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"x 3" or 3"x5" , black and white) Indicate address of property on back of photo. Staple to left side of form. IJ &U AUG 2 1 1989 NATIONAL REGISTER Town AREA FORM NO. 27 WALTHAM, MA MRA Waltham, Nassachusetts Address 85 Crescent Street Historic Name Robert Murray House Use Present private residence .Original private residence DESCRIPTION Date ca. 1859 Source deed research Style Italianate Architect unknown Exterior Wall Fabric clapboard Outbuildings none Sketch Map: Draw map showing location in relation to learest cross streets and/or ;eographical features. Indicate ill buildings between inventoried roperty and nearest intersection(s).
ndicate north REFERENCE -19/315490/4693170 35 QUADRANGLE Newto Quadrançle ILE 1:25000 Major Alterations (with dates) 18th century front door and enframements added during the 1920's Condition excellent Moved - Date-n/a Acreage 16,200 sq. ft. 0.32A. 69-1-1 Setting Overlooking the Charles River, part of Crescent Street's exceptional collection of mid-late (too much infill and 19th century houses. alteration to be a historic district) Recorded by Edward W. Gordon Organization Waltham Hist. Comm. Date June, 1986 revised C. Jenkins 2/88 NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA STATEMENT (if applicable) # 85 Crescent Street is significant as one of the earliest of the substantial Victorian houses lining the Charles River side of Crescent Street - these houses date from the late 1850's to the 1890's. Stylistically, this house is a good example of a center-pavilion Italianate house. Built ca.
1859, this house was, for many years, owned by Robert Murray, a landscape gardener. The Robert Murray House possesses integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association. As an early representative of the development of the South Side by the Waltham Watch Company and a good example of the Italianate C of the National Kegister of Historic Places. SICNIFICANCE Deucribe important archltecturat teatures and evaluate in terms of other buildings within the community. # 85 Crescent Street is a handsome example of a center-hall/center -pavilion Italianate house . It is a very house type in Waltham. Its 3-bay x 1-bay main block retains its clapboards, corner-boards, and fascia boards.
Projecting from the main facade is a center pavilion which features an 18th century door and enframements which were formerly a part of a south shore Massachusetts home. This entrance exhibits a multi-panel front door, fluted Doric pilasters, and dentillated pediment. The center pavilion's gable shelters a lunette window. In general, windows are fully-enframed and contain 6/6 wood sash. Tall windows appear on the the ground floor, on either side of the front door. To the rear of this house is a 2-story ell. The main block is enclosed by a gable roof with paired brackets at the cornices. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE Explain the role owners played in local or state history and how the building relates to the development of the community. This house ranks among the earliest substantial examples of Victorian houses to be built along the Charles River side of Crescent Street.
By 1890, Crescent Street was almost entirely built-up with Italianate, Mansard and Queen Anne houses of considerable size, high-quality craftsmanship, and design. Born on January 17th, 1837, Robert Murray was: a landscape gardener by trade. He Durchased this house's lot from the American Waltham Watch Company on June 15h, 1859 for $632.50 (see Middlesex Deeds 817 : 453). This house's land appears as lots 480 - 484 on the 1854 plan of the South Side (Plan Book 11, plan 49). The Watch Company/Murray deed contained the same restrictions that appear in 107 Adam Street's deed (see Form * 40). Robert Murray died in 1887. By 1890, a minister named Robert Murray is listed as the occupant of this house. Evidently this was Robert Murray the landscape gardener's son. Robert had attended college and was ordained as a minister.
He spent much of his life in Pennsylvania and Rhode Island, where he held a rectorship for 30 years. Upon his retirement in 1894, he returned to 85 Crescent Street. He died in 1918. By the 1920's, George and Jenny Cooley owned this house. He was a clerk in the Clifford S. Cobb Department store on Moody Street. It was during the Cooley ownership that the 18th century Georgian front choranig tice the fah ent ay rorglan frnt door and enframements were installed. BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES Interview with current owner - Susan Brown Maps/Atlases - 1854, 1874, 1886, 1898, 1900, 1915, 1923 Waltham Directories - 1870's, 1890's Middlesex Deeds - 817:453 8/85 MASS INVEI -NPS Form 10-900-a (8-06) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet OMB Approvel No. 1024-0018 AUG 2 | 1989 Section number Page.
Multiple Resource Area Thematic Group Name State Waltham MRA Middlesex County, MASSACHUSETTS Nomination/Type of Review 61. Mount Feaks Cemetery Date/Signature Entered in the National Register fekeoper Hulon Byan 9/25/69 Attest 62. Mt. Prospect School for Boys Substantive Revie Reeper BatpA Savaye 3/9/90 Attest Entered 1n 63. Murray, Robert, House Wat1onad Beeisten fReeper AelourByu 9pt/oe Attest Sunl 64. Newton Street Bridge Subetantire Berler fokeeper Sauge 1p8/8. Attest 5. North Lexington Street Historic District in the National Registen fadepor 1/21/04 Attest 66. O'Hara Waltham Dial Company Entered in the National Register jukesper Aulomlgu Attest 67. Olcott, John E., House Intered in the National Register 68. Oxford, The 69. Peck, John M., House Sil 10.
Piety Corner Historic District Subatantive Reviei AulocaByun 1/6/59 Attest Intered in the National Regiater fkeeper AulmerByem 9/2515 Attest Entered 1a tbe National Reglater futeeper Khlmengan 2/2114 Attest Keoper Balh Sarge 42/90 Attest UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: NOMINATION PROPERTY NAME: Murray, Robert, 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: 89001580 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 COMMENT WAIVER: N V ACCEPT RETURN REJECT 9/28/89 DATE Entered in the National Regiaten 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 _verbal boundary description UTMS boundary justification ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENTATION/PRESENTATION _sketch maps _USGS maps _photographs OTHER COMMENTS Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to Phone Signed Date presentation STEVEN GYURINA Murray He MHC 27 85 crercentsr 85 STEVEN GYURINA Murray, Robert, Itese Walthan MRA, Mr Murray Hse MHC27 WALTHAM, MA MRA Robert Murray House #27 85 Crescent Street 1" = 100' 1975; updated to 1987 Waltham Engineering Dept.
lot #69-1-1 E 670,000 120(s) 93.08(d) N 49 720 Commorwealth of/Massochusents P/O 80-2-26/ _CHARLES- 56.7 130 128(0)142 (s) 69.05 4 47.3 3 /1 68.75 CRESCENT 199.79 65.81 4 762 20 3LG 70 8 108 SB 33 7 86 -24 75. 25-23 J45+g 239 53.45 c*3 70 120 3 10-120 2.70C 120 31-29 54 4 54 33 4702- 22 2 62 26 50 sfitr 7 -53.5 ST.
AO 67.92 3 121.85 4 40 51.23 1019 <057 is .52-55- WH City of Waltham 04-201 67 2 62.48 84 6-164 *22 6-164 11-09 20 71 6-164 84 35 - City of Waltham '05(s) 19 H-13 71 .5R 7H(s) 323) A -74 2 78 55/ 26- SPRUCE 23-25-27-29-=-1 82.75 62 vin 50 20 85 15 19 100 99-317 20% 03 67.53 100 9.53 4 Loyal Order of Moose Lodge 1018 5 76.57 63 C ity Walth 60E2 13 2309r 80.0 78 50 17 154 95 16 25.5 33(g) 58(s) * 14 City of 5 Waithamn 9025 65 62!= 642 13 65 68 15 133.01 12 28-30 70 935 34 -0%) W.!- /65 CHAALES 1970 Atlas, City of Waltham Compiledby the Waltham Engineering Division Scale: 1 inch = 140ft ST. 77040 YCE WH ST. zere- 1580L 20532 10900 0os7 26 0/5 SJ si In' MOODY 19230 26801 10910 115 4.
401 mm IESTNUT CHESFNUT Waltham, Massachusetts MRA 85 Crescent House Robert Murray House 4-A-8 MHC#27 Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000301