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 1508 AUG 2 1 1989 NATION REGISTER Town Address AREA WALTHAM, MA Waltham, MA FORM NO. 118 MRA 475 South St. Historic Name _Samuel Harrington 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 - see attached sheet. Use: Present private residence Original "1 DESCRIPTION Datec. mid 1700's Source paper by Elizabeth A. Kahn Bill Collec. of W.P.L.
Style Georgian Architect - unknown Exterior Wall Fabricclapboard Outbuildings _attached stable Major Alterations (with dates) rear lean to dates to late 18th c., side ell built in 186. Condition good Moved Date - n/a 0.624 Acres Acreage 27,200 sq. ft. 74-2-2 Setting retains something of its Pre 20th c. rural character, situated at angle to sweep- ing curve of South St. shaded by old trees UTM REFERENCE 19/313920/4692340 USGS QUADRANGLE NATICK SCALE 1:25,000 Recorded by Organization Date Ed Gordon Waltham Historical Comm. July_1986 revised C. Jenkins 2/88 NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA STATEMENT (if applicable) The Samuel Harrington House is a well-crafted example of a mid-18th century Georgian farm house. This house was owned by Harrington descendants for nearly 250 years.
Together with its lean-to ell and attached stable this house clearly illustrates the structural evolution of a farm house over time. Evidently this house served as an inn during the late 18th/ early 19th c. - -one of the few Waltham structures linked with the town's pre-railroad days as an important stage coach way station on the outskirts of Boston. The Samuel Harrington House possesses integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and associations; it 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 Samuel Harrington House is a relatively rare Waltham example of a mid 18th c. Georgian farmhouse.
It is composed of a 5-bay center entrance main block with lean- to addition and side ell (also attached stable/garage). In the center of the main block roof ridge is a substantial brick chimney. This house is clad with feather edged, lap jointed clapboards. The main facade features symmetrically balanced double hung windows. The windows were finished with a narrow architrave- --a 2nd period feature. A small panel 6/6 window remains in each attic gable. Simple ornamentation is confined to the 6" water table, corner boards and cornice returns on the end gables. The entry is framed by a very narrow architrave with corner blocks, a treatment which is probably not original. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE Explain the role owners played in local or state history and how the building relates to the development of the community. Built ca.
late 1730's, the Samuel Harrington House was probably built by Captain Samuel Harrington, gentleman farmer and selectman from 1712-1718. Robert Harrington of Watertown, Ma. was the forefather of the branch of Harrington's associated with 475 South St. Robert Harrington came to Watertown, Ma. in 1640. He served as selectman from 1679-1700. In 1684 *Robert bought the original property on which the house now stands. The house may have been built c.1737 when Capt. Samuel's grandson Samuel married Lydia Ball. Capt. Harrington died . in 1739. The Harrington estate remained intact during the ownership of the Captain's grandson Samuel and great grandson Samuel. One year before Captain Samuel's death, his name was at the top of the Waltham tax list. The first solid evidence of this house's existence occurs in a deed of 1793 between Samuel (grandson of Capt. Samuel) and Samuel Harrington Jr.
At that time Samuel Sr. transferred his 83 acres and his house to his son, Samuel. The deed geographically locates this house for the first time with some degree of accuracy. The lean-to probably dates to the 1790's or early 1800's -at that time Samuel Sr. and Samuel Jr's family were living in this house. It may have been built to accommodate guests when this house functioned as an inn (รง.1803-1807). The house was ideally situated to serve travellers as it was on a road that lead directly to the Great Road (Main St.), the main highway from Boston, westward. Samuel Jr. inherited this house. By the 1830's this house's owner was Amasa Harrington. He sold off much of the Harrington estate between 1837-1863. On June 16, 1844, he sold land to the Fitchburg Railroad Co. In an 1845 Waltham tax book, Amasa is listed as owning one hundred acres of land.
He died in 1867, but land was being sold off in his name until as late BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES "475 South St.--Samuel Harrington House" by Elizabeth A. Cohn. Boston University (paper in collection of Waltham Public Library" Waltham/Watertown Directory--1871 Waltham 1630-1894, E.L. Sanderson Maps/Atlases--1836, 1854, 1874, 1886, 1900 8/85 INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston Commnity : waltham, Ma. Form No: 118 Property Name: 475 South St Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. as 1888--at the time of his death, the Waltham Sentinel called him "one of our most highly respected citizens and wealthiest farmers." The forest of trees on Amasa's land was called "Harrington's Grove" and was a favorite spot for summer picnics. Amasa left his estate to his wife, Clarrisa. George B.
Harrington, Amasa's adopted son inherited the property in 1885. He is listed in the 1870-71 Waltham Directory as a farmer. The house later passed to George's wife Mary and their daughter, Mary B. Dickey. She died during the mid 1960s. In recent years this house has been owned by Mrs. Evelyn Dickey Barrett. Staple to Inventory form at bottom NPS Form10-900 (8-86) United States Department of theInterior 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 41. Hall, Henry C., House 42. Hammond, Ephraim, House 43. Hammond, Jonathan, House Entered in the National Regiater 44. Hardy, Nahum, House 45. Harrington Block Intered in tha Mationad Regtat Entered in the Hational Beglater 46.
Harrington, Samuel, Housentered in the Mational Register 47. Hill, Rev. Thomas, Houseentered 1n the National Register 48. Hobbs Brook Basin Gate House VAD l 1a tha d. degiater 49. Holbrook, Richard, Houses untered in the Hational Register 50. Johnson, Edwin C., House Entered in the National Regiater Date/Signature intered in tha Nattozad Regiater Froper 9/2764 Attest Substantive Review Sarkceper Both.
Seuage ehels9 /keeper MeluusByun 2/25/84 Attest_: VReoper Aelmenpyeu 9/16/84 Attest Reeper AilireAga 9/25/84 Attest VKeoper dulntgun 1/2464 Attest /reoper AhlaueByu 1/241 Attest /keeper HelreBgar 9/27/24 Attest /Keeper_ AelvesByen 9/28/84 Attest fKeeper SllrreByar 9/28/64 Attest UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: NOMINATION PROPERTY NAME: Harrington, Samuel, House 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: 89001508 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 LACCEPT RETURN REJECT 9/28/89 _DATE Entered in the Hational Registen ABSTRACT/SUMMARY COMMENTS: RECOM./CRITERIA REVIEWER DISCIPLINE DATE DOCUMENTATION see attached comments Y/N see attached SLR ./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 presentation Signed Date Harringten, Sanuel, Heuse WALTHAM, MA MRA- 475 Southsh suute # 118 440.3 XOHIVATE) 3 University : 276+2-- : 14|39 WALTHAM, MA MRA Samuel Harrington House 475 South Street 1" = 100' 1975; updated to 1987 Waltham Engineering Dept.
#118 lot #74-2-2 406.45 ST 9620 106.08 9 9a Brand e is 72.13 2 University 4 25- 37001,6 RIDGEWOOD TERR. 99(s) 196.33 20766 8060 SOUTH (267.63(8) NEW 190 (s) Brondcis -*. University 193.68 2 155(g)12.04 2 OLD =75 SOUTH- 203.87 160 162 (g) Brandeis University (198.2 (d) 119 (s) * 2 Brondeis /University 2 2735 (d) 97.03 97.16 5/S 154.67 i2r.f 141.13 104.32 195.97 P/O Brand eis 498,500 75- 3-1 University 294.21 15T Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000301