BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
FORM B - BUILDING MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 80 BOYLSTON STREEI BOSTON, MA 02116 AUG 0 4 1988 Town 1228 AREA Eas t Somer- ville FORM NO. 105 Somerville MRA Address 1 Arlington Street Historic Name Charles Williams Jr. House 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 See Attached Assessor's Map Use: Present residence Original residence DESCRIPTION Date ca. 1358 Source map research Style Italianate Architect unknown Exterior Wall Fabric aluminum sicing Outbuildings none Major Alterations (with dates) rear wino mid to late Eastlakian trin added ca.
1830 Condition fair/good UIM REFERENCE 19 - 328/610 - 4694/510 USGS QUADRANGLE SCALE Boston North 1:25,000 Moved- no Acreage Date nla less than one acre setting - North west corner of Arlington and Lincoln Sts., urban residential neighborhood of late-19th century Italianate and Second Empire houses Recorded by Betsy Friedberg, Preservation Planner Organization Mass. Historical Commission Date May 1906 INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston Commmity: Somerville, MA Form No: 105 Property Name: Charte: Aóusiams, Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. Historical Significance (Continued). To test this new technology, a steady stream of people poured into Williams's shop to talk over the line to his wide and others in Somerville.
People quickly impressed, and by May 1 of the same year, Williams had installed the world's first commercial telephone line from the State Street, Boston, Office of his friend Roswel1 C. Downer to his house a 170 Central Street, also in Somerville. Staple to Inventory form at bottom NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA STATIMENT (if applicable) The Charles Williams Jr. House is significant both historically and warchitecturally. Priiarily, it is significant as the terminus of the first outdoor telephone line. Equally important is the building's architectural Significance as a three-bay, center-gable Itallanate house distinguished by an overlay of Eastlakian trim, applied later in the 19th century. Retaining integrity of location, design, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. The Williams House fulfills Criteria A : and C of the National Register of Historic Places on the local level.
ARcer bunuaings wltrin the pescribe important architectural features and evaluate in terme of One Arlington Street is a center gable Italianate house (ca. 1858) with a later (ca. 1888) overlay of Eastlake style trim. The Eastlake-style remodel1 ing was extensive and was applied to the interior as well as the exterior. The 2 1/2 story-rectangular-plan house was a 2 story side hall built in several successive stages. Notable features include the elaborate gable screen, the pedimented entrance porch with paired columns, andthe oversacle window.hoods or canopies above the windows of the Tower story. These canopies are supported by Eastlake-style braces, and carry elaborate iron cresting. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE Explain the role owners played in local or state history and how the building relates to the development of the community.
One Arlington Street was the terminus of the world's first outdoor experimental telephone 1ine. Charles Willtams Jr., who bought the house in 1876 and lived there until his death in 1909, was an early protege of Alexander Graham Bell, and a major force in the early development of commercial telephone service. Bell and Watson's first telephone (of the early gallows type) was developed at Williams's electrical shop at 109 Court Street in Boston in 1875. Although they later moved to larger quarters at 5 Exeter Place in Boston, where the first complete sentence was spoken over the wire, the manufacturing of early telephones took place exclusively at 109 Court Street until Williams's business was transferred to the Western Electric Company in 1883. In early 1877, Williams arranged with Bell and a Mr.
Hubbard to have the rights to manufacture telephones, and to lease them on a commission basis. On March 27 of that year work began on the world's first outdoor telephone line from Williams's 109 Court Street shop to his house at One Arlington Street in Somerville, a distance of three miles. Williams paid for the wire, the labor, and the house-top brackets. The line was finished on April 4, 1877. BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES Hopkins, G.M. Atlas of the City of Somerville, 1874 Beyond the Neck, The Architecture and Development of Somerville, Massachusetts Office of Planning and Community Development, 1982. 359002 PT. LOTS 162 4200 g 120.97 BESLOT 5100 60000 - 0 120 8246 120 1,800 * 120 13,537 100.42 @330005 37 3523 m WEBSTER ST. LINCOLN ST. FRANKLIN ST. 18 LOT 500 -2 0300 2/7 PO.S2 761 43300 ARLINGTON ST. 49440 P. LOT OHSA LOTB "PERKIN'S "ST.
10W 52750 OL0rE SEI0TB02 H1o5 SOMERUILLE ,MASS MRA BROADWAY LTLOT UTSTE LOTOS PT. LOT & 34626 -1348 ST. HATHORN O T OF OT1 1450 33.02 LOT 3 29010 i 30730 48.03 PL. LOT0203 80 9000 BROADWAY 41.73 8LOTSL 427 - 1000 *18_210004 Onl= L23180-0 a100,=-10000) 0 C Tor LOT! Od Oh 480 266301 - 33.0 3.M.4 LOT& LOT 1 91.8 145 22.50 33.92 O LOT3 12628 soTk 1"=100° #105 Charles Williams J House A RLINGTON ST DES. LOT 10,200 |MT LOTS 68,46M 1.9- NPS Form 10-000 (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 AUG 4 1989 Section number _ Page . Multiple Resource Area Thematic Group Name State Somerville MPS Middlesex County, MASSACHUSETTS Nomination/Type of Review Date/Signature fKeeper_ 71. Tufts, Peter and Oliventered Housen the Nationnl Recister AilorBeyan 2/0109 Attest 72.
Warren,H., House Entered in tha Naticnal Rogtster tkeopor AuomBgen 9/10/64 Attest 73. West Somerville Branch Library Entered in tba National Kegtater tasop AelmuDye 9/8169 Attest 74. Williams, Charles, House rntered in MAtionel. Bertatoz foteoper ilomBqu 2/16/4 Attest JtN75. Williams, Charles, Jr., House Substantive Review foxao Bast Saurage 918-89 Entered 1n tha 76. Williams, F.G., House National Regtster poperNelmeBqun 2/18/84 Attest 77. Worthen, Daniel, House Entered 1n thg National Regtatez FReoper AelouByan 9/18/84 Attest 78. Wright House Entered Ir 158 Nat1onnl Reclater Jeteper AelorenByu 1/18/05 Attest 579. Wyatt, George, House Substaatlve RevL" Aiseper Bet Suzge 9-18-89. Attest 80.
Somerville Theatre 10 Rezt datered in den KilreZgu/20/20 iatioAttestgister UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: NOMINATION PROPERTY NAME: Williams, Charles, Jr., House MULTIPLE Somerville MPS NAME: STATE & COUNTY: MASSACHUSETTS, Middlesex DATE RECEIVED: DATE OF 16TH DAY: DATE OF WEEKLY LIST: 8/04/89 8/31/89 DATE OF PENDING LIST: 8/15/89 DATE OF 45TH DAY: 9/18/89 REFERENCE NUMBER: 89001228 NOMINATOR: STATE REASONS FOR REVIEW: APPEAL: N DATA PROBLEM: N LANDSCAPE: N LESS THAN 50 YEARS: N OTHER: N PDIL: N PERIOD: N PROGRAM UNAPPROVED: N REQUEST: N SAMPLE: Y SLR DRAFT: NATIONAL: N COMMENT WAIVER: N VACCEPT RETURN REJECT 9/15/64 DATE ABSTRACT/SUMMARY COMMENTS: Autact Atalianate Nesidence with later Casklake decaafive detriling.
Also ascociated with S develoaments in outdoor toleplone transmission lines.
RECOM./CRITERIA_ REVIEWERT Acuept AtC DOCUMENTATION see attached comments Y/Dsee attached SIR Y CLASSIFICATION count resource type STATE/FEDERAL AGENCY CERTIFICATION FUNCTION historic DESCRIPTION current 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 OTHER COMMENTS Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to Phone presentation Signed Date 1Arlington 2 Smalington st 3.
carol zellie 4.1983 5. Someruille Cly Hall p. lopking southwes 7. #105 Williams, charles Tr HoUsL Snerille MRt, Ma Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64500253