Nomination for US Post Office--Somerville Main

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 INVENTORY -- NOMINATION FORM RECEIVED APR | 7 1986 DATE ENTERED FOR FEDERAL PROPERTIES SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN HOW TO COMPLETE NATIONAL REGISTER FORMS TYPE ALL ENTRIES -- COMPLETE APPLICABLE SECTIONS 2 3 5 NAME HISTORIC United States Post Office AND/OR COMMON Somerville Main Post Office LOCATION STREET & NUMBER 237 Washington Street CITY.

TOWN STATE Somerville N/A_ VICINITY OF CODE 1190 N/A-NOT FOR PUBLICATION CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT Eighth Congressional District COUNTY CODE Middlesex 017 Massachusetts 02143 CLASSIFICATION CATEGORY _DISTRICT X_BUILDING(S) -STRUCTURE SITE _OBJECT OWNERSHIP X PUBLIC _PRIVATE _BOTH PUBLIC ACQUISITION N/A_IN 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 -RELIGIOUS XGOVERNMENT -SCIENTIFIC _INDUSTRIAL _TRANSPORTATION _MILITARY _OTHER: AGENCY REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS: (If 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 REGISTRY OF DEEDS,ETC Middlesex County Registry of Deeds, Cambridge Courthouse STREET & NUMBER 208 Cambridge Street CITY. TOWN Cambridge REPRESENTATION IN EXISTING SURVEYS STATE Massachusetts 02141 TITLE None DATE _FEDERAL STATE _COUNTY _LOCAL DEPOSITORY FOR SURVEY RECORDS CITY. TOWN STATE 7 DESCRIPTION CONDITION X EXCELLENT -GOOD -FAIR _DETERIORATED -RUINS _UNEXPOSED CHECK ONE _UNALTERED X ALTERED CHECK ONE XORIGINAL SITE -MOVED DESCRIBE THE PRESENT AND ORIGINAL (IF KNOWN) PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Description of the property

DATE_ _PHYSICAL APPEARANCE_ The building and its grounds are in very good condition, with the exception of the construction involved in front of it. The Post Office occupies most of the site, leaving a small vehicle manuevering area to its rear, with access on Bonner Avenue. The site is landscaped with lawn, shrubs, and several small trees. The building is of steel construction with a brick exterior laid in a Flemish bond. In plan, a small vestibule has side entrances to stairs leading to a public lobby flanked by the Postmaster's office to the right and workroom space to the left. Behind the service screen is the workroom with the mail vestibule and platform in the rear. Three wide granite stairs leading to eight smaller steps, with wrought-iron railings and bronze lamps on Newel posts, create the main approach.

The front (south) elevation is a five-bay structure with a projecting one-bay entrance portion. The building features a granite base, brick entablature, and limestone quoins, denticulated cornice, and detailing. The windows are double-hung with wood sash, 15/15 light with 1imestone architrave, projecting dentils, and infill coffered panel below. The entry features a limestone arch with shaped keystone and inset fanlight. The replacement aluminum and glass doors are framed by fluted wood pilasters that support a simple entablature below a broken pediment with full rosettes and finial. Above is a simple limestone cyma reversa and recta marking the brick entablature.

This section is topped by a small gable roof reaching back to the building's hipped slate roof, leaving a brick pediment with denticulated molding and a centered oculus window with limestone keystone repeated every ninty degrees. Within the base are small arched openings containing windows for basement level government offices. 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 Somerville Post Office Item number 7 OMB No. 1024-0018 Exp. 10-31-84 For NPS use only received date entered Page 2 The side elevations are similar to the front facade in detail. Some of the windows have brick arched tops with inset fanlight and limestone keystone and springer stones while others are rectangular with a flat brick arch.

The rear elavation has a flat roof with low parapet wall and contains the mail platform. The building is entered by a lower level vestibule of stained wood and glass. It is carved to resemble fluted Corinthian corner pilasters supporting a plain entablature with a stained wood panel dado below and double doors to the sides with brass bars. Iwo sets of six marble stairs with brass railings lead to the two-story high lobby. Materials here include a plaster coffered ceiling, walls and modillioned edging inset with a floral pattern, a peach terrazzo floor with small black diamonds at each intersection and a black borders, a high white marble wainscot with a black marble base (which extends below the stairs to create a wainscot for the vestibule), and stained wood window frames, sills, and inner doors.

Four cast aluminum grills are located high in the interior walls to ventilate the workroom behind. The service screen has postal boxes, a door to the workroom, a large service counter, and new stamp machine. _ART_ Above the lobby's right wall wainscot is a canvas mural twenty-one feet by six feet. Entitled "A Skirmish Between British & Colonists near Somerville in Revolutionary Times," it is in excellent condition.

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

SIGNIFICANCE PERIOD AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE -- CHECK AND JUSTIFY BELOW _PREHISTORIC _ARCHEOLOGY-PREHISTORIC COMMUNITY PLANNING _LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE 1400-1499 ARCHEOLOGY-HISTORIC _CONSERVATION -.LAW 1500-1599 AGRICULTURE _ECONOMICS _LITERATURE -. 1600-1699 XARCHITECTURE _EDUCATION _MILITARY _1700-1799 XART _ENGINEERING _MUSIC -1800-1899 _COMMERCE -EXPLORATION/SETTLEMENT X 1900 -PHILOSOPHY _COMMUNICATIONS _INDUSTRY _POLITICS/GOVERNMENT _INVENTION -RELIGION _SCIENCE _SCULPTURE _SOCIAL/HUMANITARIAN _THEATER TRANSPORTATION _OTHER (SPECIEVI SPECIFIC DATES Groundbreaking: September UILDER/ARCHITECTMaurice P. Meade, Architect Louis A. Simon, Sup. Architect Dedication: May 16, 1936 STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

Statement of significance

Edmund J. Rappoli, Contractor Built in 1935-1936, The Somerville Main Post Office building is located at the foot of Prospect Hill. Along with the nearby police and fire stations, it ranks among the more architecturally distinguished buildings in Union Square, an area dominated by buildings with 20th century commercial treatments. Architecturally this structure is significant as a reflection of 1930's Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) policies in post office construction and design. The P.W.A. endeavored to "provide modest, practical post offices instead of monumental edifices." Its compact, boxy form, brick materials, minimal ornamentation and 7-area plan are features of more efficient and standardized post oftice building design.

That the Colonial Revival style rather than the more frequently used Classical Revival style was chosen for this building's design probably represents an historical reference to a Revolutionary War skirmish that occurred near this site. In an effort to bolster the local economy, local brick rather than an expensive imported stone was chosen for their buildings facing. The marshland and sandy soils of the Union Square area yielded a fine grade Silica. During the 19th century clay pits were dug throughout the area and brickyards ranked among the largest mid 19th century industries near Union Square - by the 1930's only a few brickyards were still in existence in Somerville. Overtime the Somerville Main Post Office's site has been associated with community focal points such as the Prospect Hill School, the Somerville Boys' Club and a branch of the Somerville Library. Congressman Arthur D.

Healy is credited with securing funds to build the Somerville Main Post Office building. He endeavored to replace inadequate facilities which handled mail to Medford as well as Somerville. Healy was also responsi- ble for obtaining a separate post office for Medford in 1936/37. Groundbreaking for the Somerville Main Post Office occurred on September 3, 1935. It was built with an allocation of $203,000.00. The cornerstone was laid on November 16, 1935, reading "Henry Morgenthau Jr., Secretary of the Treasury; James A. Farley, Postmaster General; Louis A. Simon, Supervising Architect; Neal A. Melnick, Supervising Engineer; Maurice P. Reade, Architect 1935. " Louis Adolf Sullivan, Supervising Architect for the Public Works Administration (c. 1870- 1941) was born in Boston and educated at M.I.T. He began a private architectural practice in Washington, D.C.

in 1894, entering the office of the U.S. Treasury Supervising Architect in 1896. He served as the chief architect in this office from 1905-1933. From 1933 untilhis death in 1941 he was the P.W.A.'s Supervising Architect. Simon was responsible for numerous post offices, custom houses and court houses across the country. He was the architect of the U.S. Federal Building at the New York World's Fair of 1939-1940.

The rest of the file

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

MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES 6-28-35, 8-9-35, History of Post Office Construction 1900-1940, July, 1982 Beyond the Neck. The Architecture and Development of Somerville, MA - Landscape Research, Cambridge, MA 1982 - p. 120 10 GEOGRAPHICAL DATA ACREAGE OF NOMINATED PROPERTY 0.554 UTM REFERENCES A1,91 L3|2,716,0,0 ZONE EASTING 14,619,318,4,01 NORTHING ilili VERBAL BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION EASTING NORTHIN aLLLJLlelu Southwest to East - 113.26' along Washington Street South to North - 205.6' along side lot line East to West - 122.67' along rear lot line North to South - 206.6' along Bonner Avenue 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 STREET & NUMBER SULLIVAN DESIGN GROUP, INC.

44 Adams Street CITY OR TOWN Braintree DATE September 23, 1985 T6170NS48-1545 STATE Massachusetts 02184 CERTIFICATION OF NOMINATION STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER RECOMMENDATION YES NO NONE -- Valuie Lalmade 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 of significance is. National _State LLocal. FEDERAL REPRESENTATIVE SIGNATURE - seeru TITLE Realty Specialist, Senior DATE April 4, 1986 FOR NPS USE ONLY I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS PROPERTY IS INCLUDED IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER etrick Andus DIRECTOR.

OFFICE OF ARCHEOLOGY AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION EST Beff HePER NATIONAL REGISTER DATE5/30/86 DATE 5-28-80 GPO 899-214 (3-82) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form UMO NU. IU24-UU18 Exp. 10-31-84 For NPS use only recelved date entered Continuation sheet SOMERVILLE MAIN POST OFFICE Item number 8 Page 2 Maurice P. Meade, this building's local, consulting architect, was born in Boston in 1882. He graduated from M.I.T. in 1908. During the 1910's his office was located at 44 Bromfield Street, Boston. During the 1920's and 1930's his firm is listed at 80 Boylston Street, Boston. Information on Meade's work is sketchy. He is credited with the design of the Sacred Heart Church in North Quincy and served as consulting architect during the Arlington Main Post Office construction (1935).

Meade retired in 1954 and died on October 4, 1955. The Somerville Main Post Office's significance is derived, in part, from a well executed mural by modernist Ross Moffitt. He was a member of the National Academy of Design and a winner of numerous medals and honors. The mural in the Somerville Library depicts the retreat of the British from the Battle of Lexington. Moffit was also responsible for a mural painted for the Eisenhower Foundation. The construction of the Somerville Main Post Office building provided work for more than 150 men. It was one of several construction projects funded by the P.W.A. in Somerville during the mid 1930's. Other P.W.A. constructed buildings included a vocational school and a stadium for Somerville High School.

1- Vestibule 2- Public Lobby 3- Postmaster's Office 4- Workroom 5- Mail Vestibule 6- Mail Platform 7- Vehicle Manuevering Area Homer Square ---Residential-- Bonner Avenue Columbus Avenue Police Station Retail Sanborn Court Future Open Mall Retail Retail Retail Somerville Ave Fire Station Prospect Street Futuze Rerouting Parking ¡ Gas Station Washington Street Fire Truck Storage Masonry Factory UNITED STATES POST OFFICE - SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS -Residential District Future Municipal Comples for Fire and Police Departments WATERTOWN 25' 4697 510 000 FEET MASS.

TO Maidene Hosp(tal - Lawence!Mem taspital RO MEDFO McNaily WaTE Playground echr FELL ra(0) "Beebe Feltsmere arHri E Ponds ARStT Playground Winthr6p Square 4cS) Stevens -Square dulat MYSTIC Daygrel Medtord Hilsid Hry ouiger House Square West Somerville Davis Squ Cotter Square 4694 e/RidekFe Cóllege Commen Radfitte 28) Devir Park Sch High Sch ,Medford Square SBM10 aipyéroun SENTRAL INTÉRCHANGE Edgeworth MEDRORÒ Swan 8ch RSYO LMagour Park -RIVER L Wellington -laygroum - Radio Towe O(WILD), Drive-in Theater Radio Towe dWEEI)o RIVER Drive-in Theater FOSTOM - Tufts - Park lumbus . RESERVATION Wellington Bridge Tower MÄLDEN MYSTIC Playstounc Holy Ghost "' 30" Fire StaHospital 71°07' 30" \ CAMBRIDGE (CITY HALLI 0.8 MI. 327 Mapped, edited, and published by the Geological Survey Control by USGS, USC&GS, and Massachusetts Geodetic Survey Topography by planetable surveys 1943.

Revised from aerial photographs taken 1969 Field checked 1971 Selected hydrographic data compiled trom USC&GS Chart 248 (1971) 710000 FEET 0.8 MI. TO U.S. 329 MN GN 1000 ETTTHI 15%- §ayare MADISON Belt Ro Cem Babe Buihe Playgrounda Lewis West Wasg Pla KETC acramon Playground MBTA MaTden ' Bridge RIVER- MIDI Ryan Plays iound SU 04 MI TO U.S. 1 BOST 67 SCALE 1000 2000 86001247 WASO Form - 177 ('R" June 1984) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET Subistantive Rorien United States Post Office--Somerville Main Middlesex County MASSACHUSETTS resubmission nomination by person or local government owner objection appeal Working No.- APR 1, 7 1986 Fed. Reg.

Date:< 13/81 Date Due: - 6/1/86 Action: -ACCEPT5-30-56 -RETURN REJECT Federal Agency: - US PS Substantive Review: #sample Lrequest -appeal LJNR decision Reviewer's comments: Antact locally significant Colonial Keowal wulding associated W/ WPA program un Accept A, C somerville. Andludes well-preæerved lobb mural it kye emifise ensotled l seinekon 2t/5 ,Discipline Architecfural Xestore _ see continuation sheet _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? 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 -unaltered -altered Check one L 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 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 Somerville Post Office SOMERVILLE MAIN POST OFFICE Somerville, MA David R. Hooker Earl R. Flansburgh and Associates May 1983 Front elevation SOMERVILLE MAIN POST OFFICE Somerville, MA David R. Hooker Ear1 R. Flansburgh and Associates May 1983 Front elevation. Left view Somerville Post Office KSATERY Somerville Post Office SOMERVILLE MAIN POST OFFICE Somerville, MA David R. Hooker Earl R. Flansburgh and Associates May 1983 Front elevation.

Right view BULLETINS LETINS Somerville Post Office SOMERVILLE MAIN POST OFFICE Somerville, MA David R. Hooker Earl R. Flansburgh and Associates May 1983 Mural SATES POSTA ITED FIELD REAL ESTATE AND BUILDINGS OFFICE P.O. Box 324 Lexington, MA 02173-0324 ne 536 August 19, 1985 The Honorable Eugene C. Brune Mayor, City of Somerville Somerville City Hall 93 Highland Avenue Somerville, MA 02143 Dear Mayor Brune: The U.S. Postal Service in conjunction with the Massachusetts State Historic Preservation Officer in Boston has evaluated the Main Post Office in Somerville and has determinedit 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, til carney Concur : Baun Enclosures JPC/1jr 10S RECEIVED W.S POSTAL SERVICES SEP 4 8 59 AM *85 WSL FIELD REAL AFFICE 02173 NEW ENCI ESTATE & LEXING: +r8o9 * ASE x08 09 ASEO-CT/SOAMnotpnixe 28e1,e1 Jaupue oruad D enepua siderondli erit allivtonce to yoio, Jova.

SINoVA bnsireit E0 EAISO AM ,9LIIVIOROS :SOE DOYEM TESC notw noltonutnos nt eoivtat Todaot.a.U edtt epsulsve asi nojeca ni teoill0 noltevists 1 minpie dt bentimtogeb asd one eflivienda E .2.U erd ottsfeve ovods ard do wolwnl io orh of patbbrud atrt vieos] Staipegga noitas lemot paisss 1uo tnoltos beeogong uo iitiw tubreo toy al -sgolovno besofbie ort ni settel 1xte190nig Ensielito toopenio Topsnal Istoded :XUOnOD asttaolore AATES POSTA SERVICE UNITED UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE 475 L'Enfant Plaza, SW Washington, DC 20260 April 7, 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 237 washington Street, Middlesex County, Somerville, Massachusetts.

If you have any questions concerning this nomination, please call me at 202/268-3107. Sincerely, s. sorenson Specialist, Senior Office of Real Estate Enclosure Recd. APR | 7 1986