouth banker and shoe manufacturer. Fogg (1817-1892) left in his will $50,000 to found and perpetuate "in that part of Weymouth known as South Weymouth" a free public library. It was also his intention to provide a fine hall for public assemblies and a building that would be an ornament to the community and town.

A few years ago, the Fogg Library gave up its charter as a private library and became a branch of the Town's library system. The site chosen for the Fogg Library Buildling is located in one of the most historically significant areas of the town, Columbian Square, and the architecture of the building is complemented by the location. The formality and severity of the composition are relieved by a curious combination of stylistic motifs, forming a reserved yet ambitious design. The step gables and classical loggia are partic- ularly distinguishing features of this civic landmark.

The rest of the file

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

Major Bibliographical References Dedication of Fogg Library, South Weymouth, MA: H.H. Joy, Printer (1898) OT UTOIr 10. Geographical Data Acreage of nominated property approx. 1/2 acre Quadrangle name Weymouth UMT References A L119| [3| 318|8150| Zone Easting | 46 710| 7710| Northing CLULLILLL ELIJ LILu GLy LILILLL LLLI Quadrangle scale 1:25,000 LliLu Northing -LU LLILLL LLILL FLIJ LLILLLJ LIILIL HLLLIL LLILL Verbal boundary description and justification see attached 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 Weymouth Historical Commission Wendy Frontiero, Preservation Planner with Chester Kevitt, organization Massachusetts Historical Commissiondate December 29, 1980 street & number 294 Washington Street telephone (617) 727-8470 city or town Boston state Massachusett.s 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 setforth bythe Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service.

may he eriage con eea State Historic Preservation Officer signature atumZWeslowsk 5/1/81 Executive Director, Massachusetts Historical Commission title For HCRS use only I hereby certify that this property is included in the Nationt Rred tin thie deloud Dyen National Register date frkeeper of the National Register Attest: date Chief of Registration 6.11.81 GPO 938 835 TMOUTH WEYMOUTH HISTORICAL COMMISSION WEYMOUTH,MASSACHUSETTS ERRACE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES PROPERTY MAP FORM (Attachment) SKETCH MAP FOGG LIBRARY REFERENCE: ATLAS, TOWN OF WEYMOUTH REVISED 1974 SCALE: ONE INCH=200 FEET BURTON COLUMBIAN TOWER 2°: ST. TORREY® FOGG PLEASANT ST. SQUARE PLEASANT UNION ST. So N JUN I I 1981 RECEIVED.

MAY 1 1 1981 NATIONAL REGISTER To DUE 6/10/81-6/2571-5 Name State, County MA ibrayy Working Number_5.11.81.15/ V Nomination _Determination of Eligiblity On Nomination Form Fed Nom or Request-Agency Federal Register Date B1dg(s) Site -Object - Structure -District Within: Multiple Resource Area - Thematic Group Maps 4 2 Photos 2 Nomination prepared by: State Stafi Local - Other Entered in the Action: National ReglaterCheck if Appropriate: ACCEPT 6.1/.81 State Request for Review RETURN - Keeper's Decision to Review - REJECT -2nd Return I. Evaluation of Resource (cont. on back if necessary) II. Evaluation of Nomination Good Adequate | Poor Comments 1. Descriptive Statement Short Format Yes _ No 2. Significance Statement Short Format _Yes _ No 3. Concepts/Integrity 4. Concepts/Criteria 5. Concepts/Boundaries 6. Contextual Evaluation General Comments (cont.

on back if necessary): Reviewer/Date National Park Service See Attached_ U.S. Department of the Interior WEYMOUTH, MASS. Fogg LibraryMAY 11 1981 Looking northwest Photo by Chester Kevitt, 1978 Negative filed at Weymouth Historical Commission Norfoek Co FOGG LIBRARY JUN I ! 1981 S.WEYMOUTH MASS. WEYMOUTH, MASS. Fogg Library MAY 11 1981 Looking north Photo by Chester Kevitt, 1978 Negative filed at Weymouth Historical Commission NorflkCounty FOGG LIBRAKY LOOKING NORTH 5.

WEY MOUTH, mA JUN 1 1 1981 :1600 BURTU 360 cark 1200 > 2 16711 3 1700° 522 13268 S The Unicn Congregaticn ociety 4734÷ Weymouth PANT ROAD STREET PHTORANT, The Uni:t 5 Congreadtionai Society Weymouth 16100 5 Druin= * Läsemeñl: 41,3 21 LNVMO, $25' 10000 OLD SOUTH UNION CHURCH 22 14500 6 24-0 3 19240 19 7175 24 8350 26 18506 Town of Weymouth Fogg Library 2 8607 BANK CHURCH UNIVERSALIST SECOND- 25 12150 23 31953 EASANT BAILEY GREEN 30975 Pnydrant 5668 29 7 4500 428 3500 27 11300 D PAYORANE ATLAS OF TOWN OF WEYMOUTH Prepared by: Department of Public Works, Engineering Division "Plan of a part of Weymouth" Revised to January 1, 1974 MAY 11.1981 Sheet #45 JUN | I 1981 Page # 41 Scale: one inch = 200 ft.

lal MAY 11 1981 MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS Office of the Secretary of State 294 Washington Street Boston, Massachusetts 02108 617-727-8470 MICHAEL JOSEPH CONNOLLY Secretary of State May 4, 1981 Mr. Jerry Rogers, Acting Keeper Registration Branch Heritage, Conservation & Recreation Service DOI, W434 Washington D.C. 20243 Dear Mr. Rogers: Enclosed you will find the following nomination forms for publicly owned buildings: Barnstable-Barnstable County Cöurthouse (state) Fall River-B.M.C. Durfee High School (local) Hul1-Point Allerton Lifesaving Station (state) Lynn-Old Post Office (local) Weymouth-Fogg Library (local) Al1 have been voted eligible by the State Review Board and have been signed by the State Historic Preservation Officer.

Sincerely, C'andace senkins Candace Jenkins Registration Pirector RECEIVEP MAY T 1 1981 NATIONAL REGISTER ENTRIES IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER STATE MASSACHUSETTS JUN 77 198T Date Entered Name Location Durfee, B. M. C., High School Fogg Library Barnatable County Courthouse Point Allerton Lifesaving Station Fall River Bristol County Weynouth Norfolk County Barnstable Barnstable County Hul1 Plymouth County Also Notified Honorable Paul E. Isongas Honorable Edward M. Kemedy Honorable Margaret M. Heckler Honorable Gerry E. Studds Northeast Region, HCRS State Historic Preservation Officer Mrs. Patricia L. Weslowak1 Executive Director Massachusetts Historícal Counission 294 Washington Street Boston, Massachusetts 02108 Fod further 5280 information, please call the National Register at (202)343-6401.