BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
MAT 2 3 1503 PORM B - BUILDING 698 MASSACHUSETIS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 80 BOYLSION STREET BOSTON, MA 02116 AREA B Town Wakefield Address 5 Bennett St. Historic Name NA FORM NO. 145 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 n nea et lings intersection (s). Indicate north Use: Present E. Boit Home for Aged Women Original Dwelling DESCRIPTION Date c.
1875-1881 Source Bird's Eye View, 1882 styleItalianate Architect NA ExteriorWall Fabric clapboard Outbuildings None Major Alterations (with dates) porch slani : no rtfrgable additions post 1889 condition Good Moved NA Date NA Acreage,77 acres Setting Faces RR Tracks surrounded by low cornered granite wall laid in pattern. DIM REFERENCE19/329960/4707120 USGS QUADRANGLE Boston North. MA SCALE 1:25,000 Recorded by Architectural Preservation Associates Organization Wakefield Historical Commission Date March 1985 NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA STATEMENT (1f applicable) The E. Boit Home for Aged Women is notable as one of the largest and most elaborate houses in the Junction District featuring a later porch that is the best example of the Queen Anne style in the neighborhood.
Originally a private residence, the building has been used as a retirement home for women since 1894 and is named after a Wakefield woman known for both business and charitable activities in the early 20th century. The building retains integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association, and meets Criterion . C of the NRHP on the local level. ARCHITECIURAL SIGNIFICANCE Describe important architectural features and evaluate in terms of other buildings within the comnunity. This is one of the largest and most elaborate houses in the Junction District. However, it is not clear that it remains as it was built, for the Bird's Eye View of 1882 shows only a 2½ story cross gabled element, rather than the current twin gabled peaks joined by i beake i tnod yas a two story element.
Ihis may explain the simplicity of the central door and verandah, which were probably added when the house was?. : expanded. The Italianate paneled pilasters and arched gable field windows were carefully copied when the house was expanded. This 1½ story cross gabled house is a variation of the simple gable end side-hall plan which became so popular in Wakefield in the Greek Revival period. Displaying the best example in the neighborhood of a decorative Queen Anne porch, it features lathe turned posts and and jig-saw cut brackets, all machine powered. HISTORICAL SICNIFICANCE Explain the role owners played in local or state history and how the building relates to the development of the community. This house may have been built for Marcus Simpson, who worked for the Wakefield Rattan Co., possibly as an executive.
It was purchased in 1894 by the corporation of the Wakefield Home for Aged Women. This was a charitable group made up of Protestant citizens chosen by the churches from the town at large to administer the organization; it was probably this group which expanded the house as an old age home. In 1921 the name of the Home was changed to honor Miss Elizabeth Boit for Miss Boit was a local resident and an active co-owner of the Harvard Knitting Mill on Foundry Street, an unusual job for a woman at that time. The institution was supported by private donations until 1944, when it became part of the Greater Boston Community Fund. Bennett Street which appears on themap of1857, was probably developed - in response to the great influx of newcomers to town who were drawn by -- its rapid increase in industry.
Industrial development was made possible by the opening of the Boston and Maine Railroad in 1844; raw materials could be cheaply imported from the port of Boston, and finished products as efficiently shipped to its markets. However, by 1874, only nine houses had been built on the street, of which this is one. BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES Maps, 1889, no name Directory, Eaton, William, and History Committee. History of Wakefield, Wakefield, 1944 1889 H. Directory, 1889 John B. Gaffey, iron moulder Frank I. Gaffey, rattan worker 5 Bennett Street Continuation: Architectural Significance Otherwise, the house is extremely simple, with plain surrounds at the window and door surrounds. Historical Significance Cyrus Wakefield, owner of the Boston and Maine Foundry and the more important Wakefield Rattan Co., owned the north side of the street up to Water Street.
The Junction District, so called for the junction of rail lines on Main Street, was an attractive area for factory hands to settle, as it was near their work, and the land was relatively cheap. John B. Gaffey, who lived here in 1889, was an iron moulder; Frank Gaffey, who boarded with him, was a rattan worker. NPS Form 10-800 (8-86) UnitedStates Department ofthe Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number Page OMB Approvel No. 1024-0018 Multiple Resource Area Thematic Group Name State Wakefield MRA Middlesex County, MASSACHUSETTS Nomination/Type of Review 51. House at 39 Converse Street intered in the .Matlonal Beglster Date/Signature fKeeper AelmBgun 1/6/89 Attest 52. House at 40 Crescent Street HReeper SelouByu 710/69 Entered in the National Register Attest 53.
House at 42 Hopkins Street Ectezer 10 +5y 1 Keepex Aulouzun 7/6/89 SatiuJu I0,1:+ Attest 54. House at 5 Bennett Street Enteredin tha / Keeper LulaByun 2/6/59 Attest Natlonal Reglater 55. House at 509 North Avenue Entered in the / Keeper selouPze 2/619 National Register Attest 456. House at 52 oak serect iubstaikire fortor dakeeper Beth Saurge 7/2/89 Attest 57. House at 54 Spring Street ancered in th National Register foxetper AelaneBiyu 1/6/89 Attest 58. House at 556 Lowell Street entered in tha Nattonal Begtatar faotpsr Aelruelyen 1/6/69 Attest 59. House at 6 Adams Street Entered in the National Begister Aroopes Nelansoga 1/6/89 Attest 60.
House at 7 Salem Street Entered 1o tha Natiunal Begister Jixcopor elouBgun 2/6/09 Attest UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: NOMINATION PROPERTY NAME: House at 5 Bennett Street 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: 89000698 NOMINATOR: STATE REASONS FOR REVIEW: APPEAL: N DATA PROBLEM: N LANDSCAPE: N LESS THAN 50 YEARS: OTHER: N PDIL: N PERIOD: PROGRAM UNAPPROVED: REQUEST: N SAMPLE: N SLR DRAFT: N NATIONAL: N N N COMMENT WAIVER: N LACCEPT RETURN REJECT 7/6/89 DATE ABSTRACT/SUMMARY COMMENTS: Entered in the Matlonal Registor 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 B 145 5 Bemnett St Wakeriele MRAMa B 145 5 BENNETT ST N 6033 15 -56° 1-DEC 11195 "A" - 40!
17? - 578 WATER 76.92 57.75 2 w2B 2A 8800 4974 8/241 5428 4135 16.34 STREET 100. 15088 22715 L6. f'sss 46995 61 6J 57 258 8 VI3 R dol 5824 5472g 495 257 I0D 49.07 70.8 22 1061° R5243 G83 1482 566B 7920 132. 13637 268.76 See - Statch *A' 6G 18520 RAILRONO /48000% VII 8A 8480 TOwN 129.28 2S 50 73 50.13 VIO 154.61 47295 8820 166.82 -681,682 5300365 176.64 6D 10890 R=2792.07 801.39 107.31 V9 V7 9760 87 10330 43.7,- ,9960 V 8 VI5 6420 5426 6000 32 4537. 6002 INGE 12760 6V5 708.12 V45022 ROAD 100 V16 6000 100 28 5146 G78 3 = 10:01 111.00 VI7 1402 6C 151.20 *53.832303122.19 60 FECT V34/V35 6250 100.35 H SAST 6772- VI8 6490 101.56 3359 G763: 1RB0 124 46.87 67.80 VA RICHARDSON 16-,00 21- 23 V19 662, 12515 4.5000 "4.12 26 Railrodd AVSO4S V2O L.C.
116I1 N3A 'V29 375 v26550 ON V21 136.75 ÷ 7525 Bor V28A FV39 6550 10696 6080 RS 132.20 105 28 N2 WOME 3443 BENNETT 4010%'29 V26Ax 418030A 8000 SIOA 1Y0 9 6289 7320 S8ss t 50LL.Y 8532 HEEFE 178 V23 6490 Hla NI 101.62 100.127 V25 6410 30111 83,12% YV24 506B 5040 10407 g 7100 GO9A GGT WAKEFIELD So. 15607,21/525 S8 S7 30. 52 22730 3112 7180 .35 14.19 2480 30 54y3686 507 6600 S6 38 Se. 6600 S5 *00.00 6600 3850 STREET y/ 39 \40 1413420 4520° 5075 Se 5630 6488 6640 SIA SCALE: I"= 80' 9/ 13200 100.00 SI 2.52 Acres 15663 101.27 19.6240.312 59A35346.8005/8675/7334 60 $61 195.75 12202 /63 Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000300