BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
FORM B - BUILDING MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION offine of the Secretary, State House, Boston - In Area no. MID CAMB. Eqhreno. II C 3 - 1 1. Town Cambridge Address 1803 Massachusetts Ave. NameNorth Avenue Congregational Church Present use church - 1105-15 Present owner North Avenue Congrega- tional Society 3. Description: Date_1845 Source_ deed records Style Greek Revival Architect Issac Melvin Exterior wall fabricwood Outbuildings (describe) none Other features vestibule treated as a temple front with Egyptian capitals. ASSESSOR #153-1 (over) Altered Yes - steeple. _ Dateseveral times replaced Moved Yes Date1867 5. Lot size: One acre or less XX Over one acre Approximate frontage_ 75' Approximate distance of building from street 40' 6. Recorded by Robert Rettig OrganizationCambridge Historical Comm. Date_ 1968 UTM-BOSTON NORTH 19/325540/4694640 30M-5-77 7.
Original owner (if known)_ _Old Cambridge Baptists Original use church Subsequent uses (if any) and datessame 8. Themes (check as many as applicable) Aboriginal Conservation Recreation Agricultural Education Religion Architectural XX Exploration/ Science/ The Arts settlement invention Commerce Industry Social/ Communication Military humanitarian Community development Political Transportation 9. Historical significance (include explanation of themes checked above) XX The North Avenue Congregational Church was designed for the 0ld Cambridge Baptists by Isaac Melvin ed tor the o10co in 1845. It originally stood on the corner of Holmes Place and Kirkland Street, and was moved to its present site in 1867. sold it to the Holmes Society in 1866.
The Holmes The Baptists outgrew the building and Society then became the North Avenue Congregational society, the same congregation which owns the church today. They moved the building in 186/, a year aiter assuming ownership. Although the present steeple is an inappropriate replacement, the rest of Melvin's forthright Greek Revival design survives intact. The original building was Late Georgian in form: a rectangular plan, four bays long with vestibule is treated as a temple front with Egyptian capitals and a pediment topped by an acroterion. Ihree identical doors stand beneath panels of carved ornament probably derived from designs of Asher Benjamin. 10.
Bibliography and/or references (such as local histories, deeds, assessor's records, early maps, etc.) NOV 1 4 1980 #OP'NPS NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION / RETURN SHEET Noeth AvENuE CongregatunaL Chnch Property:Cambrudge Multiple Resoune Area) State, County: MA-Mudalesx Federal Agency: United States Department of the Interior National Park Service Working No. 1/-14-80-2862 Fed. Reg. Date:_ Date Due:_ Action: resubmission nomination by person or local government owner objection appeal 4/17/82 ACCEPT L RETURN_ 7//3/82 - REJECT_ photosL maps Substantive Review: - sample - request - appeal NR decision Reviewer's comments: Do pustification po tis as an exception to the enteria- - Aictuteo usal signuficance à not provide- Recom. /Criteria fetum Reviewer - Brarnam wnat is coutert?
Discipline arcu Htis Date - 4.2.82 - see continuation sheet .Nomination returned for: _ technical corrections cited below _substantive reasons discussed below 1. Name 2. Location 3. Classification Calogory Cwnership Public Acquisition 4. Owner of Property Status hccessible Prazant Use 5. Location of Legal Description 6. Representation in Existing Surveys toe thie property bean determined eliglbte? - - 7. Description Conditien excelient good tair deteriorated _ruins . unexposed Chock ene . unaitered ahered Chock one _ original site _moved date ecribe the p cont and eriginei (ll known) physicel apposrance summary paragraph completeness clarity alterations/integrity dates boundary selection C.
Significance Poried bross of Significence-Check and justky Epecific dates Stztement el Significance (in ene paragrapii) Bulider Architect 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. Gcographical Data Koroage of nominated property - Quedrangie neme. UBrT Reterencos Verbai boundery description and justification 11. Form Prepared By 12. State Historic Preservation Officer Certification The erskueted signticance of this property within the stane is: nationa! -_ state Bute Mietork Preservation. Ofticer sugnature dete 13. Other Maps Photographs Other Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to Patrich Aucus signed Bravkam - Date 4./2.82.
Phone: 202 272-3504 Comments for any Item may be continued on an attached sheet - 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 1|05-15 1 - - N 7CP AsSEssor #153-1 (over) 30M-5-77 In Area no. MID CAMB. Fqureno. II C 3 1. Town Cambridge Address 1803 Massachusetts Ave. NameNorth Avenue Congregational Church Present use church Present owner North Avenue Congrega- tional Society 3. Description: Date_1845 Source deed records Style Greek Revival Architect Issac Melvin Exterior wall fabric _ wood Outbuildings (describe)_ none Other features vestibule treated as a temple front with Egyptian capitals Altered Yes - steeple _ Dateseveral tin replaced Moved Yes Date1867 5.
Lot size: One acre or less XX Over one acre Approximate frontage 75' Approximate distance of building from street 40' 6. Recorded by Robert Rettig.. OrganizationCambridge Historical Comm Date_ 1968 UTM-BOSTON NORTH 19325540/4694640 7. Original owner (if known)_ Original usechurch Subsequent uses (if any) and datessame 8. Themes (check as many as applicable) Aboriginal Agricultural Architectural XX The Arts Commerce Communication Community development -Old Cambridge Baptists Conservation Education Exploration/ settlement Industry Military Political Recreation Religion Science/ invention Social/ humanitarian Transportation 9. Historical significance (include explanation of themes checked above) XX The North Avenue Congregational Church was designed for the 0ld Cambridge Baptists by Isaac Melvin in 1845.
It originally stood on the corner of Holmes Place_and Kirkland Street, and was moved to its present site in 1867. Sold it to the Holmes Society in 1866. The Holmes the Holmes's The Baptists outgrew the building and Society then became the North Avenue Congregational society, the same congregation which owns the church today. They moved the building in 1867, a year aiter assuming ownership. Although the present steeple is an inappropriate rep_acement, the rest of Melvin's forthright Greek Revival design survives intact. The original building was Late Georgian in form: a rectangular plan, four bays long with a projecting entrance vestibule. vestibule 1s treated as a temple front with Egyptian capitals and a pediment topped by an acroterion. Three identical doors stand beneath panels of carved ornament probably derived from designs of Asher Benjamin. 10.
Bibliography and/or references (such as local histories, deeds, assessor's records, early maps, etc.) NOV 1 4 1980 INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET MASSACHUSETTS HISTORI CAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston Communi ty : Mid-Cambridge Form No: MC II.C.3 North Avenue Con- Property Name: gregational Church Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. The North Avenue Congregational Church is significant as a work of architecture, for its associations with architect Isaac Melvin, and for its associations with the development of North Cambridge. North Avenue Congregational Church is the only example in Cambridge of the heavily pedimented, porticoed Greek Revival style church of the 1840s.
It is especially significant for its use of an Egyptian architectural motif with capitals of the columns flanking the main entrance; such details are rare on Massachusetts churches, and only the Mount Auburn Cemetery gate (1831, N.R.) provides a local precedent. Isaac Melvin was a housewright turned architect in the New England tradition. Practicing in Cambridge from 1837 to 1850, he was architect for several important houses in Mid Cambridge and for Dane Hall of Harvard University (now demolished). His own house, 19 Centre Street, is listed on the National Register. The relocation of the Church from Harvard Square to North Cambridge in 1867 reflects the growing importance of that community. After the opening of the Fitchburg Railroad station in Porter Square in 1843, North Cambridge became a bedroom suburb of Boston.
While Porter Square itself retained its earlier character as a stagecoach stop and cattle market, North Avenue from Porter Square to Harvard Square quickly became :the most prestigious address in Cambridge. By 1875, the entire avenue was lined with elaborate mansions in the Greek Revival and Second Empire styles, almost all built by Boston businessmen who commuted by horse car to Porter Square and thence by train to Boston. The North Avenue Congre- gational Society was made up of these men, who by their purchase of the Old Cambridge Baptist Church, hoped to demonstrate the importance and stature of their community. vorth Avenue Congregational 1s significant under Criterion A I01 its role in the development of the North Avenue neighborhood, and undel Criterion C as an important example of a Greek Revival church.
Staple to Inventory form at botton - 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 For NPS use only received date entered Page / 0 1/7 Multiple Resource Area Thematic Group Name State Cambridge Multiple Resource Area MA Nomination/Type of Review 91. cummings, e. e., House Substanilve Herter. Keeper. Date/Signatyre tonarlis Dog 16-308, Sulsdenttra Xevior Attest an Divinity aLDOE/OWNER OBJECTION. Keeper abjection wrthdr Srbst Attest 93. ANorth Avenue Congregational Church Keeper Attest Patucke Anduus 9/12/84 Bashf Sauase 9/n1i Bar-faDr 16305. *94. Prospect Congregational Church Keeper Substantiva Keview Llueran A Bravnam 413-82 ,95. University Museum withdea. ounre aljetin OW ER OE CTION -96.
Old Cambridge Baptist Church Attest kol Keeper Attest Attest Patuick Andurs 9/12/86 BerintSeogge 19/2/86 Keeper Wielam/t. Brackom 4.13.82 -91. XWare Hall Keeper pan prpel6ss Attest :98. Cambridge Public Library Keeper Attest Wieleam H.Bracham 4.13.82 .99.) Church of the New Jerusalem Substantive RevtowKeeper Parar ha Dongd 6-30 85 Aubstantire Nevien 1100. Busch-Reischinger House DOEZOWNER OBJECTION Attest Keeper Attest et 6:10 Haward TIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES d6 Statos Depertmanl el theo botorter tional Park Service Sibetantive Kevien North Avenue Congregational Church (Cambridge MRA) Middlesex County MA EVALUATION / RETURN resubmission nomination by person or local government owner objection appeal Substentive Roviow: Working No. L 1480-28 Fed. Reg. Date: - 2-7-84 Date Due:.
714/83 Action: L ACCEPT_6/30/83 - RETURN _ REJECT- Fodoral Agency:- -sample - request - appeal _NR decision Reviower's comments: NAMINATON INDER CRITERIONB FOR ASSOCIATON WITA MELVIE 15 A M/STARE SiGNIFIANCE FON AN BUILOEA I5 UNDER CRITERIONC. Recom. / Criteria A+C Reviower- ou 1 Discipline- A-lt. Date 6/30/83 - soo continuation sheet -Nomination returned for: - technical corrections cited below _substantive reasons discussed below Name 2. Location 3. Classification macous Ueo 4. Owner of Property 5. Location of Legal Description - 6. Representation in Existing Surveys roperty bean eeermned, seck en noved 7. Description esoode hocl ontoret vine and ertgined fil kaowet styele summary paragraph completeness clarity alterations/integrity dates 8.
Significance Partos Arocs of stonte aifle detes ad peatily beler abdor Arattoer oe of stgnttheanoo (tm ano pou summary paragraph completeness clarity applicable criteria SEECOMNENT, 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 Aareage of nominated property Quedrangie neme - VIIT Reterences Yorbel boundary descriptien and pastttication 11. Form Prepared By 12. State Historic Preservation Officer Certification Ths evetuated signiticance of thie property within the state is: netlonet local Sente Histonic Preeervation Officer signature stle 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 1105-15 NOV 1 4 1980 0 6 canb-idge MMRA, Ma North Averce Corgegatwiul Clurch 1803 Massachusetts Sue. 1105-15 Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000275