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 bufldings between inventoried property and nearest intersection(s). Indicate north (SEE ATTA CHED MAP) UTM REFERENCE 19.313980.46,0880 USGS QUADRANGLE Natick, MA. SCALE 1:25,000 AREA - FORM NO. 4004 Newton, Mass.
MRA Town NEWTON (Auburndale) Address 122 Islington Road Historic Name The Eminence Use: Present_dwelling Original dwelling DESCRIPTION Date circa 1853 Source Jackson Homestead Publication Style Italian villa Architect Hammatt Billings Exterior Wall Fabric clapboard Outbutldings Carriage house with coach- and' haquorters, 2 horse stalls Major Alterations (with dates)House re- modelled during 1880s; carriage house partially remodelled into 3- bay garage Condition Fair Moved .no Date Acreage 244,991 sq. It. (5.63 acres) Setting On a bluff overlooking the Charles River. Recorded by Bruce Fernald Organization Newton Historical Comm. Date 5/20/80; rev.
by H..White 4/86 NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA STATEMENT (if applicable) - The Eminence is significant as the last remaining estate in the Islington Park section of Auburndale, a neighborhood which contained a number of grand country estates during the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century. Because The Eminence was designed as his own residence by Hammatt Billings (1818-1874), an early New England architect, it meets Criterion 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 Eminence is one of two remaining examples of high-style Italian villa architecture in Auburndale ( the other is located at 62 Vista Avenue in the Lasell Neighborhood Historic District.).
The Eminence was designed by Hammatt Billings, a New England architect also known as an artist and illustrator of books. The chief feature of the design is a three-story square tower with a pyramidal roof of low pitch. six-over-six sash, and the bracketed veranda with chamfered posts are all characteristic features of the Italian villa style employed in this design. A late nineteenth century remodelling incorporated several Queen Anne and Colonial Revival features, including the modillion cornice, a two-story polygonal bay and classical entrance porch. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE Explain the role owners played in local or state history and how the building relates to the development of the community.
Confident of the market for suburban houses on lots within easy -access to the railroad, William Jackson (who had earlier been active in real estate development in Newton Corner) entered into his most ambitious venture. Along with eleven other men, including his son Timothy, Jackson formed the North Auburn Dale Land Company. The company purchased and subdivided one hundred twenty acres adjacent to the Boston & Worcester tracks. The 1847 plan depicting the subdivision shows eighty-four houselots including the large parcels on which The Eminence was eventually built. Of interest was the repetition of an oval park at the west end of Islington Road, a feature also used in Jackson's initial real estate venture, the development of Walnut Park in Newton Corner. For the Walnut Park project, Jackson in 1844 commissioned the noted landscape architect Alexander Wadsworth.
Wadsworth surveyed numerous residential subdivisions in Boston and its suburbs during the mid-nineteenth century. Wadsworth is best known as the designer of Mount Auburn Cemetery (1831) in Cambridge: Mount Auburn is considered America's first picturesque garden cemetery. William Jackson sold Hammatt's brother Joseph E. Billings lot #19 of the 1847 Auburndale subdivision (Middlesex County Deeds, Lib.609, fols.66-67). Joseph paid $400 for a spectacular site high above the Charles River. This sale took place June 3, 1851. BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES O°Gorman, James F. "H. and J.E. Billings of Boston: from Classicism to the Picturesque," Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, XIII: March, 1983, pp.54-61. Atlases: 1874, 1886, 1895, 1907. Directories: 1877, 1895. Newton's 19th C. Architecture: Auburndale, 1980, pp.6-8.
Newton's Older Houses: Auburndale, Friends of the Jackson Homestead. 8/85 Page two of two Seatan Mas Mia INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston Commmity : Newton, Mass. MRA Form No: 4004 Property Name:122 Islington Road Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. ARCHITECTURAI SIGNIFICANCE, cont. Hammatt Billings and his brother Joseph were two architects of small renown. Together and separately the Billingses designed a large number of buildings in New England, beginning with the Boston Museum (1845-1846) and ending with the original buildings for Wellesley College (1869-1875). Hammatt began his study of architecture with Asher Benjamin, and worked for a time in the newly established Boston office of Ammi B. Young. Hammatt was also a talented artist and illustrator of books.
Joseph (c.1821-1880) and Hammatt began their collaboration with a major commission, the Boston Museum, designed in the Italianate mode. By the 1850s the brothers were no longer collaborating. Joseph joined Charles Sleeper in partnership from 1851-53. Together they designed the first building of the Auburndale Female Seminary (1851), Bragdon Hall (demolished 1970s). HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE n November 18, 1853 Joséph sold the land to Ihomas Hall, a magnetical instrument maker, for $3,000. In a letter dated 1915 and written by Hall, he recalled that " -..Mr. Hammatt Billings started building the house in 1852. He had the frame up and roof on when his wife was taken insane & to the Hospital. I bought the House and finished it and Ocupied it in 1853 (sic)." Although this letter was written over 60 years after the events described, it is accurate in its dates.
In a letter of March 11, 1852, Hammatt mentioned the "illness of Mrs. Billings" to Charles Eliot Norton (Harvard University, Houghton Library, bMS Am 1088 (471)). It is possible that Joseph Billings acquired the building because of Hammatt's constant financial difficulties. The Islington Point area became home to several affluent Auburndale men, who apparently not staisfied with the size of the individual lots, William Fowle Neron ad omeoltok Aubmdee maten company buirt ns estare "Tanglewood" on the south side of Islington Road. Ezra Winslow. built "Islington" on the peninsula created by the 1815 flooding of Ware's meadow.
Staple to Inventory form at bottom ,(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 State Newton MRA Middlesex County, MA Nomination/Type of Review 41. Dupee Estate 42. Elliott, Charles D., House 43. Eminence, The 44. Estabrook, Rufus, House 45. Evangelical Baptist Church 46. Farquhar, Samuel, House . 47. Fenno, John A., House 48. First Unitarian Church 49. Fuller, Capt. Edward, Farm 50.
Gane, Henry, House Entered in the saierol taeiovon Kreoper Attest Interod in the Mationel RegloteyJReeper Attest JKeeper - Entered in the National Register Attest Akeeper Intered in the Nation1 Register Intered in the National Register Attest f'Keeper Entered in the National Register Attest f'Keeper Intcred 1n the Netioncl Registet Entered in tho National Register Attest jukeeper Attest fKeeper Entered in tho Matlonal Begister Attest fKeeper Attest fKeeper Butet Mat°: Attest Date/Signature delerßzun 84156 AilnuaByen 514156 AllireBjam 914186 SlilaByan 9411 Aumbger a/1/1t Aeloneßyan i11186 AelaBan 911166 AelorByan 9/4/1 AilarerBza 91186 WeloresBgun 914/86 86001793 WASO Form - 177 ("'R" June 1984) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET Eminence, The (Newton MRA) Middlesex County MASSACHUSETTS resubmission nomination by person or local government owner objection appeal Substantive Review: -sample Reviewer's comments: Jrequest Working No.
Dat. Ree: Date /riln 231986 /2/3/37 Date Due: 2618p Entered in theAction: -LACCEPT-. 7-48 National Registex -RETURN - REJECT. 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? yes no 7. Description Condition excellent good fair deteriorated ruins unexposed Check one J 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 -J summary paragraph completeness clarity J applicable criteria justification of areas checked relating significance to the resource context relationship of integrity to significance Jjustification 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: _ GPO 918-450 Comments for any item may be continued on an attached sheet Eminence, The Newten MRA, Ma oton, Mass, MRA 122 Islington Rd, Auburndale -79-D-1 (8) BLOCK LINE CITY OF NEWTON DRAIN 19 33 HEVTON 17 tx MALVERN TERRACE 13 ROAD 10 12 16 11 SECTION 41 BLOCK 26 L ROAD ISLINGTON ISLINGTON PARK ISLINGTON SECT BLOB RIVER PATH SECTION 41 BLOCK 24 21 City of Newton Assessor's Maps. Sheet 24 Metríc Series. 1979 Scale: UTM grid line interval = 100 meters (328 feet) Newton, Mass. M.R.A. 122 Islington Road, Auburndale "The Eminence" 41-26-1