BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
BAFS & 619 FORM B - BUILDING AREA FORM NO. MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 80 BOYLSTON STREET BOSTON, MA 02116 230 Town Winchester, Mass., WINCHESTER MRA Address 81 Walnut Street Historic Name Abijah Thompson House Photo (3"x3" or 3"x5", black and white) Indicate address of property on back of photo. Staple to left side of form. Use: Present dwelling Original dwelling DESCRIPTION Date - 1835-1850 Source historic maps, style Style Gothic Revival Architect unknown 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 1'=200' Exterior Wall Fabricclapboard Outbuildings none T/*.C )N STREET F..
PARKWAY lajor Alterations (with dates) possibly some trim removed Condition good STREET + VALLE GREELY MYSTIC Moved no Date n/a E Tacreage _17A/ 7,435 sg.4t. / 04-0074 500831 Setting densely developed residential area east of Winchester Center STREE WINTHROP STREET E VIM REFERENCE /4. -24/30 01850 USGS QUADRANGLE LEXINGTON, MASS:. SCALE 1:25.000 Recorded by Carol Ely Organization Winchester Historical Comm. Date 1/79; 10/87 revised by C. Jenkins NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA STATEMENT (if applicable) The Abijah Thompson House possesses integrity of location, design, materials, setting, workmanship, feeling and associations. It is significant as an unusual example of the Gothic Revival style (see form #232; also Newton, Mass., MRA: Webster Park H.D.) charac- terized by a truncated central tower flanked by two steeply pitched gabled wall dormers.
It also boasts full length windows flanking the entry and a towered addition at the rear. The Thompson House also reflects the initial residential derclopment of the area directly east of the town as the population began to climb rapidly. ARCHITECIURAL SIGNIFICANCE Describe important architectural features and evaluate in terms of other buildings within the community. The Thompson House is an unusual example of the Gothic Revival style which hearo an al most exact resemblance to several period cottages in Newton Mass. (Newton, Mass. - MRA: Webster Park Historic District; NR: 9/4/86). It is a story, clapboard clad struc- ture enclosed by a gable roof. Its symmetrical three bay facade is centered on a double leaf paneled entry which is flanked by full length French windows.
A truncated, poly- gonal bay rises through the roofline above the entry and it is flanked by steeply pitched gabled wall dormers. A tower with pyramidal roof rises from the center of the rear eleva- tion. A one story Tuscan porch runs across the facade. These two features may be later additions, and the gables may have lost some vergeboard trim. It is similiar to the house at 85 Walnut Street (#232). HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE Explain the role owners played in local or state history and how the building relates to the development of the conmunity. This house was built in the late 1830s or in the 1840s, but its first known owner is - Abijah Thompson (1827-1912) in 1854. Thompson was involved in a variety of Winchester "affairs. By trade a leather manufacturer, he worked for his father, Benjamin F. Thompson in Boston.
He was first vice-president of the Winchester Historical Society and gathered much valuable information and artifacts of the town's history. He served on various committees of the town, including the 1882 Village Improvement Association; founded the newspaper, the Winchester Times which failed; formed the town's Masonic Lodge, and was an officer of the Savings Bank and a member of the Agricultural Library. His planned estate near the Aberjona never materialized, so he built a house at the corner of Church Street and Glen Road instead and moved there in 1867. The house then passed to Stephen Thompson. CRITERIA STATEMENT (cont) It meets Criteria A and C of the Matfonal Register of Historic Places. BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REPERENCES Chapman, Henry Smith. History of Winchester. 1936. -Winchester Archival Center resources: files.
NPS Form 10-000- 8-88) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number Page OMB Approvel No. 1024-0018 MAY 2 2 1989 Multiple Resource Area Thematic Group Name State Winchester MRA Middlesex County, MASSACHUSETTS Nomination/Type of Review 51. Symmes, Deacon John, House Entered in the National Register Date/Signature trooper AulmZyan 2/5164 52. Symmes, Marshall, House Tataret 10 the Natiotal Roglater Attest Keeper, AebmsZyun 215/64 53. Symmes, Marshall, Tenant House Entered in the National Register 54. Thompson, Abijah, House Entered in the National Register Attest KkeeperAuluByu 215/89 Attest Ckeeper AulouaAzen 2/5789 Attest 55. Trowbridge--Badger House VReeper_ AhilmueByun 7/5769 tored 1a the Nationai Register 56. Vinton, Alfred, House 57. Wedgemere (H.D.) 58. White, S.B., House 59.
Wildwood Cemetery 60.
Wyman, George, House Attest unttred 1n National Register -kecopor Aubouzu 115t4 Entered 1u the National Begister Ikceper @AelmeByu 115/19 Attest antered in tne Mational Register SieeperSlilmenBgui 1/5/04 Attest Hubatandive Eeries Jirxoopor Bet Sauge 7-5-89 Attest Entered 1n t59 Nattonal Regtatar Fréeper Atelvurzan 115/69 Attest UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: NOMINATION PROPERTY Thompson, Abijah, House NAME: MULTIPLE winchester MRA NAME: STATE & COUNTY: MASSACHUSETTS, Middlesex DATE RECEIVED: 5/22/89 DATE OF 16TH DAY: 6/22/89 DATE OF PENDING LIST: 6/06/89 JATE OF 45TH DAY: 7/06/89 DATE OF WEEKLY LIST: REFERENCE NUMBER: 89000619 NOMINATOR: STATE REASONS FOR REVIEW: OTRERI N POA PROBIEM: N PEAPE: N TRS THAN 0 VEASU PROGRAM UNAPPROVED: REQUEST: N SAMPLE: N SLR DRAFT: N NATIONAL: COMMENT WAIVER: N LACCEPT RETURN REJECT 7/5/54 DATE Intéred In 7ha National Register ABSTRACT/SUMMARY COMMENTS: RECOM.
/CRITERIA REVIEWER DISCIPLINE DATE DOCUMENTATION see attached comments Y/N see attached SLR Y/N CLASSIFICATION count resource type STATE/FEDERAL AGENCY CERTIFICATION FUNCTION historic current DESCRIPTION architectural classification materials descriptive text 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 BIBLIOGRAPHY GEOGRAPHICAL DATA acreage UTMS verbal boundary description boundary justification ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENTATION/PRESENTATION sketch maps _USGS maps photographs presentation OTHER COMMENTS Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to Phone Signed Date Abijah Thomipson Housc 8l Walnut Street 1/60 Wincluster MA MRA MHC Inv# 230 Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000303