BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
FORM B - BUILDING MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, State House, Boston - - - - 2. Photo (3x3" or 3x5") Staple to left side of form Photo number - 1 - 4. Map. Draw sketch of building location in relation to nearest cross streets and other buildings. Indicate north. * Barn and ell removed. (over) 37M-7-77 In Area no. Form no. 96/355-9 1. Town Brookline MRA Address 235 Goddard Avenue Name_ John Goddard House Present use Residential Present owner M. DuP. Faulkner 3. Description: Date -- 1767 SOME OLD_BROOKLINE, HOUSES, Source by Nina Fletcher Little Style _ Georgian Architect Information not available Exterior wall fabric Clapboard Outbuildings (describe)_ Garage Other features 2 stories; square com- pact mass;hipped roof w/ 1g. central chimney at apex; pedimented. entrance portico w/sidelights & Doric columns sym. facade;cornerboards & pilasters 6/6 windows.
Altered Yes* Date_NAvalabk Moved No Date 5. Lot size: 97,120 sq. ft. One acre or less Over one acre X. Approximate frontage 185' Approximate distance of building from street 35' 6. Recorded by Leslie Larkin Organization_ _BHC Date June, 1980 Newton Quadrangle UTM References: 19/323930/4686760 Map #; 19 See 15 Goddard Ave. for information on the development of the street, and Curtis, Goddard and Little (See Bibliography) for more information on Godd- ard and his role in the Revolutionary War. iavolut tonany Faphyy E30g John Goddard 7. Original owner (if known)_ Original use Farmhouse Subsequent uses (if any) and dates 8.
Themes (check as many as applicable) Aboriginal Agricultural X Architectural The Arts Commerce Communication Community development Residence Conservation Education Exploration/ settlement Industry Military Political Recreation Religion Science/ invention Social/ humanitarian Transportation 9. Historical significance (include explanation of themes checked above) This square, compact house has a hipped roof, large central chimney and center entrance, and, on the interior, panelling, doors and hardware char- acteristic of the Revolutionary period. There was once a long ell to the west, with rooms for hired hands above and sheds and a bakery below. The large barn where John Goddard stored powder and cannon for the Continental Army stood to the west as well, and has since been demolished. (See attach- ed Xerox).
This is a good example of a small, prosperous 18th century farmhouse, one of the few remaining in Brookline, and because of its hist- orical associations, one of the mostimportant. In 1712 Joseph Goddard of Watertown, having arrived from England as a boy in 1665, bought two parcels of land in Brookline from Dorman Marean, one of the original grantees of Muddy River. (The date of 1680 for the orig- inal house here, placed on the chimney, is in error, according to Jones). Goddard built a house here, which was reached by farm lanes or "driftways" from both Clyde and Warren Sts. His son John moved to Worcester in the 1740's, leaving the farm to his son John in 1753. This John married as his second wife Hannah Seaver of Brookline, and they had 12 sons and 3 daughters. In 1767 they built the present house and tore down the old one.
Goddard was energetic and a hard worker - besides farming his land, he worked as a teamster and excerpts from his diary in the Public Library show that he spent a good deal of time helping neighbors and acting as executor for friend's estates, and he also hauled bricks and laid the hearths for the town schoolhouse and the parsonage. (Mrs. Little quotes extensively 10.
Bibliography and/or references (such as local histories, deeds, assessor's records, early maps, etc.) Curtis, History of Brookline Goddard, Nathaniel, Diary, in Nathaniel Goddard, a Boston Merchant, privately printed, 1906 Little, Some Old Brookline Houses Directory, 1881-2 Atlases, 1874 on Plan, Engineering Dept., L/13/C/42 Jones, Land Ownership in Brookline INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston Commnity: Brookline Form No: 96 355/9 Property Name:John Goddard House Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. Historical significance from this diary).
A delightful account, both of life on the Goddard farm and of Goddard's Revolutionary War activities, was written by his son Nath- aniel, who was born the same year this house was builttattended the Putter- ham School at its old location (See Newton St.) He states that from 1763 to 1770 his father was successively Constable, Surveyor of Highways, Select- man, Assessor and Collector, and that from 1770 on he was involved in the struggle for colonist's rights. In 1774 John Goddard was the deputy from Brookline at the Provincial Congress in Salem, and in November of that year the Committee of Safety, meeting in Cambridge, voted unanimously that he be appointed "Wagon master General to the army of the twelve united Colli- Munitions for the Continental Army had to be stored in communities surrounding Boston, and British soldiers were constantly searching for them.
Goddard had shells and shot hidden in his pastures, and powder in the farm "shop". On April 10, 1775, with the approach of searching parties, he took two ox-cart loadsand two horse-cart loads of powder, grapeshot and canteens to Concord for safety, as did men in neighboring towns - the British, on hearing of this, set out on the 18th of April and met "the embattled farm- ers" at Concord Bridge. Goddard's greatest role in the Revolution, however, was the fortification of Dorchester Heights. The British by now were surrounded in Boston, but they were supplied from the sea. Washington realized he could not attack across the harbor or Roxbury Neck, but the Heights (now in South Boston), reached by a road through Roxbury Crossing and across the salt meadows of Dorchester, would give a fine advantage, as cannon fire from there could Boston.
Goddard, as wagon-master, was put in charge of the operation; speed and secrecy were of the utmost importance. 300 teams and wagons were commandeered and the oxen were shod with felt and the wheels of the carts and wagons wound with hay. ~. On the night of March 4th 2000 men and the wag- on train, loaded with cannon, shot, tools for trenching, and saplings and hay for fences or fascines tosupport earthworks, proceeded quietly through Roxbury and up Dorchester Heights. The British awoke to find fortificat- ions well under way and cannon pointed at the town. Even though they dug trenches, their guns could not be fired high enough to dislodge the rebels, making any attack, without cover of cannon fire, too hazardous. On March 17th, now celebrated as Evacuation Day, the British sailed away from Boston.
General Washington asked Goddard to accompany his army to New York, in the same capacity as wagon-master, but Goddard declined, wishing to return farming and his large family. He served as Representative from Brookline to the Great and General Assembly from 1776 to 1792. In the 1780's, by which time the farm on Goddard Ave. comprised 70 acres, he gave it to his son Joseph, buying land on both sides of Boylston St. near the present Res- ervoir with his son Benjamin (see 43 Sumner Rd.). John Goddard compiled a list for the Rev. Dr. Pierce of all houses standing in Brookline in 1740, as did his grandson Samuel Aspinwall Goddard for the period 1800-10. Joseph OVER Staple to Invêntoryform at bottom Goddard, who remained on the ancestral farm, married Mary Aspinwall, and one of their 12 children, Abijah Warren Goddard, inherited the place.
He owned it into the early 1900's, the blace consisting then of two houses, barns and sheds and only 9½ acres." In 1872 Abijah Goddard had had his land surveyed in order to sell 56½ acres of the high ground to the west to Samuel Shackell of Boston, who subdivided it into 171 lote and, at least on plans and in the 1874 Atlas, laid out a number of new streets. This subdivision, on both sides of Goddard Ave., was called Goddard Heights, but as far as can be determined, not alot was ever built on. The reason is not known - as late as 1893 Shackell still owned the land, but there were no buildings on it. Abijah Goddard married Eliza Tilden, and their daughter Eliza Tilden Goddard inherited the farm, passing it on to her daughter Mary Watson Wright, who still owned it as late as 1919. This property, then, remained as a farm and in the same family_for over 200 years.
In the same tradition of service to the town that John Goddard showed, his son Joseph served as Selectman from 1796 to 1817, and kis son Abijah was a Selectman from 1835-37 and Representative to the General Court in 1856 and 1868. * Even so,it was still farmed - the1881-2 Brookline Directory lists A. W. Goddard under Farmers - vegetable. The John Goddard House meets NR criteria A,B, and C, having been built by Goddard, the wagon master of the Continental Army and strategist for the fortification of Dorchester Heights. The simple farm house is a rare Brookline example of the Georgian style. NPS Form10-900-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.
1024-001 Expires 10-31-8 For NPS uea anh recelivod 9-4-85 date entered Page Multiple Resource Area Thematic Group Name State Brookline MRA MASSACHUSETTS Nomination/Type of Review 21. Elliot, General Simon, House 22. Emmett Cottage 23. Fernwood 24. Fire Station #7 25. Fisher Hill Historic District 26. Francis, Dr. Tappan Eustis, House 27. Fuller, Peter, Building 28. Goddard, John, House 29. Graffam Development Historic District 30.
Green Hill Historic District TKeeper Entered in the VatLonel Begisber Attest 6R eeper Entered in the Mational Begister Attest (Keeper Entered in bae National Register Entered in the Natienal Register Attest Keeper Attest GK eeper Entered in tila Nat1onal RegisterAttest b Keeper Entecec 1a tne Totetexo1 Iegiete"Attest VKeeper Entered in the National Register Trbered In t5e Iat1one1 Hegister Attest fKeeper Attest Entered 1a the National Register /Keeper Attest UReeper En teced Im tibe Iationel Hegister Attest Date/Signature SeenByu10116 Delusßyen 1/a18s DelruByad2181 HeloneByen 10/418 debmAgankr18 AituuByan 101212.
SeleByuknlo, MelnaByun 10/2665 AebreByaN12185 delmBzen1d2lo5 85003270 WASO Form - 177 ("R" June 1984) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET Goddard, John, House (Brookline MRA) Norfolk County MASSACHUSETTS resubmission nomination by person or local government owner objection appeal Substantive Review: L sample Reviewer's comments: Lrequest Irrbered National Lappeal Working No.. Fed. Reg. Date:<4 3/81 Date Due: 10/3/8. Action: -ACCEPT. -RETURN Register - REJECT- Federal Agency: NR decision Recom./Criteria Reviewer_ Discipline Date _ see continuation sheet 4 1985 10/19 -7-8 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 Lmoved date 8. Significance Period Areas of Significance-Check and justify below Specific dates Statement of Significance (in one paragraph) Builder/Architect summary paragraph completeness ciarity 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 235 Goddcud Ave. Goddard, Jonn, house Brooklene (MA) MRA - Brookine -4 Dohn Goddard Cottage 235 goddard Aue. - I 8,1847 Brookline (MA) MRA e PAnD L'S 10 ALE aSsNS FÖREST N STREE 53S9/6S TREET RO. RE FENUE Popa 235 goddad AVL. (16/355-4) JOHN Goddard House BROOKLINE (MA)MRA Town o- Map vano scale '2"= 200 fr Dug E ROA (RIGHT -WA PARK SCHOOL LARZ ANDERSON PARK BOSTON