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 -- Area Form no. 74/318-50 PHOTO (3x3" or 3x5", black & white) Staple to left side of form Photo number Town Brookline MRA Address 103 Walnut Street Historic Name Eliphalet Spurr House Use: Original residential Present residential Ownership: X] Private individual Private organization Public Original owner Eliphalet Spurr SKETCH MAP Draw map showing property's location in relation to nearest cross streets and other buildings or geographical features. Indicate north. See attached map. Boston South Quadrangle UIM Reference: 19/325390/5688490 Map #: 65 DESCRIPTION: Date c.
1790 Source Nina Fletcher Little, Some Old Brookline Houses Style Georgian influence Architectinformation not available Exterior wall fabric_clapboard Outbuildings_none Major alterations (with dates) Install rear stairs (1977) Recorded by Carla Benka OrganizationBrookline Historical Com. Date October 15, 1980 Atlas Page - 74/318-50 (Staple additional sheets here) Moved no Date N/A Approx. acreage 7091 square feet Setting Single family house abutted by triple deckers, set back from street approximately 30 feet, densely develope neighborhood 103 Walnut Street meet NR criteria B and C, being a rare example of a vernacular Georgian style house and the home of Eliphalet Spurr, an influential figure in the area of local transportation to and from Boston.
ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE (describe important architectural features and evaluate in terms of other buildings within community) The Eliphalet Spurr House, built in 1798, exhibits characteristies of the Georgian style. These features include: the simple ridge roof, five bay facade, cornerboards, horizontal emphasis, and dentiled cornice.
One of the few Georgian-style houses in Brookline, 103 Walnut Street is by far the oldest house in the immediate neighborhood and is particu- larly noticeable due to the comparatively large house lot and generous set back from the street HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE (explain the role owners played in local or state history and how the building relates to the development of the community) Not only is this house a good example of the vernacular Georgian style, but its first owner, Eliphalet Spurr, was a well known figure in late 18th and early 19th - century Brookline. Like Ginery Iwichell who öwned 17 and 40 Kent Street in nearby Brookline Village, Spurr's fame derived from his involvement with transportation.
However, while Iwichell was an "unrivaled" express rider, a stage driver, and later president o1 Railroad as well as the Atehison, lopeka, ano Santa Fe Railroad, Spurr's reputation was more locally based. The first line of coaches to be established between Brookline and Boston bassengess choughe the srency-rive cent fane too nigh. that generation had been less hardy or less energetic, Mr. Spurr's enterprise would have succeeded better,...." However, residents of Brookline chose to walk to Boston, over Roxbury Hill and the Neck, to do their shopping and to tend'to their other affairs. The land on which this house was built was part of the land grant which was awarded to Thomas Leverett in 1638. Used for farming, it was later sold to the Gardner family, and by 1746, part of the property had been sold to Major Edward White.
of the White family until 1846, while the remaining acerage was sold off, Batphatet spuns Six acres of the land remained in the hands beginning in 1790. Eliphalet Spurr. died in 1817; the house and land were later owned by Ihomas Aspinwall, a civicaliy minded citizen, and his sister Elizabeth; they retained ownership of the property until 1842. BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES Historical Sketches of Brookline by Harriet Woods, p. 21. History of Brookline by John Curtis, p. 197. Some Old Brookline Houses by Nina Fletcher Little 20M-2/80 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 received9-4-85 date entered Page Multiple Resource Area Thematic Group Nam e State Brookline MRA MASSACHUSETTS Nomination/Type of Review 71. Saint Paul's Church, Chape1, and Parish House 72. Saint Paul's Rectory 73. Sargent's Pond 74. Second Unitarian Church 75. Spurr, Eliphalet, House 76. Standish, James H., House 77. Strathmore Road Historic District 78. Toussaint, Winand, House 79. Town Stable 80.
Tuckerman, William F., House Entered In tadeeper lationa] Register Attest Entered in the Nationel Register f°Keeper Entered 1n National Register Attest bkeeper Erbered tae National Register Earbesed Ix Metional Register Attest freeper Attest 6Keeper Eabered in the Metionel Register Attest fkeeper Entered in the Hetdione1 Begtater Attest tKeeper Attest Entared ia tlke Mational Heglater Keeper Attest Tarbened Hesd:nat Tegtwcer +Keeper Attest Entered in the Hatarod ettstor afiséeper Attest Date/Signature AelouByen 14/2185 AelonsSgu 10/02/85 delmatqua (410/85 DelonBye 10l7lo5 Aulorßyan 10/218.
Delumßgu izhi LelonBye 10/2181 DebuByen d2k AheluByan 10/2/85 Hilaßyen 1012/85 WASO Form - 177 ("R" June 1984) 85003316 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET Spurr, Eliphalet, House (Brookline MRA) Norfolk County MASSACHUSETTS resubmission nomination by person or local government owner objection appeal Substantive Review: - sample Reviewer's comments: request SEP 4 1985 Working No.. Fed. Reg. Date:2 Date Due: _ Action: LACCEPT Entered in the RETURN- National Hegiater_ REJECT Federal Agency: 10/19/85 10-17-85 appeal 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 Ownersnip 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 952 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 BRO . sroolir 112% II-22 Eliphalet Spurr Howe 103 Walnut It. #35-I 3*3 Sauote: 68.1865 Smeek PONTEST. 13 Sbouer St Brook lud MRA 10009 80°3 0 23b0000 POOB 090 U" imA 103 Walnurst. (74/319-50) Elphaler Spurr House Brookline (Ma) MRA Towng Brookline map Jan 1981 scale "½"= 200 ft. 12800 D PIERCE PLAYGROUND S OOL 2000 OBLHOL EMERSOM ST EMERSOM 9B00O S GARDEN ?
BOYLSTON PLAYGROUND ap -00080B0L 8a0l BOVLSTOA Walnutst REE ACRON PLYGRD ROAD HAWTHORNE 7200 GLENO 00 ROAD NUE NH 0000 09000 ATION BROOKLINE VILARE LATA EET PEARL WATER WORK: PARKWAY AVENUE 10 SHURCH MOGCuy ornnondor dabonsai d Soago BROOKLINE AVE PLAYGROUND TARECREATION CTR -MES. BROOKLINE ROAO RIVERWAY NTING TON AV. HUNTINGTON AVE. - PARSONS FIELD