Nomination for US Post Office--Weymouth Landing

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

Form No. 10-306 (Rev.

10-74) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR FOR NPS USE ONLY NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES RECEIVED INVENTORY -- NOMINATION FORM DATE ENTERED 2 198686 27 198F FOR FEDERAL PROPERTIES SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN HOW TO COMPLETE NATIONAL REGISTER FORMS TYPE ALL ENTRIES -- COMPLETE APPLICABLE SECTIONS 1 NAME HISTORIC United States Post Office AND/OR COMMON Weymouth Landing Post Office 2 LOCATION STREET& NUMBER 3 4 103 Washington Street CITY, TOWN Weymouth STATE Massachusetts 02188 CLASSIFICATION N/A VICINITY OF CODE 1465 N/A_NOT FOR PUBLICATION CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT Eleventh Congressional District COUNTY CODE Norfolk 021 CATEGORY DISTRICT XBUILDING(S) STRUCTURE _SITE _OBJECT OWNERSHIP XPUBLIC -PRIVATE -BOTH PUBLIC ACQUISITION N/ AIN PROCESS -BEING CONSIDERED STATUS XOCCUPIED -UNOCCUPIED -WORK IN PROGRESS ACCESSIBLE XYES: RESTRICTED - YES: UNRESTRICTED _NO PRESENT USE AGRICULTURE -MUSEUM _COMMERCIAL _PARK _EDUCATIONAL -PRIVATE RESIDENCE _ENTERTAINMENT XGOVERNMENT -RELIGIOUS _SCIENTIFIC _INDUSTRIAL* -TRANSPORTATION _MILITARY -OTHER: AGENCY REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS: (lf applicable) New England Field Real Estate and Buildings Office STREET & NUMBER 1050 Waltham Street CITY.

TOWN Lexington N/A VICINITY OF LOCATION OF LEGAL DESCRIPTION STATE Massachusetts 02173 COURTHOUSE. REGISTRY OF DEEDS,ETC. Norfolk County Registry of Deeds STREET & NUMBER 649 High Street CITY. TOWN Dedham REPRESENTATION IN EXISTING SURVEYS STATE Massachusetts 02026 TITLE None DATE _FEDERAL STATE COUNTY _LOCAL DEPOSITORY FOR SURVEY RECORDS CITY. TOWN STATE DESCRIPTION CONDITION _EXCELLENT* XGOOD -FAIR DETERIORATED _RUINS _UNEXPOSED CHECK ONE _UNALTERED XALTERED CHECK ONE X ORIGINAL SITE _MOVED DATE. DESCRIBE THE PRESENT AND ORIGINAL (IF KNOWN) PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Description of the property

_PHYSICAL APPEARANCE_ The Weymouth Landing Post Office is located on one of Weymouth's main traffic routes, Washington Street. Over the years it has become a focal point for the shifting commercial district to the north. The once privately-owned residences around it have been converted to storefront properties, creating a small-scale commercial strip for the town. The building is set back from the street to not only give it a pleasant approach but also to integrate it's massiveness within the local context. The building and its grounds are in good condition. The Post Office is on the front portion of the lot with a paved vehicle maneuvering area to the rear and a driveway on the right side. The site is landscaped with lawn and shrubs. In plan, the building is fronted by the public lobby with the Postmaster's office to the right.

Behind the service sereen is the workroom with a separate building volume for the mail vestibule and platform beyond. Seven granite steps with wought-iron railings, which terminate with electric lampposts, create the main approach to the building. The front (northeast) elevation is a five-bay structure that uses simple projecting pilasters to create a three-bay central entrance. The elevations are composed of seam-faced Weymouth ashlar granite with a projecting ashlar base. A wood entablature with a denticulated cornice surrounds the building, conforming to the changing planes of the pilasters. The windows are double-hung, wood framed with 12/12 lights, granite lintels and sills. Granite recessed panels extend down to the base.

The entrance, in a segmental arched opening using granite voussoirs, contains quartered plain wood pilasters and engaged fluted Doric columns, both with a small granite base, supporting a denticulated frieze. A rectangular fanlight appears over 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 Weymouth Post Office Item number / OMB No. 1024-0018 Exp. 10-31-84 For NPS use only received date entered Page 2 the replacement aluminum and glass entry doors. The tympanum has an eagle in bas-relief. A pitched slate roof runs parallel to the street, covering the first third of the building; the back two-thirds are topped by a flat roof and a parapet wall.

Perched on top is a cupola with a wood cornice and base, fixed metal louvers, lead coated copper roof, and copper weathervane. The northwest and southeast side facades are similar in detail to the front elevation. There is a half-circular window centered within each gabled end. The rear (southwest) elevation has the mailing platform. One enters through an original vestibule of mahogany and glass, with side doors and brass handles, into the public lobby. This space has a terrazzo floor, pale green in color with a black framing strip, walls divided into thirds (the bottom being an Italian marble wainscot with a black marble base, the middle stained mahogany, the top plaster), and a plaster ceiling.

_ART_ On the right (northwest) wall of the lobby is an oil mural on heavy canvas entitled "Landing of the Weston Company." Measuring twelve feet by five feet, it has been inserted in a recessed space of duplicate size above the Postmaster's door, as if a frame was planned to surround it.

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

SIGNIFICANCE PERIOD AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE -- CHECK AND JUSTIFY BELOW PREHISTORIC _ARCHEOLOGY-PREHISTORIC XCOMMUNITY PLANNING _LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE _1400-1499 ARCHEOLOGY-HISTORIC -RELIGION -CONSERVATION -LAW -SCIENCE 1500-1599 -AGRICULTURE -ECONOMICS 1600-1699 X ARCHITECTURE -LITERATURE _SCULPTURE -EDUCATION -MILITARY -SOCIAL/HUMANITARIAN -1700-1799 XART -ENGINEERING MUSIC _THEATER -1800-1899 _COMMERCE -EXPLORATION/SETTLEMENT _PHILOSOPHY X1900- _COMMUNICATIONS -TRANSPORTATION _INDUSTRY -POLITICS/GOVERNMENT _OTHER (SPECIEVI -INVENTION SPECIFIC DATES Construction began: Nov. 30BU126ER/ARCHITECT Louis A. Simon, Sup. Architect Dedication: Oct. 23, 1941 T.W. Cunningham, Inc., Builder STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

Statement of significance

Built in 1940-1941, the Weymouth Landing Post Office in an area characterized by parking lots, low rise 19th/early 20th century houses. Architecturally it is sig- nificant as a structure which reflects nation-wide trends in government building design and construction during the 1930's and 1940's. Its compact form contains an efficient arrangement by public and work areas - economy, standardization and function- alism are important components in their building's plan. Local granite, rather than a more expensive imported stone was used in its construction in an effort to bolster the local economy. The choice of Colonial Revival rather than Classical Revival for its design may represent an historical reference to an early English settlement located in Weymouth during the early 1620's.

Although this building is not yet 50 years old, it would appear to be eligible for National Register of Historic Places status based primarily on its architectural significance. This building possesses a highly symmetrical main facade with Colonial Revival entrance treatments and a distinctive cupola at the center of its gable roof. Although blueprints date back to 1938, constrfuction began November 30, 1940. The cornerstone was laid on May 15, 1941 and reads "Frank C. Walker, Postmaster General; John M. Carmody, Federal Works Administrator; W. Englebert Reynolds, Commissioner of Public Buildings; Louis A. Simon, Supervising Architect; Neal A. Melnick, Supervising Engineer,,1941." Constructed at a cost of $78,000.00, the dedication was held on October 23, 1941. It was the first Federal building erected in Weymouth.

Funding for this building was secured by Congressman Richard Wigglesworth (1891-1960). Born in Boston, he was educated at Milton Academy and Harvard (1912). He represented Weymouth in Congress from 1928-1958. The Weymouth Landing Post Office building was the first of three Federal projects erected in Weymouth during the early 1940's. These buildings included a Navy Derrigiblebase in South Weymouth and a housing project in North Weymouth. The construction of this Weymouth Landing Post Office provided a boost to the town's economy. Local "seam-faced granite" was used in its construction. For nearly 185 years, "seam-face granite" had been commercially quarried from the granite pit straddling the Weymouth-Hingham granite pit straddling the Weymouth-Hingham town line on Washington Street.

The quarrying of these materials in Weymouth reached its peak in 1920 when more than 200 people were employed in the trade. Nearly 500,000 square feet of seam-face granite was shipped annually from the East Weymouth railroad yard. C.B. Kevitt in Weymouth Massachusetts, a New England town notes that "Weymouth seam-face granite will be found in many commercial and public buildings throughout the Eastern part of the United States."

The rest of the file

Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.

MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES Weymouth, Massachusetts, A New England Town C.B. Kevitt, 1975 "The Weymouth News", January 27, 1972, Volume 8, Number 3 MA: Weymouth "The Weymouth Gazette and Transcript" , October 24, 1941, Volume 75, Number 23 History of Post Office Construction 1900-1940, July, 1982 Craig, Lois, ed.

The Federal Presence: Architecture, Politics and Symbols in the United States Government Building, Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press 1979 GEOGRAPHICAL DATA ACREAGE OF NOMINATED PROPERTY - UTM REFERENCES 0.564 A119/ 1313,716,20 L416/7.5161515 ZONE EASTING NORTHING L11 Lilelud VERBAL BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION Southeast to Northwest - 145.0' along Washington Street Northeast to Southwest - 142.0' along side lot line Northwest to South - 155.08' along rear lot line Southwest to Northeast - 197.0' along side lot line BLJLL EASTiNG ND 1,Lu NORTHING eLblubblu LIST ALL STATES AND COUNTIES FOR PROPERTIES OVERLAPPING STATE OR COUNTY BOUNDARIES STATE CODE COUNTY CODE STATE CODE COUNTY CODE 11 FORM PREPARED BY NAME / TITLE Steven M. Smith, Project Manager ORGANIZATION SULLIVAN DESIGN GROUP, INC.

STREET & NUMBER 44 Adams Street CITY OR TOWN Braintree DATE September 24, 1985 TELEPHONE (617) 848-1545 STATE Massachusetts 02184 12 CERTIFICATION OF NOMINATION STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER RECOMMENDATION YES NO NONE Valme Lalmaçe STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER SIGNATURE In compliance with Executive Order 11593. I hereby nominate this property to the National Register, certifying that the State Historic Preservation Officer has been allowed 90 days in which to present the nomination to the State Review Board and to evaluate its significance. The evaluated level ofgignificance _National State - ALocal.

FEDERAL REPRESENTATIVE SIGNATURE /Guaiz TITLE Realty Specialist, Senior FOR NPS USE ONLY ¡ HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS PROPERTY IS INCLOEDAN THE NATIONAL REGISTER DATE April 4, 1986 ATTEST: BRECTOR OFFCE DrARCYROLOGY ANO HISTONIE IRERAVATTON" KEEPER OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER DATE /27/85 DATE GPO 899-214 (3-82) Umu Iu. IU24 -UIN Exp. 10-31-84 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form For NPS use only recelved date entered Continuation sheet Weymouth Landing Post Office Item number 8 Page 2 The Weymouth Landing Post Office represents a later addition to the town's collection of seam face granite structures. The oldest seam face granite structure in town is the Bela Pratt House (1804) on Washington Street near the Hingham line.

Other important local examples of seam face granite construction in Weymouth include the Fogg Library in South Weymouth, the Tufts Library on Broad Street, and the Central Fire Station in East Weymouth. The Weymouth Post Office buildings construction during the early 1940's helped to temporarily revive the quarrying industry. In general Weymouth economy had seen more productive days. Shoe manufacturing, the town's major 19th century industry, had been reduced from a high 775 factories to only 3 factories by 1930. In addition, the Weymouth Landing Post Office contains a mural by Guy Pene du Bois, an internationally acclaimed artist. He was also an art and music critic and writer/ editor for Arts and Decoration Magazine. The Weymouth Landing Post Office mural was painted in 1942 and was funded by the Treasury Department's Section of Painting and Sculpture.

It depicts Pilgrims landing on Weymouth's shore in 1622. Dubois attended the schoolof art in New York. His work is represented in the collections of museums across the country.

WESTON PARK grzrze Parking 155.081 Parking 2-stony Wood Frames Residence Office Path to recreation fields Gas Station 197' 2 145' Washington Street 2-story Wood- Frame Residence Funeral Home Wooded- Lot Parking Parking 2-story Wood- Frmae Garage UNITED STATES POST OFFICE - WEYMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS 1 - Public Lobby 2 - Postmaster's Office 3 - Workroom Mail Vestibule 5 - Mail Platform 142' 1 - story brick/ concrete Bowling alley Office 2-story Wood & Brick Retail/Office Building Parking Shed Parking 1-story Wood Bank Drydocks, a comimons BDX* vward Cr 50-- GUYMOH MATWARD HOBA 0: Athlétic ast Braintree EPGEMONT Ligh thoase Hifar3 FRONT CONRAIL : Mhit Mor Sch RO Watson Tidal Flat Mill Cove HIAOW Idlewel AVE Park Substa COMMERCIAL Webb Park EWELL 56) HARDIN Reed Cem: ) INTERCHANGE 28 FRONTY Sch River 008 - tatinson Asch Mecaht NORTH Old North Cem GREEN Gravel Pit* Weymouth Heights Adams Sch(/ King Oa 4Hil GOMMERCIRO Legion Field Weymouth Towphath® Cbbse ield Academy Ave 89 Fire -Sta Playground /Jefferson Schy L 2 Humphray 66 Pond Whitmans M293A 0 BACK ESKER BRO Trailer.

Parks St Frencis Xavigg Cem Whortleberry Pona. meuch ©Grayel - Pìt Gaging Sta Stuth Hiph Seh Jr High Sch Mt Hope Cem *% 6.m0 262 Pond DIE .Lovell Corn jo Quarri gAK s) <50 86001186 - WASO Form - 177 ("R" June 1984) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURNSHEE ahtive Review United States Post Office--Weymouth Landing Norfolk County MASSA CHUSETTS resubmission nomination by person or local government owner objection appeal Substantive Review: sample request LJappeal Reviewer's comments: attached pecnmente technical corrections cited below _substantive reasons discussed below Working No. APR 1,7 1986 Fed. Reg.

Date: 3/3/87 Date Due:_ 11SL 6/1|86 Action: .ACCEPT - 5-27-86 -RETURN -REJECT Federal Agency: US PS LINR decision Reveweriteria, accept A+C Reviewer Discipline Date_ 52786 rchiestunal History _ see continuation sheet Nomination returned for: - 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? 7. Description Condition excellent good fair deteriorated ruins unexposed yes Describe the present and original (if known) physical appearance summary paragraph completeness clarity alterations/integrity dates boundary selection Status Accessible Present Use no Check one Lunaltered altered 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 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 Review Comments USPO--Weymouth Landing, Norfolk County, MA Althoughnot yet 50 years old,the 1940 United States Post Office at Weymouth Landing possesses exceptional historical and artistic significance for its lobby mural entitled "First Landing at Weymouth, " created in 1942 by internationally acclaimed artist Guy Pene du Bois under the auspices of the Treasury Department's Section of Painting and Sculpture. The mural depicting the landing of the Pilgrims on Weymouth's shore in 1622 is an important regional representative of artwork installed in Federal buildings during the 1930s and 40s in an effort the bring art to the public and to visually immortalize significant historical events.

(This mural is listed in the Park and Markowitz Appendix: Section Murals and Sculpture by State and the artist is mentioned regarding other works). Blueprints for the Weymouth Post Office were extant in 1938, however construction did not begin until 1940. The Post Office was the first Federal building erected in Weymouth. The Post Office is also significant as a fine example of seam-faced granite construction, an important local building material, in the Colonial Revival mode. For nearly 185 years, the quarrying of seam-faced granite has been important commercial activity in Weymouth and adjacent Hingham. The construction of the Post Office during the early 1940s helped to temporarily revive the quarrying industry and provide employment for the economically depressed town. UNITED STATES POST OFFICE Weymouth Post Office WEYMOUTH LANDING POST OFFICE Weymouth, MA David R. Hooker Ear1 R.

Flansburgh and Associates July 1983 Front elevation. Left view UNITED STATES POST OFFICE $SAI TUSEI Weymouth Post Office WEYMOUTH LANDING POST OFFICE Weymouth, MA David R. Hooker Earl R. Flansburgh and Associates July 1983 Front elevation Weymcuth Post Office WEYMOUTH LANDING POST OFFICE Weymouth, MA David R. Hooker Earl R. Flansburgh and Associates July 1983 Mural Weymouth Post Office WEYMOUTH LANDING POST OFFICE Weymouth, MA David R. Hooker Earl R. Flansburgh and Associates July 1983 Front elevation. Right view WATES POSTA TED SERVICE FIELD REAL ESTATE AND BUILDINGS OFFICE P.O. Box 324 Lexington, MA 02173-0324 NEYMOY 1985 August 20, 1985 AUG ? SELECIMEN The Honorable Francis E. Murphy Chairman, Board of Selectman, Town of Weymouth Weymouth Town Hall 75 Middle Street Weymouth, MA 02188 Dear Chairman Murphy: The U.S.

Postal Service in conjunction with the Massachusetts State Historic Preservation Officer in Boston has evaluated the Main Post Office in Weymouth and has determined it is significant from an historical viewpoint. In view of the above evaluation, the U.S. Postal Service intends to nominate this building to the National Register of Historic Places. We would, prior to our taking formal action, appreciate receiving your concurrence. If you concur with our proposed action, kindly return a signed copy of this letter in the enclosed envelope.

Sincerely, Gregory Gilleland General Manager Concur: piave Enclosures JPC/1jr arnev r3pl tctoantde CONCFS OSUGLET meusde OLGGOLA CTTTET3Ig RTU0E TEFESE TE AOT COICIE GOSUNGTO 3COCOea SOLIOD KTUCTA CSCTE dOL TOLPOT SCETOL 9SEASCTACA reCOrATA AonE Conchrtetid ce c BI4o9P 3 900A6 GASTrC 0º22 PGTATOE re 2tdurIicaut CL 30. 33260 AJENDOTUC B02E OVET! 19e2g curh or TOR orrugce OLTC STSP ME/Honpy- STT aUGTraonY LS COJOraPra-LE 0or2 psrecpónu naner Foxwio: n#0s.1q.033 60 20X030 LECD SEP 10 10 35 PM *85 NEW ENGLAND FIELD REAL ESTATE & ELDGS. OFFIOE LEXINGTON, MA 02178 RECEIVED U.S. POSTAL SERVIGE MATES POSTA UNITED SERVICE * UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE 475 L'Enfant Plaza, SW Washington, DC 20260 April 9, 1986 Ms. Carol D.

Shull Chief of Registration National Register of Historic Places National Park Service Department of Interior Washington, D.C. 20240-1002 Dear Ms. Shull: The Postal Service hereby submits a nomination for the post office located at 103 Washington Street, Norfolk County, Weymouth, Massachusetts. If you have any questions concerning this nomination, please call me at 202/268-3107. Sincerely, Sorenson Realty Specialist, Senior Office of Real Estate Enclosure Recd. APR 1 7 1986