hayes-avenue_0031 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET TOWN ADDRESS LEXINGTON 31 HAYES AVE. MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD,BOSTON,MASSACHUSETTS 02125 H� 2139 ❑ Recommended for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. If checked,you must attach a completed National Register Criteria Statement.form. Use as much space as necessary to complete the following entries, allowing text to flow onto additional continuation sheets. ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION: Describe architectural features. Evaluate the characteristics of this building in terms of other buildings within the community. The Ernest Nichols House deviates from the more typical Willard Brown houses in the Colonial Revival or Craftsman styles in that it is Brown's version of the Bungalow style. The house has the broad sweeping roof and the shed dormer typical of a Bungalow. The roof on the facade terminates with a slightly flared eave above the first floor. The dormer contains paired double hung windows at the center and single windows on either side. The eave of the dormer is finished with plain exposed rafter feet, which are a signature feature Willard Brown buildings and are thought to reflect Japanese influence. Four thick Tuscan columns support the front of the roof at the eave and divide the first floor of the facade into three sections: a glazed sun porch at the northeast end, an entry bay with doorway at the center and an enclosed room at the southwest end. The wide side elevations incorporate windows in which the placement appears to reflect the use of the rooms within. For example on the northeast side three windows are staggered upward, apparently to light a stairway. On the southwest side is a three-sided single story bay window. A single central chimney is placed at the ridge of the roof. The foundation is invisible from the exterior. The lot slopes up from the street. The first level of the building's facade is complete shielded by plantings. A paved drive curves up from the southwest side of the lot across in front of the house to a garage at the rear northeast side of the building. The garage was in place by 1935. The Ernest Nichols House is part of a group of houses, many architect-designed, that were built parts of Lexington, such as Merriam Hill, Munroe Hill and Winthrop Road that saw upscale development in the early 20th century. Local architect, Willard Brown (1871-1943), was responsible for the design of a number of these residences (including 19 documented by his daughter), as well as a few well-regarded public buildings (the Munroe and Parker Schools, and Cary Memorial Library). His buildings are among the most creative and interesting structures of the period in Lexington. They often combine allusions to several styles at once and may include features of the Shingle, Queen Anne, Italian Villa, Arts and Crafts, of even the Prairie style, though they are most frequently categorized as Craftsman or Colonial Revival. Many are characterized by low hip roofs with broad eaves. Exterior finish materials used include stucco, brick, shingles, or clapboards. Brown's buildings invariably feature horizontal massing. Sixteen houses designed by Brown are included in the immediate Merriam Hill area. 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 Nichols House was built in 1915 for Ernest Ostrom, a salesman, and Anne W. Nichols next door to the house of his brother, Howard Ostrom Nichols. According to Sarah Emily Brown Schoenhut, the two Nichols brothers did not want their houses to be similar. Hence the house at 29 Hayes Ave. is a blend of Colonial Revival/Craftsman style, while this one is a Bungalow. The lot that Ernest O. Nichols purchased from George W. Fitch on Dec. 5, 1913 was Lot 72 in the Plan of Oakmount Park, Part A, of May 28, 1903. In 1943, the estate of Ernest Nlchols sold the property to Gardner L. and Olive Russell Frost. John and Marjorie Kent have been the owners since 1966. Continuation sheet I