BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
SULL VING MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, State House, Boston - - In Area no. C'port Form nc CPT IIC4 - - - 1. Town_Cambridge Address_5-7 Cottage Street (10 NameValentine Soap Workers Cott Present use residential 2. Photo (3x3" or 3x5") Staple to left side of form Photo number //03-24 - - 1750 CI20 18 c,130 Present owner Lawrence W. Brennan 954 Cambridge St., 3. Description: Cambridge, MA. Date 1835-36 Source deed records Style no particular style Architect Charles Valentine - Exterior wall fabric synthetic siding Outbuildings (describe)- Other features Low-pitched gable ro double chimneys on ridge. PAGAZN ASSESSOR #106-12 (over) Alteredes- minor Moved Ne 5. Lot size: Date_unknown Date No One acre or less Over one acre XX Approximate frontage 50 feet Approximate distance of building from street 10 feet 6.
Recorded by Robert Rettig OrganizationCambridge Hisotrical Comm. Date969 UTM-BOSTON SOUTH 1932656014691960 5M-2-75-R061465 (20M-2976) 8o- 7. Original owner (if known)_ Chanles Valentine Original use recidential Subsequent uses (if any) and datessame 8. Themes (check as many as applicable) Aboriginal Agricultural Architectural The Arts Commerce Communication Community development XX Conservation Education Exploration/ settlement Industry Military Political 9. Historical significance (include explanation of themes checked above) Recreation Religion Science/ invention Social/ humanitarian Transportation XX These are twin houses built in 1835-36 by Charles Valentine owner of a Cambridgeport soap factory, as housing for soap workers. They are significant as early examples of factory housing, a rare type in Cambridge.
The house at 5-7 Cottage Street is a 1½ story double workers cottage, originally identical to 101 Pearl Street. The center door and porch are later additions. This modest, square plan structure was subsequently covered with asbestos, and exhibits no decorative detail. The house at 101 Pearl Street is identical in form to 5-7 Cottage Street, and likewise was subsequently clad in synthetic siding. It differs only in its orientation to Pearl Street, rather than Cottage Street. 10. Bibliography and/or references (such as local histories, deeds, assessor's records, early maps, etc.) for-NP$ ostan ve Review NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES United States Department of the interior National Park Service EVALUATION / RETURN SHEET Vallentine soap worlers cotlages Proporty: Cameridge Muetiple Desousce Area) State, County:MA middlesex Federal Agency:_ Working No. 1-14.80 2862 Fed. Reg.
Date: Date Due:. 4.17,82 Action: - ACCEPT_ resubmission RETURN_ nomination by person or local government - REJECT_ owner objection appeal photos- maps- Substantive Review: - sample - request - appeal KNR decision Reviewer's comments: please addreas the sigmficance o this honse en relation to ne provems uith it integuty. Additions and siding are major changes for such a modest dwelleng. Recom. / Criteria Return Reviewer arch /2strian Discipling. 2.62 Date_ - see continuation sheet -Nomination returned for: _ technical corrections cited below _substantive reasons discussed below 1. Name 2. Location 3. Classification Catogory Ownership Public Acquteition 4. Owner of Property Status Aecosalble Prosent Uce 5. Location of Legal Description 6. Representation in Existing Surveys has this property been determined eligibte? - yo6 - m 7.
Description miltien excelient good tair _ deteriorated ruins Check ene _ unaltered _ altered Check one - original site - moved date unexposed be the present and arlgtnal (Il known) physicel apposrance summary paragraph completeness clarity alterations/integrity dates boundary selection 8. Significance Partor Aroas of s ignilhcance Chack und hratlty balera ullder Archito anifleenco (in ene peragrep summary paragraph completeness clarity applicable criteria justification of areas checked relating significance to the resource context relationship of integrity to significance justification of excepticn other 9. Major Bibliographical References 10. Geographical Data Acreage of nominsted property Quedrangle neme- UMT Reterences Verbel boundery description and jetificatien 11. Form Prepared By 12.
State Historic Preservation Officer Certification The evaluated aignificance of thie property within the state is: - - netional = Btate - local Blate Hletork Preservatton OMficer eignature date 13. Other Maps Photographs Other Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to Signed Bnacnams - Date 4.13.82 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 4. Map. Draw sketch of building location in relation to nearest cross streets and other buildings. Indicate north. WILLIAM RA 12 10% 10 8 (6%) 4A 4 5. Di - 53 4'W? WATSON In Area no. C'port Form no. CPT II.C.4.a. , 1. Town Address Cambridge 5-7 Cottage Street Name_ Valentine Workers Cottages Present use residential Edmund M.
Connolly Present owner c/o Lawrence W. Brennan 3. Description: Date 1835-36 Source_ tax records Style Federal Architect unknown asbestos siding Exterior wall fabric _over clapboards Outbuildings (describe)_none Other features COTTAGE ST. APTS 5-7 AGE CT. -T.H 1=71 [ WP LOPEZ Altered yes - minor Moved no Dateunknown Date 5. Lot size: One acre or lessX Over one acre Approximate frontage 50 feet Approximate distance of building from street 10 feet 6. Recorded by_Charles M. Sullivan Organization_Cambridge Historical Com. Date 1983 DO NOT WRITE IN THIS SPACE USGS Quadrant MHC Photo no. Assessor #106-12 UTM- Boston South 19/326560/4691960 5M-2-75-R061465 (20M-2976) (over) 7. Original owner (if known). Charles Valentine Original use residential Subsequent uses (if any) and dates residential 8.
Themes (check as many as applicable) Aboriginal Agricultural Architectural The Arts Commerce Communication Community development Conservation Education Exploration/ settlement Industry Military Political Recreation Religion Science/ invention Social/ humanitarian Transportation 9. Historical significance (include explanation of themes checked above) The Valentine factory workers' cottages are twin houses built in 1835-36 by Charles Valentine, owner of a Cambridgeport slaughterhouse and soap factory, as housing for his workers. They are significant as early examples of factory housing, a rare type in Cambridge, and for their associations with soap manufacturing, once a major Cambridge industry. Both 101 Pearl Street and 5-7 Cottage Street are double houses sited with their gable ends to Cottage Street.
The houses are divided lengthwise, with an entrance in the center of each five bay facade. The broad gable ends and relatively steep roofs give the houses Federal stylistic characteristics, an impression reinforced by the severe detailing. Both houses have been covered with artificial siding. additional entrance has been placed in the gable end of 5-7 Cottage Street, and a porch and shed have been added to 101 Pearl Street. A third similar double house built by Valentine in 1841 at 95-97 Pearl Street has been demolished. Soap manufacturing, which became a characteristic Cambridge industry, was initiated on an industrial (rather than household) basis in Cambridgeport in 1804 as a profitable means of disposing of the tallow that was an otherwise unusable byproduct of slaughtering.
The industry was a direct result of the cattle trade that developed with the opening of the West Boston Bridge and the turnpikes connecting it with the country towns of Middlesex County. The Valentine establishment was founded by a Cambridgeport merchant, 10. Bibliography and/or references (such as local histories, deeds, assessor's records, early maps, etc.) Survey of Architectural History in Cambridge, Report Three: Cambridgeport INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston Conmumity : Form No: Cambridgeport CPT II.C.4b Property Name : Valentine Workers Cottage Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. Page : 2 9. Significance (continued) it with the country towns of Middlesex County.
The Valentine establishment was founded by a Cambridgeport merchant, Charles Valentine, as a slaughterhouse on Pearl Street in Cambridge. Then in an isolated area of Cambridgeport, the factory site was remote both from the settled neighborhoods around Central Square and from the proposed residential development of Pine Grove our pane cnove around Fort Washington. The housing built for the workers six years after the factory was established was three blocks away on the fringe of the Central Square neighborhood, the distance reflecting the noxious character of the industry. Although the soap industry developed to very large proportions by the first half of the twentieth century - the United States headquarters and factory of Lever Brothers left Cambridge in 1952 - no other structures remain from it.
While additions have been made to these houses been covered with artificial siding, their basic integrity is intact and easily recoverable. The original clapboards remain under the siding, and the later additions have not destroyed the original Iabric oi either structure. These houses are significant in the social and architectural history of Cambridge regardless of their present condition and meet both Criteria A and Criteria C. 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 6 1.1 Multiple Resource Area Thematic Group Name State Cambridge Multiple Resource Area MA Nomination/Type of Review " 51. Read, Cheney, House Date/Signature Tre Meriew/ Keeper WiliamIt.
Bracham 4.13-82 Attest '52. Reardon, Edmund, House SerIon Keeper Attest Wiiam1.Brackam4.13.8: 53. River Street Firehouse Say Iow Keeper WiltiamH. Bracham 4.1382 Attest ~54. Sands, Ivory, House EuhateatIve Hevtmn Keeper WiiianHBrachom 41382 '55. Senior House DOE/OWNER OBJECTION Keeper South Row Attest Attest a9 TAD, Keeper Leject Attest Netuca 4.1352 41382 57. Urban Rowhouse (40-48 Pearl St.) Keeper Weeciam H. Bravham 4138 Attest 58. Urban Rowhouse (30-38 Pearl St.) Keeper WietiamH Bracham 4.13.82 Attest Urban Rowhouse (26-32 RiveuoStantive Revtew Keeper Attest sa-llhang 6-38 60. Valentine Soap Workers Cottages (5-7 Cottage St.) Keeper Attest Bor.ulu Donp 6508) YATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES Jeited States De partrant el tho labartor. Pubstentive neviet Yational Park Servi Valentine Soap Workers Cottages - 5-7 Eottage St.
(Cambridge MRA) Middlesex County MÄSSACHUSETTS EYALUATION / RETURN SHEL resubmission nomination by person or local government owner objection appeal Substantive Roview: _sampis -request - appeal Reviower's comments: SIGNIAICANCE PROVINON Working No. 11-4-80-2862 Fed. Reg. Dau:5/7 2-7-8 Dato Due: Action: ACCEPT 6/30/83 - RETURN REJECT. Foderal Agoncy: NR decision Rocom. / Criteria Roviower. DOKA Discipline Dato 6:30-83 see continuation sheet technical corrections cited below substantive reasons discussad below -Nomination returned for: 1. Name 2. Location 3. Classification Ueo 4. Owner of Property 5. Location of Legal Description 6. Représentation in Existing Surveys I the presenty te 7. Description noror artotaed (ll teaoonod pooyotaed summary paragraph completeness clarity alterations/integrity dates moros 8.
Significance Perted poes el h atle dete wattly 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 Bibliographicai References 10. Geographical Data ange - VIFT Poteranan Parbel bouadary 11. Form Prepared By 12. State Historic Preservation Officer Certification Tho orrebuatad atgréticance of thia prosparty sttoin tho scnto le: ational state -- laca: mote Hloterte Pr uten Omfcer eignature 13. Other Maps Photographs Other Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to - Signed Date- Phone: 202 272 - 3506 - Comments for any Item may be continued on an attached sheet Cambridge MRA, Ma VAUEATINE SODO WARIORS COUTAGRS 101 PGARL STROST CHe 1196-3 CAMBRIDGE HISTORICAL COMMISSION PHOTOGRAPH Byc CMSUzLIUA No.
1208 Date 183 Valestine Werkes cottaye Cambridge MRA, Ma 101 PEXRL ST. Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000275