BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
FIRST PERIOD SURVEY FORM B - BUILD ING MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 80 BOYLSTON STREET BOSTON, MA 02116 Photos 27:26 facade 27:22 summer tie joining rear plate (27:24 detail, second floor rear plate) 27:15 attic, looking west 27:18 west end of attic, detail: stud lapped behind collar beam Sketch Map: ! JAN 2 4 1990 FORM NO. 60 262 Town Topsfield 009 Address 109 North Street Historic Name Stephen Foster House aka Greenwood Kennels Use: Present Residence and Kennel Original Residence DESCRIPTION Date Source ca. 1680-1700 Visual analysis Style First Period Architect. None Exterior Wall Fabric Clapboards Outbuildings Barn and two sheds - 20th-c. all in disrepair Major Alterations (with dates) Chimney bay rebuilt at attic, 19th cen.: ell added right rear, date unknown.
Condition Good North + Acace Heaking Moved Acreage Setting No Date less than one acre, part of a single parcel of 27.01 acres Rural, isolated, amid farm fields set back from road - no surrounding buildings office park and Rt. lA nearby. Z UTM REFERENCE 19/341-490/4724-630 JSGS QUADRANGLE SCALE Georgetown 1:25,000 (now Ipswich) Recorded by Organization Date Anne Grady Boston University October, 1985 INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET Community : MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston TOPSFIELD Form No: 60 Property Name: Stephen Foster House Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. SIGNIFICANCE The Stephen Foster House has integrity of design, materials, workmanship, and setting in its First Period frame, which embodies distinctive characteristics of form and construction under Criterion C.
Its single cell, two story plan is typical of a larger number of First Period houses. The house is unusual in that it retains on the exterior the First Period single cell massing usually obscured by later additions. The retention of a branch on the rear plate to serve as a brace is an unusual example oi vernacular carpentry practice. While related to the occasional use by First Period carpenters of ships' knees to strengthen the frame, the branch brace represents the inventive solution of a single carpenter. EXTERIOR DESCRIPTION The Stephen Foster House is a two and one half story house, three bays wide and one room deep, with several small additions to the right rear. The clapboard structure is currently embellished with 19th century vernacular trim: a one story porch supported by square posts, and simple surrounds on the asymmetrically placed windows.
The extremely steep pitch of the roof is the only exterior clue to the First Period origin of the building. MAJOR FIRST PERIOD FEATURES The massive oak frame of this house is only exposed on the second floor and in the attic. Framing on the first floor is concealed behind later finishes, although nail evidence indicates ceiling joist spacing of 21" on centers. A straight-run staircase has replaced the original chimney in the chimney bay at the right hand end. On the second floor, the summer tie beam is embellished with 1 3/4" flat chamfers and a stylized variant of the lamb's tongue stop. The stops are not fashioned in a continuous cyma curve, but are formed of two distinct concave curves (see photograph). The substantial corner posts, jowled about 2' above the floor, have flat chamfers. Pegs indicate rising braces of considerable length in the outer walls.
Studs were pegged to the tie beam and plates only centrally to these two long braces. Instead of a framed brace between the rear plate and chimney girt, a tree branch left on the plate serves as a brace (see rear closet). Roof framing visible in the attic is comprised of principal rafters bridle jointed at the ridge, four large purlins per slope and a purlin at the ridge. The purlins, 5 1/2"-6" wide and 3" deep, are hewn, like the major framing members. The roof over the chimney bay was rebuilt probably at the time that the central chimney was removed in the late 19th century. The cut off ends of the purlins which spanned the chimney bay remained trenched behind the rafters over the chimney beam.
The 1 Staple to Inventory form at bottom INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston Canmunity: TOPSFIELD Form No: 60 Property Name: Stephen Foster House Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. remaining three sets of original rafters either have or show mortise evidence of having had collar beams. The collar beam over the chimney tie was lapped and was a foot lower than the tenoned collar beams which remain in the two left hand-most sets of rafters. In the left end wall, the studs are lapped behind the collar beam. Although traditionally dated c. 1700, the house has a completely oak frame of substantial dimensions. These characteristics of the frame might suggest either an earlier construction date or retardataire methods. Deed research would be useful to determine which is the case.
BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION The Stephen Foster House is located at the northwest corner of the property with a line of convenience drawn to include the nearby barns and kennels due to their close proximity. 2 Staple to Inventory form at botton - NPS Form 10-900 (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number Page OMB Approval No. 10240018 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/ Eastoas Baeiotor JKeoper AilnnBgunt/50 Attest Sl'22. Foster, William, House Rubataatara lariar Jokeoper Beth Saurge Y1/a Attest Intered in the 23. Fowler, Rea Putnam, House Iatlozad Roglator /Aeeper Relureßgen 3//0 Attest Antered in the 24. French--Andrews House Wational Begister.
yReéper AelareaSgen 3/9/20 Attest su'25. Friend, James, House Subatantiva Berieu forKeeper Boasl. Saoge 7949. Entered in the Attest 26. Frye, Samuel, House dationad Bagiator /kbeper TelaserBge 3/4/90 Attest jul27. Fuller, Joseph, House Autstruters Borsen forkeeper. Attest Beth ff- Saurse $940 28. Fuller, Lieut. Thomas, House entered in tne Natlonal Register/Reeper Zelorestgyun 319126 Attest 29.Giddings, George, House and Barn antered in tbe Ekeeper ddelusesAga 3/9120 National Register Attest 30.Giddings--Burnham House Subatantiva fertes Attest Bithgl.
Sevase 3/450 JNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOE NATIONAL PARK SERVICI NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: NOMINATION PROPERTY Foster, Stephen, 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: 90000262 NOMINATOR: STATE REASONS FOR REVIEW: REQUEST: N SAMPLE: COMMENT WAIVER: N VACCEPT RETURN ABSTRACT/SUMMARY COMMENTS: PROGRAM UNAPPROVED: N SLR DRAFT: N NATIONAL: N REJECT 3/2/20 DATE Intered in the National Register 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 sketch maps USGS maps photographs presentation OTHER COMMENTS Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to Phone Signed Date North Street, Top Stephen Festen tousk maen facade 1985 Ist Periad Buldlines of E.
Ma, MR4 1985 Ist Peroel Buldings- of EnMa, MRA 27:15 Topsfreld, TA Mg Noit Street Staphen Festee thuese sumnerte plat 1985 Ist peral Buildinas a E, Ma, M1A 27:22 1485 27:18 Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000281