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 1277 AUG 0 4 1989 AREA FORM NO. 157 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 Town Somerville Address 81 Pearl Street Historic Name unknown .Use: Present residential Origina1 DESCRIPTION residential Date ca.
1860 Source map research / visual analysi Style Architect unknown Italianate Exterior Wall Fabric clapboard Outbuildings none Major Alterations (with dates) none See Attached Assessor's Map Condition fair Moved no Date n/a Acreage Setting less than one acre North side oi urban residentia street in East Somerville among other Italianate and Second Empire dwelling Z E N UTM REFERENCE 19 - 328/360 - 4694/390 USGS QUADRANGLE Boston North SCALE 1:25,000 Recorded by Gretchen G. Schuler Organization Nass. Historical Commissiol Date September, 1988 NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA STATEMENT (if applicable) The Benjamin Gage House retains integrity of location, setting, design, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association with the mid to late. 19th century development of East Somerville.
It is architecturally and historically significant to Somerville, thus, the dwelling tulfills 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 intact Italianate house is representative of the style of buildings constructed for housing in Somerville in the 1860s and 1870s.. The two and one-half story, gable-end, three-bay dwelling retains its side-hall entrance paired doors, its raking cornice with wide returns and paired ornamental brackets, and its full length open porch with an unusual decorative cornice trim of scalloped arches and drop finials between columns supporting the porch.
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 the 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 Benjamin Gage House, built by 1869, is representative of the housing of the area. Many Italianate Second Empire houses in the immediate area. This is one of the more elaborate examples that has survived in tact. Gage worked as a machinist. BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES Hopkins, G.M., Atlas of the City of Somerville, 1874. City Directories, 1869 - 1870s. 8/85 PT. LOi C 120 -PT. LOTS 298 30 4000¢ - 114.17 PT.
LOT 30 3811D- 114.42 166.73 - LOT A - 120 4000 120 PT. LOT 32 120 3200 SHLKY LOT 34 8/9 223 i20 LOT 35 6000 LOT 36 6000 - PT LOTS 3783O ses CUTTER EMCS CI- -3%2 - 0 _OT 4 23000 IT. LOT 11 - 1550 -= BEAN TER. 35 3082 d 82 120 5375 - g 120 19 3000 31,800 4500 ¢ 120 Ed 30 13,537 $ *=O LT. LOT IS 31.5 IT. J0T14 300 45 1 g/= IT270130 FTOT2 : 500003-2000 4130 g 3525 2230 23,22 WEBSTER ST. 33.90 25.5 $0.75 1837 PT. LOTS182 10,043 0 PT LOT LOT 6 131.03 31.61 PT. - LOTiO LOT 8 3353a 4471 0 44710 44.34 3275 14600- P7182 495 53.75 23.9 53.83 25.5 129.5 T. LOT 6700 PT. LOT 11E 59880 PT. LOTS9611 LOT 7 8 PT. LOT 9 7093 LOT 5 6706d PI LOTE 384 1220 41260 07.34 (7) E eS LoT C 26000 Sr. FRANKLIN eant st somewille (MRA), Hass- PEAML TO.32 EOue 433008 76920 ARLINGTON ST.
09.08 LOT 48440 PT. LOT 5526 35.00 58250 "PERKINS "ST. 1830d I1933014100-47250 33- i222 - o,222 /23 -52750 105 36440 L0T.08 LOT 37 4590 d 447 47.3.- =/.PT. LOT 22 189209 LOT24 LOT 23 4605m STREZT 27540 Od O1 C LOT8 PT.U - 33.97 2830 33.00 590 LOTFT LOTI 3HO- 107 85 MYRTLE ]"= 100 #157 NPS Form 10-900e (8-06) 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 Date/Signature Entered in the 41. House at 42 Vinal Avenue Natlonal Register frtper AulouBopu 9/2155 42. House at 49 Vinal Avenue 43. House at 5 Prospect Hill intered 10 44. House at 6 Kent Court 45. House at 72R Dane Street Entered in the National Register 46.
House at 81 Pearl Street 47. Houses at 28--36 Beacon Street 48. Ireland, Samuel, House 49. Keyes, Amos, House 50. Knight, R.A.--Eugene Lacount House the Entered National Regiater Attest Entered in the Hational Register freoper AilrueBzar 0/8/54 Attest Nationad fegister JxcoperAelruBya 9/18/79 Attest Entered in the National Register Aeoper Nulurtzu 4/18/85 Attest fkeeper lbmeBya 9/18/184 Attest iatorod ineta geséeper AulmesByen 9/18/69 Attest fReeper Aelorußizun 9/15/89 Futered 1n thg National Register Attest bterel n tbe Jatian?
13ter fkeeper Aleanyen 9/18/844 Attest Ertore la tha Mationad Reginter froeper Alomßyu 9/16/89 Attest Meeper AlelveAsen 9/18/89 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 81 Pearl Street 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: 89001277 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: N SLR DRAFT: N NATIONAL: 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 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 Signed Date _presentation Hose 81 Pecul Street someruille.
3. C. Zelke 1. 1980 S. Soncruille City Hall 6. looking north 17.#156 18 Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: - 64500253