BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
JAN 6 3 1000 FORM NO. TASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 30 BOYLSTON STREET BOSTON, MA 02116 Photos 21:9 attic 36 Town Ipswich 009 21:12 right-hand chamber Address 37 Argilla Road 21:13 left-hand room Historic Name Giddings-Burnham Houst 21:14 detail, summer bean, left-hand room 21:16 detail, summer tie beam at south wall, right-hand chamber Use: Present Residence 21:20 recessed joints, laid flatwise, cellar Original DESCRIPTION Residence 21:21 south and west facades Date 21:22 south and east facades Source Styie ca. 1680-1690 A.L. Cummings research and stvlistic analysis First Period core, Second Pericd exterior Architect Unknown ketch Map: Exterior Wall Fabric Clapboards Outbuildings garage - 20th c. - -South Main st.. xx xX4Argilla Rá. - Linden St.
Y REFERENCE 3S QUADRANGLE ALE- Z E N 19 / 349-900 / 4725-970 Ipswich 1:25,000 Major Alterations (with cates) Lear-:o raised to 2 stories, ca. 1884 Condition Good Moved NO Date N/A Acreage 8.35 acres Setting rural: suburban street of houses of mixed date set back fIom street, facing south Recorded by Anne Grady Orçanization June 1986 Boston University Late INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston Commmity : IPSWICH Form No: 36 Property Name: House Giddings-Burnham Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. SIGNIFICANCE The Giddings-Burnham house retains integrity of location, design, workmanship, materials and setting in its First Period structure which embodies distinctive characteristics of form and construction eligible under Criterion C.
The house is representative of First Period construction in the last quarter of the 17th century in beam chamfering, joist spacing, and framing system. However, the house incorporates certain conservative features which link the house to carpentry practices in the earliest years of settlement. These features are the wattle and daub wall fill, the use of flat-wise joists in the cellar and the two story studs in the north wall. Cummings argues that the conservative features are present for two reasons. There was an earlier house on the site from which material was salvaged, and the presumed builder of the present house, Carpenter Thomas Burnham, was an elderly man by the time the house was built. George Giddings, who was granted the land in 1635, sold the property with dwelling house to Thomas Burnham in 1667.
Burnham was sixty-two in 1680, the earliest date Cummings felt the house could have been built on the basis of style. In using wattle and daub, a wallfill method which had pretty well passed out of common use by the 1680s [2], and survives today in only one other example (Fairbanks House), Burnham may have been clinging to construction methods learned in his youth. Familiarity with or preference for traditional methods may have predisposed Burnham to salvage and use the flatwise joists in the cellar and two story studs in the north wall. Flatwise joists, being superseded in England by depthwise joists when the first settlers arrived, survive in only one other known location in Massachusetts, the Fairbanks House of 1637. The tusk tenons of these joists are likewise a conservative feature.
The use of two story studs occurs in some of the earliest surviving houses, although very occasionally also in later houses. The 2 story studs in the Burnham house may have been part of the earlier house. Their redundant use along with one story studs in .the present house is not readily explainable. The possibility exists that carpenter Burnham built the two 17th century houses on Heartbreak Road. They are close geographically, Thomas Burnham was the father of James Burnham, owner of the house at 37 Heartbreak Road, and the Giddings-Burnham shares with the Low a rather distinctive collar beam configuration. The potential for comparative study with the two Heartbreak Road houses, should their concealed features be uncovered, adds to the importance of the Burnham house.
-1- Staple to Inventory form at bottom INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET Conmumity: IPSWICH Form No: 36 MASSACHUSETTS HISTORI CAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston Giddings-Burnham Property Name: House Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. EXTERIOR DESCRIPTION The Giddings-Burnham house is 5 bays wide, one room deep, and 2 1/2 stories in height with a rear lean-to and a 1977 gambrel roofed addition to the left side. The house was built as a double cell, central chimney structure c. 1680-1690, and has history of several rear additions, possibly there was at first a lean-to. Then c. 1730 a gambrel roofed one story ell was built. The ell was later raised to two stories and in the 1930s was remodelled to the present lean-to with full dormer. The clapboarded exterior is First Period in appearance except for the sash windows.
The windows are atypically arranged on the facade, with four windows on first floor and three above. There is a hewn overhang on the facade and sides, and a second overhang at the gable ends. The roof pitch is relatively steep. Small consoles at the overhang on the facade appear to be a restoration feature. The pilastered central chimney is a reconstruction made during restoration of the house in 1935. MAJOR FIRST PERIOD FEATURES First Period features are visible in all four rooms and the cellar. Other important features now enclosed in the walls which were discovered during the 1977 work will also be described. In the left-hand room, 18 feet deep by 15 1/2 feet wide, the longitudinal summer beam has quarter-round chamfers, flat collars and lamb's tongue stops.
Joists, spaced 19 1/2 to 20 1/2 inches on centers, are framed into the summer beam with bare faced soffit Exposed framing in the room including the joists is of except for the summer beam which is made of another wood, possibly tamarack. When the west wall of the left-hand room was opened in 1977, wattle and daub wall filling was discovered. The wattles, pieces of oak 1 t 2 inches wide and shaped to something of a point at each end, "are sprung into notches in the studs." [1] Clay and straw pressed between and behind the wattles. Opening up the west end of the north wall in 1977 revealed two sets of studs. One set is composed of 2" x 3" studs, a single story in length, which are mortised into the frame and run from sill to girt and from girt to plate. The second set which is redundant, is composed of studs 2 stories in height which are lapped and pegged to the girt.
Possibly the second set of studs is related to the George Giddings house built perhaps as early as 1635 and formerly on the The right-hand room, of dimensions identical to the left room, has similar framing features, including a possible tamarack longitudinal summr beam with quarter round chamfers, flat collars and lamb's tongue stops.. -2- Staple to Inventory form at bottom INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET MASSACHUSETTS HISTORI CAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston Community: IPSWICH Form No: 36 Property Name: House Giddings-Burnnam Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. The stairs are enclosed in vertical feather-edged sheathing. Most of the sheathing appears to date from the restoration of the house in 1935. The left- and right-hand chambers have c.
12 inch wide summer tie beams with quarter round chamfers with flat collars and lamb's tongue stops. Framing in the attic is of principal rafters and common purlins. There are mortised collar beams. The collar beams are relatively small members placed quite high up on the rafters. (Note: collar beams in the nearby Low House are similar). Framing in the cellar consists, according to Cummings, of material salvaged from the earlier house on the site: Ihere are longitudinal spanning beams with broad, flat chamfers. Joists laid flat wise are framed into the spanning beams with tusk tenons. Another feature of the cellar is the positioning of a joist at the inner edge of the foundation and filling the space between the sill and joist with a clay and shell mixture. LATER SIGNIFICANT FEATURES Finishes in the house include vertical board sheathing and some two panel doors.
Because William Sumner Appleton visited the house in 1914 and found most of the original finish removed, we can assume that the current finishes date from the 1935 restoration. Appleton did find an oak wainscot door of sunken panels and shadow molded stiles and rails in a reused position in the house and acquired it for SPNEA's architectural museum. The door, characteristic of English work of the period, is assumed to come from the earlier house on the site. REFERENCES 1. A. L. Cummings, Framed Houses of Massachusetts Bay, 1625-1725, Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1979:139-140 2. David Mclaren Hort, Report, George Giddings House, 1978 for Mr. Mrs. Norton Sloan. 3. Cummings, Massachusetts and Its First Period Houses. Publication of the Colonial Society in Massachusetts 51:148-149.
-3- Staple to Inventory form at bottom - (ops rorm 10-800% United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number Page - OMB Approvel No. 1024-0018 1/24/90 Multiple Resource Area Thematic Group Name State First Period Buildings of Eastern Massachusetts TR Nomination/Type of Review Date/Signature Entered in the 21. Foster, Stephen, House Bactoa Raiotor J'Keopor DelmuAzustako Attest 5142. Boster, VI1l1an, House Ruostantara Borian Soeeper Beth Sawzge Y1/ Attest Eatered in the 23. Fowler, Rea Putnam, House at1osad Bog1stox/keeper NelareaBgen 3/4/20 Attest 24. French--Andrews House Entered in the Het1onal Registery AelaretAgun 3/9/20 Attest 3u125. Friend, James, House Subatantira Beriew Jr Keeper Entered in the Attest Saoge 741 26. Frye, Samuel, House Hat1onad Bagtator Akbeper AelaneBgu 3/4/40 Attest jM27.
Fuller, Joseph, House Autatruters Bortea forkeeper Bath f. Sovase 90 28. Fuller, Lieut. Thomas, House Entered in tne Mataonal RoelsterJkeeper Aleloreyunt4/re Attest 29. Gildlinge, George, House and Barn gatored in the trteper deluresSguw 3/010 National Register Attest I30.Giddings--Burnham House Subatantiva Bertus Sokeeper Attest fith.Sevase 31400 NP8 Form 10900a Nettonl Paro Ooriorment of he lnteror National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number Page _ SUPPLEMENTARY LISTING RECORD NRIS Reference Number: 90000233 Date Listed: 03/09/90 Giddings--Burnham House - Essex Property Name County First Period Buildings of Eastern Massachusetts TR Multiple Name OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 MA state the following exceptions, in the nomination documentation. Bauy.
Savse frsignature of the keoper ===================== Amended Items in Nomination: 03/09/90 Date of Action Geographical Data: VBD The handwritten scale on the sketch map supersedes the typed or printed one: the handwritten scale is the appropriate scale for the reduced map. This information has been confirmed with Ann Tait, MASHPO, by telephone. DISTRIBUTION: National Register property file Nominating Authority (without attachment) NITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIO] IATIONAL PARK SERVIC.
NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: NOMINATION PROPERTY Giddings--Burnham House NAME: MULTIPLE First Period Buildings of Eastern Massachusetts TR NAME: STATE & COUNTY: MASSACHUSETTS, Essex 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: 90000233 NOMINATOR: STATE REASONS FOR REVIEW: REQUEST: N SAMPLE: COMMENT WAIVER: N ACCEPT _RETURN ABSTRACT/SUMMARY COMMENTS: PROGRAM UNAPPROVED: N SLR DRAFT: Y NATIONAL: REJECT 3/4/9U DATE N N N RECOM.
/CRITERIA Accept C REVIEWER DASCIPLINE Arclitetunl History DATE 3/9/90 DOCUMENTATION see attached commentsYDsee attached SIRDN CLASSIFICATION count resource type STATE/FEDERAL AGENCY CERTIFICATION FUNCTION historic DESCRIPTION current 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 37 Argull Ipsurch, " Giddirp-Bunke Sautht ures fac 1985 Ist peicd Bulchys al l Ma, TR Tiddungp-Burnha 37 Arpulla Ra Ipsivil ExterIr 1985 Ist perid Beldigs of E Ma, M Ipsuch, MA addirgs-Benhern thuse 37 Argilla Road attc 1985 Ist Porec Bldigsal Fe.
Ma, TR IpswIch. TA Giddings- BenhamHouse 37 Angilla Read Ceft hand room 1985 Ist Poral Buldipo o E. Ma., TR Ipswch, IA Grddirs-Burnhan Huse 37 Angilla Road rigat hoend chember Ist Porcd Buldliys of E. Ma., T Ipswrch, TA Giddrgs-BurnhamHhuse 37 Argilla Road detall-sumnerte 1485 Ist porid Buldiys df E. Ma, TR Ipswich, MA Giddinp-Burnhen Hhuse 37 Argilla Road detul-sunner 37 Argl Ist porid Buldiysd E Ma, TR Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000281