Nomination for Peabody, George, House

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

ql1 NPS Form 10-900 (Rev. 8-86) OMB No. 1024-0018 RECEIVED United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Registration Form MAY 2 4 1988 NATIONAL REGISTER This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations of eligibility for individual properties or districts. See instructions in Guidelines for Completing National Register Forms (National Register Bulletin 16). Complete each item by marking "x" in the appropriate box or by entering the requested information. If an item does not apply to the property being documented, enter "N/A" for "not applicable." For functions, styles, materials, and areas of significance, enter only the categories and subcategories listed in the instructions. For additional space use continuation sheets (Form 10-900a). Type all entries. 1.

Name of Property historic name George Peabody House other names/site number 2. Location street & number city, town state 205 Washington Street Peabody code 025 county N/A not for publication N/Avicinity Essex code 009 zip code 01.960 3. Classification Ownership of Property private xl public-local public-State public-Federal Category of Property x building(s) district site Structure object Name of related/Aultiple property listing: Number of Resources within Property Contributing 1 Noncontributing buildings sites structures objects 0 Total Number of contributing resources previously listed in the National Register 0 4.

State/Federal Agency Certification As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, I hereby certify that this X nomination request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of Historic Places and meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60. opinion, the property LXmeets does not meet the National Register criteria. See continuation sheet. Talmaç Signature of certifying official Mau 1|, 980 Date Executive Director, Massachusetts Historical Commission; State or Federal agency and bureau State Historic Preservation Officer In my opinion, the property meets Jdoes not meet the National Register criteria. See continuation sheet. Signature of commenting or other official Date State or Federal agency and bureau 5.

National Park Service Certification 1, hereby, certify that this property is: Ventered in the National Register. See continuation sheet. determined eligible for the National Register. See continuation sheet. determined not eligible for the National Register. CaceDShill 7-6-88 removed from the National Register. other, (explain:) Signature of the Keeper Date of Action 6. Function or Use George Peabody House, Peabody, Massachusetts Historic Functions (enter categories from instructions) Current Functions (enter categories from instructions) Domestic/single dwelling Vacant/not in use Domestic/multiple dwelling 7. Description Architectural Classification (enter categories from instructions) Early Republic/Federal Materials (enter categories from instructions) foundation walls . roof other stone synthetics/vinyl asphalt Describe present and historic physical appearance.

The George Peabody House, Peabody, stands on the north side of Washington Street about 700 feet east of Allen's Lane in an area containing a mixture of industrial, commercial, and residential buildings of the 19th century to the mid-20th century. The Federal-style farmhouse was built, ca. 1790-1793 and is the only surviving house of its period in the immediate vicinity. The_house stands near the southeast corner of a gently sloping lot containing 14,742 square feet, the remaining fragment of a twelve acre farm. It stands close to the street, set behind a portion of a picket fence and a small grass yard. The remainder of the lot is principally lawn, with a few ornamental shrubs and deciduous trees. A driveway exists to the east of the house. The Peabody House, sheathed in vinyl during the 1970s, is asymmetrical in plan. It consists of a 2 1/2-story, four bay main block (ca.

1790-1793) beneath an asphalt-shingled roof, and two integral ells: one (ca. 1780?) extends three bays to the west, is set back approximately ten feet from the main block, and is two stories in height, while the rear ell (ca. 1843-1854) extends four bays to the north beneath a broadly pitched roof. The entire house rises from a fieldstone foundation . All windows contain double-hung 6/6 sash set in simple moulded frames. The main block's facade (south elevation) is dominated by the main entry contained within a pedimented porch set west of center and framed by sidelights. The east elevation of the main block possesses single windows at the first and second stories, with a small attic window in the gable end. The west elevation is largely obscured by the western ell, but a single window exists at each story. The rear elevation (north) of the main block is entirely hidden by the rear ell.

A pair of chimneys rise from the north slope of the roof. The western ell may have been moved to this site at the construction of the main house, possibly pre-dating it by ten years. Its south elevation is asymmetrically arranged and consists of an entry (east) and two windows at the first story and two windows at the second story. The west elevation possesses a single window at the first story (south) and two at the second story, while the rear elevation contains two windows at each story. A chimney rises from the ridge of the roof near the west end. x See continuation sheet OMB Approvel No. 1024-0018 NPS Form 10-000e (8-00) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number .

Page George Peabody House, Peabody, MA The east elevation of the rear ell possesses an entry north of center sheltered by a modern aluminum awning. It is flanked by three windows (two south and one north), with three evenly-spaced windows at the second story. chimney rises from the western slope of the rear ell's roof. A The lot slopes northward, exposing approximately four feet of the fieldstone foundation at the ell's north elevation. A door and three windows exist at the basement, with three evenly-spaced windows at the first and second stories. An attic window exists at the north elevation. The west elevation of the rear ell is broken by a door and two windows at the first story, and three windows at the second story. The entry opens onto a. contemporary wooden deck.

The Peabody House retains some of its original floor plan and a mixture of trim including some original details and many dating from the mid 19th century rear addition. The main block consists of a central stairhall with a room at the east and west ends of each story. The western ell possesses a stairway along the wall to the main block, with a single room at each story. The rear ell appears to have undergone the most alteration with the addition of kitchens and bathrooms. Noteworthy details include cased post and beams, some surviving original plaster wall, wood floors, and interior doors. finishes, trim, mantels, and fireplaces appear to date from the time the back ell was added, with the exception of the window sash, which appear to be later than 1850. Archaeology While no prehistoric sites are currently recorded on the property, it is highly likely that sites are present.

At least eight sites have been reported in the general area (within one mile). In addition, the physical characteristics of the property prior to European settlement may have made this an attractive area for native settlement and subsistence activities. Goldthwait Brook, which flows north of the property originally met tidewater trom the North River about 1/2-m1le away. Following settlement many of these wetlands were altered and filled through urban development. While many favorable site locations around wetland peripheries may have been destroyed, it is possible that some sites survive. Since patterns of prehistoric occupation in Peabody are poorly documented any surviving sites would be significant.

Regional as well as local significance might result from sites found in this area and their possible association with sites along Salem Harbor, Beverly Harbor, and their tributary rivers, all known areas of prehistoric period settlement about two to three miles to the north and east. continued OMB Approvel No. 1024-0018 NPS Form 10-000 (8-80) United States Department of the Interior National ParkService National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet 2 George Peabody House, Peabody, MA Section number - Page There is also a potential for significant historic remains on the property. Background research, controlled testing, and excavation may help to determine whether or not agricultural related remains survive from the area's use as common land in the 18th century. Remains may also exist from tannery operations which were common in the Goldthwait Brook area.

Farm related features (structures, trash pits, wells) are also possible from the late 18th century after construction of the original farmstead. These remains could provide detailed information on the changing social, cultural, and economic patterns that characterized early life in Peabody. 8. Statement of Significance

Statement of significance

George Peabody House,Peabody, Massachusetts Certifying officialhas considered the significance of this property in relation to other properties: nationally x statewide X locally Applicable National Register Criteria Criteria Considerations (Exceptions) Areas of Significance (enter categories from instructions) Architecture Community Planning & Development Philanthropy Period of Significance ca. 1790- 1938 Significant Dates Cultural Affiliation N/A Significant Person George Peabody Architect/Builder N/A State significance of property, and justify criteria, criteria considerations, and areas and periods of significance noted above. The George Peabody House retains integrity of location, design, setting, materials, feeling, workmanship, and association, and meets Criteria A and C of the National Register of Historic Places on the local level.

The Peabody House is significant as the only surviving Federal period farmhouse remaining in Peabody's densely developed downtown area. The house retains many details characteristic of the Federal style, as well as possessing architectural details reflecting mid-19th-century alterations to the building. Built as a farmhouse in the late 18th century, later ownership resulted in the house being occupied by employees of the adjacent glue factories. Thus, the Peabody House is emblematic of Peabody's transition from an agricultural economy to an industrial one. From the mid-18th century to 1986 the building was associated with Peabody's industrial development through its ownership and use by the American Glue Company and associated businesses.

The George Peabody House also meets Criterion B on the local and state levels forits association with George Peabody,prominentinternational financier and philanthropist. The house was Peabody's birthplace and home for his first fifteen years, and under Criteria Consideration C is eligible for the National Register as the only known surviving building in which Peabody lived. The area which was to become Peabody (inc. 1855) was originally part of Salem. Earliest settlement occured in the 1620s and 1630s. Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries the economy was based on agriculture and husbandry, and er ana sal ler fales cxistea, the mador ty o fares wr probably about 100 to 200 acres. Industrial development began during the Colonial period, with the establishment of numerous mills and the beginnings of the tanning industry in Peabody.

The tanning industry was to become the focus of Peabody's economy by the mid-19th century. By 1865, there were 92 manufacturing establishment with 1,311 employees; many of these were associated with leather tanning or shoe manufacturing. Themanufacturingsectorofpeabosconn aon nun the late 19th and early 20th centuries as the leather tanning industry expanded. The total male workforce engaged in manufacturing grew from 64% in 1875 to 81% in 1915. During the same span agricultural employment fell from 18% to 5% of the total. continued 9.

The rest of the file

Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.

Major Bibliographical References George Peabody House, Peabody, Massachusetts Previous documentation on file (NPS): -preliminary determination of individual listing (36 CFR 67) has been requested previously listed in the National Register previously determined eligible by the National Register designated a National Historic Landmark recorded by Historic American Buildings Survey # recorded by Historic American Engineering Record # 10.

Geographical Data Acreage of property - Quad - Salem UTM References AL19 Zone Easting CLI less than one acre Scale - 1:25000 41709250 Northing x See continuation sheet Primary location of additional data: State historic preservation office Other State agency Federal agency Local government University Other Specify repository: MHC Inventory of Historic Assets #159 See continuation sheet Verbal Boundary Description The nominated property includes the house and land at 205 Washington Street, city lot 94-5A, bounded as follows: North by land of Eastman Gelatine Corporation, East by land of PMW Realty Associates, South by Washington Street, and West by Eastman Gelatine Corp. See continuation sheet Boundary Justification The boundary includes the entire city lot presently associated with the property.

The twelve acres originally associated with the Peabody House had been developed by the American Glue Company by the late 19th century. See continuation sheet 11. Form Prepared By name/title Betsy Friedberg, National Register Director/MHC with Claudia DePaola, Senior Planner organization Massachusetts Historical Commission date February 9, 1988 and Kim Brengle street & number 80 BoyIston Street 617-727-8470 telephone Boston MA 02116 city or town_ state zip code NPS Form 10-000-a (8-88) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 George Peabody House, Peabody, MA The nominated property was built ca. 1790-1793, on land which had been used in the early 1700s as common land bounded by Washington Street and Goldwait Brook.

Its earliest owner was Thomas Peabody, who with his wife Judith raised ten children on the modest twelve acre farm. George Peabody was born in the farmhouse on February 18, !/15, the fourth child, He soon left school to work, leaving Peabody to join his brother David in his Newburyport business by age fifteen. After the War of 1812, Peabody established a wholesale drygoods business in Washington, D.C., later moving it to Baltimore. Successfull business dealings led to Peabody's increased involvement in London financial circles, leading to his move to London in 1831. According to John Wells, The Peabody Story: Peabody gradually became the most trusted and well-known financier abroad. In 1848, he marketed the Mexican War loan, he helped to finance the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, and was on the Board of Directors for Atlantic Telegraph and Cable Co.

He supported the Union during the Civil War, and supplied one million dollars in gold from the firm's coffers on twenty-four-hour notice, against any possible Confederate suit for damages due to the British embargo on ship building. In 1854, Peabody took on Junius Morgan as a partner; Morgan's son J. Pierpont Morgan subsequently joined the firm and in 1860 set up the American branch. When Peabody retired in 1864, having amassed a fortune of twenty million dollars, he insisted that his name be dropped from the firm, which then became J.S. Morgan and Co. George Peabody died in 1869, only a year after his hometown was renamed from South Danvers in his honor. He was far-ranging and generous in his philanthropic efforts. Locally, he endowed public libraries (both Peabody Institutes) in Peabody and Danvers.

larvard and Yale, and the Peabody Institute (public library, art gallery, and academy of music) in Baltimore. The Peabody Normal School in Nashville, Tennessee was established by his trustees in 1875, and the Peabody Homes in Despite the numerous institutional buildings bearing his name, the house at 205 Washington Street is the only known surviving residence of George Peabody. He occupied the house until 1810, but owned it until 1832, two years after his mother's death. continued NPS Form 10-000- (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number - Page -2 OMB Approval No.

1024-0018 George Peabody House, Peabody, MA The house and land eventually became the property of Elijah Upton, leading to their association with the glue industry, and relating to the area's transition from agriculture to manufacturing. Elijah Upton was from Reading, Massachusetts, and began manufacturing glue in Peabody in 1808, at the age of twenty-three. His business grew, and by 1855 he was operating a complex of three factories at the corner of Washington Street and Allen's Lane, which became known as "glue hill." These factories were built on land which had originally been part of the Peabody farm, and stood several hundred feet west of the house. During this same period, Peabody had moved from an agrarian to an industrial economy. Abundant fresh water had helped the leather tanneries and by 1855 there were sixty-four tanneries in Peabody.

The animal by-products from the tanneries provided a convenient source of raw material for Upton's glue manufacturing. The Upton's broadened their holdings when Elijah's son, Elijah Wood Upton, formed the Danvers Bleachery which operated in Peabody from 1847 through World In 1860, Elijah Wood Upton succeeded his father in the glue industry and formed Essex Glue with partners Nathaniel and Teophilous Walker. Wood Upton's son George eventually joined the family business, and in 1867 is described as a prominent businessman by the South Danvers Wizard. In 1891, a portion of the original property , including the George Peabody House, was sold to Charles B. Farley, who owned property throughout the city.

Following George Upton's death in 1893, the Upton family business and the property adjacent to the Peabody House was sold to the American Glue Company of New Jersey, with George's son King Upton remaining central in the business as vice-president and later as president. Charles Farley rented the house, which by then had been divided into two apartments, to Martin Doyle, a produce peddler, Charles Brown; a carpenter; and W1ll1am Murphy, who worked at Dullea's Express stable. Farley granted an easement to the Peabody Historical Society in 1902 to erect a granite post with a plaque commemorating the house as the birthplace of George Peabody. In 1919 Charles Farley sold the Peabody house to American Glue.

Through the early 1900s American Glue had expanded and diversified its operations with the construction of new glue houses, and by purchasing the Boston Flint Paper - Company, Union Sand Paper Company, and the Cape Ann Isinglass Company. By 1908, the Upton family business had grown to a conglomerate of nineteen businesses across the United States. In 1904, the business manufactured 22,500,000 pounds of glue in Peabody. continued OMB Approvel No. 1024-0018 NPS Form 10-000-a (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet 8 3 George Peabody House, Peabody, MA Section number- Page During the early 20th century the house and glue factory were still removed from the mainstream of development and building in Peabody.

The Sanborn Atlas maps of 1903 and 1907 show only the glue operations since there were no other significant buildings in the area. American Glue continued renting the house to the installed tenants, but in 1921, Harry Newton, who was a foreman at American glue moved in with his wife and three sons, Alton, Herbert, and Sydney. By 1925, his sons were working as a fireman and in the leather industry. Harry Newton continued at American Glue until 1930, when the business was purchased by Eastman Gelatine. He occupied the house until 1940. From 1944 until the house was purchased by the City of Peabody in 1986, it was occupied by Eastman employees. The Peabody House is significant under Criterion C as a rare and well-preserved example of a Federal-style farmhouse in Peabody.

Representative of the farmhouses that dotted Peabody's rural 18th-century landscape, this house is the only survivor of its type in Peabody's densely developed downtown. The house's fieldstone foundation, massing, pedimented entry porch, and interior details such as cased posts and beams are all characteristic of its style and function. The George Peabody House isnow owned by the City of Peabody, and plans exist to establish a small tannery museum there. NPS Form 10-900- 8-86 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number - Page 1 OMB Approvel No. 1024-0018 George Peabody House, Peabody, MA Massachusetts Historical Commission Reconnaissance Study Report: Peabody 1988. Unpublished.

Peabody Press, Peabody Times, Salem News, South Danvers Wizard, Microfilm file, 1881-T921 Peabody Library, Peabody, MA Registry of Deeds, Essex County, 32 Federal St.,_Salem, MA Wells, John A. The Peabody Story. Salem, MA: Essex Institute, 1973. 000911 WASO Form - 177 ('R" June 1984) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET Peabody, George, House Essex County MASSACHUSETTS MAY 24 1998 Substa Revien Working No. Fed. Reg.

Date: Date Due: _ 6/23/88-7/8/88 Action: LACCEPT7-6-88 - resubmission RETURN _ J nomination by person or local government _ REJECT - owner objection Federal Agency: - appeal Substantive Review: _ sample -request appeal NR decision Reviewer's comments: Hasxoricall Htöskoricely ant ara exemple of Sederal Mm lerieie, residence aud laterassoratins with commnity's developnent fron mmlachfnae Wtostay agriseetenalto manufacturing asconomisee ontiution sheet Nomination returned for: - technical corrections cited below _substantive reasons discussed below 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 unaltered altered Check one Joriginal 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 I 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 Peabody House 205 Washington Street Peabody, MA Taken by: Claudia DePaola December 1986 Negative: Peabody Community Development Department # 11 Front and east elevation George Peabody House 205 Washingtan st Peabody, MA Takenby:Claudia DePada December 1986 Negative: Peabody Community Development Department #11 Front and east elevation, Facings north Photo #1 of 5 George Peabody House 205 Washington street Peabody, MA Taken by: Claudia DePaola December 1986 Negative: Peabody Community Development Department East and rear elevation George Peabedy touse 105 Washington St Teabody, MA Taken by:Claudia Je Paola December 1486 Negative: Peabody Community Development Department #| East and rear elevation facing southeast Photo #2 of5 George Peabody House 205 Washington Street Peabody, MA Taken by: Claudia DePaola December 1986 Negative: Peabody Community Development Department #3 Rear elevation with view of western el1 George Peabody House 205 Washinatan St Heabody, MA Taken by: Claudia DePaola December 1986 Negative: Peabody Community Development Department #3 Rear elevation with view of westein ell facing south Phots #3 of5 George Peabody House 205 Washington Street Peabody, MA Taken by: Claudia DePaola December 1986 Negative: Peabody Community Development Department #19 Rear and west elevations George Peabody House 205 Washington St.

Peabody, MA Taken by : Clardia Delaola December 1986 Vegative:Reabody Community Development Dept- #19 Rear and west clevations Sacing south Photo#4o+5 George Peabody House 205 Washington Street Peabody, MA Taken by: Claudia DePaola December 1986 Negative: Peabody Community Development Department #20 West elevation George Peabody House 205 Washington St Peabody, MA Taken by: Clandia De Paola Deceinber 1986 Negative: Peabody Community Development Department #20 Nestelevation facing east Phots #5 of5 May 16, 1988 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: Boston, Ozias Goodwin House; 7 Jackson Avenue Melrose, Melrose Public Library; 63 West Emerson Street Northampton, Fort Hill Historic District; 124, 130, 134, 135, 144, and 148 South Street Peabody, George Peabody House; 205 Washington Street Sheffield, Sheffield Plain Historic District; roughly 1/2-mile of U.S. Route 7, south from Cook Road intersection 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, Betey Friedhere Betsy Friedberg National Register Director Massachusetts Historical Commission BF/es Enclosure MAY 24 1988 Massachusetts Historical Commission, Valerie A. Talmage, Executive Director, State Historic Preservation Officer 80 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02116 (617) 727-8470 Office of the Secretary of State, Michael J. Connolly, Secretary