Cutter, Ephraim, House

The Ephraim Cutter House is located at 4 Water Street in the commercial area of Arlington. The house lies directly across Massachusetts Avenue from the town library, in close proximity to the Town Hall and Post Office. The house originally sat on a 3½ acre lot facing Massachusetts Avenue. The Cutter House figured pro- minently in early views of West Cambridge (Arlington) as it was one of four buildings which served as cornerstones of the center area. Iwo of these survive. In 1915 the house was turned 90 degrees and moved back 75 feet to face Water Street, which was early known as Mill Lane. Water Street led to Ephraim Cutter's mill, the oldest watermill in the area. The now less than 4 acre of property is separated from the street by a low picket fence.

The 2½ story, rectangular Federal style structure was built in 1803-04 by Ephraim Cutter. It rests on a high stone foundation headed by a beveled wooden watertable. The house is sheathed in clapboards painted red. Cornerboards and entablature are plain. The hip roof carries two large chimneys. Fenestration is 6/6. The shouldered architraves and plain sills are painted white, as is all the trimwork. The partially exposed basement level has three light casements. The five bay wide facade faces southeast toward Water Street. The center bay open entrance porch was added c.1915 when the building was moved. Three steps lead to the six panel door flanked by sidelights and headed by a fanlight with keystone.

The entrance is shielded by a molded, modillioned, open triangular pediment supported by two fluted columns. A latticed wooden rail runs from each of these columns along the sides of the porch to a fluted pilaster on either side of the door.

/ARCHITECT Ephraim Cutter The Ephraim Cutter House is significant for its association with the Cutter family and as one of the few houses of its period remaining in Arlington Center. In 1637 a privilege on Mill Brook was granted to Captain George Cooke by the town of Newtowne (Cambridge). This was the first watermill in Cambridge, and farmers came from distant communities to grind their corn there. In 1690 the mill site and privilege were passed on to the Cutter family who had been among the first families to acquire land in Menotomy (Arlington) and who had owned five of the six privileges on Mill Brook for many years. Eight year old Ephraim Cutter watched the British march through Menotomy on their way to Lexington on April 19, 1775.

His 52 year old father, Ammi Cutter, joined the old men of Menotomy in an attack on British supply wagons that lagged behind the column of regulars. Ephraim was the ninth of Ammi Cutter's twenty children (by three wives). In 1795 Ephraim inherited his father's grist mill and five years later built a new dam and mill below the old 17th century one. He prospered as a miller, and in 1804 built him- self the elegant house in the center of town. In an early history he was remembered as having "the best livestock, the best orchard, and the best filled barn of the neighborhood." A thrifty and public spirited man, he became the Deacon's assistant and was later elected Deacon himself, serving the First Parish Church until his death in 1841.