BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
FORM B - BUILDING AUG 0 4 1989 1270 AREA Spring FORM NO. MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 80 BOYLSTON STREET BOSTON, MA 02116 150 Town Somerville MRA Address 45 Laurel Street Historic Name Alexander Foster 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 Use: Present multi-family residence Original residence DESCRIPTION Date - ca. 1860 Source map research Style Italian Villa Architect none Exterior Wall Fabric clabboard outbuildings_ none Major Alterations (with dates)none Condition Excellent - See Attached Assessor's Map Movedno Daten/a Acreage _ Less than one acre.
Setting The Foster House is located on the southern slope of Spring Hill in an urban residential area. Z E N UTM REFERENCE 19 - 326/780 - 4694/410 USGS QUADRANGLE Boston North SCALE 1:25,000 Recorded by Betsy Friedberg Organization Massachusetts Historical Comm. Date May 1986 NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA STATEMENT (if applicable) As one of the first and best-preserved high style Italianate villas in Somerville, the Alexander Foster House retains integrity of location, design, materia ls, workmanship, feeling, and association and fulfills Criterion C of the National Register of Historic Places on the local level. ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE Describe important architectural features and evaluate in terms of other buildings within the community. The Alexander Foster House is significant as the city's best-conserved example of an Italiante villa.
The square-towered house is modelled on the country residences of rural Italy. It is typical of the pattern book villas inspired by the publications of Andrew Jackson Downing. Notable features include the paired brackets, short gable returns, panelled corner pilasters and oculus window in the gable. The 6/6 windows have bracketed lintels and sills. The full-width front porch has quadrant struts. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE Explain the role owners played in local or state history and how the building relates to the development of the community. Alexander Foster and his son, Alexander Foster II, were Boston lumber Such businessmen were among the first settlers of the Spring Hill Laurel Street was platted in 1843 but was not substanially built on until much later. Foster was among the first to build an Italianate Villa on Spring Hill's southern slope.
Few of the Spring Hill's early high-style houses have survived in such near-original condition. Subsequent development of Laurel Street was varied, several brick apartment rows, a few sma1l workers houses and several two-family houses were added by 1900. BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES Hopkins, G. J. Atlas of the City of Somerville, 1874 CARTER TER. 10.00 Q 3341 73 LOT12 10.01 178.06 LOT 2 80.07 "". LAUREL ST. Alexander FosteR 4S launel s ?ouewville S0 03.19 MRA) inlass- #150 1'=100' Z 10,260 30 170.21 402%© LAUREL AVE. LOT 2 1910D 38.90 17s40 8 **° Dinzz 5 3874t 60.7 4 ST. GREENE LOTOS ATA 72 PI LOT 3 | 585T FT.LOT 3UE. 2358c) E ! PTLOTS SE P41061 T21I 61.10 GREENE ST. 106.31 109 4038¢ 43030 230.00 37 34 0=-2 100% 37,34 20T% LAUREL TER. 50.00 $1.38 C 37.33 37.33 28671 31.37 34 1= PARK PL.
56.30 10T3 2660 /G10T 33.50 45,59 41.57+ MLD2. 2.77- iffr 60.88 2274 6400 60.09 12730 4.01 -20002 PT. LOTS 1 8 24 L 3329 4 RD. PRESTON 37.0 PT. LOTS 248 25 'm 86.01= 60.65 253 29= 87.36 LOT 27 =03072 -170.05 LOT 28 10.49 73, PT. LOT 29 F LOT 4 40540 KLOT 8 4512 6 120.87 52.31 5 34 87.31 EE PT.LOTS 687 O 4020- arso0 FEN 40.72 71438 12: 2, LOT 6 -3I50a jai (F) 280: 65.1 NPS Form 10-8004 (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet OMB Approvel No. 1024-0018 Section number _ Page. Multiple Resource Area Thematic Group Name State Somerville MPS Middlesex County, MASSACHUSETTS Nomination/Type of Review Date/Signature 21. Crowell, C.C., House Eatoredin the National Regiatez Aeeper SelueAyur 9/18/29 Attest 22.
Downer Rowhouses (Adams Street)ered 1n thei National Rogister 9/0/9 Attest 23. Downer Rowhouses (Central Street) Akeeper C AelByu 9/19/89 Su'24. First Unitarian Church yut 25. First Universalist Church Datpunera 26. Foster, Alexander, House 27. Gaut, Samuel, House 28. Grandview, The 29. Highland, The 30.
Hollander Blocks Entered in tha National Register Substantlve Revlei frkeeper Bitfa Sauage 9/18/89 Attest Ja Keeper Bith Savase 9/18/89 Attest Entered In the Hataonar ResdatayKeeper Aulumpgun 2/1/69 Attest intored 1n the National Register fikeeperuleBizun 9/1/69 Attest Entaredin tha Natlonal Reglater /Kecper AilamsByun 9/18/59 Attest treeper AiluuByur 9/16/39 Entered 1n the National Register Attest Entered in the National Registes pKeeper( Aelvregyen 9/15/84 Attest UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: NOMINATION PROPERTY NAME : Foster, Alexander, 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: 89001270 NOMINATOR: STATE REASONS FOR REVIEW: APPEAL: N DATA PROBLEM: N LANDSCAPE: N LESS THAN 50 YEARS: OTHER: N PDIL: N PERIOD: N PROGRAM UNAPPROVED: REQUEST: N SAMPLE: N SLR DRAFT: N NATIONAL: N N N COMMENT WAIVER: N ACCEPT RETURN REJECT 9/18/89 _DATE Entered in the National 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 verbal boundary description UTMs _boundary justification ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENTATION/PRESENTATION sketch maps _USGS maps photographs OTHER COMMENTS Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to Phone Signed Date presentation 45 Laurel 45 Launel St 2.
Somerullle, MA 3. c. Zellie 4. 1983 5. Somerulle ay Hule u. luokng east 7. .#150 Fester, Alesaud, Hes Sener, l6 MRA Ma Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64500253