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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFinal Report on the Establishment of the Mount Independence Local Historic District, October 1, 2021FINAL REPORT ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE MOUNT INDEPENDENCE LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS Prepared by Lisa Mausolf, Preservation Consultant Edited by Paul O'Shaughnessy & Anne Laurin Eccles 1 OCTOBER 2021 Summary Sheet Contact Persons: Anne Laurin Eccles, 781.888.5247 anne. eccles@alelanddesicn.com Paul O'Shaughnessy, 617.620.8123 frommaee a,comcast.net Study Committee: Lexington Historic Districts Commission Members Anne Laurin Eccles, Chair Robert W Adams Edward H. Adelman Paul O'Shaughnessy Lee Noel Chase Mark Connor Daniel Hisel Robin Lovett Dates of Public Information Meetings: 14 September 2021 27 October 2021 Date of Public Hearing: 23 September 2021 Date of Town Meeting: November 2021 Total Number of Properties in Proposed LID. 9 Table of Contents Introduction 4 Methodology 5 Preservation Need 5 Neighborhood Support 5 Report Documentation 6 Proposed Bylaw 7 Historical Significance 12 Brief Description of Buildings in Proposed Local Historic District 19 Boundary Description and Justification 22 Map of Proposed Local Historic District 25 Conclusion 26 Appendices 28 Property Index Form B (Building) for each historic property INTRODUCTION Lexington is blessed with a diverse architectural character that includes a wide variety of historic periods and styles. These include significant resources from the Revolutionary War period and early 19th century, housing dating to the residential building boom of the late 19th and early 20th century and Mid -Century Modern buildings of the Post World War II era which combine to give the town a distinctive identity The cluster of buildings currently being proposed for local historic district designation is one such microcosm showing how the town developed and the overlapping themes and styles that make Lexington so unique. The establishment of a local historic district is the most effective method to preserve the architectural character of a neighborhood. The first local historic districts in Massachusetts were established in 1955 to protect historic resources on Nantucket and on Beacon Hill in Boston. Today, there are over 250 multi -property local historic districts established in the state under Massachusetts General Law 40C. In a local historic district, a locally appointed historic district commission reviews significant alterations to exterior architectural features that are visible from a public way Lexington currently has four (4) local historic districts: the Battle Green Historic District, the Hancock -Clarke Historic District, the Munroe Tavern Historic District and the East Village Historic District. A total of seven hundred eighty-six (786) properties are protected in the four districts. The Lexington Historic Districts Commission is currently acting as the Historic District Study Committee for the proposed Mount Independence Local Historic District and has voted to forward this report to the Lexington Select Board and the Lexington Town Meeting Members as supporting evidence for their request to establish this new local historic district. 4 METHODOLOGY Preservation Need The land at the crest of Mount Independence has long held importance to the Town of Lexington. In the 19th century this was the location of a popular observatory built by a prosperous East Lexington business owner for the enjoyment of all. Save for a surviving bridle path, the land remained unbuilt upon until the 20th century Today, the Summit Road/Follen Road neighborhood, composed of unique and impressive 20th century single-family houses in landscaped settings, is at the precipice of dramatic change. The 1 74 -acre property at 12 Summit Road which currently contains an early 20th century Italian -inspired villa is proposed for redevelopment which would demolish part of the main house and would result in a subdivision to include ten dwelling units. The redevelopment of the property would also result in the demolition of significant landscape features designed by the prominent landscape architectural firm of Olmsted Brothers, a landscape that has been described as perhaps the finest example of early 20th century landscape architecture in Lexington. t On February 18, 2021 the Lexington Historical Commission imposed a one-year demolition delay on the house. When that delay expires, it is anticipated/feared that part of the house and surrounding landscape will be lost forever Neighborhood Support Following the proposal for the subdivision and partial demolition of the property at 12 Summit Road, there was an outpouring of support for preserving the property A group of concerned citizens began to investigate the feasibility of establishing a local historic district. The meetings (held weekly, below) including all the residents of Summit Road (except 12 Summit) and all the residents on Pinewood Street. Key Events in the development of the proposed Mt Independence Local Historic District (LHD): 1 February 5, 2021 - First weekly neighborhood Zoom meeting held to discuss threatened demolition of 12 Summit Road. (Neighborhood Zoom meetings have been held most Tuesdays since then with 10 to 25 households attending.) 2. February 17, 2021 — Lexington Historical Commission (LHC) hearing to review application for demolition of 12 Summit Road. 5 abutters voiced strong support during the hearing for preservation of 12 Summit Road. The LHC voted 5-0-1 to find 12 Summit Road preferably preserved and imposed a 12 month demolition delay Wendall Kalsow recused himself from the discussion and vote since he lives in the neighborhood. 3 March 23, 2021 - Fundraising effort to save 12 Summit Road begins with 24 households contributing. 4 April 22, 2021 — Discussion of creating a local historic district begins 1Anne Grady, Inventory form for 12 Summit Road, Lexington (LEX.521), 1984. 5 5 May 2, 2021 — Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC) Guidelines for Establishing Local Historic Districts and preliminary district boundaries was distributed to the entire neighborhood. 6. May 4, 2021 — Extensive discussion on establishing a Mt. Independence LHD was conducted on the Tuesday evening Zoom with broad support received for the idea. 7 May 11, 2021 — MHC issues concurrence opinion that 12 Summit Road is eligible for the National Register and supports the idea of a National Register District (NRD) which includes 12 Summit Road and 52 Follen. 8. May 15, 2021 — Draft historical narrative of proposed LHD completed by neighborhood volunteers. 9 May 20, 2021 — Formal request sent to Lexington Select Board to appoint the Lexington Historic Districts Commission as the Study Committee for a proposed Mt. Independence LHD Strong support of the LHD was voiced by 7 of the 8 property owners in the proposed LHD Very strong support of the LHD was also voiced throughout the neighborhood. It was decided not to include 6 Summit Road (1948 Cape) and 8 Summit Road (1999) within the proposed LHD because of a lack of architectural and historic significance. The proposed properties create a contiguous district. 10 May 31, 2021 — Neighborhood decision made to hire a professional historian to research history and significance of properties within the proposed Mt Independence LHD Report Documentation The research for this report began with an historic building form that had been prepared for the property at 12 Summit Road for the Massachusetts Historical Commission back in 1984 Interested residents began to delve more deeply into the history of the property at 12 Summit Road and those who had shaped it, gathering information from a number of local and national sources and detailing connections between several of the properties. In preparation for this report, the historic building forms for two properties — 12 Summit Road and 52 Follen Road — were revised and updated. New forms were completed for three additional historic properties that had not previously been inventoried — 2 Summit Road, 22 Summit Road and 104 Follen Road. 6 PROPOSED BYLAW Draft, Subject to Further Review and Revision Chapter XX HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION AND HISTORIC DISTRICTS BYLAW SECTION 1 PURPOSE This Bylaw is hereby enacted pursuant to MGL c. 40C to promote the educational, cultural, physical, economic and general welfare of the public through the preservation and protection of the architectural and other distinctive characteristics of buildings and places significant in the history of the Town of Lexington or their architecture, and through the maintenance and improvement of settings for such buildings and places and the encouragement of design compatible therewith. SECTION 2 DEFINITIONS As used in this Bylaw, the following words and phrases shall have the following meanings: (a) "Altering" means rebuilding, reconstructing, restoring, removing, demolishing, changing exterior color, or any combination of the foregoing. (b) "Building" means a combination of materials forming a shelter for persons, animals or property (c) "Commission" means the Lexington Historic Districts Commission as defined in Section 4 (d) "Constructing" means building, erecting, installing, enlarging, or moving. (e) "Exterior architectural feature" means such portion of the exterior of a building or structure as is open to view from a public street, public way, public park or public body of water, including but not limited to the architectural style and general arrangement and setting thereof, the kind, color and texture of exterior building materials, the color of paint or other materials applied to exterior surface and the type and style of windows, doors, lights, signs and other appurtenant exterior fixtures. (f) "Historic District" means a historic district created under MGL c. 40C or this Bylaw, but shall not, for the purposes of this Bylaw, include any Historic District created under the Special Act. (g) "Special Act" means Chapter 447 of the Acts of 1956, as amended, as defined in Section 3(b). 7 (h) "Structure" means a combination of materials other than a building, including but not limited to a sign, fence, wall, terrace, walk or drive -way, tennis court and swimming pool. SECTION 3 ESTABLISHMENT OF HISTORIC DISTRICTS (a) Mount Independence Historic District There is hereby established an Historic District pursuant to MGL c. 40C entitled the "Mount Independence Historic District," the boundaries of which are shown on the map entitled "Mount Independence Historic District," a copy of which is on file with the Town Clerk's office, and which also accompanies, and is hereby declared to be part of, this Bylaw (b) Other Historic Districts Additional Historic Districts within the Town may be established from time to time in accordance with the procedures set forth in MGL c. 40C, provided however, that nothing in this Bylaw shall impair the validity of an historic district established under Chapter 447 of the Acts of 1956, as amended (the "Special Act"). Historic districts established pursuant to the Special Act shall continue to be governed in all respects by the Special Act and not this Bylaw and nothing herein shall be construed to in any way limit or expand the Commission's powers under the Special Act with respect to historic districts not subject to this Bylaw SECTION 4 HISTORIC DISTRICTS COMMISSION (a) Pursuant to MGL c. 40C, § 4, the Lexington Historic Districts Commission established pursuant to the Special Act (the "Commission") shall serve as the Historic Districts Commission for the purposes of this Bylaw (b) The Commission shall have all the powers and duties of an Historic Preservation Commission as described in MGL c. 40C, § 10 with respect to a Historic District subject to this Bylaw (c) The Commission may adopt rules and regulations for the conduct of its business, not inconsistent with MGL c. 40C, the Special Act, or with the purposes of this Bylaw SECTION 5 ADMINISTRATION OF HISTORIC DISTRICTS (a) No building or structure within an Historic District shall be constructed or altered in any way that affects exterior architectural features, and no building shall be moved into an Historic District, unless the Commission shall first have issued a certificate of appropriateness, a certificate of hardship or a certificate of non -applicability with respect 8 to such construction, alteration or movement. (b) Any person who desires to obtain a certificate from the Commission shall file with the Commission an application for a certificate of appropriateness, a certificate of non - applicability, or a certificate of hardship, as the case may be, in such form as the Commission may reasonably determine, together with such plans, elevations, specifications, material and other information, including in the case of demolition or removal a statement of the proposed condition and appearance of the property thereafter, as may be reasonably deemed necessary by the Commission to enable it to make a determination on the application. (c) No building permit for construction of a building or structure or alteration of an exterior architectural feature within an Historic District shall be issued until the certificate required by this Bylaw has been issued by the Commission. SECTION 6 HEARINGS, TIME FOR MAKING DETERMINATIONS (a) The Commission shall determine promptly after the filing of an application for a certificate of appropriateness as to exterior architectural features, whether the application involved any such features. If the Commission determines that such application involves any exterior architectural features, the Commission shall hold a public hearing on such application. The Commission also shall hold a public hearing on all other applications required to be filed with it under this Bylaw, except that the Commission may approve an application for a change in exterior color features without holding a hearing if it determines that the color change proposed is appropriate. (b) The Commission shall fix a reasonable time for the hearing on any application and shall give public notice thereof by publishing notice of the time, place, and purpose of the hearing in a local newspaper and on the Town's website, at least fourteen (14) days before said hearing and also, within seven (7) days of said hearing, mail a copy of said notice to the applicant, to the owners of all property deemed by the Commission to be affected thereby as they appear on the most recent local tax list, to the planning board, and to such other persons as the Commission shall deem should be provided notice. (c) As soon as convenient after such public hearing but in any event within sixty (60) days after the filing of the application, or within such further time as the applicant shall allow in writing, the Commission shall make a determination on the application. If the Commission shall fail to make a determination within said sixty (60) days, or within such further time allowed by the applicant, the Commission shall be deemed to have approved the application. SECTION 7 FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED BY THE COMMISSION 9 (a) In reviewing an application for a certificate under this Bylaw the Commission shall consider, among other things: (1) the historic and architectural value and significance of the site, building, or structure, (2) the general design, arrangement, texture, material, and color of the features involved, and (3) the relation of such features to similar features of buildings and structures in the surrounding area. (b) In the case of new construction or additions to existing buildings or structures, the Commission shall also consider the appropriateness of the size and shape of the building or structure both in relation to the land area upon which the building or structure is situated and to buildings and structures in the vicinity (c) The Commission may in appropriate cases impose dimensional and set -back requirements in addition to those required by other applicable bylaws, including the Zoning Bylaw, Chapter 135 of the Code of the Town of Lexington. (d) When ruling on applications for certificates of appropriateness for solar energy systems, as defined in MGL c. 40A, § 1(a), the Commission shall also consider the policy of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and of the Town of Lexington to encourage the use of solar energy systems and to protect solar access. (e) The Commission shall not make any recommendation or impose any requirement except for the purpose of preventing developments incongruous to the historic aspects or the architectural characteristics of the surroundings and of the historic district. SECTION 8 EXEMPTIONS TO REVIEW The authority of the Commission is limited to the exterior architectural features within the district. Further, no certificate shall be required under this Bylaw for the construction or alteration of the following: (a) Temporary signs or structures as defined by the Zoning Bylaw, Chapter 135 of the Code of the Town of Lexington, provided, however, that the Commission may impose such conditions as to duration of use, location, lighting, removal and similar matters as the Commission may reasonably specify with respect to such signs and structures. (b) Real estate signs of not more than three square feet in area advertising the sale or rental of the premises on which they are erected or displayed, provided, however, that the Commission may impose such conditions as to duration of use, location, lighting, removal and similar matters as the Commission may reasonably specify with respect to such signs and structures. (c) Occupational or other signs of not more than one square foot in area and not more than one such sign, irrespective of size, bearing the name, occupation or address of the occupant of 10 the premises on which such sign is erected or displayed where such premises are located within a residential district as defined in the Zoning Bylaw (d) Non-commercial signs displaying political, religious, or other speech protected under the United States or Massachusetts Constitution. Upon request the Commission shall issue a certificate of non -applicability with respect to construction or alteration in any category then not subject to review by the Commission in accordance with the provisions of Sections 8(a) through 8(d). SECTION 9 MAINTENANCE, REPAIR, REPLACEMENT, PLANTING Nothing in this Bylaw shall be construed to prevent: (a) the ordinary maintenance, repair or replacement of any exterior architectural feature within an historic district that does not involve a change in design, material, color or the outward appearance thereof, (b) landscaping with plants, trees or shrubs, (c) the meeting of requirements certified by a duly authorized public officer to be necessary for public safety because of an unsafe or dangerous condition, or (d) any construction or alteration under a permit duly issued prior to the effective date of this Bylaw SECTION 10 ENFORCEMENT (a) The Building Commissioner of the Town of Lexington shall enforce this Bylaw and, upon a determination by the Commission or the Select Board that a violation exists, may institute proceedings in Superior Court pursuant to M.G.L. c.40C § 13, for injunctive or other relief or the imposition of fines. (b) Violations of this Bylaw or any regulation hereunder shall be punishable by a fine of not less than $10.00 nor more than $500.00 for each offense pursuant to M.G.L. c.40C § 13 SECTION 11 SEVERABILITY In case any section, paragraph or part of the Bylaw be for any reason declared invalid or unconstitutional by any court of last resort, every other section, paragraph or part shall continue in full force and effect. SECTION 12 SCHEDULE OF FEES A filing fee shall be included with all applications for certificates. Said fees shall be set, and may be amended from time to time, by the Select Board. 11 HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE The proposed Mount Independence Local Historic District (MILHD) is comprised of six residential structures located on one of the highest points in Lexington. The area reflects various important themes in the town's history from Revolutionary War roots to the growth of East Lexington and the 19th vision of Eli Robbins to early 20th century suburban planning and design. The six dwellings within the proposed MILHD were constructed between 1912 and 1996. Early homeowners included prominent artists, professionals and building owners and subsequent owners were also quite accomplished. The distinctive architecture, landscaping and history of these homes and the land they occupy has engendered local pride and has united neighborhood residents in their efforts to preserve the historic structures from inappropriate alterations and demolition. Standing 335 feet high, Mount Independence (now known as Follen Hill) reportedly received its name after a citizen of East Lexington (likely Eli Robbins) presented a cannon to the townspeople in 1816 or 1824 It was near the foot of the hill that the British had committed one of their first acts of aggression on April 19, 1775 by disarming one of the Lexington Militia, Benjamin Wellington. Other accounts suggest Mount Independence was named to commemorate General Lafayette's visit to Lexington in 1824 Eli Robbins (1786-1856) was a prosperous dealer and manufacturer of furs who did much to contribute to the growth of East Lexington and owned this land in the early 19th century He succeeded his father, Stephen, in a fur business which at times employed 80-100 men. Being a public-spirited man, Eli Robbins contributed much to the village. The most visible surviving reminder of Robbins' largesse is the Stone Building at 735 Massachusetts Avenue which he had built in 1833 to serve as a lyceum lecture hall and residence. The building hosted various lectures and in the 1840s these included leaders in the Abolition movement such as Theodore Parker and Charles Sumner who were excluded from speaking elsewhere in town. Eli Robbins, his wife and daughters became leading abolitionists in town. In 1835 the Lyceum Hall was also the site of religious services for East Lexington residents, led by Charles Follen and later by Ralph Emerson and others until the Follen Church was completed next door in 1839 Many of Eli Robbins' progressive civic efforts were focused on the acres of land he owned on Mount Independence. In the 1830s he erected a liberty pole on Mount Independence and built a three-story tower or summer house around it. The observatory offered views in all directions, including directly into Boston Harbor Julia Robbins, Eli's daughter, noted in her diary that she watched the reflection of the moon in the harbor's water.' At his own expense Robbins built a road to the top of Mount Independence for the benefit of those living in the village, the first local example of a citizen opening private property for the use by the general public. According to an historical account Robbins "laid out drives to and walks around the summit, connecting the two driveways to the summit by a walk an eighth of a mile long. This walk was built of two solid stone walls filled in with gravel, the side towards the summit having a trellis, the whole distance 2 Mary E. Keenan, In Haste, Julia: Julia Robbins Barrett, Abolitionist, Artist, Suffragist. 12 covered with Isabella grape vines. Many citizens and strangers visited this observatory and it was not unusual, especially on holidays and Sundays, to see many carriages along the roadside, whose owners were at the observatory" 3 In order to raise funds for the building of Follen Church, a two-day fair was held on Mount Independence in August 1839 An article in a Boston newspaper described the landscape and event: we "had pictured to ourselves a gentle eminence like most of the mounts in the vicinity We were, however, surprised on arriving within half a mile of the place to see, as it were, in the distant clouds, a crowd of people in every direction, around several marquees over which floated our national flag, all animating us to spur our horses and be among them. As we approached nearer we were still more surprised to see in reality a mountain whose almost perpendicular sides seemed to de& us. .(we) wound our way along the sides of the mountain over a good road made by the enterprising owner of the grounds, Mr. Robbins, and as we approached the summit it seemed as those above were actually hanging over us. The ascent was truly delightful and we soon found ourselves where all was joy and gayety" 4 The Observatory was used for the sale of ice cream and cake, there was entertainment and a supper was served for a dollar per plate.' A total of about $1,100 was raised at the fair The spectacular flagpole was almost certainly the cause of the demise of the tower as it was struck by lightning and the surrounding structure was destroyed by fire. Reportedly the insurance company refused to reinsure and by then Robbins' personal finances had suffered in the Financial Panic of 1837, making rebuilding impossible. Into the 1890s, residents continued to picnic at the top of Mount Independence. One of the two drives Robbins constructed survives today as the Bridle Path. There may also be archeological remains of the tower A stone circular base is located on the property at 12 Summit Road. The archaeological component of the district awaits further investigation. The land at the top of Mount Independence remained unbuilt upon for many years. Eli Robbins died in 1856 and ownership of the land passed to his widow and daughters. The 1898 Stadly map shows that the Robbins descendants still owned a large parcel of 27.98 acres of land west of the Massachusetts Avenue/Pleasant Street intersection. Clearly delineated on the map is the c.1830 Bridle Path that still survives today 3 George 0. Smith as quoted in the Lexington Minute -man, August 7, 1915. ° Boston Daily Evening Transcript, August 14, 1839 as reprinted in the Lexington Minute -man, August 17, 1900. 5 Lexington Minute -Man, April 11, 1935. 13 yAr ,441 T 4k 1 1/ otit1 • G opyd J% etAs Bridle Path tridiam t.Jbh 6a9;& 4' ' bk ' On Len' AJ}Mn 6e* A..Die'/7 i.S.ps ..4u l7lrAnes• F 1898 Stadly Atlas of Lexington showing land owned by the Robbins heirs and the survival of the e.1830 Bridle Path In 1914 Ellen Stone, granddaughter of Eli Robbins, sold the land which she held in trust, including the large section of highlands known as Mount Independence. It was purchased by two prominent citizens, Richard G. Tower and ex -Selectman Edward Bliss of Oakland Street who "rescued the property from what might have proven undesirable ownership" 6 Bliss in particular had long been a proponent of laying out an avenue in East Lexington in the vicinity of Mt. Independence, along the high ridge of land, and connecting with Massachusetts Avenue and Pleasant Street. A year later, in March 1915, the land remained unbuilt upon and a large forest fire burned through the parcel, destroying more than 30 acres of valuable pine and cedar 6 Lexington Minuteman, January 17, 1914. 14 woodlands and requiring fifty firefighters to bring the inferno under control.' Soon thereafter, another prominent East Lexington resident, Frank D Peirce, acquired the land. In September 1915 Peirce filed his first subdivision plan for the land. On October 1, 1915 Frank Peirce sold Hermann Dudley Murphy of Winchester a piece of land measuring 81,560 square feet (1.87 acres), the first parcel to be developed on what would become Summit Road.' The deed included specific language that would guide development and insure high quality construction on the land for the next twenty years, until September 1, 1935 No buildings were to be erected other than single dwelling houses and any dwelling house had to cost at least $7,000. A setback of at least forty feet to the street was also required. Hermann Dudley Murphy (1867-1945) was a major artist in the Boston School of painting who was active in the first half of the 20t" century He reportedly asked the architect, Harold W Hathaway, then practicing in Boston in partnership with John T Vining, to recreate the Italian villa where Murphy had lived in Florence but incorporate an artist's studio. Construction of the house was occurring in anticipation of his upcoming June 1916 wedding to his second wife, Nelly Littlehale Umbstaetter (1867-1941). Nelly Murphy was also an artist, specializing in watercolors. Architecturally speaking the house at 12 Summit Road (LEX.521) is a good example of eclectic early 20th century residential architecture mixing elements of the Italian Villa mode of the early 20th century with concurrent Craftsman style aesthetics and concrete construction. Architect Hathaway also had acquired a reputation for working with concrete, having had designs for two solid reinforced concrete houses in Winchester (WNT 1169) and in Belmont (BLM.16) included in books published by the Atlas Portland Cement Co. When H. Dudley Murphy died at 12 Summit Road on April 16, 1945, he was considered one of the best-known artists in the United States of the day, with paintings in many major institutions. His subject matter included portraits, still lifes, seascapes and landscapes and he was especially known for his floral still lifes, a subject which he embraced in the 1920s. Born in Marlborough, Massachusetts, H. Dudley Murphy studied at the school of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and at the Julian School in France and in 1895 he exhibited portraits at the Paris Salon. In France he was introduced to the work of James Abbott McNeill Whistler who influenced his work both in tonality and in the believe that frame and painting should harmonize in color and style. Murphy returned to the U.S. in 1897 In 1903 he opened a frame shop, Carrig-Rohane, in Winchester and became the first American frame -maker to sign and date his work. By 1907 he was the leading frame manufacturer in Boston of high priced, hand -carved frames of gesso and gold leaf. Murphy ceased making frames during World War I and was the chief of camouflage for the United States Shipping Board when this house was being built. Murphy was also known for his prowess in sailing canoe contests. Murphy was passionate about sharing his art with others. He was a devoted teacher and taught for 35 years at Harvard's School of Architecture. He served as a member of the Massachusetts Art Commission from 1918 to 1943 and was a founding member of the Guild of Boston Artists. His home studio must have been a beehive of artistic activity Lexington Minute -man, March 20, 1915. $ Middlesex County Registry of Deeds, Book 4001, Page 524. 15 The grounds surrounding and complementing the Murphy house were designed by the Olmsted Brothers and have been considered perhaps the finest example of early 20th century landscape architecture in Lexington.' W.L. Phillips of the Olmsted Brothers was staking and surveying the land in October 1916. (William Lyman Phillips (1885-1966) went on to play a seminal role in the landscaping of Florida). A series of retaining walls, many of them curved, were introduced at the Murphy property, to provide a level area at the rear (view side of the house) and to landscape the high points to the east and west. The street side of the property consisted of a formal Italian sunken garden. Vines were planted for the walls and plans were made for a vineyard, vegetable garden and croquet court. Tall Italian jars arranged along the top of walls were an original feature of the design and survive today The extensive flower gardens and surrounding landscape were the inspiration and setting for paintings by H. Dudley Murphy, Nelly Littlehale Murphy and later, John Esner. In 1898 Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr (1870-1957) and his half-brother, John Charles Olmstead (1852-1920) had formed the partnership of the Olmsted Brothers after Frederick Law Olmsted, Sr.'s retirement. In 1917 the firm had a staff of 47 and was the largest landscape practice in the U.S., designing important, high profile projects across the country as well as smaller residential commissions such as the Murphy House. About 1918 H. Dudley Murphy painted a portrait of Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr suggesting a definite bond between the two men.10 A subdivision plan for "Follen Heights" was filed with the Registry of Deeds in May 1917 11 The subdivision included approximately fifty lots on Follen Road, Summit Road and Pinewood Street and the plan incorporated the location of the historic bridle path. The plan was revised in January 1921 (see Page 17). At that time (1921) only a handful of the lots had been sold. The largest of the lots that had been sold to date was the land Hermann Dudley Murphy purchased in 1915 However, the arrival of the street railway in 1900 had begun a new period of speculative development and made the town more attractive to businessmen and professionals who could now commute into the city In July 1921 Francis and Dorothy Chamberlain of Arlington purchased land at Follen Heights. The construction of their new stone house (22 Summit Road) near H.D. Murphy's took over a year to build; they finally moved into the house in August 1923 They named the house "Stonesides"; it was constructed of fieldstone from stonewalls that were running through the lot. Francis Chamberlain was a talented yachtsman and navigation expert and thus the house was sited to align with the North Star He worked as a financial statistician for a Boston investment banking firm. It is also interesting to note that Francis Chamberlain was a great grandson of Eli Robbins. In 1922 Thomas J Bishop of Boston bought three lots at Follen Heights and planned to build an attractive house "in keeping with the other high class homes in that section" 12 In order to preserve the quality of the area, Frank Peirce continued to sell the land with restrictions that would endure for twenty years. Thomas J Bishop owned a prosperous Boston express business that operated between Boston, Fitchburg, Leominster and Clinton as well as a second line that 9 Anne Grady, Inventory form for 12 Summit Road, Lexington (LEX.521), 1984. 19 The portrait is now owned by the National Academy of Design. 11 Middlesex County Registry of Deeds, Plan Book 297, Plan 35. 12 Lexington Minute -man, February 10, 1922. 16 ran between Fitchburg and Worcester The house that Bishop built is the present 2 Summit Road. While Chamberlain and Bishop were examples of the professionals that moved to Lexington in the early 20th century, the neighborhood was also a center of artistic activity and the reputations of these artists continued to command attention. In 1930 H. Dudley Murphy and his wife Nelly Murphy held their first joint showing in a new Boston art gallery A news account of the exhibit opening declared "Man and Wife Far Apart in Art Technique, Both Superb" 13 In addition to he and his wife, Nelly, another painter, John Enser (1898-1968) also lived at 12 Summit in the 1930s and 1940s. Enser was born in Texas and studied painting in Chicago. He arrived in Boston in 1929 and struck up a close friendship with Murphy He lived with the Murphys for more than a decade, also working in the Murphy home studio. Enser is best known for his landscapes and is known to have painted several paintings of the Murphy yard and garden. In June 1932 H. Dudley Murphy sold fellow artist Aiden Lassell Ripley a triangular lot of land to the east of his property and Ripley built a modest house/studio (52 Follen Road. LEX.1051). Originally the house had only one bedroom for he and his wife, a kitchen, dining room and a north -facing 20 foot high, light -filled studio. Ripley could easily climb a flight of stone steps up the hill to the Murphy house/studio to socialize or collaborate with the other artists. Ripley also taught at Harvard with H. Dudley Murphy for a number of years. In 1936 the Murphys, Enser and Ripley came together in what must have been a noteworthy exhibition of their paintings at the Lexington Arts and Craft Society The local paper described them as "four distinguished Lexington artists who have won wide reputation in their field" 14 Nelly Littlehale Murphy died in 1941 but John Enser continued to live at 12 Summit Road until the death of H. Dudley Murphy in 1945 The property at 12 Summit was sold the following year. The advertisement for the property read as follows: Here, in his later years, a world-famous artist built a home of inspiration, beauty and quietude. Set well back from the road and surrounded by about 2 acres of exquisite gardens, lawns, trees and shrubs, is centered a lovely residence of Italian influence. Flanked by graceful columned patio, its hospitable front entrance bids welcome to an interior of charming livability A gem in one of Lexington's choicest settings, this property offers atmosphere beyond the usual.15 The advertisement also gives a most complete description of the interior components of the home which included a living room, dining room, kitchen, library, large high-ceilinged studio, conservatory, sun room, 6 large chambers and maid's room, 3 baths, and guest lavatory It also had seven fireplaces and accommodations for four cars. Although H Dudley Murphy died in 1945, down the hill from the Murphy home, A. Lassell Ripley continued to occupy his house/studio at 52 Follen Road until his death in 1969 13 Boston Globe, April 19, 1930. 14 Lexington Minute -man, December 12, 1936. 15 Boston Herald, June 9, 1946, p. 91. 17 Over the years, the other homes in the proposed district were purchased by new owners, many of whom were also quite respected in their fields. In the 1930s Truman and Grace Kelley purchased the former Thomas Bishop house at 2 Summit Road. Dr. Truman Kelley (1884-1961) was a professor at Harvard and was credited with introducing statistical methods into psychological studies. In 1924 he was a co-author of the Stanford Achievement Test (SAT) and during World War II, Dr. Kelley was a consultant to the armed forces focusing on psychological testing. In June 1947 Grace Kelley, then of Santa Barbara, California, sold the western portion of the property to Spencer Smith who built the house next door at 104 Follen Road. In contrast to the more traditional dwellings in the neighborhood, the Smith House was an early example of Mid-Century Modernism in Lexington. Spencer Smith had received an architecture degree from Yale University in 1937 with a BFA in Architecture. He subsequently worked for the engineering and architectural firm, Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill (SOM), in New York City The firm had started in Chicago in 1936 and opened a New York office in 1937 with talented architects on staff like Gordon Bunshaft whom Smith likely worked with. Smith had the house at 104 Follen built while he was stationed at the Charlestown Navy Yard and also attended Harvard Business School. Among the other noteworthy individuals who have lived in the proposed historic district are prominent physicist Robert Van de Graaf who lived at 2 Summit Road from 1955 to 1967 William and Sheila Widnall purchased the house at 22 Summit Road in 1968. William Widnall is a scientist who was instrumental in the Apollo lunar program. Sheila Widnall, also an aeronautical engineer, was the first woman ever to lead a division of the United States military, becoming Secretary of the Air Force in 1993 under President Clinton. 18 Brief Description of Properties within the Proposed District 52 Follen Road. Aiden and Doris Ripley House, 1932 Single-family dwelling/artist studio designed in an early 20`h century Eclectic style. Architect and builder are unknown. A fieldstone lower level, wood siding including live edge boards above and multi -light casement windows. The land was sold by neighbor and fellow artist Hermann Dudley Murphy (see 12 Summit) to Aiden and Doris Ripley of Boston in June 1932. The interior originally had only one bedroom for Ripley and his wife, a kitchen, dining room, and a north -facing 20 foot high, light -filled studio. The front door to the home is actually at the back, uphill side of the house, and was no doubt designed to provide easy access to the artists and grounds at 12 Summit. Abuts historic bridle path; property includes some stone walls, terraces. Aiden Lassell Ripley (1896-1969) is considered one of the premier masters of American sporting art and is best known for his landscape paintings of hunters and game and fly-fishing on pristine rivers. He also did several Works Progress Administration (WPA) projects including a series of historical murals for the Winchester Public Library and the Lexington Post Office. Ripley continued to live in this house until his death in 1969 The property was sold by Doris Ripley in 1973 Known Alterations 1968. Roof on southern portion raised to add second story bedrooms 104 Follen Road. Spencer R. and Elizabeth Smith House, 1947 Single-family residential dwelling designed in a Mid -Century Modern/Contemporary mode. Spencer R. Smith likely designed the home himself; Kelly Brothers of Arlington were the builders. An early, modest example of Mid -Century Modern/Contemporary domestic architecture in Lexington. Single story house with U-shaped plan, entrance courtyard facing the road and a carport. Capped by low gable roof with simple lines and a lack of traditional ornament. Features radiant heat and steel framing. Wing addition with garage to the north dates to 1951 Spencer R. Smith (1915-2005) graduated from Yale University in 1937 with a BFA in Architecture and then worked for the engineering and architectural firm, Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill, in New York City for several years. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. In 1947 he was assigned to the Boston Naval Shipyard and bought a lot of land from Grace Winifred Kelley (originally part of 2 Summit Road) and had this house built. In 1949 Smith was reassigned and the house was purchased by Howard and Jean Hamacher Current owners purchased the house in 1973 Known Alterations 1951 Wing addition built facing Follen Road, including attached garage 19 c.1973 Original louvered openings replaced with glass windows; larger windows also added front and back 2 Summit Road. Thomas and Mary Bishop House, 1922. Single-family residential dwelling in a Craftsman Colonial mode. Architect and builder are unknown. Two-story house capped by slate hip roof with overhanging eaves displaying exposed, notched rafter tails. Colonial details include pedimented entrance portico with Roman Doric columns and 6/6 windows. Detached hip -roofed garage appears to be of same period. Half acre lot includes stone retaining walls and terraces and stone steps leading up from Follen Road. The original owner of this house (originally known as 90 Follen Road and later 4 Summit Road) was Thomas J Bishop of Boston who was the owner of a Boston express business. Later owners included Dr. Truman Kelley, a professor at Harvard and Robert Van de Graaff, a prominent physicist. In 1995 the land was subdivided, creating what is now 4 Summit Road. Known Alterations 1947 Land west of house subdivided (104 Follen Road) 1995 Land south of house subdivided (4 Summit Road) 4 Summit Road. Michael & Kathleen Martino House, 1997 Single-family residential dwelling in a Colonial Revival mode. The house was built on land that was subdivided from 2 Summit Road. A small portion of the historic Bridle Path abuts the east edge of the property Known Alterations 2017 Interior renovations, third garage bay 8 Summit Road. Jasbir and Jagjeet Gandhi House, 1999 Single-family Contemporary residence constructed with red veneer brick and cedar clapboard siding and an asphalt shingle roof. The house has 4 bedrooms and a 2 car garage. The house was constructed on land sub -divided from 12 Summit Road. Known Alterations None 20 12 Summit Road. Hermann Dudley Murphy & Nelly Murphy House, 1916. Single-family residential dwelling/artists' studio Harold Hathaway, architect; Olmsted Brothers, landscape architects. Unique local example of the early 20th c. Italian Villa style combined with Craftsman/Prairie style elements. Substantial two-story stuccoed dwelling with slate hip roof and U-shaped plan featuring artists' studio to the left and kitchen wing to the right, latter is fronted by ornate Florentine -inspired arcade with foliate capitals. Significant early 20th century landscape designed by Olmsted Brothers firm with extensive views, Italian sunken garden at street, and retaining walls on higher ground to east and west. Site may retain remnants of stone walls and paving stones and roads relating to c.1830 observatory and road system built by Eli Robbins. The first house to be built on the crest of Mount Independence. Constructed for Hermann Dudley Murphy (1867-1945), a major artist in the Boston School of Painting in anticipation of his 1916 wedding to Nelly Littlehale Umbstaetter (1867-1941) who was a watercolorist. During Murphy's occupancy, this was the center of a small artists' colony with painter John Enser living here in the 1930s and 1940s and another painter Aiden Ripley building a house down the hill at 52 Follen Road on land he bought from the Murphys. Owned by attorney John Groden from 1948 to 1972 and by Maurice and Helen Kilbridge from 1972 to 1982. At the time Maurice Kilbridge was dean of the Graduate School of Design at Harvard. Known Alterations date?. New windows, removal of rear trellises c.1970: Detached garage constructed, reportedly designed by Rem Huygens of Huygens & DiMella Architects. 1996: Detached garage demolished and new house (8 Summit Road) built on subdivided new lot 22 Summit Road. Francis & Dorothy Chamberlain House, 1922 Single-family residential dwelling. Architect and builder are not known. "Stonesides" is a unique early 20 century residence, inspired by English -Tudor prototypes but using stone from the site as the predominant building material under a slate roof. Long, asymmetrical profile with contrasting gables and varied cave line heights, and a variety of windows including casements, oriel windows and two-story bays. The original owners, Francis Chamberlain and Dorothy Homer of Lexington had married in 1915 He was reportedly a great grandson of Eli Robbins. Chamberlain was a renowned navigator and yachtsman and like many Lexington residents, worked in Boston, in this case for a Boston investment firm. The property may also include remnants of Eli Robbins' early 19th 21 century system of paths, roads, and stone walls. The current owners also own two additional lots of land to the east that were never built upon but abut the Bridle Path and are included in the proposed local historic district. Known Alterations 1975 Interior repairs after fire Wooded lots. Map 22 -Lot 140 & Map 22 -Lot 63 (no street addresses assigned) Both lots are both owned by 22 Summit Road (above) and included in the proposed new local historic district. BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION AND JUSTIFICATION The boundaries of the proposed Mount Independence Local Historic District are drawn to highlight the small artists' compound and the high-end suburban residences which were first developed in the Follen Heights Subdivision beginning in 1915 In addition to the residential structures the proposed district boundary also includes portions of the historic bridle path/footpath and other features dating back to the tower Eli Robbins built on Mount Independence in the 1830s as well as historic landscape features of these properties, including those understood to be associated with designs prepared by the Olmsted Brothers firm. The boundaries of the proposed district align with the tax assessor's property lines of the seven dwellings proposed for inclusion and also includes two parcels of land which abut the historic 19th century Bridle Path but were never developed. These two lots are adjacent to 22 Summit Road and 52 Follen Road respectively, also owned by the same owner Both the Massachusetts Historical Commission and Lexington's Planning Board recommended approval of the new local historic district and both recommended the inclusion of additional properties and enlarging the boundaries. After careful consideration, the Study Committee voted to include one additional property, 8 Summit Road, as this would mean all abutters of the historically significant properties were part of Mt. Independence Historic District. Further properties could be included in the future, enlarging these boundaries, but the Study Committee concluded the current boundaries capture the essential landscape and direct abutters that are appropriate. The boundary begins at the southeast corner of Summit Road and Follen Road and extends to the east and south following the curve of Follen Road until it reaches the northwest boundary of the property at 30 Follen Road (an early 20' century Cape Cod dwelling which is not included). From here it continues southeast along Bridle Path and then jogs to the southwest along the western boundary of 18 Bridle Path (not included). It continues westward 246' along the south property line of the vacant lot corresponding to Map 22 -Lot 63 According to the original subdivision plan, this southern boundary was also the location of a historic stone wall and footpath. From here the boundary jogs northward to the southern property line of 22 Summit Road extending west to Summit Road. The boundary continues north along Summit Road, 22 following the road frontage of 22, 12, and 8 Summit Road before continuing inland and eastward to follow 8 Summit Road's property line before reaching the boundary line of 4 Summit Road. The boundary jogs along the west boundary of 4 Summit Road before extending westward to Summit Road and continuing northward along Summit Road to the point of beginning. Map 22 - Lot 145 is excluded at the property owners request as it is not considered historically significant. Two maps are provided on the following pages. 23 Lev yn4"• �y�•.,,, Me - w.s4Y ceneio May camp/wf wM, Plan of Follen Heights, May 1917 (revised 1921) 24 Town of Lexington Assessors' Map showing proposed boundary for local historic district 25 CONCLUSION The Lexington HDC Study Committee recommends the creation of a nine (9) property historic district named the Mount Independence Local Historic District. The historic significance of this peak of Follen Hill is an invaluable historic resource for the town of Lexington, and one of critical importance to protect. As noted in MGL Chapter 40C, the proposed historic district will "promote the educational, cultural, economic and general welfare of the public through the preservation and protection of the distinctive characteristics of buildings and places significant in the history of the Town of Lexington or their architecture, through the maintenance and improvement of settings for such buildings and places and the encouragement of design compatible therewith" The Study Committee also recommends that this new local historic district be governed by MGL 40C, and that the new district created will be administered by Lexington's existing Historic Districts Commission. 26 APPENDICES 27 Tax map/ Parcel # 22-141 22-143 22-144 22-142 22-146A 22-147 Mount Independence Local Historic District Address 52 Follen Road 104 Follen Road 2 Summit Road 4 Summit Road 12 Summit Road 22 Summit Road 22-63 Bridle Path 22-140 Bridle Path/Follen Rd 22-146B 8 Summit Road Historic Name Aiden Ripley House Spencer Smith House Thomas Bishop House Michael Martino House Hermann Dudley Murphy House Francis Chamberlain House "Stonesides" Jasbir & Jagjeet Gandhi House 28 Year Built 1932 1947 1922 1997 1916 Style Survey Form Eclectic yes Mid -Century yes Modern/ Contemporar y Craftsman yes Colonial Colonial no Revival Italian Villa yes Revival 1923 English Revival yes no no 1999 no FORM B - BUILDING MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION MASSACHUSETTS ARCHIVES BUILDING 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Photograph Locus Map (north at top) Recorded by. Lisa Mausolf Organization: Date (month /year). June 2021 Assessor's Number USGS Quad Area(s) Form Number 22-146A Lexington LEX.521 Town/City. Lexington Place: (neighborhood or village). East Lexington Address: 12 Summit Road Historic Name: Hermann Dudley Murphy House Uses: Present: residential Original: residential/art studio Date of Construction: 1916 Source: deeds, newspapers Style/Form: Italian Villa Architect/Builder Harold W Hathaway, architect Olmsted Brothers, landscape architect Exterior Material: Foundation: not visible Wall/Trim. stucco/wood Roof: slate Outbuildings/Secondary Structures: none Major Alterations (with dates). Date? — new windows, removal of rear trellises 1996 — loss of acreage at NW corner including detached garage Condition: good Moved: no ® yes ❑ Date: Acreage: 1 75 acres Setting: crest of Mt. Independence, setback from residential street, surrounded by stone walls and terraces 12/12 Follow Massachusetts Historical Commission Survey Manual instructions for completing this form INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET LEXINGTON MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 ® Recommended for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. If checked, you must attach a completed National Register Crterta Statement form. 12 SUMMIT ROAD Area(s) Form No. LEX.521 ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION Describe architectural features. Evaluate the characteristics of this building in terms of other buildings within the community Constructed in 1916, the H. Dudley Murphy House is a unique example of the early 20th century Italian Villa style in Lexington which also reflects to a lesser degree Craftsman/Prairie style elements that were also popular at construction. The substantial two-story, stuccoed building is capped by a low slate hip roof with overhanging eaves and a bracketed cornice, several shed dormers and stuccoed chimneys. The U-shaped plan was intended to be reminiscent of a Florentine villa. A three -sided entrance courtyard faces the road; originally the wing to the left was an artist's studio and the kitchen wing was located to the right. The courtyard features an arcade with carved foliate capitals, roundels and columns and the arch shape is repeated in several arched window openings on the first floor of the facade. Remaining openings contain rectangular openings. The rear elevation is six bays wide with three sets of double doors leading to the brick patio. The first floor windows are topped by transom lights. The openings contain 1/1 replacement windows. The trellises that were originally mounted on the rear elevation have been removed. In the 1984 inventory form for this property Anne Grady describes the landscape as follows: "This property is perhaps the finest example of early twentieth century landscape architecture in Lexington. The almost three -acre site with extensive views to the east occupies the crest of Mt. Independence and incorporates the location of the nineteenth century observation tower Retaining walls, many of which are curved, are used extensively to provide a level portion on the rear (view) side of the house and to landscape the high points to the east and west. The street side of the property has been fashioned into a formal Italian sunken garden enclosed by retaining walls. There are several arbors and many of the walls terminate in urn -shaped posts. The many scotch pines on the property were, according to the present owners, the only trees which the sheep which formerly grazed there did not molest. At the site of the observatory are remnants of stone walls and some shaped paving stones, but it is difficult to determine the original layout. Below the retaining walls on the eastern edge of the property is part of the original carriage road to the summit" Today (2021), the acreage has been reduced to 1 76 acres in part due to the construction of the adjacent house at 8 Summit Road. The features described by Grady in 1984 including terraces, stones on the site of the observation tower and the bridle path all appear to survive. In front of the property, along the street, there is also a notable redwood or sequoia tree. HISTORICAL NARRATIVE Discuss the history of the building. Explain its associations owners/occupants played within the community. h local (or state) history Include uses of the building, and the role(s) the In the early 19th century the land on the top of Mount Independence (including this land) was the site of a three-story observation tower erected by Eli Robbins (1786-1856), a successful East Lexington fur processor At his own expense Robbins built a road to the summit for the benefit of those living in the village, the first local example of a citizen opening private property for the use by the general public. According to an historical account Robbins laid out drives to and walks around the summit, connecting the two driveways to the summit by a walk an eighth of a mile long. This walk was built of two solid stone walls filled in with gravel, the side towards the summit having a trellis, the whole distance covered with Isabella grape vines. The tower was destroyed by fire in the 1840s and not rebuilt but the summit continued to be a popular destination for picnics into the 1890s. In 1914 Ellen Stone, granddaughter of Eli Robbins, sold the 27+ acre tract of land including the large section of highlands known as Mount Independence. In September 1915 owner Frank Peirce filed his first subdivision plan for a residential subdivision which he called "Follen Heights" On October 1, 1915 Peirce sold Hermann Dudley Murphy of Winchester a parcel of land measuring 81,560 square feet (1.87 acres), the first parcel to be developed on what would become Summit Road. (Middlesex County Registry Book 4001, Page 524). The deed included specific language that would guide development and ensure high quality construction on the land for the next twenty years, until September 1, 1935. No buildings were to be erected other than single dwelling houses and any dwelling house had to cost at least $7,000. A setback of at least forty feet to the street was also required. Continuation sheet 1 INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 LEXINGTON 12 SUMMIT ROAD Area(s) Form No. 11 LEX.521 Hermann Dudley Murphy (1867-1945) was a major artist in the Boston School of painting who was active in the first half of the 20th century He reportedly asked the architect, Harold W Hathaway, then practicing in Boston in partnership with John T Vining, to recreate the Italian villa where Murphy had lived in Florence but incorporate an artist's studio. Construction of the house was occurring in anticipation of his upcoming June 1916 wedding to his second wife, Nelly Littlehale Umbstaetter (1867- 1941). Nelly Murphy was also an artist, specializing in watercolors. In August 1917 Nelly's daughter was married at the Murphy's new home (Boston Globe, August 16, 1917). When H. Dudley Murphy died at 12 Summit Road on April 16, 1945, he was considered one of the best-known artists in the United States of the day, with paintings in many major institutions. His subject matter included portraits, still fifes, seascapes and landscapes and he was especially known for his floral still fifes, a subject which he embraced in the 1920s. Born in Marlborough, Massachusetts, H. Dudley Murphy studied at the school of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and at the Julian School in France and in 1895 he exhibited portraits at the Paris Salon. In France he was introduced to the work of James Abbott McNeill Whistler who influenced his work both in tonality and in the believe that frame and painting should harmonize in color and style. Murphy returned to the U.S. in 1897 In 1903 he opened a frame shop, Carrig-Rohane, in Winchester and became the first American framemaker to sign and date his work. By 1907 he was the leading frame manufacturer in Boston of high priced, hand -carved frames of gesso and gold leaf. About 1902 he built a home/studio in Winchester designed by Robert Coit at 314-316 Highland Avenue (WIN.278) which he occupied until he moved to this house in Lexington. Murphy ceased making frames during World War I and was the chief of camouflage for the United States Shipping Board when this house was being built. Murphy was also known for his prowess in sailing canoe contests. Murphy was passionate about sharing his art with others. He was a devoted teacher and taught for 35 years at Harvard's School of Architecture. He served as a member of the Massachusetts Art Commission from 1918 to 1943 and was a founding member of the Guild of Boston Artists. The Murphy studio must have been a beehive of artistic activity H. Dudley Murphy and his wife Nelly Murphy held multiple joint exhibitions of their paintings. A news account of a 1930 exhibit opening declared "Man and Wife Far Apart in Art Technique, Both Superb" (Boston Globe, April 19, 1930). In addition to the Murphys, another painter, John Enser (1898-1968) also lived at 12 Summit in the 1930s and 1940s. Enser was born in Texas and studied painting in Chicago. He arrived in Boston in 1929 and struck up a close friendship with Murphy He lived with the Murphys for more than a decade, also working in the Murphy home studio. Enser is best known for his landscapes and is known to have painted several paintings of the Murphy yard and garden. In June 1932 H. Dudley Murphy sold fellow artist Aiden Lassell Ripley a triangular lot of land to the east of his property and Ripley built a modest house/studio (52 Folien Road, LEX.1051). In 1936 the Murphys, Enser and Ripley came together in what must have been a noteworthy exhibition of their paintings at the Lexington Arts and Craft Society The local paper described them as "four distinguished Lexington artists who have won wide reputation in their field" (Lexington Minute -man, December 12, 1936). Nelly Littlehale Murphy died in 1941 but John Enser continued to live at 12 Summit Road until the death of H. Dudley Murphy in 1945. Robert Vose wrote "With the passing of Mr Murphy, the world of art has lost one of its most delightful members and one of its best influences for technical skill, refinement, and beauty His paintings are outstanding examples of conscientious development of perfection in drawing and technique. His rich, luscious flowers in oil are seldom equated in our generation, and his later work has a technique that is a joy today His opinions, like his art, were the result of profound study, and when formed, could not be shaken, for his courage was equal to any controversy His home in Lexington was as perfect an "Arcadia" as humans could desire" (Catalogue for Memorial Exhibition, 1945). The property at 12 Summit was put up for sale in 1946. The advertisement for the property read as follows: Here, in his later years, a world-famous artist built a home of inspiration, beauty and quietude. Set well back from the road and surrounded by about 2 acres of exquisite gardens, lawns, trees and shrubs, is centered a lovely residence of Italian influence. Flanked by graceful columned patio, its hospitable front entrance bids welcome to an interior of charming livability A gem in one of Lexington's choicest settings, this property offers atmosphere beyond the usual. Continuation sheet 2 INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET LEXINGTON 12 SUMMIT ROAD MASSACHUSETTS IIISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 LEX.521 The advertisement also gives a most complete description of the interior components of the home which included a living room, dining room, kitchen, library, large high ceilinged studio, conservatory, sun room, 6 large chambers and maid's room, 3 baths, and guest lavatory It also had seven fireplaces and accommodations for four cars (Boston Herald, June 9, 1946, p. 91). An auction of the contents of the house and studio including antique and modern furniture, china, glass and paintings was held by Murphy's daughter, Mrs. Carlene Murphy Samoiloff in May 1947 (Boston Globe, May 18, 1947). After H. Dudley Murphy died in 1945, the property was sold by his daughter Carlene Bowles Samoiloff of Winchester It was owned by attorney John F Groden and his wife Helen from 1948 until 1972. Maurice and Helen Kilbridge owned the property from 1972 to 1982 when it was sold to William and Kathleen Corcoran who owned it until 1996. In 1996 a portion of the original lot at the northwest corner containing almost 16,000 SF and originally contained a detached garage was subdivided. A new house (8 Summit Road) was subsequently built on the site of the former garage. The Murphy residence was designed by Boston architect Harold W Hathaway (1872-1927), then practicing in partnership with John T Vining (Hathaway & Vining). Hathaway studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and in Paris. He was working with Allen, Collens, & Berry when the Marlborough City Hall was designed (MRB.64, 1904) and worked for Frank Mills Andrew who designed the Kentucky State Capitol in 1905. In 1909-1910 H.W Hathaway had designs for two solid reinforced concrete houses in Winchester (WNT 1169) and in Belmont (BLM.16) included in books published by the Atlas Portland Cement Co. Hathaway was also later associated with Kendall, Taylor & Co. assisting in the design of the Cushing Academy Main Building in Ashburnham (ASB.140, 1924). The grounds surrounding and complementing the Murphy house were designed by the Olmsted Brothers and have been considered perhaps the finest example of early 20'h century landscape architecture in Lexington (Anne Grady 1984). W.L. Phillips of the Olmsted Brothers was staking and surveying the land in October 1916. (William Lyman Phillips (1885-1966) went on to play a seminal role in the landscaping of Florida). A series of retaining walls, many of them curved, were introduced at the Murphy property, to provide a level area at the rear (view side of the house) and to landscape the high points to the east and west. The street side of the property consisted of a formal Italian sunken garden. Vines were planted for the walls and plans were made for a vineyard, vegetable garden and croquet court. Tall Italian jars arranged along the top of walls were an original feature of the design and survive today The extensive flower gardens and surrounding landscape were the inspiration and setting for the resident artists. In 1898 Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr (1870-1957) and his half-brother, John Charles Olmstead (1852-1920) had formed the partnership of the Olmsted Brothers after Frederick Law Olmsted, Sr 's retirement. In 1917 the firm had a staff of 47 and was the largest landscape practice in the U.S., designing important, high profile projects across the country as well as smaller residential commissions such as the Murphy House. About 1918 H. Dudley Murphy painted a portrait of Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr that is now owned by the National Academy of Design (https://npg.si.edu/object/npg_909-P-1746). BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES Ancestry.com "Artist Couple Hold First Joint Showing: Exhibition by H. Dudley and Nelly L. Murphy, Man and Wife Far Apart in Art Technique, Both Superb", Boston Globe, April 19, 1930, p. 5. Boston Globe, various dates. Enser, John. Painting of Hermann Dudley Murphy's Garden at Lexington, c.1930. httos://www lstdibs.com/art/paintings/landscape-oaintinas/john-enser-hermann-dudlev-murohvs-Garden-lexinaton- massachusetts-c-1930/id-a 4711332/ (accessed June 24, 2021) Grady, Anne. Inventory form for 12 Summit Road, Lexington, LEX.521, 1984 Hall, Alexandra. "Outside Influence", Boston Magazine, February 8, 2007 Continuation sheet 3 INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET LEXINGTON 12 SUMMIT ROAD MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 H LEX.521 "Harold W Hathaway" (obituary), Boston Herald, December 21, 1927, p. 9. "H. Dudley Murphy Artist, Former Canoe Sailing Champion", Boston Globe, April 16, 1945, p. 12. "H. Dudley Murphy Funeral Services Today for Widely Known Artist", Boston Globe, April 17, 1945, p. 11 "H.Dudley Murphy Memorial is Outstanding Painting Exhibit", Boston Globe, November 5, 1945, p. 5. "Hermann Dudley Murphy", httos://www.hisour.com/hermann-dudlev-murohv-13976/ (accessed June 22, 2021). Josefson, Jayna M. "A Finding Aid to the Hermann Dudley Murphy Papers, circa 1878-1982, in the Archives of American Art", Smithsonian Archives of American Art, September 23, 2013. Lexington Minute -man, various dates. Memorial Exhibition of Paintings by H. Dudley Murphy Boston: Guild of Boston Artists, 1945. Massachusetts Historical Commission. Inventory forms on file. Middlesex County Registry of Deeds, Cambridge, MA. National Portrait Gallery Portrait of Frederick Law Olmsted Jr by Hermann Dudley Murphy, c.1918. Catalog of American Portraits, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D C. httos://noa.si.edu/obiect/noa 909-P-1746 (accessed June 22, 2021) Olmsted Associates. Olmsted Associates Records: Job Files, 6379: Murphy, Hermann D., Winchester, Mass. 1916 to 1919. Manuscript/Mixed Material. https://www.loc.aov/resource/mss52571.mss52571-02-301 0301 0307/?sn=5 (accessed June 22, 2021) Spencer, Ellen. "Robert Coit: Houses and Public Buildings in an Age of Suburban Growth", The Architects of Winchester, Massachusetts, Number 8, 2007 Winchester Historical Society Town of Lexington, Building Records. Gouache of front portico by H. Dudley Murphy Continuation sheet 4 INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET LEXINGTON 12 SUMMIT ROAD Area(s) Form No. LEX.521 MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Painting by John Enser showing landscaping at 12 Summit and view to Mt. Independence Source: Cary Library, Lexington c.1930 Painting by John Enser showing Murphys' garden at 12 Summit Continuation sheet 5 INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 LEXINGTON 12 SUMMIT ROAD Area(s) Form No. LEX.521 I Portrait of Frederick Law Olmsted Jr painted by Hermann Dudley Murphy c.1918 Source: Catalog of American Portraits, National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution Painting by Nelly Littlehale Murphy Continuation sheet 6 INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET LEXINGTON 12 SUMMIT ROAD Area(s) Form No. LEX.521 MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Realtor photos showing landscaping including terraces, stone steps and Italian pottery Continuation sheet INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET LEXINGTON 12 SUMMIT ROAD MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 1 LEX.521 National Register of Historic Places Criteria Statement Form Check all that apply ❑ Individually eligible ❑ Eligible only in a historic district ® Contributing to a potential historic district ❑ Potential historic district Criteria: EA EB ECED Criteria Considerations: ❑ A ❑ B ECED ❑ E ❑ F ❑ G Statement of Significance by Lisa Mausolf The criteria that are checked in the above sections must be justified here. Constructed in 1916, the Hermann Dudley Murphy House at 12 Summit Road in Lexington is eligible for listing in the National Register under Criteria A, B, and C at the local level as a contributing property to a potential National Register historic district associated with artists Hermann Dudley Murphy, Nelly Littlehale Murphy, Aiden Lassell Ripley and John Enser. The potential district consists of a small artists' compound dating to the period of high-end suburban residential development in Lexington in the early 206 century The district would include the Murphy House at 12 Summit Road, the Ripley House at 52 Follen Road (MHC #LEX.1051), the historic path/right of way between the two properties and historic landscape features of these properties, including those understood to be associated with designs prepared by the Olmsted Brothers firm. Continuation sheet 8 FORM B - BUILDING MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION MASSACHUSETTS ARCHIVES BUILDING 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Photograph Locus Map (north at top) Recorded by Lisa Mausolf Organization: Date (month /year). June 2021 Assessor's Number USGS Quad Area(s) Form Number 1 22-141 1 Lexington 1 LEX.1051 1 Town/City Lexington Place: (neighborhood or village). East Lexington Address: 52 Follen Road Historic Name: Aiden Lassell Ripley House Uses: Present: residential Original: residential/studio Date of Construction: 1932 Source: Lexington Valuation Lists Style/Form: Early 20th C. Eclectic Architect/Builder unknown Exterior Material: Foundation: fieldstone Wall/Trim: live edge siding/wood Roof: asphalt shingles Outbuildings/Secondary Structures: none Major Alterations (with dates): 1968 — roof raised to add second story Condition: good Moved: no ® yes ❑ Date: Acreage: 0.54 acre Setting: end of long driveway leading uphill from Follen Road, surrounded by woods 12/12 Follow Massachusetts Historical Commission Survey Manual instructions for completing this for INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 ® Recommended for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. If checked, you must attach a completed National Register Criteria Statement form. LEXINGTON 52 FOLLEN ROAD Area(s) Form No. LEX.1051 I ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION Describe architectural features. Evaluate the characteristics of this building in terms of other buildings within the community. Constructed in 1932, the Ripley House is a simple 1 %-story gable -roofed dwelling which features a mortared fieldstone first floor with the upper level sheathed in wood siding. The north gable end is sheathed in fairly regular wood clapboards but visible on the side elevations is live edge siding in which the bottom edge of the board is not cut straight but reflects the natural curves of the tree. The house is set above Follen Road down a long driveway and is surrounded by woods. It was designed as a home/studio for the original owner, artist Aiden Ripley The north portion of the house served as his studio with twenty foot -high ceilings and north light coming in through the set of three multi -light windows punctuating the north gable end. Below the studio on the north side there is a single -car garage with an arched opening punctuating the stone, filled with vertical board double doors with large iron hinges. A set of stone stairs go up the hill at the northwest corner of the house leading to the_front door on the west elevation which faces 12 Summit Road. The southern portion of the house is a separate but attached structure, comprised of a kitchen and dining room on the ground floor (east side). The house originally had only one bedroom on the south side above the dining room. In the 1960s the roof was raised and two additional bedrooms were added on the south side. Where the roof was raised, the wall is sheathed in regular wood clapboards. A vertical panel door on the east elevation accesses the kitchen and dining room. The predominant windows on the building are multi -light casements. The house is surrounded by woods. According to the present owner, in 1980 one could see the shape of the original gardens although they were no longer maintained. On the south side of the house, stepped garden areas extended up the hill next to the house with a stone walkway beside. Another flat growing area was located higher up. On the west (uphill) side of the house in 1980, one could see a walkway in the location of the bridle path. HISTORICAL NARRATIVE Discuss the history of the building. Explain its associations with local (or state) history. Include uses of the building, and the role(s) the owners/occupants played within the community The triangular lot is shown as Lot 27 on a "Plan of Follen Heights" dated May 1917, recorded with Middlesex South Registry of Deeds (Plan Book 297, Plan 35). The land was sold by neighbor and fellow artist Hermann Dudley Murphy (see 12 Summit) to Aiden and Doris Ripley of Boston in June 1932. The interior originally had only one bedroom for Ripley and his wife, a kitchen, dining room, and a north -facing 20 foot high, light -filled studio. The front door to the home is actually at the back, uphill side of the house, and was no doubt designed to provide easy access to the artists and grounds at 12 Summit. The Ripleys were first assessed in 1933 for a house valued at $7,000. Aiden Lassell Ripley (1896-1969) is considered one of the premier masters of American sporting art, best known for his paintings of hunters and game, fly-fishing on pristine rivers and southern plantation life but also taking commissions to paint portraits and history paintings. He studied at the Fenway School of Illustration and Museum of Fine Arts School in Boston and In 1924 was awarded a traveling scholarship by the Museum of Fine Arts and traveled to Europe and North Africa. He returned to this country in 1926. The Great Depression diminished demand for traditional artistry such as portraiture and he began to focus his attention on illustration work. In order to supplement his income he taught a life class and freehand drawing at the Harvard School of Architecture with longtime friend Hermann Dudley Murphy He also did several Works Progress Administration (WPA) projects including a series of murals for the Winchester Public Library and the Lexington Post Office. The Winchester work (1934) depicts the Pilgrims purchasing land from the Native Americans while the post office mural of 1939 illustrates "The Ride of Paul Revere" His 1950 mural of "The Four Scasons", originally painted for a private home in Lexington, was installed in Cary ',raw in 1977 He also completed murals for a building in Atlanta, Georgia and a series of 14 murals depicting episodes in the Continuation sheet 1 INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET LEXINGTON 52 FOLLEN ROAD MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Areas) Form No. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 II LEX.1051 life of Paul Revere for the Paul Revere Insurance Company in Worcester Ripley produced many works based on the landscape around his home in Lexington and the urban landscape of Boston. He was elected president of the Guild of Boston Artists in 1959 and held that position until his death in 1969 He was also elected a member of the National Academy of Design. His work is represented at the Art Institute of Chicago, the High Museum in Atlanta and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston which had a show of his work in 1942. In recent years there has been renewed interest in his work including several books and exhibits. Ripley was also an ardent conservationist and over the years served terms as a member of Lexington's Planning Board, Town Meeting, Conservation Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals. Ripley continued to live in this house until his death in 1969; the second floor addition containing two bedrooms on the south side was constructed in 1968. The property was sold by Doris Ripley in 1973. It was owned by Joseph Kilbridge from 1973 to 1980 and by Gail Hubbell from 1980 to 1986 when it was purchased by the present owner, Robert Westervelt. BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES A. Lassell Ripley papers, 1873-1973. Archives of the American Art, Smithsonian Institution. "A.L. Ripley, Lexington Artist, at 72", Boston Globe, September 1, 1969 Ancestry.com "The Art of Aiden Lassell Ripley", Antiques and the Arts Weekly, July 9, 2010. Boston Globe, various dates. Chester, Alexander and Robert M. Kahler "Aiden Lassell Ripley on the 50th Anniversary of His Death", Illustration, August 2019. Hunter, Elizabeth Ives. "Aiden Lassell Ripley (1896-1969): A Retrospective" httos://www.findaarave.com/memorial/138269949/aiden-lassell-riolev (accessed June 22, 2021) Lexington Minute -man, various dates. Massachusetts Historical Commission. Inventory forms on file. Middlesex County Registry of Deeds, Cambridge, MA. O'Brien, Stephen B., Jr and Julie Carlson Wildfeurer The Art of Aiden Lassell Ripley Boston: Stephen O'Brien Fine Arts, 2009. Town of Lexington, Building Records. Westervelt, Robert (owner). Information, June 2021 Wheer, Siobhan M. The Work of Aiden Lassell Ripley (1896-1969) [Contained in Vose Art Notes: A Guide for Collectors, Vol. XI Winter 2003] Zitso Studio. Aiden Lassell Ripley, ca. 1955. Macbeth Gallery records, 1947-1948. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Continuation sl INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 LEXINGTON 52 FOLLEN ROAD Area(s) Form No. IILEX.1051 j North elevation, stairs lead up to west entrance and bridle path Continuation sheet 3 INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET LEXINGTON 52 FOLLEN ROAD Area(s) Form No. LEX.1051 MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 East elevation View down driveway from Follen Road Continuatior INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET LEXINGTON 52 FOLLEN ROAD Area(s) Form No. IILEX.1051 MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Ly/ bye?-,2the / �---� Portrait of Aiden Lassell Ripley in his studio at 52 Follen Road Source: Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution Continuation sheet 5 INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 LEXINGTON National Register of Historic Places Criteria Statement Form Check all that apply ❑ Individually eligible 0 Eligible only in a historic district /1 Contributing to a potential historic district ❑ Potential historic district Criteria: ® A ® B Z C❑ D 52 FOLLEN ROAD Area(s) Form No. II LEX.1051 Criteria Considerations: ❑ A ❑ B ❑ C ❑ D 0 E 0 F ❑ G Statement of Significance by Lisa Mausolf The criteria that are checked in the above sections must be justified here. Constructed in 1932, the Aiden Lassell Ripley House at 52 Follen Road in Lexington is eligible for listing in the National Register under Criteria A, B, and C at the local level as a contributing property to a potential National Register historic district associated with artists Hermann Dudley Murphy, Nelly Littlehale Murphy, Aiden Lassell Ripley and John Enser The potential district consists of a small artists' compound dating to the period of high-end suburban residential development in Lexington in the early 20th century The district would include the Ripley House at 52 Follen Road, the Murphy House at 12 Summit Road (MHC #LEX.521), the historic path/right of way between the two properties and historic landscape features of these properties, including those understood to be associated with designs prepared by the Olmsted Brothers firm. Continuati FORM B - BUILDING MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION MASSACHUSETTS ARCHIVES BUILDING 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Photograph Locus Map (north at top) Recorded by Lisa Mausolf Organization: '•ate (month /year) June 2021 Assessor's Number USGS Quad Area(s) Form Number 22/143 Lexington LEX. Town/City Lexington Place: (neighborhood or villager East Lexington Address: 104 Follen Road Historic Name: Spencer & Elizabeth Smith House Uses: Present: residential Original: residential Date of Construction: 1947 Source: Town building records Style/Form: Contemporary Architect/Builder Spencer Smith, architect? Kelly Brothers, builders Exterior Material: Foundation: concrete, concrete block Wall/Trim: wood clapboards Roof: asphalt Outbuildings/Secondary Structures: none Major Alterations (with dates). 1951- wing addition facing Follen Road including attached garage c.1973 — louvered openings replaced with glass windows and larger windows added front and back Condition: good Moved: no ►1 yes ❑ Date: Acreage: 0.30 acre Setting: 20th century residential neighborhood on Follen Hill Follow Massachusetts Historical Commission Survey Manual instructions for completing this form. INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET LEXINGTON 104 FOLLEN ROAD MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 LEX. 1 ❑ Recommended for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. If checked, you must attach a completed National Register Criteria Statement form. ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION Describe architectural features. Evaluate the characteristics of this building in terms of other buildings within the community Located at the corner of Follen Road and Summit Road, 104 Follen Road is a single -story Contemporary dwelling built in 1947 with a wing addition with garage constructed to the north in 1951 Clad in wood clapboards, it is set on a concrete/concrete block foundation and capped by a very low-pitched gable roof from which a low, wide brick chimney emerges. As originally constructed, the house had a U-shaped plan with an entrance courtyard facing the road, a carport to the north and living space to the south. In the original design all the windows were actually screened louvered openings (not glass) like onboard a ship. These were replaced with glass windows by the present owner after 1973 and were supplemented by additional large windows facing the front and rear patios. Typical of its style, the building lacks decorative detailing or embellishment. There is a simple front door facing the street inside the courtyard. A metal tally column supports the roof of the carport. The house was built on a slab with radiant heat, which had only recently become used to any degree in residential construction. The Smith House at 104 Follen Road is an early, modest example of Contemporary domestic architecture in Lexington. Its simple lines and lack of traditional detailing reflect the work of Walter Gropius and other architects who came to this country after World War II, dreaming of revolutionizing residential architecture. It incorporated an interest in the latest in technology such as radiant heating, steel framing and unique design ideas such as the original screened louvered openings. Radiant heat was first used in this country by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1937 but achieved more publicity in 1945 after it was used by developer William Levitt (Bean 2010). The house was constructed prior to Lexington's well known significant Mid Century Modern Developments such as Six Moon Hill, Five Fields and Peacock Farms. According to the owner, local architect Walter Pierce (1920-2013) who developed the Peacock Farms model with Danforth Compton in the 1950s, was fascinated by the modern house at 104 Follen Road and labeled it "one of a kind" (Sonin 2021). HISTORICAL NARRATIVE Discuss the histouy of the building. Explain its associations with local (or state) history. Include uses of the building, and the role(s) the owners/occupants played within the community. This house was built on land that Grace Winifred Kelley, then of Santa Barbara, California sold in June 1947 to Spencer R. Smith, then of Hamburg, New York (Middlesex County Registry Book 7150, Page 344). Grace and her husband, Dr Truman Kelley, had previously lived at what is now 2 Summit Road. On July 9, 1947 Spencer R. Smith received a building permit from the town for a dwelling and garage at 104 Follen Road (Lexington Minute -man, July 17, 1947, p. 1). Spencer R. Smith likely designed the home for himself and his wife Elizabeth. Spencer R. Smith (1915-2005) graduated from Yale University in 1937 with a BFA in Architecture and subsequently worked for the engineering and architectural firm, Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill, in New York City In 1941 he was commissioned as an Ensign in the U.S. Navy and was serving as Officer in Charge of Construction at the Naval Air Station, Barbers Point, Hawaii when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 In 1947 he was assigned to the Boston Naval Shipyard and had this house built by Kelly Brothers of Arlington. While on duty in Boston, Smith also attended the Harvard Business School. Town Building Department records detail the steel used in the construction of the house. In 1949 Smith was reassigned and the house was purchased by Howard and Jean Hamacher The newspaper included a brief mention announcing the sale of a "five room moderne ranch type house located at 104 Follen road" (Lexington Minute -man, Dec. 29, 1949). (Spencer Smith retired from the Navy in 1972 after 31 years of service, having attained the rank of Rear Admiral.) Howard F Hamacher (1915-2003) was an executive at Arthur D. Little Co. for many years and was also on the faculty at Harvard. In order to accommodate their four children, the Hamachers added a wing in 1951 facing Follen Road and containing three rooms, a garage and small basement. Continua INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET LEXINGTON 104 FOLLEN ROAD MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 LEX. 1 In 1973 the Hamachers sold the property to Ain Sonin and Epp-Karike Sonin; he was a MIT professor The Sonins replaced all the original louvered openings with glass windows and added more large windows to the front and back facing front and back patios. BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES Ancestry.com Bean, Robert. History of radiant heating and cooling, 2010. htto://www.healthvheatina.com/History of Radiant Heating and Cooling/history of radiant heating chronolooical.htm# YNOi6 mhKhaQ (accessed June 23, 2021) Boston Globe, Dec. 11, 1949 (sale of house) Lexington Minute -man, various dates. Middlesex County Registry of Deeds, Cambridge, MA. Sonin, Epp. Information on 104 Follen Road, 2021 "Spencer Smith" (obituary), Monterey (CA) Herald, March 26, 2005. httos://www.leaacv.com/obituaries/monterevherald/obituarv.asox?n=spencer-smith&oid=3337430 (accessed June 10, 2021) Town of Lexington, Building Records. Aerial view of house; later garage wing is at top Continuation sheet 2 INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET LEXINGTON 104 FOLLEN ROAD MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 220 MOARISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Area(s) Form No. LEX. 1 Assessor's photo Continu FORM B - BUILDING MASSACHUSEYI S HISTORICAL COMMISSION MASSACHUSETTS ARCHIVES BUILDING 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Photograph Locus Map (north at top) Recorded by Lisa Mausolf Organization: Date (month /year) June 2021 Assessor's Number USGS Quad Area(s) Form Number 22-144 Lexington LEX. Town/City Lexington Place: (neighborhood or village): East Lexington Address: 2 Summit Road Historic Name: Thomas J. & Mary Bishop House Uses: Present: residential Original: residential Date of Construction: 1922 Source: deeds, newspaper Style/Form: Craftsman Colonial Architect/Builder unknown Exterior Material: Foundation: Wall/Trim: wood clapboard, wood Roof: slate Outbuildings/Secondary Structures. garage Major .Alterations (with dales): 1947, 1995- loss of original acreage to construct 104 Follen and 4 Summit Condition: good Moved: no ❑ yes 0 Date: Acreage: 0.5 acre Setting: 20th century residential neighborhood on Follen Hill Follow Massachusetts Historical Commission Survey Manual instructions for completing this form. INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET LEXINGTON 2 SUMMIT ROAD MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Areas) Form No. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 LEX. ❑ Recommended for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. If checked, you must attach a completed Nacional Register Crirerrcr Statement Jortn. ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION Describe architectural features. Evaluate the characteristics of this building in terms of other buildings within the community. Set down a long driveway from Summit Road and above stone walls along Follen Road, 2 Summit Road is a two-story Craftsman Colonial -style dwelling constructed in 1922. Although lacking the symmetrical massing of a true Colonial, overtures to the Colonial Revival style including the pedimented entrance portico with sidelit entry and Roman Doric columns, double -hung 6/6 windows flanked by blinds, and the high slate -covered hip roof with hip dormers front and back. The overhanging eaves with exposed notched rafter tails are a Craftsman -style detail. A single -story sun porch spans the east end of the building. To the west of the main house is a c.1922 garage that is square in plan, capped by a slate, hip roof with skylight. The half -acre lot includes stone walls and terraces including some curved sections. The frontage along Follen Road also is lined by stone retaining walls with a set of stone steps leading up to the backyard. HISTORICAL NARRATIVE Discuss the history of the building. Explain its associations with local (or state) history. Include uses of the building, and the role(s) the owners/occupants played within the community. The original owner of this house (originally known as 90 Follen Road and later 4 Summit Road) was Thomas J. Bishop (1862- 1929). In February 1922 the newspaper reported "Three lots of land, Nos. 28, 29 and 30 at Follen Heights, Lexington, containing about 56,000 feet, have been bought by Thomas J. Bishop of Boston, who will build an attractive house in keeping with the other high class homes in that section" (Lexington Minute -man, February 10, 1922, p. 1). In selling the land to Mary Bishop, Frank Peirce included various restrictions on what could be built, restrictions which would stay in effect until 1941 There was a limit of one dwelling on the property with a minimum value of $7,000 and the dwelling could not have a flat roof (Book 4488, Page 67). There was also to be no mechanical, manufacturing or mercantile business conducted on the property Bishop also bought an additional lot (Lot 31) from John Sharman in 1923 (Book 4658, Page 193). The original owner, Thomas J. Bishop, had a Boston express business that operated between Boston, Fitchburg, Leominster and Clinton as well as a second line that ran between Fitchburg and Worcester Mrs. Bishop died in 1927 and her husband passed away two years later In August 1931 Thomas F Bishop, their son, issued a quitclaim deed for the property to Zylpha and Russell Allen who held the mortgage (Book 5582, Page 101). On December 10, 1932 a public auction was held to sell the property The Perle Burgess family was living here from about 1933 to 1935. By 1936 this was the home of Truman and Grace Kelley Dr Truman Kelley (1884-1961) was a professor at Harvard and was credited with introducing statistical methods into psychological studies. In 1924 he was a co-author of the Stanford Achievement Test (SAT) and during World War II, Dr Kelley was a consultant to the armed forces focusing on psychological testing. In June 1947 Grace Kelley, then of Santa Barbara, California, sold the western portion of the property to Spencer Smith who built the house next door at 104 Follen Road (Book 7150, Page 344). John B. Ward, of the Ward Steel Company in Cambridge, owned the house at 2 Summit Road from 1949 to 1954. Robert and Catherine Van de Graaff purchased the house in 1955 and Catherine sold it after her husband's death in 1967 Robert Van de Graaff was a prominent physicist who developed the high-voltage electrostatic generator that bears him name. The house was owned by Norman and Rita Connolly from 1967 to 1997 In 1995 the land was subdivided, and the present house at 4 Summit Road was subsequently built to the south. Conlin? INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET LEXINGTON 2 SUMMIT ROAD MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 LEX. 1 BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES Ancestry.com Boston Globe, various dates. Lexington Minute -man, various dates. Middlesex County Registry of Deeds, Cambridge, MA. Smithsonian Institute Archives. httos://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris arc 397756 (accessed June 17, 2021) Photograph of Truman Kelley Town of Lexington, Building Records. "Truman Kelley, 76, Taught at Harvard", New York Times, May 3, 1961, p. 37 Dr Truman Kelley Continuation sheet 2 INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET LEXINGTON 2 SUM[IIIT ROAD MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Stone wall along Follen Road looking up toward 2 Summit backyard Area(s) Form No. LEX. Contin? FORM B - BUILDING MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION MASSACHUSETTS ARCHIVES BUILDING 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Photograph Locus Map Recorded by Lisa Mausolf Organization: ''a (month /year)' June 2021 01.1"17.63 Assessor's Number USGS Quad Area(s) Form Number 22-147 Lexington LEX. Town/City. Lexington Place: (neighborhood or village)' East Lexington Address: 22 Summit Road Historic Name: Francis & Dorothy Chamberlain House "Stonesides" Uses: Present: residential Original: residential Date of Construction: 1923 Source: deeds, directories, newspaper Style/Form: English Revival Architect/Builder unknown Exterior Material: Foundation: Wall/Trim: Roof: stone, concrete rubble, stucco, wood slate Outbuildings/Secondary Structures: none Major Alterations (with dates). 1975 — fire damage inside Condition: good Moved: no ® yes ❑ Date: Acreage: 1 12 acres Setting: 20th century residential neighborhood on Follen Hill Follow Massachusetts Historical Commission Survey Manual instructions for completing this form. INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET LEXINGTON 22 SUMMIT ROAD MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 LEX. ❑ Recommended for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. If checked, you must attach a completed National Register Criteria Statement form ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION Describe architectural features. Evaluate the characteristics of this building in terms of other buildings within the community. The Chamberlain House at 22 Summit Road is a unique early 20th century residence, its eclectic design inspired by English - Tudor prototypes which are freely mixed. Known as "Stonesides", the dwelling utilizes stone from the site with lesser stuccoed details. Constructed for a noted navigator/yachtsman, the house was reportedly purposely sited to align with the North Star Typical of the English Revival, the house has a long, asymmetrical massing with a mix of overlapping gables and varied eave line heights. The house is capped by a hip slate roof with tall stone chimneys. The variety of windows includes multi -light bands of casement windows, individual casements, some topped by transom lights, an oriel window in the north front gable and a two- story bay window suspended near the main fagade entrance which is set in a simple arch and topped by an iron lantern. The garage at the south end of the fagade consists of an architect opening filled with double vertical board wooden doors with iron hinges. Although the interior suffered fire damage in 1975, the exterior appears virtually unchanged since its construction. HISTORICAL NARRATIVE Discuss the history of the building. Explain its associations with local (or state) history. Include uses of the building, and the role(s) the owners/occupants played within the community The land on which this house stands, Lot 32 on a "Plan of Follen Heights" dated May 1917, recorded with Middlesex South Registry of Deeds (Plan Book 297, Plan 35), was sold by Frank D. Peirce to Francis & Dorothy Chamberlain of Arlington in July 1921 The conveyance included various restrictions to last twenty years about what could be built on the land. This included not more than two dwellings, a garage for not more than two automobiles and no trucks, no flat roof, a construction cost of not less than $7,000, and prohibited mechanical, manufacturing and mercantile buildings. A brief article entitled "The New Stone House" concerning the Chamberlain House appeared in the newspaper in October 1922. It read "Of unique construction is the stone house being built on Follen Heights, near Mr H.D Murphy's. The building is Mr Francis Chamberlain's, formerly of Arlington. It seems as tho a favorite pasttime for our ancestrors must have been to build stone walls as there was one in particular, six feet wide and four feet high running thru his lot. Mr Chamberlain could, therefore, use a local product in his building" (Lexington Minute -man, October 20, 1922). Chamberlain's great grandfather was Eli Robbins who lived at the foot of Follen Road. In August 1923 the local newspaper reported that the Chamberlain family had moved into their "new field stone house, located at 24 Summit road, which has been building for the past year" (Lexington Minute -man, August 24, 1923, p. 1). During the Chamberlains' ownership, the house was known as "Stonesides" (Lexington Minute -man, January 16, 1925; Sept. 19, 1935). Francis Chamberlain (1891-1965) and Dorothy Homer of Lexington had married in 1915 (her mother lived at 143 Pleasant Street). He was a 1915 Harvard graduate where he rowed crew During World War I he served as a management engineer with the Army Ordinance Department in Washington DC He developed a system of celestial navigation on which he wrote a textbook and conducted a navigation school in Boston teaching the area's leading yachtsmen, later serving as rear commodore of the Boston Yacht Club. When the house at 22 Summit Road was built, it was sited to perfectly align with the North Star Chamberlain worked for many years as a financial statistician for a Boston investment banking firm and also served as a Lexington selectman in 1928-30 and a town meeting representative in 1931-1937 His father was Allen Chamberlain who wrote for the Boston Transcript. Contin INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET LEXINGTON 22 SUMMIT ROAD MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 LEX. The house at 22 Summit Road was sold to Walter and Madgeline McCrea in 1939. He was an engineer with the Cambridge Gas Company Grace Johnson owned the house from 1944 to 1953. The current owners, William and Sheila Widnall purchased the house in 1968. Like the original owner, William Widnall is a scientist, navigator and yachtsman and was instrumental in the Apollo lunar program. Sheila Widnall, also an aeronautical engineer, was the first woman ever to lead a division of the United States military, becoming Secretary of the Air Force in 1993 under President Clinton. A fire in January 1975 resulted in extensive interior damage in the living room, kitchen and upper level of the house and claimed the lives of three persons and injured two others who were occupying the house (Lexington Minute -man, January 16, 1975). BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES Ancestry.com Boston Globe, various dates. "Francis Chamberlain, 74, Navigator, Scientist, Dies", Boston Globe, April 25, 1965, p. 95. Lexington Minute -man, various dates. Middlesex County Registry of Deeds, Cambridge, MA. "Miss Dorothy Homer Weds Francis Chamberlain", Boston Globe, June 30, 1915, p. 5. "The New Stone House", Lexington Minute -man, October 20, 1922. Town of Lexington, Building Records. Continuation sheet 2