BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
FORM B - BUILDING MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION !xXV? 294 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02108 Area C Form no. 237 Reading 276 Woburn Street Name Lewís House iginal dwelling esent dwelling ip: 2 Private individual Private organization Public iginal owner John B. Lewis, Jr. location in relation to nearest cross streets and other buildings or geographical features. Indicate north. TION: Date 1875-1879 Source maps and valuation lists Style Colonial Revival Architect Exterior wall fabric clapboards Outbuildings_detached double garage, to the rear Major alterations (with dates) porch steps replaced, c.1960 Recorded by Reading Historical Com- mission Organization Reading Historical Com- mission Date FREVISED Date_ 6/82 Moved yes Date C- 1930 Approx. acreage_ 11,648 sq. ft.
Setting Faces north on well-landscaped lot bordering important residential thoroughfare UTM: 19/325980/4709320 (Staple additional sheets here) ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE (describe important architectural features and evaluate in terms of other buildings within community) This substantial and stylish house is mainly in the Colonial Revival style. It is two and one-half stories high, and three bays wide. The low hipped roof has eaves wide enough to be considered a derivation of the Craftsman style, and they feature what appear to be exposed rafter ends. A closer look shows that these are actually treated more like elongated modillion blocks. The roof is punctuated by pedimented dormers, the one on the front hip containing a pair tune tuaity nentede domass to of windows. A wide fascia board at cornice level simulates an entablature, and wood is also used for quoins and a water table.
The first-floor north-elevation windows are pairea, ana topped by sections oi an entablature with a denticulate cornice. A bay window on the (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) In 1875, John B. Lewis, Jr., lived here in an old house built by Jedde Brown, which he purchased from Brown's widow, Sophia. It appears that he built the present house on the rear of the lot, then moved the old house to 38 Berkeley Street, after which it was assessed to Samuel Roby. , John Lewis was the son of Frank E. Lewis, who owned several houses in town. John, like so many successful Reading businessmen, began his career early. He was in the meat business for himself at age 15, then made shoes, worked as a grocery store business manager, and enlisted in the Union army.
After his term of military service expired, he made and lost a fortune bringing cotton through Confederate lines. He stayed in the South after the war, becoming a wealthy dealer in real estate and shoes in Shreveport, Louisiana. In 1880, he established in Boston a firm that would become the city's largest supplier of shoes to the retail trade. Lewis was devoted to home missionary work, and he organized the Reading Temperance Brigade for Children. Between 1929 and 1932, the house was moved closer to the street at the eastern edge of the property, to allow two more houses to be built on the same lot. Today, the house typifies the upper-middle-class house constructed "in the latest style" by Readingites in the latter part of the 19th century. The house is presently owned by a doctor, as are many of the houses on this street.
BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES 1875 map an earlier house Eaton, Memorial Volume, p. 132 1880 Valuation list 20M-2/80 INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET Commnity : Reading Form No: r-2.37 MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston Property Name: 275 Woburn St. Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE east elevation is rounded, in the Regency manner. The single, second-floor windows have plain caps. The centrally placed doorway features thin, half- length sidelights with lead tracery topped by an entablature with a dentic- ulate cornice: there is a semicircular, leaded fanlight above the entablature, over the door opening only.
This entrance is fronted by a small portico whose denticulate pediment is supported on paired, attenuated Doric columns; the tympanum of the pediment is cut out to form a semicircular opening, echoing the fanlight. CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION This property is significant (1) for its role in the 19th-century residential deve lopment of Hoburn Street; (2) for its association with successful shoe sunplier John 3. Lewis; end (3) as a good example of Colonial Revival architecture. It retains integrity of general location, design, settins, materials, workmenship, and feeling, and meets Criteria A, D, and c of the letional RErister. 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 recelved 4/t/vi date entered Page Multiple Resource Area Thematic Group Name State Reading Multiple Resource Area Middlesex County, MASSACHUSETTS Nomination/Type of Review 51. House at 206 West Street Entered in the NatIonal Register 52. House at 242 Summer Avenulntered in the National Register 53. House at 322 Haven Street Iatered in the National Register. 54. House at 483 Summer AvenueEntered in the. National Register 55. House at 1177 Main Street Entered in the National Register 56. Lewis House Ertered in the National Register 57. Manning, Charles, House Entered in the National Register 58. Manning, Jacob, House Entered in the National Register 59. Masonic Block Entered in tha National Register 60.
Nichols, Daniel, Homestead Entered in tho National Register Date/Signature Aeeper Ailoußzen 719-81 Attest fkeeper AelveByen 719-6 Attest Heeper AeloreByen 119-8 Attest fkeeper delmuByen 219° Attest f'Keeper delmeßyen 2-1964 Attest Hreeper AilreByu 11944 Attest /Reeper diloeBzua 2-19-84 Attest fKeeper Diloe Byur 719-64 Attest freeper DeloreBzur 1-19-4 Attest feeper Aelmesyun 7-19-54 Attest WASO Form - 177 ("'R" June 1984) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET Lewis House (Reading MRA) Middlesex County MASSACHUSETTS resubmission nomination by person or local government owner objection appeal Substantive Review: Reviewer's comments: Lsample Jrequest 4 ,1984 Working No. Dat Dee: Pat: 25 15/85 Date Due: _ - 7/19/84 Action: ACCEPT- 719-84 Th Tn the Nationa? Register -RETURN_ REJECT.
Federal Agency: _ Jappeal -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. Ciassification Category wnershir ublic Acauisitio 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 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 CA 811 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 Lewis Haye Head ny met, Mar 216 Woburn ST. 114.7 15 16 64.73 32,000 5q. F+ 178.75 21096 13 21,357 5qF+ 173.59 998 0.0 12 16,121 5q.Ft. 140.91 16,029 F+ 101.45 198.2 10 4,560 198.2 5q F+ 108.0 195 ezic 122.12 PRESCOTT STREET 15.55 201 -135,0 17 19,100 158 STREET 193 79.19 37.5 121.38 18 10,300 F+ 59 152.41 5,715 19 165.21 20 19,615 Sq. Ft. 201.00 21 18,710 5g.Ft: 230.0 137.97 22 10,5415q F+ 139.20 PLAT 37 110.44 215 724.13* 23 -48.19 12,94015g. F+ 15.43 eez8e 24 5qF+ 71,410 187.34 .42,0 25 21,240 Sq. F+ 26 852 WOBURN 238.20 119.29 26 122 3.78 7250 5q.F+ 9.30 50.0 GILMORE 80 Ruoz Cazi 29 25 7,840 5qF+ 126 SG 216.80 30a 1190 27 7602 5q.Ft. 17.25 116.82 3 AVE. 14.16 28 75945q F+ 1260 131.63 30c 8942 5q. 131.65F+ 30 89.51 10,294 So 130.00 68.86 284 STREET 68.85 082 BERKLEY 57,627 Sq. Ft.
30b '1,648 Sq. r+ 131.68 #C-237 276 Woburn St. Map 38, Lot 30B 1983 Assessors Map 1" = 100' PLAT 39 P ST Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000290