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. AUG 2 1 1989 NATIONAL REGISTER 1484 AREA 37 Town WALTHAM, MA MRA Waltham, MA Address 10 Ash St. Historic Name Ezra Fitch School school school FORM NO. Use: Present Original DESCRIPTION Date 1932 Source placque on bldg. Style ArtDeco Architect Fay, Spofford and Thorndike Exterior Wall Fabric _ brick Outbuildings none Sketch Map: Draw map showing property'slocation in relation to nearest cross streets and/or geographical features. Indicate all buildings between inventoried property and nearest intersection(s). Indicate north secattached sheet Major Alterations (with dates) substantial modern rear addition -NC Condition good Moved no Daten/a 1.63 Acreage 71,400_sq.ft.
A 68-21-1 Setting located to the east of the watch factory complex in a densely settled residential area of mid-late 19th c. houses UTM REFERENCE 19/315300/4692720 USGS QUADRANGLE NEIVTOM SCALE 1:25,000 Recorded by Edward W. Gordon Organization Waltham Historical Comm. Date June 1986 revised by C. Jenkins 3/88 NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA STATEMENT (if applicable) -- The Ezra Fitch School possesses integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and associations. It is a late addition to Waltham's municipal building program, following the 1920s construction of City Hall. It represents a con- sólidation of services in the South Side which experienced a population explosion in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Unlike other municipal buildings which are us- ually classically derived, this one displays a restrained but well-detailed version of the currently popular Art Deco style. The School meets criteria A and C of the National Register of Historic Places. ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE Describe important architectural features and evaluate in terms .of other buildings within the community. Architecturally, the Ezra Fitch School is significant as a locally sophisticated example of early 1930's Art Deco School design. It is one of only three examples of this style in Waltham and is the only Art Deco - AaRto Decoechool b3o1 school building in the city. The original building is of a I-shaped configuration. Its walls are faced with buff brick. Its main facade is characterized by a projecting center pavilion flanked by wings. Access to the main entrance is provided by cast stone stairs.
The center pavilion's entrance bay is flanked by brickwork piers with stylized Art Deco placques near the top of each. The front doors are surmounted by a square metal panel which contains a Z-shaped form composed of the words "A.D. 1932, Ezra Fitch School." The upper portion of the entrance bay features a steel sash multipane window, which in turn is surmounted by a ribbed, I-shaped metal panel with Art Deco treatments. In general, the planar surfaces of the masonry walls are pierced by large multi- pane steel sash windows. The overall effect is one of a streamlined and stylish primary HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE Explain the role owners played in local or state history and how the building relates to the development of the community. The Ezra Fitch School was opened in the Fall of 1932. It was named the Ezra Fitch School "in honor of an old and respected citizen and businessman of Waltham.
Ezra Fitch was president of the American Waltham Watch Co. during the late 19th/early 20th c. This building ,represents the work of the Boston architectural firm of Fay, Spofford and Thorndike. Ralph Temple Jackson was this building's engineer. The general contractor was a local firm-- - M.F. Stankard and Son. Further research is needed on the work of Fay, Spofford and Thorndike. - During the early 1950's this firm was engaged in the design of Alaskan military installations. , The contract for the Ezra Fitch School's construction was $124,722.27. Its construction was part of a South End-wide school reorganization plan. On June 13, 1932, by vote of the School Committee, the old Bemis School was discontinued and Bemis students were transferred to the Fitch School. The Fitch School was originally designed as an eight room building.
It contained space for an office and dental clinic as well as classrooms. The Fitch School represents a late addition to a neighborhood whose building stock dates primarily from the mid-1850's-early 1890's. BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES Waltham City Documents 1932--Waltham Public Library Rw 3.52, 1932. "Waltham Meeting Present and Future School Housing Needs," Dec. 1951, A Report of the Center for Field Studies," publ. by Harvard University 8/85 NPS Form 10-900+ (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet OMB Approvel No. 1024-0018 AUG 2 | 1989 Section number - Page - Multiple Resource Area Thematic Group Name State Waltham MRA Middlesex County, MASSACHUSETTS Nomination/Type of Review 31. Fitch, Ezra, School Date/Signature Entered in the National Regiater Keßzun Attest 32.
Flagg, Frederick, House Entered in the National Begister (seeper 9p5/85 Attest 33. French, Daniel, School Entered in the Mational Register /teeper AulmenBye 2/28/84 Attest Setl 34. Fuller--Bemis House Substantive Revlew Srreeper BuoSauze 8/1/20 Attest 35. Gale--Banks House Substantive Review jaKeeper Both Sauze 319/90 Attest 36. Gibbs, William, Houseentered in the Nationad Register t xeoper AlilouBzun 9/25/89 Attest 37. Gilbrae Inn Entered 1n the Mational Regtster Lteeper AulmesByun 9/28/84 Attest 38. Grove Hill Cemetery Entered in the National Regiater Akeeer Aelmebyen 9/20/65 Attest 39. Hagar--Smith--Livermore--Sanderson House Entered in the Natlonal Register AeloeByun 2/26/84 Attest 40. Hager--Mead House Entered in the Natlonal Register jkotper.
AelmerAyen 9/21/49 Attest UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: NOMINATION PROPERTY Fitch, Ezra, School NAME: MULTIPLE Waltham MRA NAME: STATE & COUNTY: MASSACHUSETTS, Middlesex DATE RECEIVED: DATE OF 16TH DAY: DATE OF WEEKLY LIST: 8/21/89 9/21/89 DATE OF PENDING LIST: 9/05/89 DATE OF 45TH DAY: 10/05/89 REFERENCE NUMBER: 89001489 NOMINATOR: STATE REASONS FOR REVIEW: APPEAL: N DATA PROBLEM: N LANDSCAPE: N LESS THAN 50 YEARS: OTHER: N PDIL: REQUEST: N SAMPLE: N N PERIOD: N PROGRAM UNAPPROVED: SLR DRAFT: N NATIONAL: N N N COMMENT WAIVER: N ACCEPT RETURN REJECT 9/2864 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 OTHER COMMENTS USGS maps photographs Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to Phone Signed Date _presentation 10 As4 sF.
Ezra Fitch School #37 Waltham, MA MRA 835 15 53.2 13.8 250-252 79.24 CRESCENT 280(s) Fitch <40 74.61 62 2.8 38-405 128 149.99\2 13 53 90 14 81.36 11.82 98-405 72.88 153 -156 (ois) 123 150-148 14 58.08 123.06 _82.86 12] B5- 10-12 MAPLE 220(s) WALTHAM, MA MRA Ezra Fitch School #37 10-14 Ash Street 1" = 100' 1975; updated to 1987 Waltham Engineering Dept. lot #68-21-1 N 145(s) Robbins Park 132(s) 255(s) Ezra Fitch 255(5) School - * 75 +9-21- -50 2 19 7 50 22 60 7-26 23-25 175 65 -30 29.3/ 4 721 722723 50 724 T 175 125 747746 53.5 20 50 743(742 50 745 7445 /12 14L07 CHERRY, 24-26-28 23 70.75 .140 32 50 29-31- 36 72.57 -33-35- 56.6 140.02 102.5 96 T 35 8 (40% 0/0 40 32 180 5 80 ST.
35 ,50 90:485 98-4 35 50 75.5 FT 125.5 5.5 7 -12.5 98-4 35 40 120 * 8 36 98-285/40 105-103 00.200 107 120 STi43.- vi/ City of Waltham -70.75 50 255(s) 100(s) 2 50 ASH 22 50 -25 492L-4 23 21-23 46 25-27 54 L21 120 4 5 140 70 58. 1050 -0 55 55.5 170 40 84.5 5 845 30 50 71.05 34:38 -35 102.5 100 98 19g ~20 126 119.0g 7 ST.
123 100 127 119.08 Park 77.05 133-131 130-128 55 132 75.55 -2 ": 78135 9 34 455,500 41 * 7050 10575 14070 7053 9800 70.53 ROBBINS PARK 70500 9882 Scale: 1 inch = 140 feet Engineering Division Compiled by the Waltham 1970 Atlas, City of Waltham WALTHAM 358000 WATCH CRESCENT COMPAN CITY CHERAY 29-31 B 10000 7000 7000 41 - 43 123 121-119 103 4842 KALTHAM ZRA FITCH CHOOL 9000 225 5000 5969 373 FITCH PARK 44660 6210 3750 6600 6600 BROWN 9000 G 19200 9000 7600 9600 3056 167-165 16 - ADAMS 45-143 148-146 32 19/52 1000 6000 3400 TolF Waltham, Massachusetts MRA 10 Ash Street Ezra C. Fitch Schoo1 5-F-5 MHC # 37 Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000301