BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
FORM B - BUILDING MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 294 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02108 .-- Area Form no. 33-53 PHOTO (3x3" or 3x5", black & white) Staple to left side of form Photo number Roll 3 frames 17-18 SKETCH MAP Draw map showing property's location in relation to nearest cross streets and other buildings or geographical features. Indicate north. N ADDITION SOUTH MAIN TAFT HOuSE Town Uxbridge Address_ South Main Street Historic Name (Hon. Bazaleel \Taft House Use: Original residence Present_ Cocke 'n Kettle-restauran Ownership: &4 Private individual Private organization Public Original owner Hon. Bazaleel Taft DESCRIPTION: Date ca.
1780-1790 or earlier Source Secondary sources/exterior Style_ Georgian Architect Unknown Exterior wall fabric clapboard Outbuildings_ none QUAKER HIGHWA Recorded by_ B.R.Pfeiffer Organization Uxbridge Historical Commission Date May 1981 Major alterations (with dates) 2 storey wing added east and north (ca. 1970) 6/6 sash installed (19th century?) Moved No Date N/A Approx. acreage less than 1/4 Setting_ located at junction of Iron- stone Road and South Main Street in ar area of sparse residential development UTM: Quad BL 19 283990 4660180 (Staple additional sheets here) #33-53 ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE (describe important architectural features and evaluate in terms of other buildings within community) The Hon.
Bazaleel Taft House is an outstanding local example of high- style Georgian architecture, one which preserves almost all elements of its original design, despite modern commercial additions. The main house is a 2½ storey, timber-frame structure set on a foundation of dressed limestone (?) ashlar. The building has a rectangular plan with two interior chimneys and is enclosed by a hip-on-hip roof. The facade (west elevation) is symmetrical with five openings at the first and second stories and three pedimented dormers at the attic. SEE CONTINUATION SHEET HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE (explain the role owners played in local or state history and how the building relates to the development of the community) In addition to being one of the most sophisticated Georgian style houses Ln southern worcester county the Hon. Bazaleel lait House possesses nistorlca.
associations with at least three aenerations of the locally-prominent Taft Family. The house's exact date of construction is obscured by several factors. Although some local sources report that the house was built as late as 1790 by the Hon. Bazaleel Taft, (1750-1839), the farm on which the house stood has been owned since the early eighteenth century by Daniel Taft (1677-1761) and his son Josiah Taft (1709-1756), both of whom were among the wealthiest citizen of Uxbridge and Mendon. In addition, both were involved with the county court at Worcester and had social connections in Boston/Cambridge, where Josiah Taft, Jr. died of fever in 1756 while attending Havard University.
Both in Worcester and in Cambridge, houses of similar form were built prior to the Revolutionary war for members of the court (Gardiner Chandler House, Worcester 1760's) and wealthy merchants (John Vassall House, Cambridge, 1759). While the Hon. Bazalee Taft House may actually date from the 1780's, the Taft family's continuous occupation of the farm, wealth, and exposure to similar high style houses sug- gest that a pre-Revolutionary construction date may be possible. The house's major associations are derived from the Honorable Bazaleel Taft.
Born in 1750, just six years before the joint deaths of his father and older brother, Bazaleel Taft was raised by his mother who enjoyed the positior of being Uxbridge's largest tax payer by virtue of her administration of her husband's estate; local sources report that her influence was sufficiently grea that when special taxes were sought to support the colonies at the beginning of the Revolutionary War, Josiah Taft's widow was allowed to vote on the matter at the town meeting, the only woman allowed to do so locally before the twent- ieth century. SEE CONTINUATION SHEET BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES Proceedings at the Meeting of the Taft Family, at Uxbridge, MA, August 12, 1874 Uxbridge: Spencer Bros., 1874 pp.
44-48 Blackstone Bank 1925: 24 Chapin 1881: 50-52, 112-115, 172 20M-2/80 INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston Commnity: Form No: Uxbridge 33-53 Property Name : Hon. B. Taft House Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE The center entry consists of a raised-panel door (modern replacement on the outer door) surmounted by a 5-pane transom and framed by fluted pilasters supporting a pulvinated frieze, cornice and pediment. Windows are set in heavy, projecting frames with moulded caps. The south elevation duplicates the facade in appearance, except that it is slightly asymmetrical and lacks dormers.
Other elevations (north & east) are partially or totally blocked by contemporary additions built for the building's commercial conversion to a restaurant in the mid-twenthieth century. Neither addition contributes to the property's historical significance, nor do they cut into the frame of the house. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE A young man at the time of the Revolution, Bazaleel Taft served as adjutant in a local company. After the war, Taft became the town's largest land holder and a staunch Federalist. At various times he served as a state senator, representative to the General Court of the state's Executive CouncilTeBazaleel Taftwlgre than 30 years and member son, Bazaleel Taft Jr. (1780-1846), an attorney, who succeeded his father politically and as a large landholder, although most of the younger Taft's adult life was spent in a house built for him by his father in 1807 (Form #35-51).
After the death of the elder Taft, the house was owned and occupied by Joseph and Chloe (Taft) Thayer. Thayer (1792-1872) was a native of Douglas, Massachusetts; he graduated from Brown University in 1815, after which he studied law with the Honorable Levi Lincoln of Worcester and, later, with Bazaleel Taft, Jr., at Uxbridge. Thayer set up a local law practice in 1818, married the Hon. Bazaleel Taft's daughter, and eventually succeeded his father- in-law as Uxbridge's largest land owner and wealthiest citizen. Among Thayer': various business ventures, he was active in supporting the development of the Blackstone Canal and the establishment of the Providence and Worcester Rail- road of which he was on the first board of directors. After Thayer's death, the house was occupied by his widow, and by the 1890's was either owned and/or occupied by Gideon M. Aldrich. The Hon.
Bazaleel Taft House possesses integrity of location, design, materials and work- manship, as well as historical associations with several generations of the Town!s most prominent family, all of whom were active in the community's economic development. The Taft House meets criteria A, B and C of the NRHP. OWNER: Nick Sampson South Main St. Uxbridge, MA 01569 Staple to Inventory form at bottom NPS Form 10-900-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 anly recelved 5/20/83 date entered Page 5 ms Multiple Resource Area Thematic Group Name State Uxbridge Multiple Resource Area Nomination/Type of Review 41. Whipple, A., House Entered in the National Register 42. Williams, N., House Entered in tlaa National Regieter 43.
Taft, Aaron, House Intered In the National. Register 24'44. Taft, Bazaleel, Jr., House and Law Office Substantive Review 45. Taft, Hon. Bazaleel, House Entered in the National Begieter 46. Taft Brothers Block Intered In tho Mart1onel Begteter 47. Taft, George, House Enteredin thg Nationel Regieter 48. Taft, Moses, House Intered in the Nat1ona1 Register 49. Taft, Samuel, House bi-uicu in Lae Nationel Begister 3* 50.
Taft, Zadock, House Entered in the National Register fKeeper Attest fkeeper Attest fkeeper Attest tal Keeper Attest Keep Attest tKeeper Attest tKeeper Attest fkeeper Attest fReeper Attest KKeeper Attest Date/Signature delaresByun10/7/83 SelmuaByer 10/218: AelmeByees (02/83 accept latuckAnduus 10/2/83 AeloresByu 10/2/83 SlreByen 42/83 AelvresByer 0/2/83 AeloresByen 10/2/83 delneaByes 1011/83 AeloreaByes 10/2/83 WASO Form - 177 ("R" June 1984) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET Taft, Hon. Bazaleel, House (Uxbridge MRA) Worcester County MASSA CHUSETTS resubmission nomination by person or local government owner objection appeal Substantive Review: Reviewer's comments: sample request Nat1ona1 Working No. AUG 26 1983 Fed. Reg. Datej 2-5-85 Date Due:.
22 83-10/18/83 ction: -ACCEPT 10/7/83 _RETURN Register _REJECT. Federal Agency: appeal LJ NR decision Recom./Criteria Reviewer Discipline Date _ see continuation sheet Nomination returned for: _technical corrections cited below substantive reasons discussed below 1. Name 2. Location 3. Classification Category Ownership Public Acquisition 4. Owner of Property 5. Location of Legal Description 6. Representation in Existing Surveys Has this property been determined eligible? yes no 7. Description Condition excellent good fair deteriorated ruins unexposed Check one unaltered altered Describe the present and original (if known) physical appearance summary paragraph completeness clarity alterations/integrity dates boundary selection Status Accessible Present Use Check one original site moved date. 8.
Significance Period Areas of Significance-Check and justify below Specific dates Statement of Significance (in one paragraph) Builder/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 03 SEro 9. Major Bibliographical References 10. Geographical Data Acreage of nominated property Quadrangle name UTM References Verbal boundary description and justification 11. Form Prepared By 12. State Historic Preservation Officer Certification The evaluated significance of this property within the state is: national state local State Historic Preservation Officer signature date title 13.
Other Maps Photographs Other Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to _ Signed - Date - Phone: - Comments for any item may be continued on an attached sheet HWY. QUAKE. NORTH 332.53 327.54- 431.38° 220.43 17. 725.46° 87.96° 109.02' 126.27 89.22° 45.31 217 2 57,955 $ 24425° 3 16.617* PL 357.16 358.49° 4 A. 1207.48° N.Y. N.H. 2472.50° 29.46A. Uxbridge Multiple Resource Area Hon. Bazaleel Taft House South Main Street Map #33 Lot #53 Exbridge Assessors 1" = 200' 1983 Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000299