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 K-: Form no. 118 location in felation to nearest Cross streets and other buildings Reading ess 20 Washington Street oric Name Wendell Bancroft House Original_Dwelling Dwelling Present rship: Private individual Private organization Public Original owner Wendell Bancroft RIPTION: Date_C. 1867-1870 Source Valuation books Style Gothic Revival Architect unknown Exterior wall fabric Wood clapboard OutbuildingsTwo carpenter shops and one barn, on adjacent lot Major alterations (with dates) Roof cresting removed Movedno Date 'Approx. acreage _8,450 sq. ft.
Recorded ectúra Associates OrganizationReading Historical Commission Date Novemb LEVPRED 980 Preservation Setting Faces west on corner of Washington and Woburn Streets uTM: 19/326620/4709100 Date 6/82 (Staple additional sheets here) ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE (describe important architectural features and evaluate in terms of other buildings within community) This house is one of the few high-style Gothic Revival houses in Reading, which did not seem to embrace this style for its residences, though it was more acceptable for churches. The house inventoried here is a two and one-half story, three-bay rectangular house with a hip- ped roof. The west facade roofline is broken by steeply pitched transverse gables carrying bargeboards with trefoil motif. south facade dormers have lancet windows.
This is the basic house Iorm which grew out of the Greek Revival vernacular practice and was developed in the Italianate period. It continued to be used'til the 20th century- HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE (explain the role owners played in local or state history and how the building relates to the development of the community) Wendell Bancroft owned a small house on Washington Street (which is still standing at the rear of the present property), and the old Jacquith house facing Woburn Street (now demolished), in 1860. By 1870, he seems to have built the present house on the same property as the old Jaquith house, but facing Washington Street. Bancroft was one of Reading's leading businessmen. He helped to found the First National Bank of Reading, which opened in 1891 in the old Bank Building at Main and Pleasant Streets.
It moved to the Masonic Block (corner of Main and Haven Streets) when the building opened in 1893. He was also an officer of the Mechanics Savings Bank in the same rooms. He was a builder and contractor, and formed a partnership with Temple, with whom he developed much real property. His warehouse was on Washington Street, and he had a coal and lumber yard on High Street. In 1894 he was a director of the Reading Coop- erative Bank and the Savings Bank. BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES (not tis house) 1765 map Captain Parker ( Jaquith house) 1854 map S. Carter ( Jaquith house) (Samuel) 1875 map w. Bancroft & Shop Eaton, Memorial Volume,_PP.
155 & 237 Wadlin, Concerning the Past, Chapter XXIX 1860 Valuation book 1865 Census 1870 Valuation book 1909 map Mendell Pancroft 20M-2/80 INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston Commnity : Peading Form No: C-119 Property Name: 20 Washinston St. Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION Chis property is sirnificant (1) for its connection with prominent locol businessman Wendell Bancroft; and (2) as one oi Readins's few Cothic Revival residences. g an ori, e% It retains integrity of location, design, settin?, materiels, woremanship, and feeling, and meets Criteria and C of the Mational Register.
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 only received G14/s4 date entered Page 24/9 Multiple Resource Area Thematic Group Name State Reading Multiple Resource Area MASSACHUSETT'S Nomination/Type of Review Deteruined E11giBate/Signature Resw 11. Pratt, Joseph L., House SubstantIve HevIew Wkeeper Burn ha bru d 2/5/85 DOE/OWNER OBJECTION Attest 12. Bancroft, Joseph, House Entered 1n the National Register foeeper AuenByu 1-19-14 Attest 13. Bancroft, Samuel, House Hatioue! tKeeper Foaater AeloreBguns15-t4 Attest f°Keeper 14. Bancroft, Wendell, House Intored In the National Register dlmeByer19-4 15. Bassett, Edwin, House Attest fKeeper Hacorad in tho Hatlove?
Register AelmeBya 249-54 Attest 16. Batchelder, Alden, House Entered in the fakeoper AulamByun114/8x National Register Attest 17. Batchelder, George, House Entored In tha National Regåster fatseeper Abusßozu14184 Attest 18. Batchelder House 1 Mattona? Register fusteeper AulseBgesad11a194 Attest 19. Batchelder, Nathaniel, House rocst lo tba Nutlone? Reaister fasééper Aubresßgun119/84 Attest 20. Battell House Eatered in the Nat1onal Register fKeeper Aubreßyen1914 Attest WASO Form - 177 ("R" June 1984) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET Ry.#84002477 Bancroft, Wendell,House (Reading MRA) Middlesex County MASSA CHUSETTS resubmission nomination by person or local government owner objection appeal Substantive Review: Reviewer's comments: Lsample LJ request Working No._ JUN 4 1984 Wed.Reg.
Date: 2/5/85 Date Due: 2-5-84 7-19-84 Action: -ACCEPT_ 2-9-54 Entered in the -RETURN National Register _REJECT - Federal Agency: -appeal L 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 J 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 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 Bannit, Werdel! 1 Rudin I1'A C-/18 20 Washington PLAT 62 100.0 122.70 27,895 256. 26,865 52 53 115.30 165 89.25 155 158 75.65 35 3 3 15.00 325 70%, 19815 .00 14.5 150 80.0 WENDA 8,973 105.41 31 1214 35 O 30 15g 51.09 9,322 2.00 7.3 100,0 82.5 9890 133$ 10,890 32.0 19 825 COTT 119.70 50.08 137.50 5,779 59 43.6 173.35 115.27 10,395 58 122° 60. 8,700 117:50 25c.0 29,265 26.7 4,564 39,23 9611° 77.66 6/ 1,53g 50.33 54 731 78.00 37.28 55 58.08 145 56 57 45.48./33.35 143 154 66.28 150 60.00 34 35 35.86 36 62.85 37 00 20 96.
17,329* 11,260 7,170 6R.oc 8,025 81.57 8,450 62 84.06 13,367 157.83 63 7,675 64 1020 67.7 STREET 127853 -7453 123 13C 65.85 57.85 43c 57.83 9 8 7 6,381 8,715 57.85 6 8,035 N 51.1 6500 38 62.40 54.0 86.41 4,511 20 86 85. .80 80. 40 51.72 9,320 18t.0 132.0 10,595 132.10 39 9 a $ 3,491 71.30 51.30 115.25 10 78 9,240 119.70 65.0 i31.855930 7,420 5 132.04 32.48 18A 31.0 13,225 4 81.0 23 10,890 14,712 WA 78. 9,420 124.1 12 6500 #C-118 20. Washington St. Map 15, Lot 162 1983 Assøssors Mapos 1" = 100° 7l0 132.42 6,930 132.60 106.05 56. 5,880 106.10 3. 2 100.46 52.23 "ARLINGTON J 18 82.5 47 55. Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000290