BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
Vaeme A. Talmage FORM B - BUILDING Supo- Mass. 12/22/87 1ASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 30 BOYLSTON STREET BOSTON, MA 02116 12 HARVARO =L DORG ACOR NOLNIT BIGELOW 39 F1460 MASSACHUSETTS 50 UIM REFERENCE 19/326520/4692580 USGS QUADRANGLE Boston south SCALE 1:25000 AREA DEG 28 1987 FORM NO. Town Cambridge Address 14-16 Clinton Street Historic Name George Gale House Use: Present Residential (vacant) Original Residential DESCRIPTION Date ca. 1853 Source Deed Style Center Gable Italiante Architect unknown asphalt shingle over Exterior wall Fabric claphoard, flushhoard OutbuildingsNone Major Alterations (with dates) Addition of bay windows, ca. 1894; Addition of side pavilions, ca. 1925; extension of front porch, ca. 1935 Condition some fire and vandal damage Moved N/A.
Date N/A Acreage less than one acre Setting Situated within quiet residential urban neighborhood of detached single and two-family homes of different architectural styles. Recordedby Jon A. MacClaren, Pres. Consultar with Claire Dempsey, Organization Massachusetts Historical Commissi Date July, 20, 1987 NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA STATEMENI (if applicable) The George Gale House possesses integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association and meets criteria A and C for inclusion in the nultiple resource listing of Historic Resources of Canbridge, MA. The house is located in the Dana Hill area of mid Canbridge which developed as a residential suburb of Harvard Square during the third quarter of the nineteenth century. Built ca. 1858, in the Italianate style, the house is also a distinctive type of residential structure in Canbridge represent ing .
a significant and distinguishable entity worthy of recognition. This property is significant at the local level. ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE Describe important architectural features and evaluate in terms of other byhldiedswitaie Hoese isa targe, 21/2-story, wood frane, center gable double house with Italianate decorative details. The building has evolved through a series of additions and alterations and is an important exanple of mid-nineteenth-century, double house construction, in an area of iid-Canbridge containing Italianate, Queen Anne, Mansard, Tudor, and Colonial Revival hones. The George Gale House faces Clinton Streetwith abroad facade of four bays. The house is sided with asphalt shingles over a flushboard front facade and clapboards of the side and rear walls. The main block is gable roofed with a hip roofed Targe rear kitchen ell.
A roof of asphalt shingles with cornice see continuation sheet HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE Explain the role owners played in local or state history and how the building relates to the development of the community. During the third quarter of the nineteenth century, Canbridge changed fron a group ofsmall town centers into a well developed city conplete with nationally fanous educational institution, cultural attractions, thriving industry, and elegant hones. The Gale House is located in Mid-Cambridge and this area of the city, situated between Harvard University and connercial Central Square, developed into a residential neighborhood. Typical of inost Mid-Canbridge residents, the Gale fanily built a hone which ref lected their econonic status.
The house is large, well-proportioned, and finely detailed; but the small lot, wood construction, and two-fanily design attest to the middle class standing of the Gale family. Father, George F. Gale, lived ir the house until his death about 1888. Son, George W. Gale, continued to live in the house with his fanily until the mid-1890's. see continuation sheet BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES "Cambridge, The Harvard Bridge", 1630 a Souvenir 1890, published by J. H. Corcoran & Co. "History of Middlesex County, MA", D. Hamilton Hurd, published by J. W. Lewis Co., 1890. Historic Resources of Cambridge, National Register of Historic Places multiple resource nomination, 1980. Cambridge Historical Commission, Survey of Mid-Cambridge, Ma. Cambridge City Directories, atlases, building department records.
INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston Commmity : Mid-Cambridge Form No: Property Name : George Gale House Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. Architectural Significance cont inued returns and center cross gable is supported by large and ornate Italianate brackets. A pair of small, round arched windows is located under the center gable. The one-story porch originally sheltered only the two entrance doors, but has been extended across the entire front facade, the extensions constructed in the mid-twentieth century. The original porch is supported by detailed Italianate arches with center pendants. First story bays with round arched windows were added to the dining roans in the late nineteenth century.
Two rear additions were added early in the twentieth century, one story lateral extensions fron the kitchen ell. Brick foundations support both the bay and additions, whereas, granite blocks support the structure of the original house. Vert ically divided in half by a brick fire wall, the two homes within this building are a mirror image of each other. Each side hall plan contains a front parlor, dining roan, kitchen, and front and rear stairs on the first floor plus a one story addition between the kitchen and dining roon. The first story of each house retains decorative finish which includes hardwood flooring, inolded baseboards, plaster walls and elaborate plaster cornice moldings. Most roons contain plaster medallions. The second story roans, off a side hall, are detailed with baseboards, but no cornice inoldings or nedallions exist.
Window frames are nost elaborate on the first floor, but exist throughout the house and enframe windows containing two over two wooden sash. The attic is reached by rear stairs and three roams are tucked in under the eaves of each house. Attic architectural detail is sinple with its plain board baseboards and window frames. The building was altered into a roaning house, in the 1930's, and interior partitions have sub-divided sone roans. The house is in poor condition with fire damage to the front porch, front flush board siding, front doors, windows, and front interior spaces of all floors. The house has been vandalized while vacant, most interior mantles and the north front stair newel post are missing. Even though danaged and neglected, the house retains a strong sense of nineteenth-century style, craftmanship, and proportion which has not been destroyed.
The George Gale House reflects the rapid growth in Canbridge's population at the time it was built. Situated on an urban, quarter acre lot, the double house is a most efficient use of space. The side hall plan affords inax inun privacy for residents yet the house does not appear at first glance to be a multi-fanily residence. The house reflects an aesthetic yet efficient design suited to the conditions of a city with fewer and fewer building lots and a burgeoning population. In addition, the architectural details and interior finish of the house reflect the involvenent of the Gale family. These lumber dealers included fine wood detail in their large double house. Other center gable houses worthy of note such as 11-13 Clinton Street and 26 Maple Avenue are similar to the George Gale House.
These three houses were built over a twenty year period and the center gable, broad facade with large windows and one story entrance porch are features conmon to all. see continuation sheet Staple to Inventory form at bottom INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston Commmity : Form No: Mid-Cambridge Property Name:George Gale House Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. Historical Significance cont inued The George Gale House is located on Clinton Street, in the Mid-Canbridge area of the city of Canbridge. Once known as Dana Hill, this area was characterized in the eighteenth century by large landholdings. This street was part of the country estate of merchant Ralph Innan, a Tory whose property was confiscated during the Revolution, and whose hone served as barracks.
After the war, the estates in this area were subdivided as the area cane to function as a residential suburb of Harvard Square. Clinton Street was laid out in 1831, but construction of dwellings did not begin until after 1854. the next twenty years the number of houses in the area grew from about 200 to nearly 500. Like the other residents of the neighborhood, the Gales were prosperous businessnen. The Gale fanily directly represented and were identified with the Tunber supp ly business in Cambridge and were active as financiers, business and civic leaders. Father and son encouraged growth in their industry with innovative changes in transportation, storage, and inventory of lunber. The George W. Gale Lunber Conpany yard was the first dealership in Canbridge serviced by stean railroad. Gale built a rail spur line into his yard fran the main tracks of the Boston and Albany Railroad.
The addition of the spur to transport Gale lunber and supplies guaranteed timely deliveries and success for the company. A heated storage house of 50,000 square feet kept the kiln-dried lumber in perfect condition, another innovation at the Gale yard. The canpany was also able to offer wooden building franes, cut at the mill according to the building's plan, directly to the builder. George W. Gale Lunber Canpany becone the largest retail yard in Canbridge selling 10,000,000 feet of all kinds of wood by 1890. George F. Gale becane involved in the building supply business as a partner in the finn of Burrage & Gale Company by 1847. Burrage & Gale were dealers in lumber, lime, and wood and were located at the corner of Broadway and Court Street on the North (or Broad) Canal. The building inaterials of wood and lime were essential for the construction of wood frame or inasonry structures.
By the time the Gale fanily had built their substantial and highly detailed house on Clinton Street, both father and son were working at Gale, Dudley and Conpany, located on Main Street in the Lower Port section of Canbridge (1861), a prime locat ion for a business involved in building materials supply. Throughout the third quarter of the nineteenth century, the Gale fanily renained important business leaders and becane active in civic affairs. The Canbridge City Directory of 1873 lists George F. Gale as President of the National City Bank, and son George W. Gale as dealing in Tunber. The Gale and Wood lunber dealership was located at 69 Main Street at West Boston Bridge. George F. Gale died around 1888, but at least two years before, by 1886, the Gale & Wood Company had grown into two lunber dealerships. The George W.
Gale Lumber Canpany was Tocated at 336 Main Street in Canbridgeport and advertised see continuation sheet Staple to Inventory form at botton INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston Commmity: Form No: Mid-Cambridge Property Name: George Gale House Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. Historical Significance continued on the front cover of the 1899 Canbridge City Directory. He offered kiln dried floor boards and finish. The lumber yard was successful due to its railroad access, drying house, and prominent location, was able to meet the building supply denands of rapidly developing Canbridge. George W. Gale was also a respected menber of the Canbridge business conmunity like his father beforehin. The George W. Gale Lunber Company remained successful and kept expanding until at least 1913.
The lumber yard no longer exists. Staple to Inventory form at bottom INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET Commmity : Form No: MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston Mid-Cambridge Property Name: George Gale House Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. Archaeo log y While no prehistoric sites are currently recorded on the property, at least three known sites are in close proxinity (within one mile). This factor and the location of the property near the Charles River indicates sites nay be present. In general, however, the potential for prehistoric renains seens low, as a result of intense urban development in the area and the small size, less than one acre, of the house lot. These factors also indicate the potent ial for signif icant historic period survivals is low. Pre-ca.
1858 historic archaeological renains have been known to exist, in sinilar sites, though, in this case, they probably would have been destroyed by house construction. Staple to Inventory form at bottom OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 NPS Form 10-900-a (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number Page SUPPLEMENTARY LISTING RECORD NRIS Reference Number: 87002543 Date Listed: 2/10/88 Gale, George, House Property Name Middlesex County MA State Cambridge MRA Multiple Name This property is listed in the National Register of Historic Places in accordance with the attached nomination documentation subject to the following exceptions, exclusions, or amendments, notwithstanding the National Park Service certification included in the nomination documentation.
atlic Signature of the Keeper 2/10/88 Date of Action ===== ========= Amended Items in Nomination: The property is in private ownership. Although not explicitly stated, the most applicable justified area of significance indicated by the documentation for eligibility under criterion A is industry for the Gale family's contribution to the development of the lumber industry in Cambridge and within the context of the historical associations of the Dana Hill residential neighborhood with the business/merchant class in the mid-nineteenth century. This information was confirmed with Ann Tait, Survey & Inventory Coordinator, MASHPO, by telephone on February 2, 1988.
DISTRIBUTION: National Register property file Nominating Authority (without nomination attachment) NPS Form 10-900-a (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 Section number - Page Cambridge MRA Middlesex County, MASSACHUSETTS 201. Harvard Yard Historic District in the Iet4omel Registez 202. Gale, George, House Keeper/ AhbaByan 12/11/87 Attest fonKkeeper. Patuck Andurs 2/10/88 Attest Bere Saurge 2110/88 Substentive levior 203. Central Square Historic District 204.
DeRosay--McMamee House WASO Form - 177 ("R" June 1984) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET 87002543 SLP Gale, George, House (Cambridge MRA) Middlesex County MASSACHUSETTS Bepetentire soviea resubmission nomination by person or local government owner objection appeal Working No.. DEC 28 1987 Fed. Reg. Date: 7-7-89 Date Due: _ 128/88+2/11/88 Action: -ACCEPT 2-10-88 _RETURN REJECT _ Federal Agency: . Substantive Review: L sample Lrequest appeal V NR decision Reviewer's comments: Depey ee palianase moder andaenine Sale fanily and the mid-19th-c. Recom./Criteria,Accept AxC Reviewer. Disciplinerchufetural Ikstory Date see continuation sheet Nomination returned for: . substantive reasons discussed below tochnical corecions cted belon merche Ne beesenen gana Niee ne abirhood 1.- Name 2.
Location 3. Classification Category Ownership Public Acquisition Status Accessible Present Use 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 Check one -original site moved date Describe the present and original (if known) physical appearance summary paragraph completeness clarity alterations/integrity dates boundary selection 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 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: GPO 918-450 Comments for any item may be continued on an attached sheet George Gale House 14-16 Clinton Street Cambridge, MA Photo #l of y View of southwest corner of house. photographer-jühn Macclaner Febrary 1986 negative - Sue - Daved Collo 17 Cunton St., Cambridge George Gale House 14-16 Clinton Street Cambridge, MA Photo # 2 of 4 View of house from southeast.
photogapher-John Macclonen Februany 1986 negative -Sue 4 David Rollo 17 Cluton st., Cambndse George Gale House 14-16 Clinton Street Cambridge, MA Phots # 30f4 View of Front facade. (northwest side of house) photographer- John MacClasen ebruary 1706 egatre-Sue and David Rollo 17 Clinton St., Cambridge George Gale House 14-16 Clinton Street Cambridge, MA Photo #Yofy Detail of front facade. (northwest side of house) photographer-Joha Mac(laren February 1986 negatve-sue " Daud Rallo, '' Clnton St, Cambndige P.534900345 The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Office of the Secretary of State Michael Joseph Connolly, Secretary Massachusetts Historical Commission Valerie A. Talmage Executive Director State Historic Preservation Officer December 22, 1987 Carol Shull National Register of Historic Places Department of the Interior National Park Service P.O. Box 37127 Washington, DC 20013-7127 Dear Ms.
Shull: Enclosed you will find the nomination forms for the following properties: Adams, Hoosac Street School, 20 Hoosac Street Boston (Jamaica Plain), District 13 Police Station, 28 Seaverns Avenue Cambridge (Cambridge MRA), George Gale House, 14-16 Clinton Street Shelburne and Buckland, Shelburne Falls Historic District They have been voted eligible by the State Review Board and have been signed by the State Historic Preservation Officer. Owners were notified of pending State Review Board consideration 30-75 days before the meeting and were afforded the opportunity to comment. No comments have been received to date. Sincerely, Veter Frederg Betsy Friedberg National Register Director Massachusetts Historical Commission BF/es Enclosure REC 28,087 80 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02116 (617) 727-8470