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 anc 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 buildings between inventoried property and nearest intersection(s). Indicate north (SEE ATTACHED MAP) UTM REFERENCE USGS QUADRANGLE SCALE 19.318320.4688060 NEWTON, MA 1:25,000 AREA FORM NO. NH 216 Newton, Mass. MRA Town NEWTON (Newton Highlands) Address 7 Norman Road Historic Name Peabody/Williams House Use: Present residence Original residence DESCRIPTION Date 1891 Source Water Dept. Records Style Shingle Style Architect J.
Williams Beal Exterior Wall Fabricwood shingles Outbufidingsgarage Major Alteratfons (with dates) none Condition Good Moved no Date Acreage 12,670 sq. ft. (less than lacre) Setting Victorian neighborhood, close proximity to center of Newton High- lands and public transportation Recorded by Deborah Shea, Peter Stott Organization Newton Historical Comm. Date May 1981, April 1986 NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA STATEMENT (if applicable) As an elaborate and well-preserved example of the Shingle Style by a well-known Boston architect, J. W. Beal, and for its close associations with the wood-carver Andrew Lees, the Peabody/Williams House meets criteria B and C of the National Register of Historic Places. ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE Describe important architectural features and evaluate in term of other bufldings within the community.
This well-preserved Shingle Style residence ranks among Newton Highlands' finest Victorian-era homes. The structure features a mass and roofline complex with angular projections -- turrets and dormers. The shingle The massive elliptical hood with incised, beaded concave section and ridged bracket supports. Peabody/Williams House was designed by the well-known Boston architect, J. Williams Beal (1855-1919) less than ten years after Beal had established his own office on Kilby Street. Born in Norwell, Beal graduated from M.I.T. in 1877. For a few years he worked in the New York offices of Richard Morris Hunt and Mckim, Mead & White. From a European tour in 1882, he returned to Boston to set up an office of his own in HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE Explain the role owners played in local or state history and how the building relates to the development of the community.
An important figure in the early development of Newton Highlands was Moses Crane (1833-1898). In the late 1860s, he settled on a dozen acres of land he had purchased on the south side of Crystal Lake. With several associates, Crane divided the land into houselots and laid out Lake Avenue in 1872. Griffin Avenue (now Lakewood Road) and Norman Road soon followed. For several decades, however, this land remained open. In 1891, the property at the corner of Norman and Lakewood roads was purchased by a Boston lawyer and Newton Centre resident, William Edes Peabody, though title seems to have remained in the name of his wife, Lucy Johnson, and her J. Williams Beal was engaged as architect, mother[?], Susan Msufficiently completed to allow the water to be connected and the house was in May 1891.
The expense of building, however, appears to have been greater than Peabody anticipated, and house was sold. Peabody and his wife moved to Hyde Park, while Susan Peabody relocated to Toledo, Ohio. The new owner was Henry Williams of Worcester, who until that time had been commuting to Boston from Worcester. He moved into the house with his 25-year old son, Harry Williams. Harry married Mabel Winifred Lees, one of BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES Telephone conversation with John Howard (May 1986). Biographical material on J. Williams Beal and Andrew Lees courtesy of John and Irene Howard. "Historical Exhibit features carvings of Andrew Lees," Wellesley Iownsman 17 February 1983, p. 24. Water Dept. Records. 8/85 INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET 1ol Form No: MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston Communi ty : Newton, Mass.
MRA NH 216 Property Name: Peabody/Williams Hse Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE, cont. Boston. Though best known for county and other civic buildings throughout the state, Beal also designed many residences. The Peabody/Williams House is typical of his early residential designs, showing a Richardsonian influence. The present owners retain the architect's original specifications for the house. The interior of the house remains largely as built and features wood carving and other decorative details executed by the Scottish wood-carver and Wellesley resident, Andrew Lees (1844-1937) who had come to Boston from New Brunswick as a young man. In 1876, he moved to Wellesley Hills and for the next fifty years produced all types of ornamental wood carving.
was his principal wood for carving, and some of his best work, carved for Irving & Casson, can be seen in the Reference Room of the Robbins Library in Arlington. In the Peabody/Williams House, eight mantels are the work of Lees, as well as bas relif details "Lake Room," and a carved scallop over the front door. In addition, scattered throughout the house aré many examples of Lees's work as a furniture designer, from sofas, chairs, and tables, to bookends, candlestick holders, and veneered boxes. His work as a landscape artist is represented by both oils and water colors. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE, cont. two daughters of the wood-carver, Andrew Lees, then living in Wellesley Hills. Harry's father-in-law undoubtedly executed the carving at this time. At his death in 1937, Andrew Lees left his own house in Wellesley Hills to his unmarried daughter Annie Edith Lees.
At her death in 1945, the furniture in the Wellesley house was moved to the attic of the house on Mabel Lees Williams died in the 1950s, but her husband Harry remained at 7 Norman Road until his own death in 1965. The present owners, John and Irene Howard, bought the house and its contents from the executors of the Williams estate in 1965. Very few changes have been made to the house beyond the replacement of the furnace and the installation of new wiring and plumbing. - Staple to Inventory form at bottom ".. 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 Item number OMB No. 1024-0018 Exp. 10-31-84 For NPS use onty recelved 7/23/86 date entered Page Multiple Resource Area Thematic Group Name State Newton MRA Middlesex County, MA Nomination/Type of Review 91.
Needham Street Bridge 92. Newton Street Railway Carbarn 93. Nichols House 94. Old Shepard Farm 95. Page, H.P., House 96. Parsons, Edward, House 97. Peabody--Williams House 98. Potter Estate 99. Prescott Estate 100. Railroad Hotel Entered in the -Mationa! Hegister Date/Signature frooper dulmußyan t4 Attest f Keeper dilouBya 81464 Intered in Zationas tegiate Intared ia the Matienal Register Intered in the National Regisioz Attest jKeeper Attest fieeper LlelaresBye9ls Delme Bzartttbe Attest Entered in the Naticnal Registex Keeper seloueByen 9144 Trice Mar!
che Register Attest fKeeper selmeßyan site 3E191923 Attest fieeper Delouaßyera 9/4186 Attest Intered ir the Nationzi Register Keeper AuluuBgen19/23 Attest Entered in the National Register JKeeper Deloue Byan 914/86 Attest Enterad in tho Mationni Reaistar fokeeper AeluByan 9/4/86 Attest 86001863 WASO Form - 177 ("R" June 1984) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET Peabody--Williams 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: 23 1986 2/3/87 Date Due: _ 21/86 - 9/c/86 Action: LACCEPT 9-4-86 Entered in the - RETURN Matiqnal Regiatez 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 Builder/Architect Statement of Significance (in one paragraph) J 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 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 7 Norman Rd., N. Highlands (Peabody/Williams House) Inv. #NH 216 Eewem, Masg MRA BLOCK 17 LAKEWOOD LAKE AVEI ROAD IOA 52 ROAD 12 HYDE NORMAN SESTION 52 BLOCK 19 10 "DE a1S EET AVENUE EN TERRACE SECTIONS2 1 PLOcK5"4 Clty of Newton Assessor's Mapa. Sheet 10 letric Series. 1979 Scale: UTM gr1d 1ine interval - 100 meters (328 feet) Newton, Mass. MRA Norman Rd., N. Highlands (William Edes Peabody House) 52-18-8