Nomination for DeRosay--McNamee House

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

NPS Form 10-900 (Rev. 8-86) 142 OMB No. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Registration Form JAN 1 6 1990 This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations of eligibility for individual properties or districts. See instructions in Guidelines for Completing National Register Forms (National Register Bulletin 16). Complete each item by marking "x" in the appropriate box or by entering the requested information. If an item does not apply to the property being documented, enter "N/A" for "not applicable." For functions, styles, materials, and areas of significance, enter only the categories and subcategories listed in the instructions. For additional space use continuation sheets (Form 10-900a). Type all entries. 1. Name of Property historic name DeRosay - McNamee House other names/site number 2.

Location street & number 50 Mt. Vernon Street city, town Cambridge state Massachusetts code county Middlesex code N/A] not for publication N/A] vicinity 017 zip code 02140 3.

Classification Ownership of Property X private public-local public-State public-Federal Category of Property LX building(s) district site structure object Number of Resources within Property Contributing Noncontributing buildings sites structures objects Totai Number of contributing resources previously listed in the National Register - 0 Name of related multiple property listing: Cambridge MRA State/Federal Agency Certification Asthe designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, 1 hereby certify that this Jrequest for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of HistoricPlaces and meets the proceduralandprofessional requirementsset forth in 36 CFR Part 60 In my opinion, the propertyp meets Idoes not meet the National Register criteria.

[] see continuation shog'ao Ssetatte HistortePreservatione Dificerr Massachusetts Historical Commission State or Federal agency and bureau In my opinion, the property does not meet the National Register criteria. See continuation sheet. Signature of commenting or other official Date State or Federal agency and bureau 5. National Park Service Certification 1, hereby, certify that this property is: entered in the National Register. See continuation sheet. determined eligible for the National Register. See continuation sheet. determined not eligible for the National Register. removed from the National Register. other, (explain:) Signature of the Keeper Date of Action DeRosay-McNamee House, Cambridge, MA 6. Function or Use Historic Functions (enter categories from instructions) Domestic / Single Dwelling Current Functions (enter categories from instructions) Domestic / Multiple Dwelling 7.

Description Architectural Classification (enter categories from instructions) Colonial Revival Materials (enter categories from instructions) foundation walls Brick Brick roof other Slate Wood, Limestone Describe present and historic physical appearance. The DeRosay-MeNamee House, Cambridge, Massachusetts, stands on the west side of Mt. Vernon Street, two houselots south of its junction with Upland Road. The house stands in a neighborhood of late nineteenth and early twentieth-century surburban houses of wood frame construction, many of which have been altered in the mid-twentieth century. The DeRosay-McNamee House is a two and one-half story brick structure that occupies a position slightly south of center on its rectangular lot.

The building is composed of a main house with an original rear ell set north of center to its west (rear) wall; orighat reat uil aee boi both sections of the house are enclosed by a steep hip roof covered with slate. Elevations are faced with pressed red brick trimmed with limestone window sills, beltcourses, and architraves (facade only). At the second story, a boxed wood cornice with evenly spaced brackets extends around all elevations. With the exception of four altered and four added windows, all windows retain original 1/1 sash. The facade (east elevation) is arranged symmetrically about a center entry flanked by two-story bow windows. The entry has a limestone architrave with egg-and-dart moldings set within which is an original oak door composed of four raised panels surmounted by an oval light framed by beaded and egg-and-dart moldings.

Directly above the main entry, at the second story, is an arched opening framed by a limestone architrave that is identical to that of the main entry. Within the arched opening are a French window (each leaf of which has a single 1ight) and a stained-glass transom. Each bow window has three windows per story; all windows retain original rolled glass set in curved rails with the exception of one lower sash at the first story and three windows at the second story of the north bow where replacement glass has been installed. At the first story, window lintels are a continuous limestone beltcourse that is composed of a frieze crowned by dentils and a bead-and-reel Second-story windows share a continuous limestone sill, while window heads are splayed brick flat arches that support a frieze, dentils, and a half-hip roof.

The center dormer contains two windows, while each of the other dormers contain a single window. The facade's porch has recently been restored to its original dimensions. It now consists of a rectangular central section that is approached by a flight [X See continuation sheet NPS Form 10-000e (6-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet DeRosay-McNamee House Cambridge, MA OMB Approvei No. 1084-0018 Section number. 1 Page of five wooden stairs and is enclosed by a flat roof. The roof is supported by clusters of three columns that rest on paneled bases at the northeast and southeast corners of the porch's central section. Each column is decorated with spiral reeding and a Corinthian capital of composition ornament.

The columns support a frieze and a cornice decorated with dentils and acanthus modillions of composition ornament. The porch's roof is surrounded by a railing of turned balusters set into paneled posts with ball finials. At the first story, the covered section of the porch is flanked by open decks that originally extended to the house's corners, were shortened around 1970, and have been re-extended (1988) to their original locations. These decks have railings of turned balusters set into paneled posts. Part of the 1988 rehabilitation included reconstruction of wooden steps at each end of the decks. is asymmetrical; ornamental details are essentially identical to those at the facade, with the exception that limestone exists only at window sills.

The basement of the main house has three windows; the center window has been blocked with wooden shingles while each of the flanking windows retains three-light sash. The first story has a single window (east) and a copper-clad oriel (west) that rises from an ornately molded base to a fluted sill course above which each face has a single window surmounted by a boeseadas one fiadow neat ach df ene bata bouae , coraera, leaded-glass windows set out of alignment to provide light to the main staircase. Above the cornice, the roof has two dormers with half-hip roofs, the details of which are identical to those at the facade. Until the 1988 rehabilitation, the south elevation of the rear ell was partially covered by a brick and concrete-block shed at the basement (ca. 1950); the shed was demolished, revealing the basement entry at the foot of a steep stairwell.

The first story of the ell has a single window and a former doorway that has been blocked with bricks, while the second story has two small windows (2/2) flanking the location of an original window that has been blocked. At the roof is a single three-light skylight. The north elevation of the main house has four windows (three-light sash) at the basement and two windows at the first story. The second story has a single window near its northeast corner, a small added window (2/2) near its center, and a copper-clad oriel near its northwest corner. The oriel is mirror image of the south elevation. The north elevation of the rear ell contains a single original window per story and a single skylight at the roof. The rear (west) elevation exists in two planes. The rear elevation of the (continued) OMB Approvel No.

1084-0018 NPS Form 10-0004 (B-06) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet DeRosay-McNamee House Cambridge, MA Section number Page. main house is exposed on either side of the rear ell; this elevation has one window per story at the north side of the ell. The rear elevation of the ell has three basement windows that asymmetrically flank a concrete-block stoop. At the first story, three original windows flank a doorway that contains a wooden door of three recessed panels surmounted by a rectangular light. The doorway is sheltered from weather by an added shed roof supported by iron columns. The second story has two original windows (north) and one added window (2/1) south; the roof has a single three-light skylight. The house's interior possesses an unusual floorplan that is laid out about a central chimney.

As originally designed, the first story of the main house consisted of an entry vestibule and stairhall (southeast) that connected by double doors to a double parlor (north) and either a dining room or additional parlor (southwest). Although the double doorways have been reduced to single doors, original finishes remain in the form of a paneled oak wainscot, paneled oak doors, and fluted door cases in the entry vestibule; parquet flooring with a geometric border, and an elaborate mantel and over mantel with neo-Classical composition ornament in the north parlor; fluted newels with carved foliate caps in the stairhall; an elaborately paneled window seat and an angled fireplace with an oak mantelpiece, leaded glass cupboards and an inglenook seat in the southeast room.

Original baseboards, architraves, five-panel doors, and moulded window cases exist throughout the first and second stories. Similar high-quality ornamental detail remains at the second story's northwest room, which has a paneled windowseat in its oriel and a wooden mantelpiece with applied ornament. Interior rehabilitation affected only hallways. Later finishes such as plywood paneling and carpeting were removed and original finishes were repaired and restored. No subdivision occurred at the time of the recent rehabilitation, although some modifications to the original floor plan had been made in the mid 20th century. The formal spaces of the first story remain unaltered. (continued) NP8 Form 10-900- (8-96) OMB Approvel No.

1084-0018 United States Department of the Interior NationalPark Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet DeRosay-McNamee House Cambridge, MA Section number- Page 3 ARCHAEOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION While no prehistoric sites are currently recorded on the property, it is possible that sites are present. One known prehistoric site has been recorded in the general area (within one mile). In general, however, the potential for prehistoric sites seems low since location characteristics of the property are not especially favorable for native settlement and subsistence activities and because extensive 19th and 20th century development has occurred on the small lot and in the surrounding area. Extensive historic period development also limits the potential for significant historic period remains on the property.

This locale was used as common land after 1638 and was part of the Prentice Farm after 1775 until the area was subdivided into streets and lots in ca. 1847. While structural remains and occupational related features (trash areas, wells) related to agricultural use of the land may have been present, extensive historic period development during the late 19th and 20th century and resulting subsurface disturbances indicate a low potential for significant archaeological recoveries. (end) Derosay-McNamee House, Cambridge, MA 8. Statement of Significance

Statement of significance

Certifying official has considered the significance of this property in relation to other properties: nationally statewide X locally Applicable National Register Criteria XA B D Criteria Considerations (Exceptions) B C D E G Areas of Significance (enter categories from instructions) Architecture Community Planning and Development Period of Significance 1895-1907 Significant Dates Cultural Affiliation Clarke, William E. Significant Person Architect/Builder State significance of property, and justify criteria, criteria considerations, and areas and periods of significance noted above. The DeRosay-McNamee House, Cambridge, Massachusetts, possesses integrity of design, materials, setting, workmanship, and historical associations with the late nineteenth-century development of the Avon Hill section of Cambridge.

It meets Criteria A and C of the National Register of Historic Places at the Local level. The house is significant as a well-preserved, high-quality example of the Colonial Revival style on a street which has suffered considerable unsympathetic alteration. Constructed in 1895-1896, the DeRosay-McNamee House exemplifies the last phase of development of the Avon Hill area into a district of substantial dwellings built in the popular styles of the 1860s through the turn of the century. Mt. Vernon Street is located in the Avon Hill section of Cambridge, an area bounded by Massachusetts Avenue, Upland Road, and Linnaean and Raymond Streets. Less than a mile from Harvard Square, most of Avon Hill was part of the New West fields, divided into individually held lots in 1638, while the land now occupied by Mt. Vernon Street remained as Common Land. By 1775 land including Mt.

Vernon Street, parts of Upland Road, Massachusetts Avenue, and Arlington Street was part of the Prentice Farm. The Avon Hil1 area was gradually subdivided with plans for streets (including Mt. Vernon) and division of lots as early as 1847, with house construction beginning in the late 1860s. The development of the area occurred in two phases, the first ending with the economic slump of the early 1870s, and the second beginning in the early 1880s. The Avon H1l1 area is characterized by high-style houses set on landscaped suburban lots. Excellent examples exist in the Mansard, Queen Anne, Shingle, and Colonial Revival styles. Within the general Avon Hil1 area, Mt. Vernon, Arlington, and Walnut Streets are somewhat distinct geographically, being located at the northeast corner oriented toward Massachusetts Avenue and its horsecar and trolley line. Construction activity began on Mt.

Vernon Street in 1883, when the heirs of * See continuation sheet 9.

The rest of the file

Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.

Major Bibliographical References Previous documentation on file (NPS): X preliminary determination of individual listing (36 CFR 67) has been requested HPCA #11044 MA previously listed in the National Register previously determined eligible by the National Register designated a National Historic Landmark recorded by Historic American Buildings Survey # recorded by Historic American Engineering Record # 10. Geographical Data Acreage of property less than one acre UTM References A [19] 325320 Zone Easting CL 14,6|9,4 7,6,0 Northing X See continuation sheet Primary location of additional data: [X State historic preservation office Other State agency Federal agency Local government University Other Specify repository: Massachusetts Historical Commission D See continuation sheet Verbai Boundary Description The nominated property is lot 4 of Cambridge Assessors' Map 177.

See continuation sheet Boundary Justification The boundary includes the entire city lot that has historically been associated with the DeRosay and McNamee families. See continuation sheet 11. Form Prepared By name/title_Kim W. Brengle & Brianpfeiffer w/ Betsy Frieberg, NR Director organization_Massachusetts Historical Commission September 1988 street & number 80 Boylston Street city or town Boston telephone state - 617-727-8470 MA _ zip code 02116 OMB Approvel No. 1084-0016 NPS Form 10-0004 (8-06) UnitedStates Department oftheInterior NationalPark Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet DeRosay-McNamee House Cambridge, MA Section number. Page - the Whitney family sold the remaining lands associated with the former Prentice farm, including Mt. Vernon Street.

Among the substantial, handsome houses built in this area, the DeRosay-McNamee House is more architecturally distinguished than its neighbors, unusual for the use of brick in a neighborhood dominated by wood-frame houses, and retains integrity lost by the majority of nearby houses. According to the Cambridge Historical Commission's Survey, Report 4 (p. 52): A revealing comparison is furnished by Mt. Vernon Street, where the houses though originally somewhat larger and finer, are less well preserved and have been subdivided into smaller living units....Highly detrimental to this street was the demolition of the large houses on the Massachusetts Avenue corners. has been thrown open to the traffic of the avenue and of Porter Square and, as a result, this end of Mt. Vernon Street is now little more than an extension of the Sears parking lot.

Construction of the DeRosay-McNamee House began in August of 1895 when D. Warren DeRosay filed a building permit for the construction of a three-story brick dwelling designed by William E. Clarke. Cambridge Engineers' Field Reportsindicate that the housewas substantially complete by August 13, 1896, when its dimensions and placement on its lot were confirmed by field measurement; at approximately the same time, the house was shown as a drawn illustration in the Cambridge Chronicle's Semi-Centennial Edition (1896). Biographical information regarding the house's architect is scant; Clarke maintained an office in Cambridge in the 1880s and 1890s, a period from which twelve residential commissions are known. After 1900, Clarke moved his office to Boston. Between 1896 and 1897, the house was occupied by D. Warren DeRosay, a local brick manufacturer.

DeRosay was the son of Lewis (also given as Louis) DeRosay, a French Canadian immigrant, who came to Cambridge by 1856 when he occupied a cottage in North Cambridge near the Bay State Brickyards where he worked. In 1881, the elder DeRosay became one of several brick manufacturers in Cambridge by the purchase of an existing brickyard on Sherman Street (then Dublin Street) slightly northwest of Mt. Vernon Street. In 1886, D. Warren DeRosay was admitted to the family business, in which he was a partner until 1890 when he sold his interest and moved to Grand Rivers, Kentucky. There he established the Grand Rivers Brick and Tile Company. By September 1890, DeRosay had sold his interest in the Kentucky firm and returned to Cambridge where he purchased his father's business in January 1891.

In 1891, DeRosay modernized production in his brickyard and became the first local brickmaker to use mechanical dryers, thereby eliminating dependence upon sun drying and allowing production to take place all year, rather than the six months per year that had been customary. Under DeRosay's ownership, annual production (continued) NPS Porm 10-800- (8-46) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet OMB A a No. 1084-0010 DeRosay-McNamee House Cambridge, MA Section number. Page - increased to twelve million bricks, which were used for diverse purposes ranging from sewer construction in Cambridge to major public buildings such as the Suffolk County Courthouse and, probably, DeRosay's own house. Around 1900, DeRosay's company was one of many purchased by a newly formed conglomerate, the New England Brick Company.

DeRosay remained as a superintendant for the new company until 1901; after 1903, DeRosay left Cambridge. After 1899, the house was owned and occupied by John H. H. McNamee, a bookbinder, who had conducted his business in Harvard Square during the late nineteenth century. In addition to his bookbinding business, McNamee acquired extensive real estate in Harvard Square, including a block bounded by Brattle, Boylston, and Mt. Auburn Streets where he operated a bookbindery and developed a large row of stores and offices. In 1902 and 1903, McNamee served as the Mayor of Cambridge. After 1907, McNamee turned his business over to his son and, apparently, moved from Cambridge. Subsequently during the early twentieth century, the DeRosay-McNamee House was owned and occupied by Enoch Beane, an attorney, and later was converted to apartments, a use which has continued to the present.

Built of pressed red brick and trimmed with dressed and carved limestone, the DeRosay-McNamee House is significant for its well-preserved Colonial Revival design. Elements such as the building's masonry construction, symmetrical facade with bowed windows, entry porch with reeded columns and neo-Classical composition ornament, and slate-covered hip roof with pedimented dormers mark the building as the most architecturally ambitious house in its neighborhood. Other high-quality features include two copper-clad oriel windows with embossed ornament, leaded-glass windows at the stairhall (south elevation) and former second-story hallway (facade, center bay), and a paneled oak front door with its original ornate hardware. Somewhat more eclectic than the exterior, the house's interior combines elements of both the Queen Anne and Colonial Revival styles.

The interior is laid out around a central chimney rather than a center hallway as is implied by its symmetrical facade. Elements such as the angled fireplace with an inglenook seat and leaded-glass cupboards (southwest room at second story) and foliate carved newel posts of the main staircase are derived from the Queen Anne style, while elements such as the raised paneling of the entry vestibule and the ornate mantelpiece of the northwest parlor are more thoroughly Colonial Revival in style. In addition to its architectural features, the house occupies a suburban lot what retains elements of original landscaping in its stone retaining wall along Mt. Vernon Street, dressed limestone steps at the main entry, and brick paths leading to the main and rear entries.

(end) NPS Porm 10-800e 18-00 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number - Page- DeRosay - McNamee House Cambridge, MA Bromley, G.W. Atlases of Cambridge: 1894, 1903 and 1916, Philadelphia. Cambridge Chronicle - "Semi-Centennial Souvenir of Cambridge, Massachusetts", 1896, PP 99 and 127. Cambridge City Directories 1889-1910. Cambridge Sentinel, May 1904 - McNamee Building in Harvard Square. Sanborn Atlas of Cambridge: 1935 with updates to 1961. Sources located at the Cambridge Historical Commission: Architects File - William E. Clarke. Engineers' Field Report (manuscript) - Book 35, page 105 - "Sundry Measurements - August 13, 1896". Research Sheet - Building Permit #5443, August 8, 1895. Cambridge Historical Commission. Survey of Architectural History in Cambridge. Report 4: 01d Cambridge. 1973.

MIT Press, Cambridge. N UPLAND 5590 (4409) (Z264)1210) Nº52 3987 (564) (92.95) 35.31 (24-62) 6.e- (42.515) (67.51) Nº 6 7 86 (3979) (126.73) 62 (15) (27.88)= Nº3 6439 NOA 1409 (2870) Nº68 443% (5573) 10. - (93-0) NATIONAL REGISTER NOMINATION DEROSAY- MCNAMEE HOUSE "50. MT VERNON ST. EAMBRIDGE CAMERDGE ASESORS MAP ITY Scate, 1"=40. (136.00) 75 124 65 58.30) (500) Nº21 2429 (8.0) Nº62 6318 TL.1 Nº63 6567 (5840)k= vot9 12742 15025 NOLA 5220 (8756) 0445) Nº43 8256 (a6:l) A5 MT.

VERNON (8515) N.05 18615 WOG: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: NOMINATION PROPERTY DeRosay--McNamee House NAME: MULTIPLE NAME : Cambridge MRA STATE & COUNTY: MASSACHUSETTS, Middlesex DATE RECEIVED: DATE OF 16TH DAY: DATE OF WEEKLY LIST: 1/16/90 2/17/90 DATE OF PENDING LIST: 2/01/90 DATE OF 45TH DAY: 3/02/90 REFERENCE NUMBER: 90000142 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 XACCEPE RETURN ABSTRACT/SUMMARY COMMENTS: REJECT 3/2/90 DATE an eypper mnidale class residertial. alse assoriated with severalProninent residente indicative of the reighborhioda statee sacthough mone ttealy pignificant. RECOM.

/CRITERIA Accet axC REVIEWER DOCUMENTATION see attached comments X/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 PROBLEM DESCRIPTION SHEET State Name MA Resource Name DeRosay-MeNanel House Data Collector's Surname Federal Register List Reference No.

/ 90-142 Ccounty Name Middlesex Today's Date//<57_20 Cert. Date Describe Problem: Architect - William E. Clarte Lignificant Date - 1895 Team Leader Problem Team Date / / Date N R Staff Date / Form WASO - 6 03/27/85 De Rosay Mc Namee House 50 Mount Vernon St Cambridge, MA Photographer Kim Withers Breigle Date: September 23,1988 Negative on file at : Northfields Preservation Associates 10 Barr St Photo #1 of 4 Salem, MA 01970 View of facade (east elevation) w/ photographer Facing W. De Rosay - Mc Namee House 50 Mt. Vernon St Cambridge, MA Photograpter: Kim Withers Brengle Date: Sepember 23,1928 Negative on file at:Northfields Preservation Associates 10 Barr St Salem, MA 01970 Photo #2 <4 View of Rear (W) and Selevations, phatographer facing NE. DeRosay- McNamee House 50 Mt. Vernon St.

Cam bridge, Mt Photographer : Kim Withers Brengle Date: September 23,1988 Negative onfile: North felds Preservation Associates 10 Barr St Saem, MA 01970 Photo #3 of 4 View of Nelevation. facing SE. DeRosay- Mc Namee House 50 Mt. Vernon St. Cambridge, MA Photographer: Kim Withers Brengle Ddle: September 23, 1988 Negative onfile at: Norinfelds Precervatio, Associates 10 Bars St. Salem, MA Ploto #4 0f4 View of Nelevation facin, SW. JÁN 1 6 1990 *COMMISSIONA December 29, 1989 Carol Shul1 National Register of Historic Places Department of the Interior National Park Service P.O. Box 37127 Washington, DC 20013-7127 Dear Ms. Shull: Enclosed please find the following nomination: DeRosay - McNamee House (HPCA # 11044 MA), 50 Mt. Vernon Street, Cambridge (Middlesex County), Massachusetts, 02140.

The nomination has been voted eligible by the State Review Board and has been signed by the State Historic Preservation Officer. Owners were notified of pending State Review Board consideration 30-75 days before the meeting and were afforded the opportunity to comment. Comments received to date are attached to the nomination form. Jat Anne E. Tait Acting National Register Director Massachusetts Historical Commission Enclosure: Massachusetts Historical Commission, Valerie A. Talmage, Executive Director, State Historic Preservation Officer 80 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02116 (617) 727-8470 Office of the Secretary of State, Michael J. Connolly, Secretary