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 III-20 Area C Form no. 154 Reading 199 Summer Avenue Name -- tame at ginal dwelling sent dwelling p: X] Private individual Private organization Public_ ginal owner_Robert ( "Father") Kemp TION: location in relation to nearest cross streets and other buildings or geographical features. Indicate north. Date 1878 Source Chronicle Style Tudor Revival Architect Horace G. Wadlin Exterior wall fabric clapboards, stucco, shingles Outbuildings Second-Empire carriage house Major alterations (with dates) major remodeling from Second Empire to Tudor Revival style after 1900 Moved no Date Approx. acreage_ 21,720 sq. ft.
Recorded by_ Architectural Preservation Setting set back from street behind Associates Organization Reading Historical granite wall, facing eastward ConmissioiD Date November 30, 1980 toward the street Date2/14/84 UTM: 19/327060/4709600 (Staple additionat sheets here) ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE (describe important architectural features and evaluate in terms of other buildings within community) This west-side house illustrates how wealthy businessmen who liked a particular residential area might build and/or remodel several houses in that neighborhood. The Tudor Revival appearance of the house today is the product of an extensive remodeling that occurred early in the 20th century. As such, it evinces a medieval feeling, via strong vertical lines, exterior timbering, dark wall coloring, and diamond-pane fenestration.
Prior to the remodeling, the house was a Second Empire cottage that had been built in 1878. It origin is the subject of some controversy. The prominent local architect-historian Horace G. Wadlin wrote in Concerning the Past that he had provided Kemp with the plans for the house, based on measured (con't.) HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE (explain the role owners played in local or state history and how the building relates to the development of the community) This house was originally built in 1878 for Robert ("Father") Kemp, on land formerly a part of the old Temple family farmlands that lay on both sides of Summer Avenue. Kemp was a shoe manufacturer who moved from Boston to Reading in 1853; he built the Italianate residence at 186 Summer Avenue (form no. C-158), and was a gentleman farmer on his acreage there.
He was a much-loved town figure, in that he founded the amateur singing group known as "Father Kemp's Old Folks, " who toured both in this country and abroad in the second half of the 19th century. Kemp sold 186 Summer Avenue in 1868 to a man named Hawes, and moved back to Boston. However, in 1875 he bought the lot at 199 Summer Avenue from M.C. Temple. He had this house built in 1878, and moved back to Reading. In July of 1879, Kemp sold his new house to John Jacbos, a real-estate broker, who resold it two weeks later to Seth Rich, a Boston pawnbroker. Rich landscaped the property, and died in 1895. His wife, M. Grace Rich, contin- ued to live there through 1900, but by 1906, the property had been sold to Charles A. Loring. Loring previously had lived nearby, at 211 Summer Avenue (form no. C-153 in the Historical and Architectural Inventory, Reading, Massachusetts).
Loring was the treasurer of the Middlesex East Agricultural Association in 1899. This organization operated agricultural in 1sgg vahis organizatron fairs and a racetrack from 1898 to 1917. The track was first for horses, then for automobiles as well. Loring copublished the Reading Memorial Volume of 1894; was a vice-president of the Reading Antiquarian Society; and helped form the Meadow Brook Country Club. His house was put into the name of his wife, Ella L. Loring, before 1910, but Loring continued to live there. BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES 1889 map - S. Rich (Seth) Chronicle, July 26, 1879; May 8, 1880; Aug.
7, 1980 Bishop, Rooftrees Wadlin, Concerning the Past, Ch.:93 1906 map - Charles Loring 1900, 1910, 1916, 1949 valuation books 20M-2/80 INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston Commmity: Reading Property Name: Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. Form No: C-154 -- ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE. (con't.) drawings of a mansard-roofed house in Swampscott that Kemp admired. (Wadlin did not admire the house, calling it a "low house of mongrel design.") How- ever, the Chronicle of 1878 referred to the house as a "two-story French- roof cottage designed and built by William Phillips," a local builder. It went on to say that the exterior of the house was painted in the " What this paint scheme must have looked like on a classically inspired Second Empire composition can only be imagined.
The house definitely was built with a mansard roof, though -- part of it is in a photograph in the Memorial Volume of 1894. The house probably looked a great deal like its still-extant mansard-roofed carriage house. CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION This house is significant (1) for its role in the 19th-century development of Reading's west side as a desirable residential neighborhood; (2) for its connection with three notable Readingites -- song leader Robert ehiteet Horace C. Nadisn, ("Father") Kemp, architect Horace G. Wadlin, and businessman Charles A. Loring; and (3) for its unique architectural metamorphosis from a Second Empire cottage to a Tudor Revival mansion. It retains integrity of loca- tion, design, setting, materials, workmanship, and feeling, and meets Criteria A, B, and C of the National Register.
Staple to Inventory form at botton (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 otlrt date entered Page 5/9 Multiple Resource Area Thematic Group Name State Reading Multiple Resource Area Middlesex County, MASSACHUSETTS Nomination/Type of Review 41. House at 11 Beech Street Entered in the National Register Entered in the 42. House at 16 Mineral Street Wat1ona1 Register 43. House at 26 Center Avenue Entered in the Nationel Register 44. House at 42 Salem Street Entered in the National Register 45. House at 44 Temple Street Entered in the National Register Entered in the 46. House at 57 Woburn Street Natione? Registor 47. House at 77 Howard Street Entered in the National Register 48.
House at 79-81 Salem Street Entered in the National Register 49. House at 129 High Street Entered in the Natlone? Eegister 50. House at 199 Summer Avenue Entered in setlops3 Begester Tkeeper Attest fK eeperr Attest TKeeper Attest MReeper Attest tkeeper Attest Keeper Attest Kikeeper Attest Kseeper Attest tkeeper Attest Kkeeper Attest Date/Signature AilrerByan 1/19/84 AeleaByen 7/19/8 AulouByan 7/19/8 AeluuByan 2/19/8 Stlvue Bzan 0/1984 dulmBya112l0 DeloneByan elale.
AulruatAzen +129/64 AelunsByen 1/19/8 AllousByen 1/19/0 WASO Form - 177 ("R" June 1984) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Ref#84002667 NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET House at 199 Sum mer Avenue (Reading MRA) Middlesex County MASSA CHUSETTS resubmission nomination by person or local government owner objection appeal Substantive Review: Reviewer's comments: Lsample - request JUN 4 1984 Working No. Fed. Reg. Date: 186 Date Due: _ 5/84-7/19/84 Entered in Action: LACCEPT7-14-84 National Register -_ RETURN_ REJECT_ Federal Agency: _ lappeal -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 Loriginal 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 Reading 199 Summer Ave 7 -0 8,900.0 104.0 6 8,950 104.0 11,900 70.0 12,650 77.50 174.70 15 a 10,173 172.88 140.0 5 10 24,396 40 13,200 03.30 133.60 140.0 -15 18 62.0 16 a 7,877 41.25 125.25 139.30 15 59 8,460 159.90 B238 0l405 14 8,15c 140.30 855.0 13 7,150 11 86.50 $,200 77.50 12 4,950 27.3 55.0 86.55 7 STREET 99.50 95.0 65 60.0 59.0 57.25 57.25 39 0) 17,955 136.17 39a 10,446 82.68 303 60 38 12,075 100.25 37 10,4.50= 85.50 101.0 + 22,675 302.90 36 15,550 0001 21,325 301.0 238.07 14,601 151.38 217.0 15,775 301.22 226.22 44b 14,622 118.50 44a 5,724 107.93 85.60 109.0 62.92 3,524 59.62 35 15,600 114.90 51.64 82 790 114.50 13,850 25 12,517 5 558 90 58> 47 50 2274 320.
34 10,375 119.0+ 118.50 33B 11,000 123.71 33A 12,000 95.0 91,40 91.30 60 128.40 48 26,450 123,57 33 14,969 105.07 11,100 76.30 76,90 135,36 22,725 151.0 11,344 151.70 200.0 21 75.0 STREET 22,765 195.90 115.0 22 22,295 115.10 .93 59 70 10, 315 133 19a 10,032 130.50 57.50 20 9,262 157.05 20a 9,5/3 156.60 60. 191.85 23 - 18,650 95 61.25 AVENUE 155,80 157.12 26 28,695 86.34 38.47 64.91% 00 121.20 24 16,550 158.50 245.70 26a 15,135-0 132.50 25 35,825 175 189 112.0 27 226.0 295 17,028 109.60 9,653 116.78 27a 6,515 120.70 28 109.33 29 21,720 PROSPECT 123.50 56.38 16,412 126.0 90.0 72.0 150. 32 13,333 29a 18,777 202.30 166.39 30 13,091 166.04 80,0 80.0 203 SUMMER #C-154 199 Summer Ave.
Map 49,-Lot 29 1983 Assessors Map 1" = 100' 180.02 70.0 145 82.50 245 12 140.32 243 12.30 PLAT Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000290