BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
FORM B - BUILDING MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 80 BOYLSTON STREET BOSTON, MA 02116 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 Z E N UTM REFERENCE 19 328/000 4694/330 USGS QUADRANGLE Boston North SCALE 1:25,000 1253 AREA East Somerville FORM NO. 132 Town Somerville Address 108 Cross Street Historic Name Charles Williams House Use: Present _ residential Original residential DESCRIPTION Date ca.
1848 Source map research / Samuels Somerville: Past an Style Italianate Present Architect none Exterior Wall Fabric Clappoars L covered by Synthetic Sidin Outbuildings none Major Alterations (with dates) iron balcon ca. 1900, entrance steps and iron rai ca. 195 Condition good Moved no Date n/a Acreageless than one acre Setting Northeast corner of Cross and Oliver Streets, residential neighbor- hood with some commercial encroachmen and some newer mid-20th c. constructn Recorded by Gretchen G. Schuler Organization Mass. Historical Commissio Date September, 1988 NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA STATEMENT (if applicable) The Charles Williams House retains integrity of location, design, materials, workmanship, and association with the mid-19th century development of East Somerville.
It is architecturally and historically significant to Somerville, thus, the dwelling fulfills Criteria A and C of the National Register of Historic Places and is significant at the local level. ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE Describe important architectural features and evaluate in terms of other buildings within the community. The Charles Williams House is one of only a few examples of early Italianate dwellings in Somerville built by 1850. Situated on the corner of Cross and Oliver Streets in East Somerville the three-bay house has a center projecting pavilion with a panelled entrance door surrounded by aglazed transom and full side lights. On the second story there is a Palladian window motif which is said to be part of the original design. An iron balcony has been added at the second story Palladian-style window.
Fenestration resembles influence of the Greek Revival period with long double hung sash at the first story level. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE Explain the role owners played in local or state history and how the building relates to the development of the community. Due to its proximity to Charlestown and Boston, parts of East Somerville were laid out for development in the early to mid 1800s and many Greek Revival houses remain as witness to this period of development. The early industries (Runey Pottery) and the Boston and Lowell railroad bisecting East Somerville in 1835 were contributing factors to this early development. Thus many of the new mid 19th century residents were Boston businessmen.
By the 1860s and 1870s industrial growth of Somerville with factories (spike manufacturing, meat packing, etc.) near Washington Street, there was an influx of laborers and the need for additional housing, thus, East Somerville became densely populated with small narrow house lots, the sites of single and two-family housing. Later development by 1885 saw many larger brick and wood apartment houses on undeveloped lots in East. ,Somerville. The Charles Williams House is an example of an early Italianate house built mid century for Boston hat dealer, Charles Williams who was prominent citizen of the community. In later years his son lived at 1 Arlington Street another well conserved Italianate house. BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES Draper, Martin, Map of Somerville, 1852 Hopkins, G.M., Atlas of the City of Somerville, 1874. City Directories, 1869 - 1870s. 8/85 96.1 -LOT 2 28960 80.
OI 1709 20750 5 101 2 LOT 28 3600 .600 G AVE FLINT LOT D LOT E 3235 40270 T. LOT T7 55460 220/28300510718 +2100 REG LOT 4352 d ig 48290 4945$ 40.00 .03 OT 04 LOT O 41150 108.30 62600 (*953 Oecooa -). 3J75 - NE RA' ,00/= 11e s. Fo 3040 0 33556 109.0 5706 34.0 PT. LOTA LTLOL 48. 100J PT. LOTS 10001 100.% 4966 ¢ 76500. 1449. 134 50 47346 -29340 28550 723. 68300 3 I7 31 19700 1. LOu: 23737 PT. LOT T. 10E soraa 1239 24800 5 Lou OLIVER ST. 53590 92° 732 43810 69.00 32.11 FOUNTAIN AVE. LOT -4020 a LOT 750- TUFTS LOT 49(80 2T. LOTS J31520 *1ST02 PT LOT 07.11 PT. LOT 104 3093d C PT LOT 104 21750 PT. LOTS 103 & 104 43870 PTLOTSSBOT C070T . LO e 40 5850 FO= 4851 50420 50380 30 PT. LOT 48 jog LOT 257503 18100 se93 22003 273 30 "charles WilliANs Ho D8 CRaiTe(MRA) MAss.
NPS Form10-000 (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number - Page OMB Approvel No. 1024-0018 AUG 4 1989 Multiple Resource Area Thematic Group Name State Somerville MPS Middlesex County, MASSACHUSETTS Nomination/Type of Review 71. Tufts, Peter and O1iveftered Housen the National Re 1stsI Date/Signature teoper AilomDyen 2/0/69 Attest 72. Warren,H., House Entered in tha Maticnal Rerister focoper AeloeBuze 9/10/64 Attest TecopeilouByun 9/18/69 73. West Somerville Branch Library Entered in tha Nationad Reglater Attest 74. Williams, Charles, House intered in tha fokeoporZ/elnußyur 9/16/04 Matlotal Bertataz Attest *t*75. Williams, Charles, Jr., House Substantive Review Jones- Bet Saurage 918-89 Enteredin tha 76. Williams, F.G., House National Begister Aopor AulmusBqun 2/18/59 71.
Worthen, Daniel, House Entered 1n tbg National Regtotez fReeper AelreByaa 9/10/84 Attest 78. Wright House Entered In t5a National Rerlater jreeper elorenyu 2/18/05 Attest Sx79. Wyatt, George, House Substaative RovL Sisser Betf Sauzge 9-889 Attest 80.
Somerville Theatre N2t Keepet Siluu/Bgua /20/20 a Rest Jatered in tha latloAttestgister UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: NOMINATION PROPERTY Williams, Charles, House NAME: MULTIPLE NAME: Somerville MPS 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: 89001253 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: REQUEST: N SAMPLE: N SLR DRAFT: N NATIONAL: N N COMMENT WAIVER: N ACCEPT RETURN REJECT 9/18/89 DATE Entered in the National Begiater 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 108 cross 1.
108 Cross Sreet 2. Soneruille. MA 3. C. Zellie 5 someruille cuty Hall C lookey east 7.$132 Willuns charles, Hese Sanerille MRA, Ma Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: - 64500253