BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
FORM A - AREA MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 80 BOYLSTON STREET, BOSTON, MA 02116 1504 AUG 2 1 1989 Area Letter NATIONAL REGISTER Form numbers in this Area Town WALTHAM, MA MRA Waltham Name of Area (if any) Lawton Place Historic District Present Use - residential Photos (3"x3" or 3"x5" black & white) - Indicate on back of each photo street addresses for buildings shown. Staple to left side of form. General Date or Period 1815-1889 Sketch Map. Draw a general map of the area indicating properties within it. Number each property for which individual inventory forms have been completed. Label streets including route numbers, if any- Indicate north. (Attach a separate sheet Tf space here is not sufficient). General Condition good Acreage - 42,846 sg.it. Recorded by Ed Gordon 0.983 Acres Organization Waltham Historical Comm. Date August, 1986 revised by C.
Jenkins 3/88 see attached map RESOURCE COUNT 4C - BUILDING ONC- 4C TOTAL UTM REFERENCE USGS QUADRANGLE SCALE 19/316330 14693570 19 /316420 / 4693520 NEWTON 1:25.000 NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA STATEMENT (if applicable) Lawton Place Historic District possesses integrity of location, design, setting, work- manship, feeling and associations. Its significance is three-fold. First and forenost, this street's south side is lined with the oldest boarding houses associated with a full process textile mill in the United States. These houses were built for Boston Manufacturing Company workers c1815-1817. Secondly, the 12-unit row house on the north side, dating from 1889, represents the last manifestation of the type of row housing which first appeared in Waltham in 1816 with the "Long Block".
Thirdly, Lawton Place itself was part of the final phase of the residential development of Waltham Center (and of BMC housing), set out over the George Lawton estate in 1889. The district meets criteria A and C of the National Register of Historic Places, as well as exception B formored Houses. ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE Describe important architectural features and evaluate in terms of other areas within the community. Lawton Place is a short road laid out just north of and parallel to River Street in 1889. Three double houses, moved from Waltham Common at that time, stand on its south side. 12-unit rowhouse occupies the entire northern side. The double houses, dating from c1817, are the oldest full-process textile worker' boarding houses in the country. They are boxy 2÷ story structures rising from brick foundations to asphalt roofs with interior stove chimneys.
Iwo one-story rear ells extend fron each. All display symmetrical six-bay facades with paired center entries surmounted by hoods with curvilinear brackets that probably date from the time of their move. Windows retain 6/6 wooden sash. Alterations include application of vinyl siding to #9-11; application of asbestos siding and installa- tion of bow windows flanking the entries at #5-7; and the application of vinyl siding and replacement of the entry brackets with steel lally columns at #1-3. The rowhouse also rises stories from a brick foundation to a gable roof with stove chimneys. Its facade is organized into six double bays with paired entries beneath bracketed hoods.: Windows at the first story contain 2/2 wood sash, while those at the second contain 6/6.
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE Explain historical importance of area and how the area relates to the development of other areas of the community. Lawton Place is architecturally and historically significant as a collection of early and late 19th century Boston Manufacturing Company housing. Lawton Place was set out in 1889 to accomodate worker housing moved from the north side of the BMC complex. Although not on their original site and presently covered with vinyl siding, #1-11 Lawton Place repre- sent the oldest workers' lodging houses associated with the BMC which was the first pro- cess textile mill in the United States. Founded in 1813, the BMC's Waltham system of manufacturing led to the first major phase of the industrial revolution in New England.
The trio of double-houses on the south side of Lawton Place were originally located just to the north of the BMC complex with their rear ells facing the Boston & Fitchburg Railroad tracks (on the southern edge of Waltham Common). They were constructed c1817-18, and served as the prototype for the first boarding houses of the Merrimack Manufacturing Co. at Lowell. The major difference between the two is that the Waltham houses possess two rear ells, while the Lowell houses adopted a single centered ell. John Coolidge provides a very detailed description of the Lowell houses interior format and features (Mill and Mansion; pp. 186-187). For exmaple, the two rooms in the ell of the Merrimac houses were used as a kitchen and dining room. Both the Lowell and Waltham boarding houses could ac- comodate as many as 20 persons with 9-10 people per unit.
All three of these unique houses were moved to Lawton Place in 1889. At the same time the long rowhouse was constructed on the north side. This structure was the last in a line BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES (cont) 8/85 'INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston Camurity: MAL-MAI, HA BMKA Waltham Form No: K Property Name: Lawton Place Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. Historical Significance (cont) of similiar structures constructed by the BMC. Ironically, the first one dating from 1816 and known as the "Long Block" was also located on the southern edge of the Waltham Common and was demolished when the double houses were moved to the south side of Lawton Place. Lawton Place apparently follows the line of a garden path on the estate of George Lawton.
He was an executive with the BMC and an extensive landowner. His estate at River and Jackson Streets eventually encompassed four buildings, including a barn. Lawton Place remained a dirt-covered cul-de-sac until the early 1960s. Verbal Boundary Justification & Description Tho nomination is confined to the four workers' residences which front on Lawton Place. The surrounding residential neighborhood which includes a mix of modern houses and altered 19th and early 20th century workers' housing is excluded. The boundaries recognize the rarity of the early double houses and the long block form. RESOURCE COUNT: buildings: 4 C Staple to Inventory form at bottom Street Address WALTIIAM, MA MRA Assessor's #/ 1-3 Lawton P1. 5-7 Lawlon P1. 9-11 Lawton Pl. 2-24 Lawton Pl.
61-17-19 61-17-20 61-17-21 61-17-18 TOTAL buiklings Structures Total 4C 4C DISTRICT DATA SHEET LAWTON PLACE HISTORIC DISTRICT Square Feet 6,075 5,975 4,756 26,040 Historic Name/Inventory # BMC Housing/ #904 BMC Housing/ #904 BMC Housing/ #904 BMC Housing/ #904 Date Style c1817 Federal c1817 Federal c1817 Federal 1889 Italianate Status C C C C 42,846 sq.ft. 25 NPS Form 10-000 (8-86) United States Department of the Interior NationalPark Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number. Page. OMB Approvel No. 1024-0018 AUG 2 | 1989 Multiple Resource Area Thematic Group Name State Waltham MRA Middlesex : County, MASSACHUSETTS Nomination/Type of Review Date/Signature 51. Johnson, Newell D., House Hatioas Beetoror freoper. enBgun Attest - 2/24/14 52. Lawton Place Historic District Aaoper HuloneBgun peloy 53.
Libby, Nelson F., House ntered in the National Register 1n- che Axeeper AelmeeBgun 2/8/69 Attest -K 54. Linden Street Bridge Substantive Review durativa Bovion fukceper Bert Saufe 9/28/39 Attest 55. Lord's Castle ucica in tne National Register Keeper_ AulruBgan 9/20/64 56. Lyman Street Historic District antered in the National Begister 57. Martin, Aaron, Houses Attest Veper AklorerAgun 1/25/69 Attest Lxeeper AuloreByu 9/24184 Attest 58. Martin, Aaron, House (786 Moody St.) cintered in the National Register /Keeper_ AelurerBgun 2/25/54 59. Moody Street Fire Stationgntered in the National Registan 60.
Moody Street Historic District tize Loview Attest Attest frkeeper Attest HKeeper AllrreByua 2/20/5 BithDurge 319/90 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: NOMINATION PROPERTY Lawton Place Historic District 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: 89001504 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 9/25/89 DATE Enteredin 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 Waltham, MA MRA 1-", 2-24 Lawton Place Areal Lawton Place H.D.
waltham. MA MRA. 1 2 -24 Lawton Place strutscames Historic District Motc qoaL tauton Place - NORTA SIDE Lauten Place (l) MA MRA Lauton Place.. B.tte 904L 00 2Ej6. 1980 CROSS 1.049 32. 64 69. - 14-1G 16 09 55 51 22.20 5304 GE 18-20 229 3 V6L: LARD -13-15- 17.62 55 4 1129 LOLDE EZ 214- 49 89- 23 8 - -21-29 :(133) 70 5342 74 70.35 30:38 38:05 -88-55 47.15 A 675 19zsi FCENTRAL -5 Lg9 inlno City Walthom 230(s) Ihomos 2$3(5) Schoo 90(s) WALTHAM, MA MRA Lawton Place H.D. 1" = 100' 1975; updated to 1987 Waltham Engineering Dept. Area K 86 (a) 100 * 9 27-31 Leland Homeg For B AÇEC -s0 Miomnen-F IS 136 95 7 1: 1931 4 -1- 665 .121.75 10958 ÇZ1 150.58 53.58 6 19 825 97 4 99 ST.e 16 29- 9:- 0113.02 17 115.93 T15.52 550 98-712 -653 87.22 ST. JACKSON 308.89 294,20 98-561 280.
.05 140.06 17 13999 626b 16 901-1 280 181 - x pob 'PRIVATE aLAWT FON 1-3 2 98-426 tab 706 20 29 21 1222 5182 2016 120.51 +19.57 23 ,8-4 103.6 2? 22 373 +g-426 379:370- 48.05 -369 - 365; 5008 31.42 L5324-E2EH PY AMO (6.51 713.04 5516 99-713 4197 i.E16 ICO RD 2 =32-38 =57-32-4 118.16 9816 14 52 BI62 -28 OOI 32.23 3 23 REYEM 23- 26 22° 05 50.16 +5400 43-4 9813 919L 99.53 552 -50 25-3n 00 13 11 10 53 15 620 2 3 7.35 5.81 88.50 83-34 / Stor.re 10141 120.55 - 65 159 69 60.7 11-59 60 3B. ST. 100.34 7 36 7970 I.3u34 84.13 0 M 26 50 06 38 558 50 15 EZECI 41 55:8 7038 50 50 47 07.15 17 3 0150 RE15.00 -zV 580| E:5Nt 1!16 0 143.46 18 437697 Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000301