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 JAN 0 2 1990 Town Address Historic Kame AREA 67 B FORM NO. 22 Swansea, Mass. MRA SWANSEA 79 Old Warren Road William Luther 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 Tocation 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 residence residence Date ca. 1849 Source Style deeds, early maps of Swansea Greek Revival Architect unknown clapboard facade, Exterior Wall Fabric shingled sides and rear Outbuildings garage (ca. 1920) (see attached map) Major Alterations (with dates) rear ell (ca.
1900) Condition good Moved no Date Acreage less than one acre Setting quiet residential area with little traffic UTM REFERENCE USGS QUADRANGLE SCALE 19 315320 4623760 Fall River, MA-RI 1:25000 1967/1979 Recorded by V. Frost/K. Valente/k. Broomer Organization Swansea Historical Conmission Date 1978/April 1986/November 1989 NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA STATEMENT (if applicable) The William Luther House, 79 Old Warren Road, retains integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, and association and is singificant on the local level. As an intact example of a Greek Revival style cape, the house meets Criterion C. As a farmstead associated first with the locally prominent Luther family, who operated several stores down the road, and next with the Buffington family, known for their contributions to life at Swansea Center, the house meets Criterion A.
ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE Describe important architectural features and evaluate in terms of other buildings within the community. The Luther House appears to be a late example of the traditional 1z-story, gabled, 5-bay, center-chimney cape constructed in Swansea as early as the mid-18th century. This intact Greek Revival house is distinguished from earlier buildings of the same type by its and /% rihdok ash clapboard facade, shingled side and rear elevations, cornerboards, and 6/6 window sash. The entry retains a vertical board door with no glazing. A rear ell and covered porch on the east side are late 19th/early 20th-century additions. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE Explain the role owners played in local or state history and how the building relates to the development of the community.
In 1848 William Luther purchased from James Luther a lot of land.A year later Susan Megus bought from William Luther "a certain lot of land with a dwelling thereon." Members of the Luther family maintained scattered farmsteads around Swansea, but were known for their early 19th-century commercial buildings clustered at Luther's Corner, one block west of this .house. The Buffington family obtained the house in 1879. Deacon Stephen Buffington, who lived to be 93, was noted for his 76-year membership in the Christian Church (located northwest of the house at Maple Avenue and the present Route 6). In 1843 and 1844, he had represented Swansea in the Legislature. Throughout his years in the community, he was noted for his famous gardens with their abundance of crops, and his beautiful baskets made by hand.
Subsequent residential development of the surroundings has reduced the house lot to its present size. The property passed to son Benjamin and then to George Buffington, both of whom had close ties to the Christian Congregational Church. George operated a blacksmith shop at Luther's Corner. After Seth Eddy built a new store at the southwest corner of the O1d Warren Road/Pearse Road intersection, George Buffington's shop was moved ca. 1871 down Old Warren Road closer to the Buffington house. The Buffingtons retained ownership of the house until 1946. BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES Fall River,Registry of Deeds for Bristol County. Buffington family records, Swansea Historical Society. 1849 map of Swansea, Swansea Public Library.
8/85 MPS Form 10-000-a (8-88) United States Department of theInterior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number Page - Swansea MRA Bwistol County, MASSACHUSETTS 21. Luther, William, House OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 1/2/90 Entered in the National Regiater 221 Norton House Entered 1n tne Natlonal Registes Date Listed Ikeoper AebusBapu 2/16/90 Attest VReeper Almuesgan 2/10/50 Attest 23. Short's Tavern Entered in the National Registes /Keeper Ailunßgun 2/10/50 224. Simcock House Attest Reeper Entered in the National Beglates AilruBgen 2f16k0 Attest 25. Smuggler's House Entered in the Weeper Fatlonal Register AeluaBgar 216/56 Attest 26. South Swansea Union Church Entered in the a toa Regtatakeopor Helmunpyar 16to Attest Swansea Willage Historic Distfifdred 1n the Hational Registes AeleuByus s/io/50 Attest 28.
Walkden Farm Entered iu the Hational Registay fukeeper AelauBya 7/1040 Attest 29.
Mason, William P., House hsteem Home orkeeper Pit Sarage 9940 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: NOMINATION PROPERTY Luther, William, House NAME: MULTIPLE Swansea MRA NAME: STATE & COUNTY: MASSACHUSETTS, Bristol DATE RECEIVED: 1/02/90 DATE OF 16TH DAY: 2/02/90 DATE OF WEEKLY LIST: REFERENCE NUMBER: 90000067 NOMINATOR: STATE REASONS FOR REVIEW: DATE OF PENDING LIST: DATE OF 45TH DAY: 2/16/90 REQUEST: N SAMPLE: COMMENT WAIVER: N LACCEPT _RETURN ABSTRACT/SUMMARY COMMENTS: N SLR DRAFT: N Entered in the RESE0T 2/10/9U DArE Bina Resioto 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 79 Old Warren Rd Swansea, MA William Wither House (MHC+B22) 790ld warreu Road swausea, Mass.
MRA 1986 ViNW NE D 12 277' 61 285' 7 2 D 21837 ROAD 100 21563 72A ii° 1572 WARREN 7367632 503' -%; 71 ..Xx*×* OLD KEY -] = house 4 = garage ixx=stone wall :12 106.2 CEDAR AVE. 26!. S1 PROPERTY MAP TOWN OF SWANSEA1961 REVISED 10/82 BRISTOL COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS JAMES W. SEWALL COMPANY OLD TOWN, MAINE SCALE IINCH = 100 FEET MHC# B22 79 OLD WARREN ROAD Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000296