BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
- FORM B - BUILDING 40:3-3 MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 294 Washington Street Ractnn MA nO1nO Area A Form no. 16 - Reading Zess 273 Pearl Street oric Name Janes Nichols House Original_dwelling Present_ dwolling rship:C Private individual Private organization Public Original owner Tamos Michols DESCRIPTION: Date C. 1795 Source _Rooftrees Style Georgian vernacylar Architect_ n/a Exterior wall fabric clanboards Outbuildings_Queen Anne garage pigi A pargby Recorded by Architectural Preservation Associates Organization Reading Historical Comm. Date NORELISED30 Date_ 6/82 Major alterations (with dates)English gable on west/ Greek Revival part on north much altered. Moved rear ell movedhere Date 1966; re- meved a short distance away, 198i. Approx. acreage_ 18,190 sq. ft. Setting Faces south on top of a slope, stone wall along road.
19/327500/4711560 (Staple additional sheets here) ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE (describe important architectural features and evaluate in terms of other buildings within community) This is asmall 12 story house with a gambrel rool on its front portion. Few otter such dwellingssurvive in Reading. The large center chinney rises above the-roof, which is extended as a saltbox behind. A small house pre- viously on Woburn Street was added in 1966. The door surround is very simple; windows touch the cornice. Window surrounds have guarter-round moldings on the west facade, and extend beyond the plane of the house. On the south facade they are plain. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE (explain the role owners played in local or state history and how the building relates to the development of the community) James.
Nichols, whose family was living in the area, was a shoemaker like so many of his contemporaries. He bought the land from a shoemaker and bwilt this house c. 1795. He probably made shoes for wholesale, which would then have been sold to one of the major shoe merchants in Reading. Afong with this business, he would have farmed his homestead. James was the central figure in a church controversy whose cause is: not well understood, but its history allows us to see the central role religion played in conmunity life, and also what a strongly religious community Reading was at the time. Nichols was excommunicated by Peter Sanborn from the South Parish Church, but joined a church in the North Parish (Jorth Reading), which was of a different religious bent.
Pearl Street was, before the Andover-Medford Turnpike opened in 1806, major road to the north for this community, and was fairly heavily settled before the 19th century. At the turn of the century, Edward Gleason was a farmer and sold milk. His son, Rodney, continued the milk business. BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES 1795 map J. Nichols (James) 1830 map yes 1854 map Mathias Gammel 1875 map Mrs. Joseph P. Wilbur 1389 map Edward S. Gleason 1898 & 1911 Directories Bishop, Rooftrees, Chapter 5 1916 Valuation list 20M-2/80 INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston Commnity : Readinz Form No: A-16 Property Name: 273 Pearl st. Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued belor.
CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION The James Michols house is sirnificant (1) for its role as an early farn/shoemaking homestead; (2) for its connection with the locally important Ilichols family, and religious dissident James Nichols in particular; and (3) as one of the few gambrel-roofed houses remaining in Reading. It retains integrity of location, design, settins, materials, vorkmanship, and feelins, and meets Criteria A, D, and C of the National Resister. 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 date entered Page 749 Multiple Resource Area Thematic Group Name State Reading Multiple Resource Area Middlesex County, MASSACHUSETTS Nomination/Type of Review 61.
Nichols, James, House 62. Nichols, Richard, House 63. Octagon House Entered in thé National Register Entered in the National Register Entered In the National Register Entered In tha Natjone1 Aegister 64. Old Hose House 65. Parker, Capt. Nathaniel, Red House 66. Parker House (52 Salem St.) 67. Parker, Joseph, House 68. Parker, Samuel, House Entered in the National Register Entered in the National Register Entered in the National Register Entered in the Natlerel Aegister 69. Parker, Stillman, House Entered in the National Register 70.
Parker House (316 Haven St.) Entered in the National Register Tkeeper Attest Jeeper Attest fKeeper Attest fiseeper Attest faeeper Attest freeper Attest fKeeper Attest fok eeper Attest fKeeper Attest fuseeper Attest Date/Signature AilrBzur 7-19-54 dilouaByen 719-54 dleloreByur 319-54 LeloraByene 7-19-54 * AulouBzun 1/964 AlnByen 719-54 AeluuaByin 719-54 AuluuBgun 719-64 deluuByen 2-1984 Aeloußya 119-54 WASO Form - 177 ("R" June 1984) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET B1.#84002755 Nichols, Ja m es, House (Reading MRA) Middlesex County MASSACHUSETTS resubmission nomination by person or local government owner objection appeal Substantive Review: Reviewer's comments: -sample request JUN 4,1984 Working No. Fed. Reg.
Date: 2/6/85 Date Due:_ 7-s--s4 7-19/8Y Action: LACCEPT 7-19-8y Entered in the -RETURN National Registex _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. 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 PEUOE 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 Tames H MRA Ma A-16 273 Pearl st. ENTRANCE TO FOREST GLEN CEMETERY PLAT 142 255 57.0 PLAT 160 PLAT 168 87,46 STREET 109.06 30.00 192 5565 4437 186 81.52 3b-1 16,870 3b-20 3c 12,663% F12,355 3d 88 125,96 170.83 20g. Bgp.Ft. 100 59,97 1S 74.55 50:00 21,320 124.55 yataro t 168.289. Ft. 10 133.50 10 10T0R34459, Sq. t.ä57n 7.0#188 135.33 A547/202 2.00 125.80 125.80 92.35 40.0 WAKEFIELD 107.79 107.79 2 3A-1 22,850 5q.Ft. 3A-2 21,970 Sq.Ft. 107.63 104.31 107.63 110.95 40.0 400 10,563 Sq.Ft. 146.47 140.0 12,900 Sq.rt. 12 10,859 Sq.Ft 70.0 23 116.14 99,09 BAKER 94,24 1-1023 sdor 13 11,00z Sq.Ft. 16 12,0 20,255 Sq.Ft. 23,560 Sq.Ft. 206. 22,054 Sq.Ft. 20 215.54 22 1300' 18 -20.0 17 21 120.0 24 ROAD 25.
18 e921.09 24.41 32 17.52 25 é 10,105 E/4 5q.F7. 15,600 Sq.Ff. 20,570 Sq.Ft. 20,400 Sq.Ft. 31 95% 19 112,0 53.34 53.34 120.03 120.03 120.0 20,080 Sig. Ft. 132A2 :815 10,359 Sq.Ft. 252AZ 0901 00:0 13C #A-16 273 Pearl St. Map 143, Lot 038 1983 Assessors Map 1" = 100 lo... 231.70 560.70 166 39,14 100.2 4050 Sq 100.c 111.38 138 5 0.913 A 152.0 170.15 3.3335 Acres Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000290