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 Photos 13:3 east chamber 13:7 detail, summer beam and end girt, west chamber south facade 13:9 14:26 attic CIRSI FERIOD DURVEY JAN & 4 1990 FORM NO. 102 Town 017 Lexingten Address 1303 Massachusetts Ave. Historic Name John Mason House Sketch Map: MASS. Haliou Lane X Use: Present Residence Original DESCRIPTION Residence Date ca.
1715 Source visual analysis Style Ist Period core/Federal verniac- ular exterior Architect_ Unknown Exterior Wall FabricClapboards Outbuildings None Major Alterations (with dates) Lean-to added, its roof raised, ell addition to the right side, extended several times, dates unknown Condition Good UTM REFERENCE 19 / 317-830 / 4700-930 USGS QUADRANGLE Lexington SCALE 1:25,000 Moved No Date N/ A Acreage = Setting -3.7 acres Suburban setting of well- spaced houses; open land of Seasons Four greenhouse and great meadow to the rear - condos to the west Recorded by Organization Date _ Anne Grady Boston University October 1985 INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston Camunity : LEXINGTON Form No: 102 Property Name: John Mason House Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below.
SIGNIFICANCE The John Mason House has integrity of location, design, materials, and workmanship in its later First Period frame which embodies distinctive characteristics of form and construction eligible under Criterion C. The Mason House is one of four early 18th century houses in Lexington with guirk-beaded frames. In this house and in the Buckman Tavern (c. 1709), the bead is exceptionally wide at one inch. The Mason house may be part of a transitional pattern noted in other houses surveyed, where horizontal beams are quirk-beaded, but vertical posts are meagrely chamfered, or plain, perhaps because the posts were intended to be boxed from the beginning. The Mason house has an all principal rafter roof, a late First Period framing variant found primarily in Middlesex County.
At least one other house surveyed with principal rafter roof also has the relatively rare longitudinal summer beams on the second floor. Further study of framing techniques in these Middlesex County houses with principal rafter roofs is likely to yield important information about the origins and rationale behind these rare framing alternatives. EXTERIOR DESCRIPTION The John Mason house is a two and one half story structure with two story lean-to in the rear and a long ell, added in several building campaigns to the right-hand end. The original house, (the front left-hand portion of the current house,) is a structure of modest scale, three bays wide and one bay deep, asymmetrical in plan. Ihe clapboarded structure has Greek Revival vernacular exterior trim, a 20th century open porch at the center entrance, and two chimneys on the rear slope.
The chimneys replaced an earlier the early 19th century. central chimney in MAJOR FIRST PERIOD FEATURES : Evidence of First Period construction is found in the southeast room and in the southeast and southwest chambers. In the southeast room, only the east end girt is exposed. It has an inch-wide quirked bead. In the southeast and southwest chambers, the front and rear plates, the end and chimney girts and the longitudinal summer beams are all decorated. with an inch wide quirked bead. Posts exposed in the rooms are boxed, but in . a closet, one flared post displays a flat chamfer. -1- Staple to Inventory form at botton INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston Canmmity : LEXINGTON Form No: 102 Property Name: Jonn Mason House Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued belor.
the roof framing is composed of thirteen sawn principal rafters approximately 3 inches square, spaced 32 to 35 inches The rafters are bridle jointed and pegged at the ridge. There is no ridge piece, and no purlins. The feet of the rafters above the four tie beams (two end tie beams and only two intermediate tie beams tlanking the central bay) are framed into the tie beams. How other rafters are attached to the plates was not determined. Rafters at the center of the rear slope are slightly different in character, suggesting that they may have been installed after the central chimney was removed and replaced by rear chimneys. HISTORICAL INFORMATION John Mason owned the site of this house by 1706, but the deed was not recorded until 1714, a likely time, on the basis of style, for this house to have been built.
John Mason was a prominent early citizen of Lexington, which until 1713 was called Cambridge Farms. He served. as constable, town clerk and selectman at various times in the early years of the town's history. REFERENCES Joan Webber, Study of the John Mason House, unpublished paper, Lexington Historical Society. -2- Staple to Inventory form at bottom NPS Fom 100000 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number - Page OMB Aoprovel No. 1024-0018 -/24/50 Multiple Resource Area Thematic Group Name_First Period Buildings of Eastern Massachusetts IR State Nomination/Type of Review Jaquith, Abraham, House 102. Mason, John, House Date/Signature Intered 1n the soe elte opor SelouDyeu 3/4/91 Entered 1n the Attest National Reglatax. Keeper_ AelumByui 3/9/50 Attest 03.
Meeting House of the Sécond Parish, in Woburn intere National Begister Reeper_ Oeluuabbyen 3/440 Attest >CN104. Noyes--Parris Houstwstantira Borton Je koopor fell K Seurge 3/4/10 Page, Christopher, Hougetered 1n tha Hational Register faéper SelareaDyu 3/4/80 Attest 106. Putnam, Rev. Daniel, Housintered 1n the fraeper AlelousByun 34190 National Register Attest SLM107. Robbins, George, House unbstantize BerAsy Aeoper B2t6f Sauge 3/7/10 su1108. 109. Tenney Homestead Spaulding, Zeb, House miostadervn Tors *Entered in the #ational Registe: Jar kopor fetfe Sease 314/30 Jxeeper AelanAga 319250 Attest 110.
Upham, Phineas, House Eatored 1n the Hational Register OKeeper Aluußyua 3/9/20 Attest UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: NOMINATION PROPERTY Mason, John, House NAME: MULTIPLE First Period buildings of Eastern Massachusetts TR NAME: STATE & COUNTY: MASSACHUSETTS, Middlesex DATE RECEIVED: 1/24/90 DATE OF 16TH DAY: 2/23/90 DATE OF PENDING LIST: 2/07/90 DATE OF 45TH DAY: 3/10/90 DATE OF WEEKLY LIST: REFERENCE NUMBER: 90000172 NOMINATOR: STATE REASONS FOR REVIEW: APPEAL: N DATA PROBLEM: N LANDSCAPE: N LESS THAN 50 YEARS: N PERIOD: PROGRAM UNAPPROVED: N REQUEST: N SAMPLE: N SLR DRAFT: N NATIONAL: N COMMENT WAIVER: N CACCEPT RETURN REJECT 3/9/22 DATE Entered in the Hational Registes ABSTRACT/SUMMARY COMMENTS: RECOM./CRITERIA REVIEWER DISCIPLINE DATE DOCUMENTATION see attached comments ./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 USGS maps _photographs _sketch maps OTHER COMMENTS Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to Phone _presentation Signed Date - Lereugiton, mt 103 mass@ chusels, Ave Jalm Maorn Hrase Ist Doiid Buddlys 9 E.
Ma, TR 1985 13:03 1303 massachusetts Ave" Lexington, ma Joln mason House. 13:09 Ist Pored BuldhysqR. Ma, TR 1985 rekingiton, 1303 massadusetts Ave. Joln Mason House 14:26 Iot Periil Buldlys of E. Ma,TR 1985 Lexington, MA 1303 Massachusetto Are. John Mason House. peral Ist Buldlngs of E. Ma., MN 13:07 /985 50- 13,166 252.6 PT'A- 150' 340' 34,235 PT'A- 3211 1332 IAVERN 1341 155/ 26,000 HOLL 76A 148,847 93.98 AVENUE 68.46 120.00 1314 T6665 102.56 27,224 30 156.53 129.31 15.600 126.70 119.00 17,926 1030 ANE xos- 14,811 136.4' 24A 146.47 ;706 6 17.044 159.1 84.6' 19,600 124.6 120=1 207. afü. 19,098 115 12 154/ 14,3.30 140.2' 193' 11 ROAD 8 190.9' (PUBLIC WAR 36,440 204.8' AND PUELIC wAl 1310 141.9' 20,200 9 148.8' 18,680 158.8' 176.8° 13 8:5' 25,000 1308 45.5' 590.
MUNROE FOUR SEA N SON S URSEBT 133° 899.53 MAINE 202.5' 1° 22,600 195.2' 40'R/W 82 26,400 230' RAILROAD PuBL Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000281