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. 1518 AREA FORM NO. AUG 2 1 1989 164 NATIONAL REGISTER WALTHAM, MA MRA Town Waltham Address 1079 Trapelo Road Historic Name Amos Stearns House dwelling same 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 Original DESCRIPTION Date 1845 Source Wlatham News Tribune 6/23/1973 Style Greek Revival Architect unknown Exterior Wall Fabric clapboard Outbuildings nonse :.azs-N Major Alterations (with dates) east porch enclosed-early 20th century Condition excellent Moved Date _ _n/a Acreage 16,450 sq. ft. 0.38 A.
14-3-8 Setting faces main thoroughfare of Trapelo Road--surrounded by subdivision of post-World War II houses UTM REFERENCE 19/315960/4697700 - USGS QUADRANGLE LEXINGTON SCALE 1:25,000 Recorded by Ed Gordon Organization Waltham Historical Comm. Date June, 1986 revised C. Jenkins 2/88 NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA STATEMENT (if applicable) -The Amos Stearns House is one of the few surviving farmhouses along the northern corridor of Trapelo Road, long the heart of Waltham's agricultural activities. Built c1845, it is a solid and well crafted example of a traditional center entrance Greek Revival style house. It alsohas long-term associations with the Stearns family which owned the farmstead from 1782-1941. The house possesses integrity of location, design, materials, workmanship, feeling and associations, and 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. The Amos Stearns House is a large 2½ story structure enclosed by a gable roof with interior chimneys rising through the roof ridge. It is sheathed with clapboards and trimmed with cornerboards with Doric capitals and an entablature with continuous dentil course. Extending across the facade and around the east elevation is a one story porch with granite posts sup- porting a similiar dentilated entablature; on the east the porch was glazed in the early 20th century. The symmetrical five bay facade is centered on an entry with narrow sidelights. Flanking windows exhibit apron panels. All windows contain original 6/6 sash. On the side elevations, the gable ends are pedimented. A story, four bay wing with secondary entry - extends from the west.
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE Explain the role owners played in local or state history and how the building relates to the development of the community. The Amos Stearns House is the sole surviving structure of the multi-building Stearns Farm that once encompassed cl50 acres on both sides of Trapelo Road and included barns, sheds a windmill and a slaughter house. The estate reached as far north as Lake Hardy, known as the Great Pond and later Sherman's Pond, Fiske's Pond and Mead's Pond. The family owned the property from 1782-1941. Mary and Isaac Stearns came to Watertown in 1630 with Sir Richard Saltonstall's company. The first of their descendants to live in this area was their son Samuel who remained until his death in 1737. In the 1780s, another descendant, Jonathan bought the property on Trapelo Road just north of the Lexington Street intersection and built a house.
Jonathan's son Uriah tore down much of his father's house to build a new. structure on the same pro- perty. Uriah's 's son Amos is said to have built the present house in 1845, a date confirmed by its style. Amos lived here with his wife Sarah and children William, Lizzie, Nathaniel, yen tee erianed. and Rosa. When Amos died in 1896, his children assumed ownership of the estate until 1941. According to Rosa's son Homans S. Foster, the third floor attic was used as a dancing studio for neighborhood dances and classes in the 1880s and 1890s. Following William Stearns' death in 1941, the homestead was sold to George Cross who installed water and electricity for the first time. Although Cross woned only 26 acres of the original estate, he used part of the land to build a diner that was torn down in the 1970s for the Waltham Savings Bank branch. BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES - E.L.
Sanderson. Waltham 1634-1884. 1936. Scott, Davis-The News Tribune, Thursday, June21, 1973. "O1d Stearns home on Trapelo Road housed four generations of family" 8/85 - (UPS Form 10.900a United States Department of the Interlor National Park 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 Sul 81. St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church Complex N Keeper Substantiva Review 1/28189 Attest 82. Stanley, Leonard W., Houghtered in the National Regiater 83. Stark Building Stark, Robert M., House Entered 1n the National Begister 85. Stearns, Amos, House intered in tha National Register 86. Stewart, Henry, House 87.
Swasey, James, House Entered ia tha National Reriator /Keeper AeloresBgen 9/28/84 Attest Entered in tha Hatlonal Register Hkeeper AlloresByu 9/2/69 Attest keeper s Aelonetbye 4p484 Attest Gkeeper Ailonelyu 9/28/44 Attest Entered in the Satsona 1 neelator f keeper duloreßgen 9/20/84 Attest fKeeper Aeloreßogen 9/2369 88. Tyler, Frank J., House Entered in the National Register Attest Keeper ( DelourDgen 1/2469 89. United States Watch Company interol 1n tha National Regiotor 90.
Waltham Gas Light Company Entered inthe National Regiater Attest frcoper Aelme Bgu 9/0589 Attest fieoper_ AelouesByeu 9/a4 Attest UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: NOMINATION PROPERTY stearns, Amos, House NAME: MULTIPLE Waltham MRA NAME: STATE & COUNTY: MASSACHUSETTS, Middlesex DATE RECEIVED: 8/21/89 DATE OF 16TH DAY: 9/21/89 DATE OF PENDINA LIST:1005599 DATE OF 45TH DAY: DATE OF WEEKLY LIST: REFERENCE NUMBER: 89001518 NOMINATOR: STATE REASONS FOR REVIEW: REQUEST: N SAMPLE: COMMENT WAIVER: N VACCEPT RETURN ABSTRACT/SUMMARY COMMENTS: PROGRAM UNAPPROVED: N SLR DRAFT: N NATIONAL: _REDEO 9/25/89 DATE Eatered in ta lational Registe: 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 presentation OTHER COMMENTS Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to Phone Signed Date Steams HousL 1079 Trapelo Rd.
Waltham MA MRA #164 STEVEN GYURINA steams,House 1079 Trapelo Rd. Waltham MA MRA #164 STEVEN GYURINA 38.30 2 02 22 RINGSTON 30 (PA:VATE) 14 196.37 17 /16 144.38 66 30 0973 2034 D) :171.57 13 9389 10.7 9 00 83-13 36 67 253 105( -104 1-1088 (A) 0801 (R) 5. 18 3 10g 116. 3 (PRIVATE) 70363750 4/ -327.20 /01 RD. 14058 KINGS TON _(PRIVATE): 70 TERR: 12G 55.66 7866 12g. 8 0:. 8 4104(s) 12.5(a) 132 3463 00oco 136 118.72% 54 56 38 19/5 KINGSTON 144 160.72 10L78 58.67 589g 4018 701. 19 BF.C 67 :61:24 :15.00 115.00 40.18 105.02- 70 372. RD 65 82.07- 103.83 :79 104.48 2 70 462.08 5 70 WALTHAM, MA MRA Amos STearns House #164 1079 Trapelo Road 1" = 100' 1975; updated to 1987 Waltham Engineering Dept.
lot #14-3-8 N 17 50856 3283 19 :1603 1124 = 3 15 a119 ROAD 44 41 N+ - X=m n- 13345 14 25 66 26 72 73 13028 9 11724 11701 6 11751 5 11728 4 11390 14692 A-B-F 3 110 70 10750 9965 22 o95 TRAPELO 1970 Atlas, City of Waltham Compiled by the Waltham Engineering Division Scale: 1 inch =140 feet 12018 13 18993 12 27 78 28 86 79 io 10 12000 980- 14850 251 lo 10045 103,32 12 KINGSTON TERRACE 2 234 A7.683 1428 INGS 19,595 23936 15026 H 4 11869 127+ 12 6000 16 7105 B 6140 ROAD 21846 A-1-3 39 1045 Waltham, Massachusetts MRA 1097 Trapelo Road Amos Stearns House 60-I-20 MHC 164 558c 40 Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000301