BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
FORM B - BUILDING MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, State House, Boston - 2. Photo (3x3" or 3x5") Staple to left side of form Photo number 53I-4 - - 4. Map. Draw sketch of building location in relation to nearest cross streets and other buildings. Indicate north. 1 To Frectown 5:05 (over) In Area no. 287 1. Town Fall River. Mass. Address 5105 North Main St. Name_ Valentine-French House Present use single family Present owner Roy C.&Eleanor W. Athearn 3. Description: 2% st. w/flanking gable rf Date 1769 Source Fall River's Old Houses Style Architect Georgian Exterior wail fabric shingle Outbuildings (describe) Other features rubble foundation; 5 bay wide; lg. center chimney; door enfram ment has flat pilasters carrying pe- diment w/full dentiled cornice, archi trave w/pulvenated frieze; 6 light to transom Altered Date Moved Date 5. Lot size: 87,783 sq. ft.
One acre or less Over one acre x Approximate frontage Approximate distance of building from street 60' 6. Recorded by Organization Date Patricia Giza FROHP 10/30/81 7. Original owner (if known) William Valentine Original use residence Subsequent uses (if any) and dates French Family residence c.1850-1928 8. Themes (check as many as applicable) Aboriginal Agricultural Architectural The Arts Commerce Communication Community development X Conservation Education Exploration/ settlement Industry Military Political Recreation Religion Science/ invention Social/ humanitarian Transportation 9. Historical significance (include explanation of themes checked above) This house was built on the 13th lot of Freemen's Purchase by William Valentin for his bride, Sybil Winslow in 1769, two years after their marriage.
William vas the grandson of Jonn valentine, the first of the Valentine family in Americ che couple had nine children and at one time William was a member of the pre- Revolutionary Committee of Correspondence. The massive center chimney had six outlets & the fireplace used for cooking is quite large. The house still has Georgian wood panelling & sliding window shutters. The house was also owned by members of the Horace French family, who owned the property from roughly c.1850 to 1928. The Valentine House is one of six in the Steep Brook area considered to be the best representatives of the pre-industrial period of the city's history. These houses along North Main Street give testimony both to Steep Brook's early prominence over the southern area of the town and to the original agricultural character of Fall River.
Their small scale, rural setting and linear relationship to one another stand in sharp contrast to the development that overtook the city with the construction of the first textile mill in 1811 The Valentine House is outstanding even among the six Steep Brook houses for a number of reasons. The exact date of the house can be documented and the original owner was a Revolutlonary war patriot. detailing is exceptional, particularly the pedimented doorway with dentil cornice, pulvinated frieze and transom. The house is also remarkably intact (except for the replacement of the original clapboards with shingles and is enhanced by the rural quality of the setting. Because of its clear architectural and historical significance, the Valentine House meets criteria A and C of the National Register, individually. 10.
Bibliography and/or references (such as local histories, deeds, assessor's records, early maps, etc.) Atlas 1895: shown - Horace French 1883: shown - Horace French 1871: shown - H. French 1850: shown - H. French Water Dept: Roy C. Athearn Apr. 11, 1947 App. #17180 Directory: 1853 Horace French farmer h. north of Steep Brook Fall River's Old Houses Constance Winslow 1955 pg. 5 NPSForm10-900-a (3-82) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form Continuation sheet Item number OMB No.1024-0018 Exp. 10-31-84 For NPS use only received 1/5/63 date entered Page 9g, Multiple Resource Area Thematie Group Name State aL1 River Multiple Resource Area *Inminotion/Type of Review 81. St. Joseph's Orphanage Keeper Substantive Review 82. St. Louis Church Enforet Ii ane eton Attest f*Keeper 83. St.
Mary's Cathedral and Regtfeted Attest fKeeper the National Register 84. St. Patrick's Church Intered in the National Register Attest tkeeper 85. Stafford Mills Entered in the National Register Attest fReeper 86. Union Mills Entered National Register Attest fReeper Attest 87. Valentine-French House Enteredin the National Register fkeeper Attest Entered In the National Register 88. Wampanoag Mills /Keeper 89. Winslow, Luther Jr., House Intered In the Metippal Reglater Attest /Keeper Attest HKeeper 90. Woman's Club of Fall River Entared in the Mettonat Rogistan Attest Date/Signature Hett Ben bntal 216/83 MelonDyen 2p16/83 Aelmirlzen 1/0/83 aulmuBzus 2/10/83 AlelousBgun 2/6/83 AelouBya 3k/83 AilusByera 7/16/83 DelauaByen 3/k/83 LlebresByen 2/k/83 Deloußyen NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES carta EVALUATION / RETURN SHEET vattad seo Math Valentine-French House (Fal!
River MRA) Bristol County MASSACHUSETTS rosubmission nomination by porson or local governmant onnor objoction appoal Substantive Roviow: Roviomor's commonts: Working No. 15/83-15 Fed. Rag. Data: 2.7.84 Dato Duo:_ 43183-2/14/83 Action: ACCEPT 2/6/63 Entered Inthe RETURN Hattedaragelfthey: REJECT. - sampio _raquest _appeal - NR decision -Nomination returned for: Racom. / Critoria Roviower. Diacipiino. Dato aoo continuation shoet - tachnical corrections cited below .substantivo roasons discussad bolow 1. Name 2. Location 3. Classification orocsont uoo 4. Owner of Property 5. Location of Legal Description 6. Roprosentation in Existing Surveys 7. Description mortere ratro _. chanod nask co - copoa - _ beano Co Moaas pll kacras plagolaal asgoareaas summary paragraph completeness clarity alterations/intogrity datos boundary selection 8.
Significance Porfed lrass of Sigmificance Chock and fuatity bolore Specific dates Statoment ef Significanco (in ono paragraph) Budidor Architeet 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 Acreege of nominated property Quadrangie neme UMT References Verbal boundary du scription and justification 11. Form Prepared By 12. State Historic Preservation Officer Certification The evaluated significance of this property within the state is: national - stle - local State Historic Preservation Ofticer signature date titie 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 5105 Mo. Maine Fall River MRA, Ma Valentine-French Huse SBI #6 Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000279