BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
MAT 2 3 1989 69le FORM B - BUILDING MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 80 BOYLSION STREET BOSTON, MA 02116 AREA B FORM NO. 135 - Town_ Wakefield Address 694 Main Street Historic Name Dr. S. O. Richardson Hous Photo (3"x3" or 3"x5", black and 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 Use: Present dwelling Original dwelling DESCRIPTION Date 1837-41 Source Eaton, 1896 Style Greek Revival Architect NA Exterior Wall Fabric clapboard outbuildings garage noncontributing Major Alterations (with dates) 2 story addition rear - this century Condition Fair Moved_YES Date c.mid -1840's Acreage Less -than one acre Setting one corner.
faces west VIM REFERENCE 19/329960/4706620 USGS QUADRANGLE Baston North, MA SCALE 1:25,000 Recorded by Architectural Preservation Associateg Organization Wakefield Historical Commission Date March, 1985 NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA STATEMENT (if applicable) The Richardson House is notable as one ofithe most high style Greek Revival houses in town, with unusually fine detailing, which was built by a prominent Wakefield doctor/manufacturer. The house retains integrity of design, materials, workmanship, feeling and association, and meets exception B, & C of the NRHP on the local level. ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE Describe important architectural features and evaluate 'in terms of other buildings within the community. This is one of the most high style Greek Revival houses in Wakefield.
It is unusual as the only gable end house with five bays facing the street, for its elegant recessed door surround, and for the fineness of its details. The center door surround is deeply recessed, and composed of a fluted architrave surround with bossed cornerblocks. Thin fluted pilasters, three quarter length sidelights, and a four light transom frame the door. A flushboarded pediment contains a gable window surmounted with a dummy fan. The smooth pediment and dummy fan are also used at 168 Salem Street, another finely detailed house of the same early Greek Revival period. The house was moved to the site, but does not appear to have been altered significantly. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE Explain the role owners played in local or state history and how the building relates to the development of the community. - This was the house of Dr. Solon O. Richardson (1809-1873), the son of Dr.
Nathan Richardson (1781-1837). His father invented and began the manufacture in 1808 of Richardson's Sherry Wine Bitters, a medicinal concoction, which grew to be popular. The son, who grew up in North Reading but moved to South Reading, was also a good doctor before his own health broke down. After this he devoted himself to the manufacture of the medicine. He pioneered the design of the bottles, labels and wrappers, and devised new shipping and marketing strategies. The success of the product was said to bring him fame and affluence. He was a charitable, religious man, interested in history, he was the original mover in publishing Eaton's 1874 History of Reading, and the military. He was the founder of the Richardson Light Guards (1851), the local company which first served in the Civil War. The house may have served as its first armory. His son Solon O. Jr.
also called Doctor, succeeded to the business. This house was probably built between Richardson's marriage in 1837 and the birth of his son in 1841. It was moved from a site on Main Street, but located behind the now demolished Wakefield Theater Building at Richardson Avein the mid 1840's. BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES maps, 1857, 1874, 1689 Wakefield Item, 1944. Eaton, Chester, and Eaton, Warren. Proceedings of the 250th Anniversary of the Ancient Town of Redding, Reading, 1896. Hurd. Middlesex County, Boston, 1890. NPS Form 10-000-a (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number Page OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 Multiple Resource Area Thematic Group Name State Wakefield MRA Middlesex County, MASSACHUSETTS Nomination/Type of Review 71.
Massachusetts State Artorya in the Natlonal Begister 72.Richardson, Dr. S.O., Houser untered in the National Register 73. Simpson, Dr. Thomas House Entersd 1s the Dationei Begistar 74. South Reading Academy Entered in the National Register 75. St. Joseph's School Entered in the National Register 76. Stimpson, William, House Entered in the National Begister 77. Sweetser, Daniel, House Entered inthe Nationel Regiater 78. Sweetser, Michael, House Entered in the National Registar 79. Temple Israel Cemetery Entered in the National Begister 80. Tilton, D.
Horace, House Entered1o the National Regiater Date/Signature frxeeper AelauByu 7/6/89 Attest fo Keeper AulueDgan 216/69 Attest fxeper Suluja 16/89 Attest fKeeper AelouBgen 2/6/89 Attest / Keeper( Almußgun 16/85 Attest V Keoper AilreBgu 4/6/84 Attest Reeper KulonByen 7/6/59 1 Keoper Aelmurgau 111/69 Attest /Keeper AelveByen 7/6/89 Attest Kxeeper ShelmDge 7/6/89 Attest UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: NOMINATION PROPERTY NAME: Richardson, Dr. S.
O., House MULTIPLE Wakefield MRA NAME : STATE & COUNTY: MASSACHUSETTS, Middlesex DATE RECEIVED: DATE OF 16TH DAY: DATE OF WEEKLY LIST: 5/23/89 6/22/89 DATE OF PENDING LIST: 6/06/89 DATE OF 45TH DAY: 7/07/89 REFERENCE NUMBER: 89000696 NOMINATOR: STATE REASONS FOR REVIEW: APPEAL: N DATA PROBLEM: N - LANDSCAPE: N LESS THAN 50 YEARS:N OTHER: N PDIL: REQUEST: N SAMPLE: N N PERIOD: N PROGRAM UNAPPROVED: SLR DRAFT: N NATIONAL: N N COMMENT WAIVER: N V ACCEPT RETURN REJECT 7/6/89 DATE Entered in the Natiopal 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 OTHER COMMENTS USGS maps _photographs presentation Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to Phone Signed Date B 135 694 main St.
B 135 - 694 MAIN ST 19 10 N SCALE: 1"= 80' IE 3.74 A TOWN 24 1207 11557 13917 /3 205% 13950 124D , CIC 3324AA 10960 124011 CIB 208.30 13/16 6180 CIA K° 16409 As $º24A : 26B 14600 Tis 10310 11350 18400 4C 2 774223 7.258 5699 g 5396 27A 88.12 66.0 F28A 26 26A, 8019 13150 8450 S0. 21,133 7852 68 C6 1A 15420 5 725 :13381g 5900 30A/ 3 4A 550 FRANKLIN 4202 4906 / 6506 61.25 836 27 g 557/ 28 4 2/5874 40. $/ 138 3015 2 15. 40 82.5 66.so %34 9728 7°37. +44 140141 S5,3 44.5 52606020: 32 5A 18 1120 24 35 6 YO. S.s* 1 11522/992 ---148 45 1693 -76. 11300 6477 to gsi ; sss. $4A:42:42/ 3761 43% 7604 9405 ORsi495, 55 STREËT 5806 50 A68I0 g 11362 9215 6S. 746A L'S. 8990 47 749B '3216 SUNMER 48 67. 49 49A: (66A%) ORCHARD 5/ 14039 52 21165 53 54 S0. 09709 7953 6300 50.4a2 0200 6. 11476 56. 56 680,9 4492 32. 782, 66. 66 66. 66. 7639 $765 "35 60. 6> 66.
=Fi 65Á" 5320 g) 68 69. 60 17474 69 50781 9634 /21., 9520 70 63. 62 110.73 9207 >1 $:78 5790 $4825|5693 9280 72 3613. 8507 7796 STRÈET 66* 66. 11736 sabe 7854 50 7524 ILLS 66.* 15.66. 7177 1e0 3-54 8IA BA 6495 8337- 7238 6831 76 75. 66. 28 gIB 17800 CHARLES 6501 9650 5761 67. 6954 66. 50 88 92 174.36. 8250 393 894 / 95 ". T72.00 (a2. 89A 36800 LIONID 72 EGN0O 82C IC 5366 3885 7662 foo.s HILL 'e. AVE. ho= 1/ 19 103 .20 121 192 6605 77 6224 7486 6312 BIRCH 25,5 125 90Al 124 8/32 Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000300