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 - 2:21 exterior 1:2 summer beam and chimney girt, southeast room, first floor LIAOIL EAIUU VUKVEY JAN 2 4 1990 88 175 FORM NO. Town Melrose 017 Address255 Upham Street Historic Name Phineas Upham House ketch Map:! N - Use: Present Residence Original Residence DESCRIPTION Date _ Source ca. 1703-1740 Goss, History of Melrose (1902) Visual analysis First Period core, 2nd Period Style additions Architect Unknown Exterior Wall Fabric Clapboards Outbuildings Shed -20th c. UPHAMSTREET 255 Major Alterations (with dates) Rooms added to SW and rear, after 1725; north sto1 of roof raised, late 18th or early 19: C.; restorations, 1914, 1952.
Condition Good M REFERENCE GS QUADRANGLE ALE 19 / 331-160 / 4702-450 Boston North 1:25,000 Mored Date N/A Acreage less than one acre Setting House faces south, away from the street and diagonally to it, in contrast to its 19th and 20th c. neighbors which line the busy street. Recorded by Edie Clifford Organization Date April 1986 Boston University INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET Cammuni ty: MELROSE Form No: MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMI SSION Office of the Secretary, Boston Property Name: Phineus Upham Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. SIGNIFICANCE The Phineas Upham House retains integrity of location, design, materials, workmanship, association and feeling in the survival of a late First Period half house with late First Period and Second Period additions, fulfilling Criterion C.
Its additive form is a good example of what was probably the common fate of many original one cell houses. Presently hidden corner posts and joints may be likely to yield information important to the history of early building construction in Massachusetts Bay under Criterion D. EXTERIOR DESCRIPTION The Phineas Upham House is a 3-bay 2 1/2 story center chimney house, 2 cells deep with an off-center entrance. The clapboarded structure origi- nally consisted of a 2 story lobby-entry half house, one cell deep to the east (right) of the chimney. The house then evolved during the early 18th century to the west of the chimney with a 2 story, one cell deep addition, followed by a lean-to in the rear. the late 18th/early 19th century the north slope of the roof was raised to its present pitch.
casement windows and present placement of the windows on the south facade to the east of the door are the product of a 1952 restoration. MAJOR FIRST PERIOD FEATURES Both east and west ends of the house exhibit late First Period features, indication that the west end was added probably within the same generation as that of the right. The southeast, first story room has a 12" wide oak longitudinal summer beam with flat chamfers and four crude lamb's tongues stops. The room is c. 18' x 18'. Replaced butt-cogged joists are spaced c. 22" apart. The western (interior) wall is dominated by a brick chimney stack and fireplace, framed with an oak lintel and fronted with a 3' tile brick hearth. This fireplace has rounded back corners, an oven in the left back corner, and a herring-bone-patterned fireback. At one time closed down, the fireplace was restored during a 1914 restoration.
Exposed chimney posts with flat chamfers are visible at either end of the western wall. An exposed chimney girt also with flat chamfer runs the length of this. The plate and end girt were replaced in the 1914 restoration. In the southeast second story room the chimney posts and flat-chamfered chimney girt are visible along the western (interior) wall. This wall is dominated by a fireplace with a flat-chamfered oak lintel and measuring c. 5' 1. x 4' h. x 11/2' d. There is a 9" oak transverse summer beam with a worn/eaten chamfer: Replaced butt cogged joists are spaced c: 22" apart. Staple to Inventory form at bottom INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET Commnity: MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston MELROSE Form No: 88 Property Name: Phineus Upham House Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below.
The southwest first floor room, 18' x 12', has a restored fireplace with an 8' 1. × 4' h. x 3' d. opening and framed with a flat chamfered oak lintel. Its square- cornered back wall has a stone fireback and an oven on the right side that connects with the oven of the Hall. The hearth is composed of brick tiles. An exposed flat- chamfered chimney girt runs the length of the eastern wall. A corner post and chimney post are visible at the northwest and northeast corners of the room, respectively. An 11" wide oak longitudinal summer beam displays flat chamfers which taper off at the chimney wall. The floor of the southwest second floor room is below the lobby floor level. The outline of a rising brace joining the northwest corner post is visible beneath the plaster. The corner post at the southwest corner of the lobby entry is visible on the first and second floors.
An unused mortise exists at the upper end of the post (in the midle of the second floor section), possibly for the original second floor end- bearing timber. (An exposed girt along the western wall of the second floor of the lobby has an unused mortise and this timber may be the former end tie beam.) Timbers from the original staircase leading from the second floor to the attic are visible under the present stairs. On the northeast side of the attic, the original pine principal rafters with trenches on their backs for former common purlins are visible along with the currently used rafters. HISTORICAL INFORMATION The house was initially owned by one of Melrose's original settlers, Phineas Upham (1682-1766), and remained in the Upham Family for most of its history until it was acquired by the Melrose Historical Society, C. 1913-1940's/early 1950's. Phineas Upham moved to Melrose in 1703.
His first house, now des- troyed, stood on the same property as the present one. Local histories claim that Jpham built the present house for one of his sons, and it was known foi many years as the Amos Upham House. The eldest of these sons would not have reached 20 years of age'until 1728, and Amos, who did inherit the family homestead, and married in 1741, would not have reached this ade until 1738. Hence the estimated dates of 1703-c. 1740. REFERENCES Discussion with Mr. and Mrs. Jones, present occupants. Goss, History of Melrose (1902). Gould and Shumway, Ancient Melrose and Some Information on Its Homesteads, Families and Furnishings (1915). Corey, History of Malden (1900).
2 Staple to Inventory form at bottom NPS Form 10-000e (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number _ Page OMB Approvel No. 10240018 :/24/40 Multiple Resource Area Thematic Group Name_First Period Buildings of Eastern Massachusetts TR State Nomination/Type of Review eetot. sagusen, soraiam, souse i antered in the 102. Mason, John, House Entered in the Hational Regiater Date/Signature, Attest Keeper_ AelanByui 3/9/90 Attest 103. Meeting House of the santereParthee in Woburn Natlonal Begister keeper almtbyen 3/440 Attest >N104. Noyes--Parris Houstuostantiro Rerzon far Keeper_ Attest Berly Seurge 3/4/10 Page, Christopher, Housatered in the National Register faéper SelanaByur 314/80 Attest 106. Putnam, Rev. Daniel, Housintered in the freeper AlelousByen 34/40 National Register Attest_ SUM107.
Robbins, George, House unbstantize Berdsy Arooper, Btt Savge 3/9/20 Su1108. 109. Tenney Homestead Spaulding, Zeb, House Mibstauermn Bees Entered in the Hational Registe: Jor repor Bitfe Suje 319/00 freeper AelansAgus 319250 Attest 110.
Upham, Phineas, House Eutered in the Hational Rogister UKeeper AelwuBgun 3/9/90 Attest UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: NOMINATION PROPERTY Upham, Phineas, 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: 90000173 NOMINATOR: STATE REASONS FOR REVIEW: APPEAL: N DATA PROBLEM: N LANDSCAPE: N LESS THAN 50 YEARS: N N PDIL: REQUEST: N SAMPLE: PERIOD: PROGRAM UNAPPROVED: N SLR DRAFT: N NATIONAL: N N COMMENT WAIVER: N ACCEPT _RETURN REJECT 3/9/20 DATE Entered in the Hational Register ABSTRACT/SUMMARY COMMENTS: RECOM.
/CRITERIA REVIEWER DISCIPLINE DATE DOCUMENTATION see attached comments Y/N see attached SLR Y/N CLASSIFICAIION 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 - 255 Upham Boed, Melrose phireas Upram Hase MA Ist Periad Buldlys &f E.
Ma, TR 84:21 1985 Melrose, MA 255 Upham St. plincas Uohamtase 83:02 Ist Perid Bulllings of FEr Ma, TR 1985 141 UPHAM 129 ((4°) 36.70 (37) 1301501 530 STREET 112.0 (31) 263 133 Pt:® lQi 10: 130 3016 6,025 33.50 N TaaT MEROSE, MA PHINGAS UPHAM. HOUSE 90 255. UPHAM ST. 9371 /"= 67' 66 680 53 04 -ST. 110.00 1,2 LO Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000281