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ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE (Describe important architectural features and evaluate in terms of other buildings within the community.) 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 (see Continuation Sheet) HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE (Explain the role owners played in local or state history and how the building relates to the development of the community.) The house was built in 1919 by Herman Dudley Murphy, an American impressionist painter. Murphy had lived and worked in Italy. According to tradition he asked architect, Harold Hathaway, to recreate the Italian Villa where he had lived in Florence for himself and his second wife. The property incorporates the site of the observatory on Mt. Independence, and part of the original carriage road to the summit borders the eastern edge of the property. About 1834-1835, Eli Robbins, successful East Lexington fur processor and owner of the site, erected a three-story observatory on Mt. Independence, laid out drives to and walks around the summit, and connected 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 toward the summit had a trellis the whole distance covered with Isabella grapevines (Proceedings of the Lexington Historical Society, II, p. 179) . This was the first instance in Lexington of an owner opening his private property for public use. (The other prominent example is the B.F. Hayes estate, opened to the public in the late nineteenth century.) The observatory was a popular site, well used by citizens and strangers. Views in all directions were extensive and ships could be seen in Boston Harbor. The observatory was the site of a three day fair in 1839 which raised money for the erection of the Follen Church. Meals were served on the lower level during the fair, and the Brigade Band played on the second floor. According to Dorothy Foster, there was a stand pipe on the site in the late nineteenth century. BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES (name of publication, author, date and publisher) Hudson, Charles. History of the Town of Lexington, revised and continued to 1912 by the Lexington Historical Society, Volume I, pp. 297, 471. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1913. Newspaper clipping, source unidentified. Proceedings of the Lexington Historical Society, Volume II. Lexington: Lexington Historical Society, 1900. Personal communication from Dorothy Foster. Personal communication from Mrs. K. Corcoran. 10M - 7/82