BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
FORM A - AREA SURVEY MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, State House, Boston - 2. Photo (3x3" or 3x5*9 Staple to left side of form Photo number 1096-LA " - "1 -4A 1104 - 13A 5. Man prc pou Ind MASSACHUSETTS 3 NOV14 DO NOT WRITE IN THIS SPACE USGS Quadrant MHC Photo no. 2.009 ACRES (over) M-5-73-075074 Form numbers in this area Area no. Mid Cambridge MC I.3 1. Town Cambridge Name of area (if any) Harvard Street National Register District 3. General date or period 1850-59, 1887, 1897 -4. Is area uniform (explain): in style? no, a number of styles in condition?_ yes, good to excellent type of ownership? yes, private in use? yes, residential *ic S- irth. AVENUE 6. Recorded by_B. Bunting/R. Rettig Organization Cambridge Historical Comm. Date. 1964/1968 UTM-BOSTON SOUTH 14/326290/4692860 7. Historical data.
Explain the historical/architectural importance of this area. Harvard Street is important for its many substantial houses of outstanding quality, and its role in the early suburbanization of Cambridge by prosperous Boston businessmen. Harvard Street is one of the major thoroughfares of mid-Cambridge, and although it was developed as a transportation route to Boston, no street railway or busline ever ran along it.. Harvard Street was projected as the most direct road from 0ld Cambridge to Boston, and was laid out over the active objections of Judge Francis Dana (see Opposition House, q.V.), whose estate occupied the top of Dana Hill. Promoted by real estate interest, the street a a on cac omotad y was soon lined by suburban villas.
It was first laid out as Canal Street in 1801 in Cambridgeport, and by 1803, eight years|after the construction of the West Boston Bridge, extended as far as Lee Street. The whole length from the West Boston Bridge to Harvard Square was opened to craffic in 1808. In the 1830s, the stretch from Prospect street tor Quincy square was parceled into house lots. By 1854 over thirty houses had been built, among them some of the finest Greek Revival mansions in the city. Each successive building style from Italianate to Colonial Revival brought fine examples to the street. Most of these houseswere large single-family residences set high above the street. Fully developed by 1896, Harvard Street was one of the hand- somest streets in 'the city. Despite the unfortunate intrusion of apartment buildings in the 1920s and again in the 1960s, the street retains much of its original appearance. 1.
335 Harvard Street (1850), James P. Melledge House A wide-pilastered, monitor-roofed Greek Revival mansion that was the residence of vames P. Melledge, a Boston commission merchant. I'he grounds of the house originally extended to Dana Street. A stable in the rear dates from later in the nineteenth century. 2. 337 Harvard Street (1887), James P. Kelley, architect James P. Kelley was the architect of this elegant hip-roofed Colonial Revival house of refined scale. Noteworthy features include the elliptical front porch, recessed shell motif 8. Bibliography and/or references such as local histories, deeds, assessor's records, early maps, etc. HT1 3/73 INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston Commmity : MidCabriMO Form No: I.3 Property Name: Harvard St. N.R.D.
page 2 Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. above the entrance, Palladian window and dormers with swan's neck pediment. 3. 341-43 Harvard Street (1855-56) A well-preserved brick double house in a square expression of the Italianate style. 4. 336 Harvard Street (1858), Caleb Warner House Notable features of this center-gabled Bracketed-Italianate house include a small projecting center pavilion and hood moldings on the windows of the upper story. This house was built for Caleb Warner, a cashier at the Bank of Commerce in Boston. , 5. 338 Harvard Street (1859), Amos Frothingham House One of the few remaining pattern book Gothic houses in Mid- Cambridge. Gothic Revival elements include pointed arch wall dormers on the asymmetrical facade. The original owner was Amos Frothingham, a cashier at the Tremont Bank in Boston. 6.
340 Harvard Street (1897), William Goepper House, Arthur Vinal architect Arthur Vinal was the architect of this Colonial Revival house, which retains the asymmetrical facade arrangement of the Queen Anne style, but a total effect of formal clarity and linear precision reminiscent of Federal architecture: Goepper was the owner of a large steam barrel factory in East Cambridge. 7. 342-44 Harvard Street (1857) Samuel Baker Rindge House. This stylistically up-to-date Mansard house was the residence of Samue1 B. Rindge, a successful shipping merchant and banker in the Boston-Cambridge area. His son, Frederick H. Rindge, gave a succession of gifts to the City of Cambridge in memory of his father: the Public Library, City Hall and the Manual Training Schoo1.
The Harvard Street National Register District marks the summit of Dana Hill and includes portions of Harvard Street between Ellery and Hancock Streets (see Cambridge Community Development P. D. Quad Maps 3 and 5). Boundaries were selected to include the large nineteenth century residences which once distinguished this street. -END- Staple to Inventory form at bottom NPS Form 10-900-a (7-81) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form Continuation sheet Item number UNO NV. -- EXP. 12/31/84 For NPS use only received date entered Page 2417 Multiple Resource Area Thematic Group Name State Cambridge Multiple Resource Area MA Nomination/Type of Review 11. IGarfleld Street Historie District. EbeEeneYre HovteT /:12. Harvard Street Historic District TE SeTIeT Resuty :13. Kirkland Place Historie District /:14.
Maple Avenue Historie District Substantive Review V15. City Hall Historic District SevTs /,76. Ash Street Historic District v1T. Avon Hill Historic District /18. Berkeley Street Historic District / 419. Cambridge Common Historic District Substantive Review / 4'20. Gold Coast Historic District Keeper Attest /Keeper Attest fall Keeper Attest Keeper Attest Keeper Attest / Keeper Attest Keeper Attest Keeper Attest Keeper Attest Keeper Attest Date/Signature Bam/m Bsk 6/201g Hawend Weeciam H. Arazam 41382 latrckAndun 5/19/86 BittZ. Saurge 5-14-2 Wilan HoBranham 4138e WeliamIt. Bracham 41382 friee len Netuei 4.13621 Paizl 6:3003 cailiam H.
Bravam 413.82 Ma 6 3-3 - Hawrd Ret 4/10/82 Naueur) foï:NPS Substantive Revie NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES United States Department of the interior National Park Service EVALUATION / RETURN SHEET HARIARD STRUeT HISTONC DiSTRUCT Property:- (CAmbrdge Multipte Resoukee Hela State, County: MA-nuddlesr Federal Agency: Working No.. 11-14-80-2862 Fed. Reg. Date: Date Due: Action: 4/11/82 ACCEPT- 4/13/82 resubmission RETURN nomination by person or local government owner objection photos 4 - REJECT- appeal maps. Substantive Review: - sample - request - appeal .NR decision Reviewer's comments: tine coclection "breck Revrial te Coroniae derae structiues 12r Aud. Cambridge Recom. /Criteria - Reviewer - Discipline- Date 4,5.82 - see continuation sheet -Nomination returned for: _technical corrections cited below .substantive reasons discussed below 1. Name 2.
Location 3. Classification Crmerahio Publle Aoqalaltion 4. Owner of Property nrosom Uao 5. Location of Legal Description 6. Representation in Existing Surveys e proporty bean tetemmned ellgibe? - 7. Description uine Chock ene uneltered wered Check one novieaha -moved asortbe the procont and ertginel (il inewn) pinyeleel eppoerens summary paragraph completeness clarity alterations/integrity dates boundary selection 8. Significance Portod Srons of Ipeelfle detee nol h ontlesneo fin eno pereera a and juetily bate Ader Arebitoo summary paragraph completeness clarity applicable criteria justification of areas checked relating significance to the resource context relationship of integrity to significance justification of exception other 9. Major Bibliographical References 10. Geographical Data ge of neminsted property - auedrangle neme - UMT Referencse erbel be 11.
Form Prepared By 12. State Historic Preservation Officer Certification Tie evelusted significance of thie property wlthin the state is: netional stat Bete Mieterte Preeerv an Officer elgnature 13. Other Maps Photographs Other Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to - Signed Date. Phone: 202 272 -3504 Comments for any Item may be continued on an attached sheet 1104-13A NOV 1 4 1980 Canbrideg MRA, na Havwre st. Htol 343 Harvard St. 1104 -13A 1096-4A O8lT1A0 C cambridese MRA Ma Harvard St H.D. 342-44 Harvard St. 1096-4A 1096-1A 0861 7 I A0N 909C Haryad st. H.2. Caubridg MiA, Ma 3368338 Harvard St. 1096-IA 10963A 086L7 I A0N itcovara st. A.D. cambridge MRA MA 03 C 335 Harvard St. 1094-3A Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000275