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Home My WebLink Aboutarea-yFORS A - AREA separate shee Form numbers area Area letter Y 'Fair Town Lexington ha. m Wit; ►y air Oaks General date or period street system of c. 1910 ea indicating properties within it. inventory forms have been completed. any) and indicate north. (Attach a if space here is not sufficient) Recorded by Organization Date March, 1984 ne Grady exington Historicar ommission (Staple additional sheets here) 1 ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE of area. (Describe physical setting, general character, and architecturally significant structures). Of the original Fair Oaks development scheme, only the road system became a reality. Situated on the southern slope of,Lorinq Hill, the roads, Prospect Hill Road, Wachusetts Drive, Fair Oaks Drive, Downing Road and Outlook Drive, curve gently with the slope of the hill. Of the original plan for triangles of green space where roads joined,'only one triangle survives, now called Wachusetts Circle, and several houses have been built on it. Only two or three of the houses retain the original ample -sized lots. Fifty-two house lots were part of the original plan, but nearly three times that many houses have been built. With a few exceptions, the houses actually built are modest structures which date from perhaps the mid -1920s to the recent past. There are about equal numbers of pre- and post -World War II buildings. Styles represented include Colonial Revival, Dutch Colonial, Cape, Bungalow, Tudor Vernacular, Ranch, and Contemporary. (see Continuation Sheet) HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE of area. (Explain development of area, what caused it, and haw it affected community; be specific). The Fair Oaks development was conceived with the highest of intentions by a landscape architect to exemplify the fundamental principles of landscape architecture. Had it been built, it might well have been one of Lexington's most significant areas. The land for which the development was proposed had been the estate of (Dr. Robert Means Lawrence, a physician who studied in Vienna and Paris, as well as at Harvard, and who wrote about medical folklore, psychotherapy and genealogy. In 1909 the Commonwealth of Massachusetts secured an option to purchase the land for a hospital for the insane on the cottage plan. Lexington residents adopted a resolution against the hospital and over 1,000 of them attended a protest meeting at the Statehouse. The plan was subsequently dropped and that same year the land was laid out in house lots. For some reason, a layout here was not approved by the town until 1924. The development was designed and managed by Arthur E. Horton, a landscape architect who had worked for the Metropolitan Park Commission in Boston for 10 years designing boulevards, parks and reservations. Most of the work was done under the direction of Charles Eliot of the firm of Olmsted, Olmsted and Eliot of Brookline, the descendant firm of Frederick Law Olmsted. In a 40 -page promotional booklet entitled A Home in the Country Horton states,. "it is only fair to say that Fair Oaks is the direct result of the inspiration I derived from" the writings of Andrew Jackson Downing, particularly Downing's Landscape Gardening and Rural Architecture. Interestingly, Downing's (see Continuation Sheet) BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES Horton, Arthur E. A Home in the Country, undated. Widener Library, Harvard. Hudson, Charles. History of the Town of Lexington, revised and continued to 1912 by the Lexington Historical Society, Volume II, p. 354. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1913. Worthen, pp. Edwin B. A Calendar History of Lexington, Massachusetts 1620-1946, 107, 118. Lexington: Lainirt-on Savings Bank, 1946. (see Continuation Sheet) 2M-6/80 INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL CCMNISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston L. Community: Lexington Form No: Y Property Name: Fair Oaks Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE The two most noteworthy houses in the area appear to have been built before the promotional brochure was put out (c. 1910-1915). These are the house at 341 Marrett Road, a one-story shingled structure with hip roof, fieldstone basement story, and fieldstone verandas; and the house at 75 Outlook Drive, built by George E. Briggs and designed by Willard Brown. Built before 1913, it is one of Brown's substantial houses, Colonial Revival in overall character, but with other more subtle influences: a portico with exposed, shaped beams, perhaps of Japanese derivation. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE ancestors had owned the Fair Oaks parcel before 1835, a point not lost on Horton. Horton makes reference to other principal theorists of late eighteenth century and nineteenth century landscape design, J.C. Loudon and Sir Uvedale Price, in his promotional literature. While these references may have been a bit obscure to the home builders he sought, they indicate the seriousness with which Horton approached the project. He further states, "I have long felt that the fundamental principles of landscape architecture could be as satisfactorily applied to the development of one to four acre lots as they have been in the case of large estates." He mentions the importance of roads; "lack of study in locating roads has resulted in completely destroying many beautiful house sites." He began his plan by making a "thorough topographical survey of the entire estate, showing the necessary detail of contour, tree and ledge." This enabled him to create the layout "without wasting a single important tree or ledge." Lot lines were "actually frames to control individual pictures," and house sites were selected so that construction of houses would not interfere with distant views" and would provide privacy. "You will not have to build in the shadow of your neighbors house" is declared in bold type. The roads were built as laid out, curving gently to follow the topography of the south -facing wooded slope. There were ample triangles of green space at the junctions of the curved roads (see accompanying plan). The names Horton chose for his roads reflect his intentions and his source of inspiration: Downing Road; Wachusett• Drive (much is made in the booklet of vistas of Mt. Wachusett ); Prospect Hill Road; Outlook Drive. There are numerous photographs of the area in Horton's booklet. Several pen and ink drawings done in a very sketchy style entitled "Just a Hint" suggest appropriate house designs. Evidently Horton thought a very picturesque 01d English style was suitable for his development. Although there is no date on the booklet, it seems likely to have been put out between 1910 and 1915. Why none of the lots was sold and built upon according to this scheme has not been discovered. Horton continued to live in the area until his death in 1921. When the street layout was accepted by the town in 1924 it was very likely a revised layout, for there are now 150 lots in the area. BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES Unidentified newspaper clipping in album in possession of Elizabeth Wright. St-iple to Inventory form at lttom INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL CCWSSION Office of the Secretary, Boston Community: Form No: Y Pr Name: Fair Oaks Indicate each item on inventory foam which is being continued bel. GENERAL PLAN 0t FAIR OAKS LEXINCTON, MASS. Scale c,f Feet 103 200 300 430 500 600 ARTHUR F HO. RION 6E6 PURAL. E.:.0ERtN3 A%!".". SURVEYING L.AhDiCAK FAIR OAKS, L.ExiN.y,57,.. MASS. 76 1-18,500 59 Ft. 3.41 Ac•es 53.000 S0.61. 7,50 Acr#v 1 03,500 Sq F. 2,05 Aerea 79.590 Se7.6t. 1.85 Acres C.3.5`76 Sq Ft, 1.46 ACPZ$ 3,500 Sq.Ft 1.45 Acres 3,000 8.7.00. 3.05 Acres 149,000 Sq.R. 3.42 Acrex• 78.590 Sq.FR. .80 &ma 139,000 $q -Ft. 168.0005.7.00. 1.21 Aerto 126,009 Sq.k. 2,84 Acre, tey, 71,000 5q.1e. a' 1.52 km a 1,63 Acres \'''',,,J...„. 63,000 Sq.Ft ' /4 J______ -e" , ' pi- e 4.9,000,9g.flt./ ,,fl,009 Sq rt. II 1.36 &eta (1.10 Aerta J 39,300 1 155,000 6,7,Ft., 0 44 Ac.. :.,'.---'9' \MOO Sq-irt. *, . : ';., Sq.Ft. 47.500 Sq.ft, \ 7.43 Acres \rt.."' 05 .8;153;7.41.s' 14.:20..°°°01 Per:t /44.50,$,i,Fe. \i. s!:.... / 36.0470 I 1.02 6cres e • ••••., 4„. \ \\st 147,000 ,r4 01S64,61cr.4 3554.0.F0t0 13s,.,1.5f9c.0 \,`",k 1,08 Acrea , . 46,000 SqFt075150*Sq11. , i 0•80 Aerr:0.71 4c Ao,.. /71.Ft 500 Sq... 44 Acres/ qFt, 1.0. 9 01,:rea I , 1.01 Acrd 51,500 Sq.6t. /S / 1 7i Acrea -1-----------_," 71 Hotae \ $ 4,-,.......„,....L......____ ...._., ,...._ e ---- ---, .....- 074 Mansion OFFICE 65.500 Sq Ft. 243 161•77 ifouee 19 House 39,590 Sq 0.31 Am 08,00234.F. .500Sq.6t.1 9'\‘0.97 "1 34.000 \ 38,500 Sa.Ft. 'U.784.', .0\ . 23.044, So 11, House StIple tolnventory form at ttom LEX.Y AREA Y FAIR OAKS Address Style Date (if known) MHC Number 5 Do Road Dutch Colonial Revival before 1935 ✓- X 19 Downing Road Colonial Revival (sided) before 1935 i 'a 2Downing Road Craftsman/Colonial Revival after 1935 zj t,v 26 Dowrting Road Brick Craftsman after 1935 i 29 Downing Road English Revival before 1935 '2.4 • 2- 32 Downing Road Colonial Revival (altered) before 1935 •t t -, 35 Downi.n�Road English cottage Craftsman/Colonial Revival before 1935 before 1935 is 11 2utG 37 Downin Road 43 Downing Road Craftsman Cape before 1935 Z 6 ii, 46 Downing Road Brick 1930s before 1935 1 53 Downing Road _ Frame Tudor Revival after 1935 t 15 Fair Oaks Drive Craftsman before 1935 2 ' 1 341 Marrett Rd. Shingle Style c, 1910 2.4 iv l6 Outlook Drive Colonial Revival before .1935�t� 18 Outlook Drive Dutch Colonial Revival before 1935 2s 7 20 Outlook Drive Bungalow before 1935 - i' 3 21 Outlook Drive Dutch Colonial Revival before 1935 4' 74 22 Outlook Drive Frame Tudor Revival before 1935 z y i a 25 Outlook Drive English cottage before 1935 / t� 34 Outlook Drive Colonial Reviival before 1935 7 36 Outlook Drive Bungalow Dutch Colonial Revival before 1935 before 1935 t 38 Outlook Drive 40 Outlook Drive Colonial Revival before 1935 Z 41 Outlook Drive Frame Tudor Revival cottage after 1935 4 i 46 Outlook Drive 4 -Square before 1935 48 Outiook Drive Bungalow Frame Tudor Revival w, brick entry before 1935 before 1935 2.a f3 49 Outlook Drive 54 Outlook Drive Colonial Revival after 1935 � : , 58 Outlook Drive Dutch Colonial Revival (altered) before 1935 z -t 60 Outlook Drive Dutch Colonial Revival before 1935 65 Outlook Drive Craftsman/Colonial Revival after 19351 ttF 66 Outlook Drive Crai'istnan (sided) before 1935 68 Outlook Drive Dutch Colonial Revival before 1935 '7a 70 Outlook Drive Bungalow before 1935:' 75 Outlook Drive Colonial Revival ("Fair Oaks") 1910 1108 1109 9 Prospecti-IilI Road Spanish Mission Bungalow c. 1912 1110 15 Prospect Hill Road Dutch Colonial Revival before 1935 kt 18 Prospect Hill Road Dutch Colonial Revival before 1935 � 3 21 Prospect Hill Road Dutch Colonial Revival before 1935 tt+q 30 Pr Hill Road Craftsman/Coloniai Revival before 1935 .' t 35 Prospect Hill Road Frame Tudor Revival before 1935 - ti q t{ 39 Prospect Hill Road Frame Tudor Revival tv. addition before 1935 L `7 X1.7 40 Prospect Hill Road 20th c. Eclectic (brick, tile roof) 1914 1111 44 Prospect Hill Road Dutch Colonial Revival before 1935 21 (Lk 65 Prospect Hill Road Colonial Revival before 1935 . y 0 9 66 Prospect Hill Road Frame Tudor Revival after 1935? 69 Prospect Hill Road Colonial Revival after 1935 t 2 Wachusett Circle Dutch Colonial Revival before 1935 z - C ml4 i#61,3 C Nov Zu ao LEX.Y 4 Wachusett Circle Colonial Revival before 1935 1 11 Wachusett Drive Dutch Colonial Revival before 1935 4 SV tt 37 Wachusett Drive Dutch Colonial Revival before 1935 2-517S 40 Wachusett Drive Colonial Revival/Craftsman before 1935 42 Wachusett Drive Frame Tudor Revival (altered)? after 1935 2 -So 7 43 Wachusett Drive Bungalow before 1935 45 Wachusett Drive Brick Craftsman before 1935 2- co 1 47 Wachusett Drive Craftsman (altered)? before 1935 51 Wachusett Drive Colonial Revival after 1935 2._ Si t 1)5 tOtAr. trrf 2:7-51Q