BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
MAY 2 2 1989 FORM B - BUILDING MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 80 BOYLSTON STREET BOSTON, MA 02116=1 51360 A8I "T9Iwo" 801 -IAMCY IGTD1B0 PI-bi saund to ame. Photo (3"x3" or 3"x5", black and white) Indicate address of property on back of photo. Staple to left side of form. 09813 19J0 Sketch Map: Draw map showing property's location in relation tó nearest cross streets and/or geographical features. Indicate all buildings between inventoried property and nearest intersection(s). 16G Indicate north XACE nonp"=400 SOUTH D BORDI PARKWAI AVENUL UIM REFERENCE 19.324900.401720 USGS QUADRANGLE LEXINCTON MASS SCALE 1:25000 626 AREA FORM NO. 276 Winchester, Mass..- MRA Town WINCHESTER Address 290 Highland Avenue Historic Name Edward A. Brackett House Use: Present Original dwelling dwelling DESCRIPTION Date :c1850-54igrm opubony Source O1d-Time New England Stylevs.Octagon Architect Edward A.
Brackett Exterior wall Fabric SEUCCO outbuildings garage-NC Major Alterations (with dates) octagonal shed, porches and stucco cladding added c1900 Condition excellent ebaeamo0sy 2193 Moved no Date n/a Acreage 4.28A 04-0020 Setting rural: wooded hillside on west slope of Middlesex Fells Reserva- tion. JOLONS Recorded byCarol Ely, Bettina Cooper Organization Winchester HIstorical Comm. Date 12/78; 10/87 revised by C. Jenkins Ie - 8 NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA STATEMENT (if applicable) VOTRRIMMOD JADIOTZE The Edward A. Brackett Hôuse possesses integrity of location, design, settinga matenials,01 08 workmanship, feeling and associations. Its significance lies primarily in its duniquem ,u0r2og architectural design which Brackett derived himself from Orson S.
Fowler's 1848 pattern book, "A Home For A11" The house was on a plan consisting of four interlocking oftagons that were emphasized on the exterior by varied rooflines, epitomizing the roman- tic precepts being, espoused by pattern book writers in the mid-19th century. Its natural setting and architectural design remain nearly intact. The house meets criterion C of the National Register of Historig Places.H ARCHITECIURAL SIGNIFICANCE Describe important architectural features and evaluate in terms of other buildings within the community. 605 ai0010E0") 03009 :S80 The Edward A. Brackett House is an extremely idiosynchratic examplerofithé octagohal house form espoused by Orson Fowler in his two pattern books on the.subject published 4h 1848 and 1853.
Brackett used the earlier book which promoted an interlocking wood-frame crib knat nakos the houec an uns eu, çonstruction; the second book emphasized the use of concrete and gravel wall construction. What makes the house so unique is its use of four interlocking octagons, all with varied rooflines, to produce a highly irregularand picturesque effect. When constructed some- time between 1850-54, the Brackett House was sided with vertical board and batten and trimmed with brackets atsthe overhanging rooflines. Later, c1900, the house was enlarged with a fifth octagon that served as a shed at the first story and a bedroom at the second; a verandah was wrapped around two elevations, and a stuccoed exterior replaced the ori- ginal.
The changes were carried out by Brackett himself, and keeping with both his and Fowler's design intent-s This Winchester's only example of an octagon; it achieves tto39x suilding relates to the development of the conmunityegaibltud Iin stBoibnI Edward Brackett, artist, naturalists and eccentric built:this unusual octagon house 1f thewted early 1850s to his own plans that were inspired by Orson S. Fowler's pattern book alf Homeeresni For Al1" published in 1848. Brackett was Maine-born, and trained as a sculpter in New 9360 ibn York. When unsuccessful, he moved to Boston and settled in Woburn. Ig 1848, he and his wife began assembling a house lotsin South Woburn, soon to become Winchester. A fairly poor man,Brackett was faced with the need to build his own house; and his need for economy love of nature, and artist's sensibility all combined in the choice of Fowler's octagon plan.
Brackett himself developed the unique plan' of interlocking octagons, and may well have built the house himself with timbebrsawn on the Aberjona. of wildlife. For 37 years he was an active member of the Massachysetts Fish and Game- Commission, and thegearly 1860s, he built al fieldstone Fish Hatchery not far from his home on South Border Road. He had a commercial nursery where,he raised strawberfies, cucumbers, and grapes, and also developed methods for raising game birds. Brackett lived in the house until his death in 1908. Harry E. and Lena R. Wellington occupied the house from that time until 1949. pattte2 IBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES Chapman, Henry Smith. History of Winchester, Mass. 1936. Winchester Star. March 20, 1908. O1d-Time New England, Journal of SPNEA; Volo LXVII, Nos. 3-4, 1977. "Crows" Nests Eagles' Aeries? , The Octagon Houses of E.A. Brackett and H.P.
Wakefield." James Newton..1AD2 (OPS Form 10900-a United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number. Page - OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 MAY 2 21989 Multiple Resource Area Thematic Group Name State Winchester MRA Middlesex County, MASSACHUSETTS Nomination/Type of Review Cover lubatanhive 1. Ayer, Albert, House Entered in the National Begister 2. Ayer, Thomas, House Nauduadi 45-aec 3. Bacon, Robert, House Entered 1n the Hatlonal Regiater 4. Baker, Kenelum, House Entored 10 tha Regialar Matioaa1 Date/Signature Sor xeeper Bettk Saunge 7-5-89 fKeeper Nulureßyu/5/54 Attest FKeeper KuluruByu 1/3/84 Attest Heoper Shlrua Bgun 1/765 Attest Kéeper AelumByu 1/5/59 Entered in the 5. Brackett, Edward A., House Natlonal Roglator Ieeeper AuloueBgen 4/5/67 Intered 1n +98 Attest 6.
Braddock, Edward, House National Register Kreeper delvrerBgun 1/5/89 Attest 7. Brine, George, House Entered in the National Register fReeper Helereßyun 1/5/69 Attest rtern? f75g 8. Carr--Jeeves House Mteobor Velr Bgun 94r9 Attest 9. Central Street Historic District Pabitraivo Berlon Keeper 10.
Childs, Webster, House Attest iux fkeeper Nelurepyu 7/5154 Attest UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: NOMINATION PROPERTY Brackett, Edward A., 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: 6/06/8 ATE OF 45TH DAY: 7/06/89 DATE OF WEEKLY LIST: REFERENCE NUMBER: 89000626 NOMINATOR: STATE REASONS FOR REVIEW: PDIL: REQUEST: N SAMPLE: COMMENT WAIVER: N VACCEPT _RETURN ABSTRACI/SUMMARY COMMENTS: PROGRAM UNAPPROVED: N SLR DRAFT: N NATIONAL: REJECT 1/5/89 Entered in tha DATE Nationi.
Regiater 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 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 OTHER COMMENTS Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to Phone _presentation Signed Date Edward Brachett House z90 Highland Ave.
Winchister MA MRA MHC InV.HZ76 1/08 Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000303