BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
FORM F - STRUCTURE MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 80 BOYLSTON STREET BOSTON, MA 02116 1SAT A1IG 2. 1 1989 WALTHAM, MA MRA AREA FORM NO. PATIONAL 1Sich 903 Town Waltham, MA Address Winter Street Name Hobbs Brook Basin Gate House Ownership: City of Cambridge Public Private Photo (3"x3" or 3"x5" black and white) Indicate address on back of photo. Staple to left side of form. Sketch Map: Draw map showing structure's location in relation to nearest cross streets, buildings and/or geographical features. Indicate all bufldings between inventoried property and nearest intersection. Indicate north. UTM REFERENCE 19/312870/4696330 USGS QUANDRANGLE CONCORD SCALE 1:25,000 Type of Structure (check one): bridge canal dam fort gate kiln 1ighthouse pound powder house street tower tunnel wall windmill ,other Gate house DESCRIPTION Da te ca.
1897-1898 Source Cambridge Annual Documents - 1885-99 Architect Engineer/Designer (if known): Marshall N. Stearns Construction material Granite Alterations (with dates) none Condition Good Moved Acreage Date less than one acre 11-I-I Part of 1,030 acre reservoir Setting Adjacent to Hobbs Brook basin in wooded area in Waltham and Weston Recorded by Ed Gordon Organization Waltham Historical Commission Date August, 1186 revised by C. Jenkins 4/88 NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA STATEMENT (if applicable) - The Hobbs Brook Basin Gate House possesses integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and associations. It was built in 1897-98 as a component of the City of Cambridge water supply, and is the only piece of that system within the City of Waltham.
It is an excellent and well-preserved example of a water supply gate house, and is a unique architectural type in Waltham. It meets criteria A and C of the National Register of His- toric Places. ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE Describe important design features and evaluate in terms of other structures within the community. The Hobbs Brook Basin Gate House is a diminutive square, rock-faced granite structure which is linked to the Winter St. dam via a short wooden bridge. This gate house is composed of a rock faced granite platform and 1-story gate house structure. Its walls are pierced by tall narrow arched openings edged with rock faced granite blocks which stand in contrast with the hammered granite blocks of theupper walls. This small structure is surmounted by a flat roof with bracketed cornice and copper balustrade.
see continuation sheet for Boundary Justification HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE Explain historical importance of structure and how the structure relates to the development of the community. The Hobbs Brook Basin Gate House contains the sluicegates for the Hobbs Brook Storage Basin-- a large reservoir which is a major source of water for the city of Cambridge. Straddling several towns, including the N.W. section of Waltham this reservoir was built in 1894-1898. It is the only late 19th century reservoir gate house within Waltham's city limits. Its construction was a project of considerable magnitude involving careful planning, legal work and engineering expertise. The Hobbs Brook Basin Gate House is situated on the southern shore of the Hobbs Brook Basin, on Winter St. It represents the work of Waltham builder Marshall N. Stearns.
He was also responsible for the construction of the Stony Brook Basin Gate House, off South Street, just over the Waltham line in Weston. The Hobbs Brook Basin was the last in a series of reservoirs constructed by the city of Cambridge during the last half of the 19th century, including Fresh Pond (1856) and the Stony Brook Basin in Waltham, Weston, and Lincoln (1884-1887). The Hobbs Brook Basin covers about 1000 acres of land taken from Waltham, Lincoln, and Lexington. The creation of this storage basin necessitated the city of Cambridge's purchase of forty-three farms and parts of farms, including buildings. Construction on the Hobbs Brook Basin was begun in October 24, 1894 and ceased for a time--resuming on April 11, 1895. Con- struction work on the reservoir was conducted by The Standard Construction and Supply Co. The Winter Street dam was constructed in 1896.
In the construction of this reservoir's various components--including the Lincoln St. Dam, Winter St. Dam and Payson Park Reservoir, about 186,000 cubic yards of earth was required for making embankments and about 14,750 cubic yards of ledge rock was removed in preparing the foundations. Presumably this Winter St. Gate House functioned like its counterpart off South St. on Stony Brook--multiple chambers located below the Gate House structure. At Stony Brook two of its fire chambers were used for waste water BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES "Inspection of Water Works System" -- 1989 W.P.L. Collection Cambridge Annual Documents 1894, 1895, 1986. 8/85 Page Iwo Winter Street Hobbs Brook Basin Gate House #903 Waltham, Ma MRA HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE continued and the otherthree to fil1 up the basin when necessary.
Presumably, a sluice gate is housed within this structure to permit the water to escape when the water is unable to carry it. The Hobbs Brook Basin continues to serve Cambridge as a source of water. BOUNDARY JUSTIFICATION The Hobbs Brook Basin Gate House is part of the City of Cambridge water supply system. The present nomination is confined to the gatehouse structure, because it is the only component of the system that stands fully within the bounds of the City of Waltham, and thus has been researched for this nomination whose bounds follow that of the city. The City of Cambridge is considering plans to nominate the entire system, which falls within the communities of Cambridge, Belmont, Waltham and Weston. NPS Form 10-000e (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet OMB Approvel No.
10240018 AUG 2 | 1989 Section number Page Multiple Resource Area Thematic Group Name State Waltham MRA Middlesex County, MASSACHUSETTS Nomination/Type of Review 41. Hall, Henry C., House intored in the Nationad Begiater 42. Hammond, Ephraim, House Substantive Review 43. Hammond, Jonathan, House Entered in the National Register 44. Hardy, Nahum, House Intered in tha Mationad Regtater 45. Harrington Block Entered in the National Register 46. Harrington, Samuel, Houseatered in the National Begister 47. Hi11, Rev. Thomas, HouseEntered in the National Reglater 48. Hobbs Brook Basin Gate House 1 1a the iaiLond iegtatar 49. Holbrook, Richard, Houses ancered in the National Register 50.
Johnson, Edwin C., House Entered in the National Register Date/Signature FRooper LelreByun 9/20/8 Attest Sorxopor Betkik Jauge ehols9 Attest 2/28/64 Attest keeper Aelmupyc 9/6/84 Attest Reeper AelreAgea 9/28164 Attest Vreopor elmetun 914004 Attest /reeper ZhlonBgun 2/2114 Attest /Keeper HebresBgan 2/24/84 Attest /Keeper_ delveesBgun 9/28/84 Attest Keeper 6 AloresDyau 9/28/89 Attest UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: NOMINATION PROPERTY NAME: Hobbs Brook Basin Gate 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: 89001524 NOMINATOR: STATE REASONS FOR REVIEW: APPEAL: N DATA PROBLEM: N LANDSCAPE: N LESS THAN 50 YEARS: OTHER: N PDIL: N PERIOD: N PROGRAM UNAPPROVED: REQUEST: N SAMPLE: N SLR DRAFT: N NATIONAL: N N N COMMENT WAIVER: N ACCEPT RETURN REJECT 9/08/89 DATE Entered in the National Register ABSTRACT/SUMMARY COMMENTS: RECOM./CRITERIA REVIEWER DISCIPLINE DATE DOCUMENTATION see attached comments X/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 relationship of integrity to significance justification of exception other BIBLIOGRAPHY GEOGRAPHICAL DATA acreage UTMS verbal boundary description boundary justification ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENTATION/PRESENTATION _sketchmaps USGS maps photographs OTHER COMMENTS presentation Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to Phone Signed Date Habb: Braok dasin Gato Herse.
wintust MHC*903 waitham, Ma uret Hobbs Brook Basen Gake Horne wintu st. MHtC#903 Wartham, Ma. MRA Hob65 Brook Basin Gate Honne Winter sf MHC# 903 wal tham uRt Muss WINTER City *- - of Cambridge C.WW. City of ST. S1O WALTHAM, MA MRA Hobbs Brook Basin Gatehouse Winter Street 1" = 100' 1975; updated to 1987 Waltham Engineering Dept. lot #11-1-1 #903 CAMBRIDGE 760 ST. OF 2 BROOK 36.4 Acres HOBBS A 1970 Atlas, City of Waltham Compiled by the Waltham Engineering Division Scale: 1 inch = 140 feet HOBB WORKS, WATER CITY OF CAMBRIDGE CAMBRIDGE SYLVAN RD 47 ACrC Waltham, Massachusetts MRA Winter Street Hobbs Brook Basin Gate House 88-A-760 Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000301