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Nomination for Batchelder House

The case file that argued this property on to the National Register: 1,019 words across 9 pages, filed in 1984. Reproduced in full, word for word.

Source document Held by the National Archives in Record Group 79 as reference 84002501, where it exists only as a scan with no text layer. The words below were read off that scan by machine, so the occasional stray character is the recogniser's and the typewriter's. Nothing is summarised, corrected or written by this site. See the catalogue record, or return to the property.

The nomination, in full

Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.

FORM B - BUILDING ?A Area A Form no. 14 PEARL 5T Reading 607 Pear1 Street Name Batchelder House ,ginal dwelling sent dwelling p: Private individual Private organization Public_ ginal owner Nathaniel Batchelder DESCRIPTION: Date c. 1783 Source Rooftrees Style Federal vernacular Architect_ N/a Exterior wall fabric_clapboards Outbuildingsgarage Major alterations (with dates)_addition across north and extension to east Eastuay 1977; possibly the sidelights Moved Date Approx. acreage 28,329 sq. ft. Recorded by_Architectural Preseryation Setting_Faces south surrounded by Associates Organization_Reading Historical Commn. pines, on very slightly raised piece Date NRENISED980 of land.

Date_ 6/82 19/327460/4713180 (Staple additional sheets here) ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE (describe important architectural features and evaluate in terms of other buildings within community) This is the traditional Reading Georgian-Federal house form. It is five bays wide, 2½ stories high, and is generous in depth. The door surround is Federal-Greek Revival transitional, with a shallow pediment as part of the entablature and wide sidelights. The windows on the second floor are placed high, but all windows are large, befitting its date. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE (explain the role owners played in local or state history and how the building relates to the development of the community) The property was owned by Batchelders before 1703. David (died 1787) was a cooper, and he sold the property to his nephew, Nathaniel, a shoemaker.

Nathaniel is said to have demolished the old homestead and built this Federal-style house. William Wallace Davis, who married into the extended family, was a Civil war veteran, Custom House inspector, and superintendent in Adden's shoe lactory, then a civil engineer. He thus traced the line from the handicraft of his forbearers to factory production to scientific building. Davis gave land to the town to relocate Pearl Street, as the noise of traffic going up the old coach road bothered him. BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES 1795 map N. Batchelder (Nathaniel) 1830 map yes 1854 map Nathaniel E. Batchelder (Emmons) 1875 map N. Carter (Nathaniel W. C. Carter) Bishop, Rooftrees, Chapter 33 20M-2/80 INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston Commnity : Readins Form No: A-14 Property Name: 607 Pearl St.

Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION The Batchelder house is significant (1) for its role as an early farm/ shoemaking homestead; (2) for its connection with the locally important Batchelder family; and (3) as an example of Federal architecture updated with a Greek-hevival doorway. It retains integrity of location, design, settins, materials, and workmanship, and meets Criteria A, B, end C of the Iational 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 6/4/34 date entered Page 2af9 Multiple Resource Area Thematic Group Name State Reading Multiple Resource Area MASSACHUSETTS Nomination/Type of Review Determined Elieibfte/Signature Yesw 11. Pratt, Joseph I., House BubatantIva HevIew Wkeeper Auin nu Arus DOE/OWNER OBJECTION Attest 12. Bancroft, Joseph, House Entered in the National Regdster foKeeper AileByu 1-19-14 Attest 13. Bancroft, Samuel, House Eators! 10 .03 Hat1ove? Roeoter tKeeper AuloreBguns-14-+4 Attest fKeeper 14. Bancroft, Wendell, House Entored In the National Register delmeByus-19s4 Attest fKeeper 15. Bassett, Edwin, House Eatorad 1n tha Iatloua? Register AilmeBya 79=4 Attest 16. Batchelder, Alden, House Entered in the National Register freper AulonByun 11918v Attest 17. Batchelder, George, House Entared In tha National Register frkseeper Aebusßzus 119184 Attest 18.

Batchelder House esPed Mactona? Register fukeeper AulsssBigen119184 Attest 19. Batchelder, Nathaniel, House rgcst ln tha 1et1009? Reedster fasteper AulresBgun1/15/84 Attest 20. Battell House Entered in the National Register fKeeper Aiborßgensl19lt Attest WASO Form - 177 ("R" June 1984) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET RJ.+84002501 Batchelder House (Reading MRA) Middlesex County MASSA CHUSETTS resubmission nomination by person or local government owner objection appeal Substantive Review: Reviewer's comments: - sample request Working No.. JUN 4 1984 Fed. Reg. Date: 2/5/85 Date Due: . 73-547-19-54 Action: ACCEPT - 2-19-84 Entered in the -RETURN National Register. _REJECT_ Federal Agency:.

-appeal NR decision Recom./Criteria Reviewer Discipline Date _ see continuation sheet Nomination returned for: . _technical corrections cited below _substantive reasons discussed beiow 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 J 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 Builder/Architect Statement of Significance (in one paragraph) 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 HistoricPreservation 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 Batchelds fose Readins 607 A -14 Pearl St. AEHUINU, IAUUMUTVOCIIO PLAT 211 PEARL 589 140.0 427.10 60.0 57,595 + 163.40 1.704 193.93 133.93 591 120.0 2 20,400 49'5L2 120.0 49901 30,675 5/3.58 Acres 5 345.30 oz2s O'OLI 02222 64.79 6 4185 Acres 0 STREET 607 103.06 120.0 +87.06 93.81 27,086 28,329 68.98 ,5.16 109.0 29.93 8 39,328: 90.07 66 349.03 4 GO.O 62 170.0 150.0 FRANKLIN 164.88 48-50 STREET 502.75 #A-14 607 Pearl St Map 212, Lot 03 1983 Assessors Map 1" = 100' PEAR- ST PLAT 226 PLAT 227 Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000290