BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
FORM B - BUILDING MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 80 BOYLSTON STREEI BOSTON, MA 02116 AUG 2 1 1989 NATIONAL REGISTER Town 1558 iS AREA FORM NO. :54 WALTHAM, MA MRA Waltham, Massachusetts 206 Newton Street :ic Name Potter/O'Brian House PIesent private residence Original private residence IPTION ca. 1849 - 1854 deed research, 1854 Map Italianate tect unknown ior Wall Fabric brick/wood rear ell Outbuildings none - property's location in relation to nearest cross streets and/or geographical features. Indicate a11 buildings between inventoried UTM REFERENCE 19/316380/4693070 USGS QUADRANGLENEIVTON SCALE 1:25,000 Alterations (with dates) siding oflel1 ('2oth centúry) tion fair - good no Date n/a ge 13,570 sqirft. 0.31A 70-5-17 Situated on rise overlooking ne St./Newton Street intersection. ont elevation obscured by dense ees/underbrush Recorded by- Edward W.
Gordon Organization Waltham Hist. Comm. Date June, 1986 revised C. Jenkins 2/88 NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA STATEMENT (if applicable) #206 Newton Street is one of Waltham's very few pre-20th century masonry houses- It is the only brick Italianate house in Waltham, and more specifically on the South Side. During the mid-19th century, it functioned as a boarding house operated by the Edwin Potter family. From 1874 to the early 1900's, it was the home of a prosperous grocer, James O'Brien. It has strong associations with the South Side prior to its acquisition by Newton, and with its subsequent growth as an enclave of Irish workers. It possesses integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association and meets criteria Aand C of the NRHP.
ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE Describe important architectural features and evaluate in terms of other buildings within the community. #206 Newton Street is the only example of masonry Italianate house in Waltham. It is situated on a rise overlooking the Pine/Newton Street intersection, in an area of mixed-use residential/commericial structures. consists of a rectangular, 2-story, 5-bay x 3-bay, main block, and 2-story rear 2r, 2t, 5-509 * 3-a% It el1. Projecting from its 5-bay center-entrance's main facade is a Colonial Revival porch addition with fluted Doric pilasters on plinths.. The main block is characterized by planar masonry surfaces pierced by standard size windows with simple stone lintels. Raised brickwork piers appear at this house's corners, and off-center on the side wall. Located above the second floor windows are two rows of brick-work dentils.
This house is enclosed by a flat roof with deep eaves. The rear ell possesses a handsome front door with arched panes and well-carved floral motifs and cross-forms set in panels. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE Explain the role owners played in local or state history and how the building relates to the development of the community. #206 Newton Street ranks as one of the oldest houses on Waltham's South Side. The 1854 map show this house and it real ell. Middlesex deeds indicate that this house was probably built during the late 1840's . On February 27, 1849, Edwin A. Potter (no occupation listed) purchased this house's lot from Enoch Hyde of Newton, yeoman, for $1,625,00. This deed mentions "the buildings theron" - perhaps indicating the existence of 206 Newton Street on the same day of the Hyde/Potter transaction. Enoch Hyde passed the property to Charles Potter.
The 1871/1872 Waltham/Watertown Directories indicate that the house was operated for a time as a boarding house, run by Edwin Potter's widow, Sarah. In addition to Sarah and the boarders, this house was occupied by Fred C.. Potter, who worked at "L.Hall's, Moody Street". It is likely that this house's boarders were drawn from the nearby Newton Chymical Plant. The demise of this company in 1872, may explain why Sarah Potter sold this house to James O'Brien on May 14, 1874. James 0'Brien was a grocer. He was a partner in 0'Brien and Holloran (Martin Holloran). Their store was located at Cedar, corner of Oak Street. The house is located in the South Side's chemistry neighborhood.
Mid-late CONT BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES Maps/Atlases 1836, 1854, 1874, 1881, 1883, 1886, 1898, 1900, 1911, 1915 Middlesex Deeds Waltham/Watertown Directory, 1872, 1884, 1898 8/85 *54 HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE, 206 Newton Street, continued 19th century maps and atlases indicate that the majority of the surrounding properties were owned by the Newton "Chymical" Company. As early as 1825, a stock company called the Newton Chymical Company was organized under the leadership of Patrick Iracy Jackson. Buildings were erected on the west side of Newton Street in what would later become the South Side section of Waltham. This company manufactured sulphuric and bleaching acid. The company was discontinued in 1872; its buildings were taken down and the land sold for house lots. The sale of # 206 Newton Street to Janes E.
O'Brien reflects in microcosm - the shifting fortunes of this area following the Newton Chymical Company's demise. After 1872, this neighborhood became increasingly Irish, while the neighborhood to the west of Moody Street remained overwhelmingly Protestant. Late 19th century atlases also indicate that by 1851, a spur of the Boston and Fitchburg Railroad had been set out though the South this house. The South Side was purchased from Newton, by Waltham in 1849. The South Side is a 600 acre area bordering on both Newton and the Charles River. It comprises almost one fifteenth of Waltham's current area, where most of the city's territory lies - this area has been legally part of Waltham since being purchased from Newton in 1849. As early as 1761-1762, a bridge linking the north and south sides (Waltham and Newton) was built at the site of the present Newton Street Bridge.
Little more than ten years after th Revolutionary War ended, three mill-dams connected the river's northern and southern banks. One, possibly the earliest on the river, apparently started up mill operation in 1779, on Newton-side land owned by David Bemis and Dr. Enos Summers. Their 18th century industrial ventures included The Boston Manufacturing Company and the Newton Chymical Company (organized during the 1320's). At the time of the South Side's annexation to Waltham in 1849, the South Side consisted of only 170 people and 35 buildings - the Potter O'Brien House at 206 Newton Street, probably being counted among the buildings. By that time the Newton Chymical Co's plant consisted of low slung wooden factory buildings which spread out over almost a quarter of its initial acreage in the South Side's eastern section.
- (aps Form 10800a United States Department of the Interior 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 71. Potter--0'Brien House 72. Prospect House 73. Robbins, Royal E., School 74. Sanderson, John, House Date/Signature Entered in the Entorad 1aetiotor fieopor Aulore Byu 2bot64 Attest_ Entered 1n tha Matlonai Register Leeper LelmuByan 9/2444 Attest Mlcied in the National Register /Reeper AuluuBgu 9/2469 Attest Entered 1n tha National Register Keeper AlilvuaBgun 9/25/9 Attest 75. Sanderson, Nathan, I, House intered 1n the Keeper sational Register StelrusBz 2/25/59 Attest 76.
Sanderson, Nathan, II, Houseintered 1a tha -latara 1250t okoeper AlelmesByen 7/245 Attest (Keeper, AhlreBzue 2/25/99 77. Sanderson--Clark Farmhouseintered 1n the National Register Entered 1n tha 78. Smith, Marshall, House National Register 79. Smith, Perez, House cntered in the National Regiater 80. St.
Charles Borromeo Church Entered 1a tha Nationad Reglstaz Attest heeper AlilresByu9/2789 Attest Hseper AblousByu9/28/64 Attest HkeeperAlilonenze2/25189 Attest UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE VATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: NOMINATION PROPERTY Potter--0'Brian House NAME: MULTIPLE Waltham MRA NAME: STATE & COUNTY: MASSACHUSETTS, Middlesex DATE RECEIVED: 8/21/89 DATE OF 16TH DAY: 9/21/89 JATE OF PENDING LIST: 9/05/8 ATE OF 45TH DAY: 10/05/89 DATE OF WEEKLY LIST: REFERENCE NUMBER: 89001538 NOMINATOR: STATE REASONS FOR REVIEW: PDIL: REQUEST: N SAMPLE: COMMENT WAIVER: N LACCEPT _RETURN ABSTRACT/SUMMARY COMMENTS: PROGRAM UNAPPROVED: N N SLR DRAFT: N NATIONAL: REJECT Entered in the 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 potter-- Brian A MRt-waltham.
Nt utc isy 2-6 NCWTON ST. Petter-o'Brias Hesse ute #54 walthamMA-MRA Z0GNeWTON ST NotTe ray Heuse MAC # 54 206 NewToN ST waltiams Mt MRA 2 60. 1 2 (O) 50 50 14 8 13 50 BENEFIT 23 289 75.17 ilg 200 60 TO 78g 122 10,060 E H8-12 157.6 8 60 -132 50 629 GORHAM 7 837,5- 3 54 44.15 4 ST E 50 100 2 100 WALTHAM, MA MRA Potter/O'Brian House 206 Newton Street #54 1"= 100' 1975; updated to 1978 Waltham Engineering Dept. 50 50 lot #70-5-17 50 00 127 11 8 87 8 8264 13 14 20 8 ST. 122 62(s) 00 75- 91-3475 70 x121.06/ 129.08 7 221.06 6 00.2 2 100413, 0 20 10 3 785 FO 9 6 1S:41 73.22 5 5-10 IVERPQQI 1150 50 120 192.76 4 130.02 7287 5 4 5 12 20,5 70 53 1416 -75417 57.5 18 +16.46 153.88 17 7 1995 67.33 gin 52 04 0264 3 8a5 7 ST. 65 82 56.9 55g 66.64 9 28 69 15g YETIEN 25761 13.1 575 48.0 100 :69 5 83- 100 736.84 TEAR0-.
:141,79 215.30 20.77 1737 190.29 16 E58.19 1-127 224 220 3> SI467 8989 RIO TOTa 24 TiS.0 83 22 516.6 L1o 499.63 2 - 5000 11000 5000 5000 10000 5000 E 6 SENEFIT 30 7800 13000 11825 Lams COURT 2004700 3230 6000 L6060 6835 Ossu 4000 TEB CHEURG 150 DIV ST. 16 8 70 5985 4750 6110 22078 3856 117-003 - 121 ST. 19-TT MIR 2f 205217 NEWTON 226 1970 Atlas, City of Waltham Compiled by the Waltham Engineering Division Scale: 1 inch = 140 feet 149: Y ETTEN 0662 5600 4100 5783 CALVÄRY 3377 MCBRIDES 4570 TER. --_ 615 AZ LE 4550 298S0 500 Soac O. k - 10 *-21 7302 6367 35-27 2/6/4 74321 ES S0ec 660 19900 2976 A 8105 2a100 15 9 428 16489 BRANCH 51 6422 5376 ID 47.00 Waltham, Massachusetts MRA 206 Newton Street O'Brien House 3-R-5 MHC 54 Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000301