BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
FORM B - BUILDING MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 80 BOYLSTON STREET BOSTON, MA 02116 Photo (3"x3" or 3"x5", black and white) Indicate address of property on back of photo. Staple to left side of form. Sketch Map: Draw map showing property's location in relation to nearest cross streets and/or "geographical features. Indicate all building: between inventoried property and nearest intersection(s). Indicate north (SEE ATTA CHED MAP) UTM REFERENCE 19.319760.4689000 USGS QUADRANGLE NEWTON, MASS. SCALE 1:25,000 AREA 154 FORM NO. N:-300 Newton, Mass. M.R.A.
Town Newton (Newton lentre) Address 156 Grant Avenue Historic NameAdams Claflin Estate Use: Present Original dwelling dwelling DESCRIPTION Date 1890 Source Water Records Style jolonial Revival/Shingle Style Architect Samuel Brown Exterior Wall Fabric wood shingle Outbuildings garage Major Alterations (with dates) 2-story wing added to side elev., date unknown Condition excellent Moved no Date Acreage 58,655 square feet (1.35 acres) Setting suburban residential, atop small hill, obscured from street Recorded by Archit. Pres. Assocs. Organization Newton Rist, Jomm. Date 5/15/33, rev. 3/86 by H. White NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA STATEMENT (if applicable) 156 Grant Ave meets Criterion A as the home of Adams Claflin, who was president of the Boston & Suburban Electric Company, an owner of considerable real estate in Newton, and son of Governor william Maflin who resided in Newtonville.
Criterion is met as the house is the work of architect Samuel Brown, and as an outstanding example of the very large suburban houses in the jolonial Revival style found in Newton. ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE Describe important architectural features and evaluate in terms of other buildings within the community. The Slaflin house is a cross gable house with steep gambrel roofs. The broad areas of roof and wall surfaces are punctuated by dormers and fenestration of varying size and placement, a vestige of the Queen Anne style. There are all manner oi porches, balconies, and bay windows. The structure is clad with wood shingles laid in a staggered butt pattern. Much of the decorative detailing is inspired by the Colonial Revival style including the Palladian window motif in the rear gable, and the fanlight tracery and pedimented entrance porch.
Samuel Brown the architect of this house was also responsible for a number of the Norumbega Park structures, and numerous large suburban houses in the Newton and Boston environs at the turn-of-the-century. Brown lived in Newtonville, not far from his street railway patron, James I. Richards, director of 6 street railway rompanies and president HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE Explain the role owners played in local or state history and how the building relates to the development of the community. 156 Grant Ave was the residence of Adams Claflin, who initially rented the house from Hannah M. Parker, and later purchased it from her, probably between 1895-1907. Adams Mlaflin was president of a large utility company, the Boston & Suburban Electric Company, and owner of considerable real holdings in Newton.
His father, William Claflin was a governor of Massachusetts, and resided in Newtonville at an estate known as "The Adams Claflin was also a major figure in the development of the street railway in Newton and a director of several of the individual companies which had franchises in the city. In 1907 Claflin became president of the new Middlesex and Boston Street Railway. Company which merged many of the lines in Newton and the surrounding communities. car usage reached a peak in 1913, when the Middlesex and Boston operated two hundred and sixty-four cars in twenty cities and towns of the metropolitan ir a tan taren ty ditte al Under Claflin street Boston area. BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES Atlases: 1907: Agnes Claflin 1895: Hannah Parker 1874: Land of Edward Ellis Directories: 1907: Mr & Mrs Adams D.
Claflin 1895 Newton's 19th Century Architecture: Newton Centre, Oak Hill & Chestnut Hill. Newton Historical Commission, 1985. pp. 18. 8/85 INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston Commnity : Newton Centre Form No: NC-300 Property Name: Adams Claflin Ho. Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE: continued from page previous of the Norumbega Park Company.
An interview with the 1985 owner revealed that she possesses the architect's plans for this house, that two adjacent houses were designed for flaflin family members and designed by Samuel Brown as A large carriage house at 142 Grant Avenue was a companion building to this house, but is now under separate ownership and has been converted residential Staple to Inventory form at bottom WFPS Form 1-00-a United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form Continuation sheet Item number For NPS use only received 7/23/86 date entered Page Multiple Resource Area Thematic Group Name_Newton MRA State Middlesex County, MA Nomination/Type of Review 31. Buckingham, John, House 32. Building at 1--6 Walnut Terrace 33. Central Congregational Church 34. Chestnut Hill, The 35. Claflin, Adams, Estate 36. Clark House 37.
Collins, Frederick, House 38. Curtis, Allan Crocker, House--Pillar House 39. Curtis, William, House 40. Davis, Seth, House Entered in the National Register fooper Attest Interod in the Mationei Register fkeeper Attest Inte Mations the egister Heeper Entered in the Hational Register Interat Nationui in the Pegiater Entered in the Iational Rogister Enterod In the Mational. Rogister Interod Mational the Logister Attest tReeper Attest JKeeper Attest Hkeeper Attest fKeeper Attest /Keeper Ente.
Mat1o Attest fkeeper Attest fReeper Attest Date/Signature selousBga 914/86 HilorBjua 3/4186 Shlmelgu 9146 delaueByu 8/4186 LtouByer 214186 delouagan 924/4 delouabogee 814146 SklaueByan 914116 dklreeßyan 91411 SalregBga 914186 86001783 WASO Form - 177 ("R" June 1984) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET Claflin, Adams, Estate (Newton MRA) Middlesex County MASSACHUSETTS resubmission nomination by person or local government owner objection appeal Substantive Review: Reviewer's comments: -sample Jrequest Working No. Fed. Reg. Date: Date Due: S/21/86 Entered in Action: -LACCEPT _. NatloneI Registe - RETURN REJECT.
23,1986 2/3/87 9/6/66 4-4-86 Federal Agency: - -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 Ownership Public Acquisition 4. Owner of Property 5. Location of Legal Description 6. Representation in Existing Surveys Has this property been determined eligible? ves 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 J original site moved date 8.
Significance Period Areas of Significance-Check and justify below Specific dates Builder/Architect Statement of Significance (in one paragraph) J summary paragraph completeness clarity applicable criteria J justification of areas checked J relating significance to the resource context relationship of integrity to significance justification of exception J 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 title date 13.
Other J Maps Photographs -Other Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to Signed - Date Phone: _ GPO 918-450 Comments for any item may be continued on an attached sheet Claflin, Adens, Festet Masss MIRZN 156 Grant Ave, Newton Centre -MR-A-4 (8) Cleflin, Adlans, Estale Newtong Mass 156 Grant Ave, Newton Centre - (rear) K-16 (35) - MARSHALL STREET 26 25 10 SECT I ON 6 BLOCK 29 24 12 AVENUE 29 13 23 RIGHT 22 OF 28 SECTION 61 BLOCK 22 21 10621-A 20 I6A EVERETT STREET CLIFF GREY 10 -SQUIRREE BLOCK [NE 6 ROAD SECTION 6lr SEY BLOcK 23% SECTION 61 Clty of Newton Assessor's Maps. Sheet 9/ Metric Series. 1979 Scale: UTM grid line interval = 100 meters (328 feet) Newton, Mass. M.R.A. 156 Grant Avenue, Newton Jentre Adams Claflin House 61-22-27