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", Dlack 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 buf1dings between inventorfed property and nearest intersection(s). Indicate north AREA FORM NO. 128 Newton, Mass. MRA Town NEWTON (Lower Falls) Address 2330 Washington Street Historic Name William Curtis House Use: Present.
offices Original residence DESCRIPTION Date 1839 Source Registry of Deeds Style Greek Revival Architect William Lyon Exterior Wall Fabric clapboards Outbuf1dings none Major Alterations (with dates) _none (SEE ATTACHED MAP) UTM REFERENCE USGS QUADRANGLE SCALE 19.313990.4688150 NATICK, MA 1:25,000 Condition Good Moved no Date --- Acreage 28,277 sq. ft. (lessthan 1 acre) Setting Faces busy commercial highway; most adjoining properties demolished in urban renewal program; Charles River to the rear. Recorded by Peter Stott Organization Newton Historical Comm.
Date April 1986 NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA STATEMENT (if applicable) As an important example of transitional Federal/Greek Revival architecture in Newton, as the home of one of Lower Falls' prominent residents, and for its association with the paper industry in Lower Falls, the William Curtis House meets criteria A, B, and C of the National Register of Historic Places. ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE Describe important architectural features and evaluate in terms of other buildings within the community. The 2-1/2-story residence, completed in 1839 for the paper mill owner William Curtis, represents a Federal-period house form dressed in the formal Greek Revival style that came into fashion in the 1830s. The traditional five-bay center entrance facade indicates a center-hall plan, with probably four major rooms on the ground floor. Federal inspiration shown by the four end chimneys.
Most prominent of the Greek Revival elements applied to the exterior are the two-story two-story corner pilasters supporting a wide paneled frieze and gable-end pediments. Porches feature Doric columns, and around the door are side and transom lights. A two-story, recessed wing extends the house to the west. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE Explain the role owners played in local or state history and how the building relates to the development of the community. This house was the second house of William Curtis (1795-1880), son of the founder of the Curtis paper mills, Solomon Curtis. After their father's death in 1818, William Curtis and his brother Allen C. Curtis inherited their father's interest. They were among the earliest to install Fourdrinier machines in their mills (1828), enabling the company to manufacture paper on a continuous roll.
In 1831 the brothers acquired full interest in the mill. They continued to expand the company, and in 1834 built larger stone mills located on the island in the middle of the Charles River. Newsprint and fine book papers were a speciality of the mill, though its also manufactured banknote paper for a bank in Dedham. The stone foundations and some gable end walls are still visible, incorporated into later construction behind 2284 Washington Street. Business conditions just prior to the Civil war forced the brothers to close the 68-year old business. The company was subsequently sold. William had married Sarah Murdock in 1823 and settled in a house further up Washington Street (now demolished). The construction of the new house in 1839 is a reflection of the prosperity of the paper mills, then of the largest in New England.
Needham housewright William Lyon is credited with building this house for Curtis. Lyon was also responsible BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES Newton's 19th Century Architecture: Upper & Lower Falls (1982). M.F. Sweetser, King's Handbook of Newton (1889). Clarence A. Wiswall, One Hundred Years of Paper Making (Reading, 1938). Newton's Older Houses: Newton Lower Falls, publication #8, Jackson Homestead, 1974. 8/85 I of l INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston Commumity : Form No: NEWTON, MASS. MRA 128 Property Name: 2330 Washington st Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE, cont. for building several houses on Grove Street, as well as Allen Curtis's 1845 Greek Revival mansion (see #LF-42).
Staple to Inventory form at bottom NPS Form 10-900-a (7-81) 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 feoper Attest Enterad in the Mationsl Register feeper Attest Interad 11] Hations the Register keeper Entered in the Mational Register Attest MReeper Entersi Nations the Peglater Attest /Keeper Entered in the Mational Register Interod in the National Rogister Attest JKeeper Attest fKeeper Entered 1n tha Mational Legister Attest Tkeeper Inter Mat1 Ma: Attest jeeper Attest fReeper Attest Date/Signature AelousBgan 918186 HilmsByus 814186 Allmelbyu 91466 dlaueByun 814186 delrueBgen 214166 Lelmuetsgan 91417 delouabyan 81411 Aelaue Byan 914116 Ahlreeßyan 21411 Saloeaßza 914186 86001788 WASO Form - 177 ("R" June 1984) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET Curtis, William, House (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: JuL 23,1986 Date Due: 8/2c/86 - 966/86 Action: ACCEPT q-4-86 Intered in the Matlonal Regletan - _RETURN_ - REJECT- Federal Agency: - Jappeal - 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? yes no 7. Description Condition J excellent good fair deteriorated ruins unexposed Check one I 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) summary paragraph completeness clarity applicable criteria justification of areas checked relating significance to the resource context relationship of integrity to significance J 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 title date 13. Other 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 Newton, Mass. MRA 2330 Washington St., (William Curtis House) Inv. #128 APR 1986 resuc GROVE 10 17 15 16 CONCORD 10705 SR - 16 STREET STREET 15 16 WASHINGTON 13A OREPOL DRATH SECTION 42 BLOCK 31 10706 23 22 EASEMENT 21 PASSAGEWAY 20 YETROROLITAM 24 APPROXINATE CHARLES NEWTON WELLESLEY City of Newton Assessor's Maps. Sheet 97 Metric Sertes. 1979 Scale: UTM grid line interval = 100 meters (328 feet) Newton, Mass. MRA 2330 Washington St., Lower Falls (William Curtis House) 42-31-18