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 - - Form numbers in this area Cambridgeport Area no. CPI I.6 1. Town Cambridge Name of area (if any) Norfolk Street National Register District 3. General date or period 1840-1885 2. Photo (3x3" or 3x5') Staple to left side of form Photo number 1104-1A 1104-2A 1094-18A 1094-15A - 4. Is area uniform (explain): No, Greek Revival, Italianate in style? Queen Anne, Richardsonian Romanesque in condition?No, fair to good in type of ownership? Yes, private - in use? Yes, residential - both single multi-family 5. Map. Use space below to draw a general map of the area involved. Indicate any historic properties for which individual reports are completed on Forms B thru F, using corres- ponding numbers. Show street names (including route numbers, if any) and indicate north.
1980 Indicate with an "x" existing houses not inventoried on Form B. NOV KLAN 407-09 4/33 N,0:00 NORFOLK STRE A ESSEX MrAT DO NOT WRITE IN THIS SPACE USGS Quadrant MHC Photo no. NCNONTRIBUTS 6. Recorded by Bainbridge Bunting Organization Cambridge Historical Comm. Date 1965 (over) UTM- BOSTON SOUTH 19/326980/4692320 2.956 AcRES M-5-73-075074 7. Historical data. Explain the historical/architectural importance of this area. Norfolk Street is significant for its concentration of Greek Revival Cottages and later multi-family structures that characterize the increasing intensity of development in nineteenth century Cambridgeport. Laid out in the 1840s as a spacious suburban street near the Cambridgeport meetinghouse, Norfolk Street was soon lined with a mixture of double and single Greek Revival houses of moderate size.
Early construction was on land formerly held by the Cambridge almshouse, which had burned in 1836, leaving large & Candro dge Bulin usei parcels oi land to be built upon after the end of the Civil War. In the 1890s, when Cambridgeport began to experience a shortage of desirable building sites, Norfolk Street again attracted the speculative builders of three- and four-deckers; the most notable of these are the four-story "hotels," or flats which are unique to Cambridge. No development occurred after 1919, when the last building sites were filled in. The concentration of fifteen Greek Revival houses on the west side of Norfolk Street is remarkable for its organization around three cul-de- sacs, each of which is flanked by porticoed Greek Revival cottages. This pattern of development is not repeated elsewhere in the city.
Even sub- stantial remodelling of three of the cottages has not undone the effective- ness of these groupings. Only one cottage (79 Norfolk Street) has escaped extensive alteration, and is a splendid example of what the group once was. 1. 1-2 Norfolk Terrace (1839) Greek Revival double house with paired center entrances. 2. Robert Fuller House, 79 Norfolk Street (1843), Zenas Crowe11, housewright Number 79 Norfolk Street was built in 1843 by a local housewright, Zenas Crowell. It is the only survivor of a group of six similar Greek Revival cottages still in its original condition. Other houses in the group are Number 69 (1843), Number 75-77 (1844), Number 87 (1043), Number 89 (1840), and Number 97 (1840). Each was constructed by a different carpenter. Number 79 is the only one to have escaped extensive alteration, and serves as a reminder of how the group once appeared. 8.
Bibliography and/or references such as local histories, deeds, assessor's records, early maps, etc. 3/73 INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston Page 2 Commmity : Form No: CPT Cambridgeport I.6 Property Name:Norfolk St. N.R.D. Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. Robert Fuller House - cont'd.: The house stands on a raised foundation and has a one-story Ionic porch with an overhanging gable. A palr of large gabled dormers is located on the south slope of the roof. The facade windows are triple- hung 6/6/6 with divided shutters. Other noteworthy Greek Revival features are the wide corner pilasters and ssetted window and door frames on the interior and exterior. 3. 69 Norfolk Street (1843) Greek Revival house, greatly altered. 4.
87 Norfolk Street (1843) ,980 Greek Revival Cottage with full-width Ionic portico. 5. 65-67 Norfolk Street (1844) Pilastered Greek Revival side-hall house. 6. 71-73 Norfolk Street (1844) Pilastered Greek : Revival double house with side wings and a full-width Doric portico. . ]. 15-77 Norfolk Street (1844) Greek Revival Cottage with full-width portico. 8. I-2 Norfolk Place (1844-45) Similar to 71-73 Norfolk Street. Double Greek Revival house with side wings. 9. 3 Norfolk Place (1846) Small pilastered Greek Revival house one room deep. 10. John Pollard House (1859), architect unknown, 68-72 Norfolk Street This house is the only Italianate row house in Cambridgeport, and one of few existing in the City. The prominent Italianate feature of this design is the enormously projecting roof carried around all four sides of the block.
Its brownstone lintels, recessed entrance vestibules and pressed brick exterior walls rising to a small dentil course under the eaves recall features of the preceding Greek Revival style. Number 68-72 Norfolk Street is graced by a generous setback, and ample front gardens. Staple to Inventory form at bottom INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston Page 3 Commnity: Cambridgeport Form No: CPT I.6 Property Name: Norfolk St. N.R.D Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. 11. 51 Norfolk Street (c. 1885) Queen Anne double four-decker 12. 59 Norfolk Street (1886), J.H. Ferrick, architect Richardsonian Romanesque brick apartment block with brownstone sills and lintels and a corbelled cornice. 13. Early Apartment House Prototypes a. "Hotel Norfolk" (1886), 30 Norfolk Street, James Fogerty, architect b.
"Hotel Franklin" (1886) 90 Norfolk Street c. "Hotel" Eliot" (c. 1885). 66 Austin Street d. "Hotel Austin" (1885), 70 Austin Street The buildings at 30 and 90 Norfolk Street and 66 and 70 Austin Street are important as representative examples of single and double four-deckers, early forerunners of Cambridgeport apartment houses. They are pretentious Queen Anne style buildings, elaborately ornamented and given high-sounding names. "Hotel So-and-So" was a particularly common name for four-deckers, reflecting the contemporary American interest in the fashion of "French flats" (which were called "hotels" but were more analogous to present- day apartment houses than to transient hotels.) Ihe Hotel Norfolk Is the work of James Fogerty, who, with his son George, was a prolific Cambridge designer of that time.
The architect of the other three buildings cannot be ascertained, but may be assumed to be James Fogerty as well, because of the identical form and detail of all four structures. 90 Norfolk Street and 70 Austin Street are double four-deckers; each with a single center entrance on the street facade and a single stairway giving access to the two flats per floor. 30 Norfolk Street and 66 Austin Street are single four-deckers with entrances offset and one flat per floor. The Norfolk Street National Register District is comprised of properties along Norfolk Street between Suffo1k and Austin Streets (see Cambridge Community Development P. D. Quad Map 3). Boundaries were selected to include properties which contribute to the street's nineteenth century appearance.
- 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 Multiple Resource Area Thematic Group Name State Cambridge Multiple Resource Area MA Nomination/Type of Review 1. XEast Cambridge Historic District OMB NO. 1024-0018 EXP. 12/31/84 For NPS use only received date entered Page / f17 dnr-11 Keeper Subetent1m Attest /%. Winter Street Historic District Keeper Subabant1ve Neviom Attest 3. Upper Magazine Street Historic District V Keeper Subataatire Hevfew Attest Hastings Square Historic District Substantive Beview Keeper Attest 15. Salem-Auburn Streets Historic District Keeper RevTew Attest 16. Inman Square Historic District V Keeper Attest V:7.
Aold Cambridgeport Historic District Keeper Herte» Attest 18. Norfolk Street Historic District Keeper PevLow Attest r9. Cambridge Gateway Historic substantiva deviow Keeper District DOE/OWNER OBJECTION Attest / 310. Bigelow Street Historic District Keeper eacive Hovda Attest Date/Signature onu um Bugo 6 30-83 William H. Bravham413: 4.13.8. WielamH.Bracham WieuamH.Bracham 4-13.8, Weccian H Bracrom 413-82 Wielam H. Brasham 4.13.8. Boasn le mtg 063011 Wellam/t. Bracham 4.1382 etuun 1.13:82 Wieian IBrachan 483: Substantive RevI NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES United States Department of the Interior National Park Service EVALUATION / RETURN SHEET NoRfOlK STRut HISTURiC DISTRIiT Property: (Cambridge Multple Desounee Ara) State, County: MA- Ruddlesex Federal Agency: Working No.- 11-14-88-2862 Fed. Reg. Date: Date Due: Action: 4/11/82 ACCEPT- resubmission RETURN.
nomination by person or local government owner objection photos t REJECT_ appeal maps. Substantive Review: - sample - request - appeal NR decision Reviewer's comments: Cambridgepert couection o Ule Nerial muetilanily units Recom. /Criterja - RoviowerBakam Discipline 4.5.82 Date _ see continuation sheet technical corrections cited below _substantive reasons discussed below -Nomination returned for: 1. Name 2. , Location 3. Classification ormaratlo Molle Aed aaltien 4. Owner of Property Aatus rocom Ueo 5. Location of Legal Description 6. Representation in Existing Surveys I the property toen determined oligibte? - - 100 - 7. Description 3000 leteriorsted uins Oheck ene unaitered aered Chock one _ moved acortoo the prosoat and ertginel (il koure) ptryateed engoarano summary paragraph completeness clarity alterations/integrity dates boundary selection 8.
Significance ortos aooos of slonite latoe otteeno 20 fla eno par 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 loroage of nomineted property - buadrengle rame - UMT Roterencss orbel b and hostiileatien 11. Form Prepared By 12. State Historic Preservation Officer Certification Tha erretuatad elgnificance of thie property autehin the etate ia: netionel n Officer etgnature 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 1104-1A NOV 1 4 1980 conbridse MRA, Ma 8.6 C Narfolk st H.D. 87 Norfolk St.
1104-1A 1104-2A NOV 1 4 1980 Caubridge MRAMa 8 6 C Nirfelk st. H.D. 65-67 + 69 Norfolk 1104-2A 094-15A NOV 1 4 1980 Cambridge MRA, Ma Norfalk st. #.D. 30 Norfolk (right) + 70 Austin (left) 1094-15A 1094-18A NOV 1 4 1980 Cambridse MRAMa C Nur-Folk st It.D. 79 Vorfolk St; 1-2 Norfolk Place 1094-18A Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000275