HomeMy WebLinkAboutReport on the Garrity House, circa 1980 REPORT ON THE GARRITY HOUSE,
LEXINGTON, MASS
ARCHITECTURAL AND SOCIAL HISTORY,
EXISTING CONDITIONS,
AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR
RESTORATION AND REUSE
Eleanor Anbinder
Mary Bennett
Deborah Ertman
Geraldine Forma
Lucinda Leach
INTRODUCTION
Set on the northwestern corner of the property of historic
Buckman Tavern, and bordering Lexington Green, the Garrity House
is a key element of Lexington' s National Register Battle Green
Historic District While early mapsl show that the house did
not stand in its present location at the time of the Battle of
Lexington in 1776 , the small building augments our present
sense of the town' s history on several levels The Garrity House
stands as one of the few remaining structures from the Merriam
Estate, which was once very large and prominent in the Lexington
community Its small size and scale are unique among the
buildings bordering the Battle Green today, but are characteristic
of most of Lexington' s early residences , which were inhabited by
a relatively poor farming community It is because this social
and economic class formed the majority of the town' s early
population that Lexington became a center of revolutionary spirit2
Thus, although the modest Greek Revival style of the Garrity
House has little architectural pretense, its preservation is
mandated by the fact that it alone symbolizes both the historically
important Merriam Estate and the early physical and socio-
economic setting of revolutionary Lexington
In addition, the Garrity House is of architectural importance
to Lexington because of its siting Located at what is now the
northwestern edge of the Buckman Tavern property across from
the Lexington Green and sited unusually close to Hancock Street,
the building serves as a boundary to the Green area, completing
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(2)
the visual border of the Green Early photographs of The Battle
Monument on the Green indicate that this was the case at the
turn of the century as well (see Figure 1) Beyond the Monument
to the right, one' s eyes come to rest on the charming house in
many photos If it were not in place, the border of the space
would become fuzzy, dissolving into the railroad tracks and
undefined woodland beyond The building is necessary to maintain
the visual integrity and scenic nature of the Green area as a whole
The Buckman Tavern, built in c 1714 by John Muzzey3 was
originally the main building of the 50-acre Merriam Estate This
estate also included twelve out-buildings, and according to
tradition, the Garrity House was first constructed as a dwelling
by joining two of these structures In a correspondence with a
Dr Tilton in 1913, Abbie Stetson Griffing, heir to the Merriam
Estate, recalls that her uncle, Col J P Merriam, was responsible
for the construction of the "collage" between 1830 and 1840 4
Structural elements of the two original sections of the house
would indicate, however, that they were built individually in
the late 18th century The house as it stands today also includes
two more recent additions on its north and east sides, which can
be dated to c 1859 and c 1880 , according to both family tradition
and the dating of various structural components
In the following pages there will be a brief orientation to
the Garrity House as it stands today The social and architectural
history which brought it to its present form will then be
described in more detail This information has been gathered
L_ through extensive research into written documents as well as
(3)
a thorough examination of the existing fabric of the house itself
Following this historical background there will be a discussion
of the present physical condition of the house, listed room by room
Finally, synthesizing the information on the historical and
architectural importance of the house and it' s existing conditions,
recommendations will be made for the resotration of the Garrity
House, and suggestions will be offered for its continued
usefulness to the Lexington community in the future
(4)
PRESENT DESCRIPTION
The Garrity House, as extant, is a modest vernacular
building with Greek Revival features Two stories high, it has
an "L" shaped plan, with a one and one-half story lean-to shed
filling in and squaring the "L" There is a further one story
shed addition at the east side of the house
The main "L" has a four bay southern facade with the door
in a central location at the second bay in from the west On
the left of this facade, the second story has one window
centered over the door and window below The shed addition to
the east has one centrally-positioned window on its front
facade An exterior door to the addition is located on the
addition' s soutwest wall adjacent to the main building
( The main "L" has a simple gable roof The shed roof of the
lean-to addition intersects the gable pitch in the rear The
eastern third of the lean-to shed roof has been raised to create
a square dormer The eastern addition has a gable roof, with
ridge running east/west This complex roof line was highlighted
by Samuel Chamberlain in his book A Small House in the Sun (see
Figure 2)
Fenestration varies throughout the Garrity House The upper
windows on the north and south facades and those in the eastern
addition are six over six The lower windows are six over nine
The western facade, facing Hancock Street, has two bays with
eight over eight windows on the upper level and eight over twelve
below
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(6)
HISTORICAL EVOLUTION
Much of the significance of the Garrity House stems from
its association with the historic Merriam Estate While tradition
holds that this estate once included a mansion house and twelve
out-buildings, no graphic evidence has been found to place or
describe these buildings Today only the main building, called
the Buckman Tavern or Minuteman Headquarters, one barn, and the
Garrity House remain as examples of this once flourishing and
important estate
The property on which the Garrity House and the Buckman
Tavern are located was purchased in 1693 by Benjamin Muzzy at
a cost of 100 pounds and contained 206 acres, one dwelling house,
one barn and out-buildings The estate remained in the possession
of the Muzzey family and heirs (including the Buckmans, from whom
the Tavern got its present name) through the next 100 years, and
the main dwelling house was enlarged several times to accomodate
a variety of uses during this family' s ownership According to
tradition, these included use as a hostalry, as headquarters for
the central postal service and for the local newspaper, and use
as a meeting house for the town' s citizens
The most historically significant event recorded in
connection with this estate was it' s role as a meeting place
during the Revolutionary War It is documented that on April 19 ,
1775, Lexington Minutemen gathered at the Buckman Tavern to
await the arrival of the British expedition, which would result
in the Battle of Lexington In an early Doolittle print of the
a
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"Battle of Lexington
--
(7)
battle, the Tavern can be seen prominently in its current location
bordering the Battle Green (See Figure 3 It should also be
noted that several smaller buildings on the same property are in
evidence in this print It would seem likely, though we cannot
be sure, that these are representations of the out-buildings
described in early deeds to the estate If so, this print would
provide some visual clues to the appearance of the out-buildings
which we believe were united to form the Garrity House )
By 1794 the property was owned by Joseph Simonds , a brother-
in-law to John Buckman, who was in turn an heir to the Muzzey
family holdings Simonds sold the property to Rufus Merriam 5
The estate (henceforth referred to as the Merriam Estate in
most documentation) remained in the hands of the Merriam family
until 1913 , when it was sold to the Town of Lexington at the
price of one dollar 6
Unfortunately, an examination of the deeds to the Merriam
Estate provides little information about the construction of
the Garrity House specifically In a transfer of the property
from John Muzzey to Samuel Stone on October 29 , 1767 , we first
see an indication that the estate included, "the Mansion House,
Barn, and edifices thereon, "7 but neither this nor subsequent
deeds include a number or description of the additional structures
We must rely, therefore, upon local and family tradition to
elucidate the reason for construction of the Garrity House as
a separate dwelling within the estate
In a letter to Dr Tilton on December 19 , 1913 , Abbie
Stetson Griffing, heir to the Merriam Estate recalls "My uncle,
(9)
Col J P Merriam, had a half crazy ward, named Allen, and the
little cottage was put up between 1830 and 1840 as a residence for
this man "8 Mrs Griffing also states in a later correspondence,
that the house was not entirely built at this time, but assembled
from two of the estate ' s existing out-buildings She does not
mention any date of construction for these previous buildings
Examination confirms Mrs Griffings recollections Each
leg of the main "L" of the house has a distinctly separate frame
construction The framing and additional evidence, indicate
two rectangular buildings, each of which at one time stood alone
The western leg of the main "L" , to be referred to as the
"front building" (see lA and 1B and 2A and 2B, Figures 4 and 5) ,
is clearly an example of late 18th century framing construction
Timbers are hand-hewn Joints are mortised and tenoned Position
of the posts indicates an unplanned structure The ridge beam
and the major purlins are continuous from north to south The
purlins are notched into the major rafters and trenailed in
place Hand wrought nails secure studs to the plates and rafters
in addition to the mortise and tenon joints Diagonal bracing
is found at the corners of the frame and in the middle of the
east and west walls (see Figure 6) All of this evidence together
places this construction in the late 1700 ' s , possibly contempora-
neous to the Battle of Lexington (see Figure 6)
When the casing of the door between room 2B of the front
building and room 2D, half story low storage area of the lean-to
addition (see Figure 5) was removed, weathered exterior sheathing
( was found attached to the east side of the frame with hand wrought
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(12)
`- nails It was evident that although the sheathing had been
sawn off to permit passage through the door, it had once run
the length of the east side of the fron building when that building
stood alone Additional evidence that the east wall of the front
building once stood to the weather was found at the intersection
of the gable roofs of the "L" (see Figure 7) The roof of the
front building is sheathed continuously under this intersection,
and hand riven wooden shingles are still in place The shingles
are fastened with cut nails , placing this roofing job in the
early 19th century
The wall sheathing does not show evidence (nail holes) of
having once been covered by clapboards, nor did it appear to
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have been whitewashed The fact that its exterior was originally
unfinished, a treatment more typical for a barn or shed, supports
the tradition that the Garrity House was constructed through the
merging of out-buildings In addition, the diagonal bracing
found in the middle of the east and west walls was not a common
feature of late 18th century house framing Such bracing would
have been unnecessary in a house where lath and plaster would
provide structural stability to the middle of a frame This
type of bracing would have been used on a building with unfinished
interior, such as a barn or shed Thus we conclude that the front
building was originally a two story barn or shed built in the
late 1700 ' s
The south leg of the "L" , or rear building (Rooms 1C and 2C,
Figures 4 and 5) , shows evidence of a slightly later construction
date than the front building Some framing members are hand-
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(
hewn, while others appear to have been sawn by a water or
steam-powered up and down saw, a technology existing in the 18th
century, but more common in the nineteenth Nails taken from this
frame are machine cut with machine made heads indicating an 1815
to 1830 's manufacture One might speculate that the rear
building was constructed as an addition to the front building,
and the redundant framing is merely the result of a builder ' s
laziness, but two factors discourage this deduction The rear
building also has exterior sheathing attached to its frame,
butted against the sheathing of the front building in a manner
that would have been impossible to achieve unless the two
sheathed frames had once been separate Also, there is a difference
in the height of the floor level of the second story of the front
( and rear buildings This is a discrepancy that would have
been unlikely to occur in a new addition, but very likely when
joining two separate buildings
It appears that the front and rear buildings, each probably
an unfinished shed or barn, were moved from elsewhere and placed
together on the present site The basement walls suggest that
the rubble foundation is entirely from one construction period,
rather than having been built in several phases The fireplace
foundations, one in the northeastern corner of the main building
and one centered on the eastern wall of the rear building,
appear to have been built during the same stage of construction
The date assigned to the move and connection of the front
and rear buildings by Mrs Griffing, 1830-1840, is corroborated
c_ by physical evidence An overlay of finishes typical to the
(16)
1
second quarter of the nineLeenth century has been found on the
walls on both frames Lath on the walls in both the front and
rear buildings is split from sawn planks , a system typical of
the period 1820-1835 The lath is attached to strapping with cut
nails in a method typical of the 1830-1840 period There is no
evidence that any previous lath and plaster existed on these
walls
In addition to the plaster and lath, other finishes and
details of the joined "L" typical of the 1830 ' s-40 ' s are
-various echinus and astragal moldings typical of the
Greek Revival and Federal periods respectively, found
on doors and windows on both floors
-windows with small pane configurations - 6/6,6/9 ,8/8 ,
and 8/12 - and muntins and narrow mullions typical of
1800-1840
-the front door, with transitional Greek Revival and
Federal elements and Greek Revival cornice molding
-early 19th century hand-planed board and batten and
panelled doors with joint tenons exposed (at least one
door dates from c 1780 , probably re-used from another
building)
-several Norfolk latches (c 1815 onward) and other Federal
hardware distinctive of the late 18th or early 19th centuries
-a Federal period iron beehive oven door and ashpit door
(The ashpit door is exceptionally nice with a sunburst
motif and astragal and fillet See Figure 8)
Federal period details are not out-of-date in this location because
(ii)
we are dealing with a country house which would not have been
up-to-the-minute in architectural style
Abbie Stetson Griffing also mentions dates and facts about
the two additions to the house She notes that her grandfather
most likely built the lean-to shed (now a kitchen, Room 10,
Figure 4) She also mentions that her father built the additional
room "behind the kitchen with sleeping room above" (Room 1E, Figure
4) in about 1859 9
The framing of the lean-to does not dispute a construction
date of 1830-1850 Framing members are actual-sized dimensioned
stock, with even striations indicative of use of water-or steam-
powered up and down saws, rather than of the circular saw
technology more common in the later 1800 ' s Nails from the frame
are cut with machine heads from a post-1830 ' s date The lean-to
has had two rooflines Both still exist, the present, higher
pitched roof having been built over the top of the first Wooden
shingles are still in place on the first roof Perhaps this
roof was too low-pitched, collected water and snow and began to
deteriorate Rather than taking time to remove the previous roof,
the builder apparently chose to leave if in place and simply build
a more satisfactory roof above it
The last addition, supposedly 1859 , was known as the "pump
room" by Abbie Stetson Griffing 's immediate family, because it
held a chain operated pump in its northwest corner until the well
was filled in in later years Mrs Leonard Jellis, a resident
of the house for nine months in 1912 , remembered that laundry
( tubs and outhouse facilities were located in the "big back shed"
which was at times overrun by rats 10
(18)
i' Evidence dating this addition was not thoroughly examined
The addition is clearly indicated on the 1889 Walker Atlas of
Lexington, but only a simple rectangular-plan building is
shown on the 1875 Beers Atlas Perhaps Beers used more
schematic building representations than Walker, perhaps this
shed had not been added in 1875 We do know that it existed in
the early 1)00 ' s because it appears in a photograph of that date
(see p 27 in Lexington-A Century in Photographs, B A Kelly)
This room has been extensively remodeled in the 20th century
Abbie Griffing moved into the Garrity House around 1860
As she writes to Dr Tilton - "I made my first venture in
housekeeping having gone there to live when my son was about
a year old "11 (Mrs Griffing' s correspondence to Dr Tilton
is included in its entirety in Appendix B ) We do not know
precisely the duration of Abbie Stetson Griffing' s habitation of
the Garrity House, nor can we be sure whether there were additional
inhabitants before 1912 In that year Mr Leonard and Mrs
Christine Jellis occupied the house for a period of nine months
In a taped interview with Mrs Jellis by Mr Lawrence Whipple,
Archivist for the Lexington Historical Society, entitled
"Memoirs of Buckman Tavern Cottage, " recorded in 1971, Mrs
Jellis recalled that she and her husband paid rent for the house
to Mr A E Scott, though deed research does not show that title
was ever granted to anyone by this name Town records from this
period do list a Mr Augustus Elwin Scott, Lawyer, however, and
it would therefore seem likely that Mr Scott acted as a legal
agent for the owners of the house still descending from the
(19)
Merriam family Mrs Jellis mentioned that at the time of
(
her occupancy there were two stairways leading to the second
floor One of these was very steep and led from the "front
hall right into the bedroom" (opposite to the direction
of the present stairs) and there was an additional back
stairway "out of the kitchen" apparently different from the
present location, which has a similar description
Paint evidence on the wall beneath the present stairway
from the first to the second floor of the house, and visible
from the cellar stairway, shows the location of the first, steep
stairs mentioned by Mrs Jellis (see Figure 9) These steps
started where the present basement stairs begin and rose steeply
(94" risers over 6" treads with bullnosed face) to the north
The first paint layer on this wall, a brownish grey color, was
applied only above the steps Beneath this line the wall
remains unpainted Mrs Jellis ' s recollection that these stairs
went directly to the bedroom is confusing, as they would have
ended in what is now the low second floor storage room if they
continued directly at the angle indicated by this paint evidence
One possible explanation is suggested by an opening in the
ceiling of the present kitchen (Figure 4 , Room 1D) , now covered
by a hinged trap door which opens into the low storage space above
Perhaps there was a stairway here , rising from east to west,
which met the front steps in a landing and the bedroom was then
entered through the low door which exists from room 2C to 2D
(see Figure 5) More research would be necessary to confirm
this, involving extensive removal of sheathing, plaster, etc
(29)
The stairs had one additional configuration after that
described by Mrs Jellis, and previous to the stairs we find
today This configuration was also detected by examining
paint markings (Figure 9) , and by studying the difference in
paint layers on boards patched in to make up the wall currently
adjacent to the stairs (Figure 10) Jack Garrity, who occupied
the house from 1913 through 1957 and to whom the house owes its
present name, apparently changed this stairway when he relocated
the entrance to the basement from an exterior bulkhead to interior
stairs This relocation of the stairway to the second floor
appears to have been entered in the present dining room (Room 1C,
Figure 4) rising two or three steps in a westward orientation
to a landing or turn, then rising southward in the same direction
as the present stairs, though at a steeper angle Paint lines on
the stairway wall visible from the basement steps indicate
that the steep steps began their ascent about two and one-half
feet above the present dining room floor It is postulated that
the lower end of this paint line correlates to the location of the
turn in the steps On the other side of this partition, paint
evidence indicates location of a door frame, and a patchwork of
boards fills the space which would have been the doorway to the
stairs If the postulated kitchen stairs were in place at the
time of this change, it would have made sense for the other
stairs to have started in the dining room
The second configuration of the main stairs, with landing and
turn, was still at a very steep angle The present stair
configuration, with fewer stairs and a more gradual ascent,
(21)
was probably introduced simply for the comfort and ease of the
inhabitants The kitchen stairs would have been removed in
order to make this possible without blocking the new stairway
Mrs Jellis remembered that in 1912 there were three
bedrooms on the second floor (as at present) and that the first
floor rooms -- the small "guest room" off the front hall,
the living room with the fireplace in the corner, the dining room
and the kitchen -- existed in their present configuration,
although she thought that there was a doorway from the living
room into the small "guest room " There is no such doorway
today Mrs Jellis also mentioned wide board floors which are
no longer in evidence Mrs Jellis, her husband Leonard, their
small child and a roomer (who lived in the small front room
facing Hancock Street - Room 1A, Figure 4) occupied the house
until 1913, when, on July 31, possession of the building was
turned over to the town of Lexington by Thomas M Stetson, through
a transaction of "one dollar and other valuable considerations "
Jack Garrity, Head of the Lexington Park Department for
over forty years, then occupied the house, from 1913 until 1957
Garrity was responsible for the upkeep of the small Hancock Street
House as well as the adjacent barn and Buckman Tavern Tradition
and building materials indicate that the final physical alterations
which brought the house into its present configuration were
accomplished during the Garrity residency, probably in the 1920 ' s
and 30 ' s These included remodeling of the east shed addition,
raising the lean-to roof to add a bathroom, straightening the
walls and lowering the ceiling on rooms 2A and 2B (Figure 5) with
(23)
new framing and plasterboard, laying tongue and groove oak floors
and making the stairway direction changes already discussed It
was also at this time (1913) that the barn was moved to its
present location from the current site of the Minuteman Memorial
Other reports on the condition of the building made since the
time of the Garrity occupation also show that, by the end of this
period, the house required only "minor repairs "13
The final occupancy of the Garrity House was by the local
Lexington Chapter of the American Red Cross, from 1959 until the
early 1970 ' s The only major alteration made to the house during
this period were the replacement of a first floor window and an
adjacent section of clapboards on the Hancock Street side of the
house These changes were made to correct damage done when an
automobile accidently hit this side of the house, and the
section in which they were carried out is easily recognizable by
a long exterior "seam" where the original system of overlapping
clapboards changes to a pattern of butted clapboard ends (see
Figure 11)
Since the evacuation of the Garrity House by the Red Cross
it has remained in the possession of the Town of Lexington•
The Lexington Historical Society has maintained a certain
concern for the care of the house in recent years This
interest dates back to a letter from the Society to the town
Selectmen on March 31, 1959 , when the Red Cross first entered the
house, which states
The Council does not wish in any way to interfer with this
program of the Red Cross We would suggest, however,
that the present structural appearance of the buildings
(24)
( should be preserved and that when the Red Cross tenancy is
terminated Lexington Historical Society shall be given
the opportunity to acquire the use of the buildings
for historical purposes 14
While numerous reports have been made on the deteriorating
condition of the Garrity House since 1959 (see Appendix D) , the
necessary repairs have never been undertaken, and since 1978 , the
Town has been unable to put the building to use In the follow-
ing pages we will update past reports on the physical status of
the house through a complete description of its present conditions
We will also offer recommendations for restoration of the house,
in hopes that it will again become a useful element of the Lexington
community
(
(25)
PRESENT CONDITIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The physical condition of the Garrity House has steadily
deteriorated for the past twenty years, through a combination
of weathering, insect damage, and neglect While reports
on the condition of the house pointing to steps which could
be made to halt this process have frequently been made
since 1959 (see Appendix D) , the suggestions included in
these reports have never been followed, up to this time
Today the Garrity House stands at a crucial juncture in its
history If deterioration is allowed to continue at
its present rate, structural damage will surely exceed
the point at which it is reversible Even now, extensive
work would be required to restore the building to a
t sound condition It is our feeling, however, that the
rehabilitation of the house is not yet beyond reasonable
consideration in terms of either cost or effort Furthermore,
we feel that it is essential that restorative steps be
taken as soon as possible, without further risking the
structural security of this key element of the Battle
Green environment
The most serious damage of the Garrity House has been
r
to its structural and exterior elements Moisture and
infestation have resulted in rot and disintegration of
sills, plates , posts and beams The house has sunken at
least six inches below grade level, and a new concrete
sidewalk has been placed directly against the clapboards
of the west facade at this grade level Splashback from
this sidewalk, and absorbed ground water on the other
(26)
facades of the building, have caused paint to peel and rot
to develop in the lower clapboards on all sides of the house
Several measures could be taken to relieve the problems
created by moisture
-The entire structure could be raised approximately one
foot, bringing it well above grade level, and allowing
room for new sills to be inserted It would appear
that structural elements of the building are sound
enough to support this operation, although the two
interior fireplaces and chimneys would present some
difficulty
-Alternatively , the ground surrounding the house could
be regraded at a level below the present sills Rather
than interfering with the sidewalk along the western
facade, a retaining wall could be built to support the
sidewalk on this side, and clapboards above could be
damp-proofed with appropriate flashing In this
case sills should still be replaced, to assure the
solidarity of the foundation
-A damp-proof course should be inserted beneath sills
to prevent moisture damage from recurring
-Trees and shrubs should be trimmed away from the
exterior walls to allow better run-off
-New gutters , downspouts, and drywells should be
installed to divert water away from lower clapboards
and sills
-Present paint could be stripped, clapboards water-
proofed, and a new protective layer of paint applied
Another segment of the primary structure of the Garrity
House which requires attention is its roof A pronounced
sag is visible in the roofline, running north to south,
on the front section of the house (see Figure 12) From
examination of this roofline from within , however, it
appears that the sagging is primarily due to settling,
rather than serious rotting, and could therefore be corrected
with relative ease
(28)
(-- The condition of the interior of the house remains
fairly sound Many original interior elements, such as
doors, door casings , windows and window frames, and fire-
places, are perfectly intact The more recent tongue and
groove oak flooring found in many rooms is in good condition
Despite the moisture problems of the sills, the basement of
the building is dry The rubble foundation appears to be
completely stable, so no major masonry repairs are necessary
Some interior details merit special attention (see
Figure 13) Several of the interior doors are constructed
of wide hand-planed boards The hardware on these doors
consists, for the most part, of HL hinges and Norfolk latches ,
both characteristic of the period from 1830 to 1840 The
oven and ashpit doors in Room 1C are of cast iron, with
particularly nice fan motifs, typical of this same period
The door which closes off the second floor stair landing
contains hand-blown glass panes, as do many of the exterior
windows These features should certainly be preserved
in the restoration process
For the most part, however, the value of the Garrity
House lies not in its interior detail , but in its exterior
charm, which makes an important contribution to the setting
of Lexington Battle Green This is an advantage in terms of
the restoration of the house, as it means that interior
work does not need to be done by a meticulous preservationist,
but could be satisfactority accomplished by any competent
carpenter The small size of the house also naturally limits
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(31 )
the amount of restorative work required
Nonetheless, at a time when public funds are becoming
increasingly scarce, it is unlikely that the Town of
Lexington will be able to expend the amount of money necessary
to restore and maintain the Garrity House We would propose,
therefore, that the house be offered for sale at a low cost,
but with specific restrictions as to its subsequent alteration
and reuse Stipulations of the deed might include a
mandate to the purchaser to restore the structure to
a sound condition within a given time frame, and to devote
a certain sum per year to the maintanance of that condition
In this way the house would not only function as a useful
structure, serving the needs of the purchasing individual,
but its place within the community as a whole would be
assured for some time into the future
In conclusion, we will reiterate those factors which
make the Garrity House a key element of the Lexington
community As we have mentioned in previous pages, it
helds a unique historical signigicance, both as one of the
few remaining structures from the once-prominent Merriam
Estate, and as a remnant of the social and economic class
which made Lexington a center of revolutionary activity
Visually, the house completes the border of the Battle
Green, adding both definition and charm to the area which
forms the central focus of the Lexington community Findings
of this report that the basic structure had an even older
18th century origin than previously believed, and that
(32)
r- necessary restoration measures are well within reason also
contribute to our sense of the ultimate value of this
structure In light of all of these factors we feel that
the restoration of the Garrity House, whether carried out
publicly or privately, is essential to preserve this
important asset of the Lexington community -- not only for
the sake of its history, but also for its usefulness in the
present, and its message to future generations
(33)
DETAILED ANALYSIS OF PRESENT CONDITIONS
( EXTERIOR
Foundation - Rubble, below grade, plastered inside, appears in good
condition
Windows - East Facade - 1 (Room 1E)
South Facade - 7 (1 , Room 1E; 2, Room 1C; 1, Room 1A; 2, Room 2C;
1 , Room 2A)
West Facade - 4 (1 , Room 1A; 1 , Room 1B; 1 , Room 2A; 1 , Room 2B)
North Facade - 4 (1 , Room 1A; 1 , Room 1B; 1 , Room 2B; 1 , Room 2E)
Doors - Front door ( south facade ) Greek Revival with side lights,
Federal influence ( see Room 1F )
Walls - New clapboards on SW corner due to late 1950's automobile
accident West wall has bevelled clapboards. North wail has
bevelled clapboards South wall has bevelled clapboards Lean-
to has butted clapboards.
Roof - Recently reroofed with asphalt shingles. Uood condition. No
evidence of leakage
Chimneys - Good condition. Need some repointing
INTERIOR
ROON 1A
Floor - Carpeted
Ceiling - Plaster, cracked in several places, but one distinct crack
parallel to street , beginning at edge of window and continuing
across room. Same low level as others in first two sections of
house
Walls - Textured plaster Vertical crack in plaster on west wall,
corresponding to seam in exterior clapboards.
Baseboard - Uniform moulding. Hand-planed boards
Chairrail - None at present, but evidence that one existed at some
time. Wide boards below rail line.
Cornice - None.
Doors - Frame only, leading to Room 1F. moulding. Evidence
of large hinges held on with 5 nails, as in Room 1B. Hand-planed
board at top of frame lowers height off doorway and takes the
place of the upper part of the moulding
Windows - West wall - and window, 6 over 12, modern frame, fitted
(34)
(ROOM 1A - Windows - cont. )
for ropes and pulleys, new glass. South wall - one window, 6 over 9,
older muntons, hand-blown glass.
Heating - None.
Plumbing - None.
Lighting - None.
Other - Two built-in book shelves. One definitely modern construction,
tacked on. Other is perhaps modern construction, with butted joints
and wire nails, but seems to be backed by wide, hand-planed boards
Encased post south of west sindow.
ROOM 1B
Floor- Narrow (2+") oak tongue and groove flooring.
Ceiling - Plaster, with many layers of peeling paint.
Walls - Painted, textured plaster. Encased posts along east and west
walls. Plate extending from eastern post, none from western post.
Corner post in NW corner.
Baseboard - On either side of fireplace and on south wall, west of
doorway, with moulding. Other baseboard has moulding.
Chairrail - Appears to be uniform and never breaks, but as it encircles
the room, starting to the east of doorway and ending to its west,
it decreases 4-6 inches in height. On the south wail, to the west
of the doorway, is a seam in the chairrail, about halfway between
the door and the exterior wall. The seam extends on the plaster
wall.
Cornice - None.
Door - Old door constructed of hand-planed boards. HL hinges and
Norfolk latch. 2 over 2 door panels. Greater distance from
panel to top edge of door at the inside of the door than at the
outside (i.e. , pronounced slant in top of frame.)
Windows - West - one window, 8 over 12. Soma hand-blown panes in
top section, none in bottom. More paint on upper muntins. Lower
casing is fitted for rope and pulley. Frame is not. Spring-type
latch at right of window. North - one window, 6 over 9. Nine of
the 15 panes in upper and lower sashes, are hand-blown. Not fitted
for ropes and pulleys. Same spring-type latch as described above.
heating - Radiator - American Radiator Co. "Peerless "
Plumbing - Two pipes north of radiator, from floor to ceiling.
(35)
(ROOM 1B - cont. )
ILighting - Remains of light fixture in center of ceiling.
Other - Fireplace in NE corner of room, diagonally oriented to walls
of room. Bricks appear fairly new, perhaps late 19th or early
20th century. Cabinets above containing hand-planed wooden shelves.
Back of cabinets plastered, covering chimney.
ROOM 10
Floor - Carpeted
Ceiling - Heavily painted plaster
Walls - South, textured plaster; 'WSW, textured plaster; WNW, indented
due to cellar stairs, first layer beaver board, second layer, wide
boarding pieced in with many different colors of paint (color
sequence on third panel from north matches that of panel below
NNW chairrail); NNW, first layer beaverloard, second layer painted,
bulging plaster; NNE, painted plaster; East, fireplace (see below);
ESE, vertical boarding above and below chairrail.
Baseboard - None on ESE wall (where there is a fireplace) or WNW wall
(which has been covered by beaverboard), but baseboards are
consistent on all other walls
Chairrail-appears consistent except for rail surrounding encased post
in SW corner and on ESE wall. Wide boards with many layers of paint
below.
Cornice - None.
Doors - To entry (Room 1F) - no door presently stands in doorframe,
although there is evidence on frame that there was originally a
lock plate tIE re
- to cellar - 2-3' wide with beading
- to kitchen (Room 1D) - Evidence of narrow hinges, although no
door or hinges now present in this location. Part of latch still
in place on doorframe.
- to closet in SE corner - wide, hand-planed boards.
'Windows - Two on South wall, dividing the wall into approximate fifths.
Both 6 over 9, new glass, frames, but not windows, fitted for ropes
and pulleys.
Heating - Radiator on south wall below windows. Same trademark as other
radiators (see above)
(36)
(ROOM 10 - cont.)
Plumbing - ESE wall, two vertical pipes. East of doorway to Room 1D,
two vertical pipes jog to east, then go through baseboard. NE
cofner, single vertical pipe.
Lighting - Same fixture as in Room 1B. (Not in service.)
Other - East wall, bricked in fireplace, beehive oven and ashpit, both
with cast iron doors bearing Federal style fan motives. Beaver-
board applied above fireplace, with cemented in stovepipe hole
behind.
R00i4 1D
Floor - Linoleum, peeling and cracked. Needs replacement.
Ceiling - Plaster in line with door, parallel to southern wall. Plywood
to the north of this line. Particle board in pantry
Walls - Textured plaster Seam aligning with door to stairs when door
is open (behind door). Another seam 9" east of window on north wall
Baseboard - Uneven. Ranges from 8" to 5" in width on south wall Consists
of uneven unfinished board. On north wall, consistent 5"width. Pantry
( ' baseboard has rounded moulding.
Ctairrail - Same throughout. Wall material is the same above and below
chairxail.
Cornice - None.
Doors - to Room 1C - see above.
- to stairs - later door with block cut out and hinged so door can
swing open around trap door to second floor crawl space.
- to Room 1E - doorframe only. All modern materials.
Windows - One on north wall. 6 over 6. Seven of the twelve panes are
of hand-blown glass. Frame newer, fitted for ropes and pulleys
Heating - Radiator on south wall, "ARCO"
Plumbing - Large porcelain sink with many pipes going in all directions.
Water heater to west of sink
Lighting - Small glass and chrome fixture, like that in Room 1F.
Other - Rectangular trap door in SW corner ceiling leading to an unfin-
ished, though wallpapered, crawl space above. Door itself is
made of same material as the cellar door. Hinges on south side.
L_
(37)
ROOM 1E
Floor - Carpet over concrete.
Ceiling - Particle board.
Walls - Particle board.
Baseboard - 1"x6" panels.
Chairrail - None.
Cornice - None.
Door - see above.
Windows - One on south wall, 6 over 6. Six of 12 panes are hand-blown
glass, Frame not fitted for ropes and pulleys. One window on
east wall, 6 over 6. All new glass. Not fitted for ropes or pulleys.
Heating - Modern electric fixture below southern window.
Plumbing - None.
Lighting - Large circular fixture in ceiling, glass and metal.
Other - Exterior door with windows Modern, no moulding around frame.
Water seeps in below door. Hole in ceiling to give access to
crawl space above. View of clapboards on western wall of this
crawl space, which would have been exterior before this room
was added.
ROOM 1F (ENTRY)
Floor - Carpeted.
Ceiling - Plaster with many layers of paint. Seam in ceiling corresponds
to seam in west wall of Room 1A. Encased plate on eastern side
Walls - Textured plaster. West wall is pulling away from south wall
Encased post east of doorway.
Baseboard - Joined unevenly in NE corner. Held in place with cut nails.
Chairrail - Wide hand-planed boards beneath line of chairrail except
in EISE corner facing cellar stairs. Lower on west wall than on
east wall.
Cornice - None.
Doors - to Room 10 - see above.
- to Room 1A - Unusual frame. Top is lowered and has no moulding.
See above.
- to Room 1B - cramped on western side. Moulding on frame cut off
by doorway to Room 1A.
(38)
(ROOM 1F - Doors - cont.)
- Exterior door - four-paned rectangular sidelights on each side Due
to slant in ceiling, lights begin lower on west side than on east.
Two oblong panels beneath sidelights. Bell reads, "Patented
December 31, 1867."
Windows - None.
Heating - Radiator on west wall made by American Radiator Co. , "Peerless."
Plumbing - None
Lighting - Small chrome and glass fixture in center of ceiling.
Other - None.
ROOM 2A
Floor - Oak tongue and groove flooring.
Ceiling - Plasterboard
Walls - Exterior walls of plaster over 2" strip lath. Interior walls
of plasterboard.
Doors - to Room 2B - 6'2" x 30" , four recessed panels, constructed of
hand-planed boards with exposed mortise and tenon joints, Norfolk
latch.
- to stairway landing - 7" step down into landing at doorframe
Doorframe has gunstock configuration (wider at top than at bottom)
and is constructed of wide hand-planed board which has apparently
been reused - is wallpapered on inside
Windows - One on west wall, 8 over B with same muntins as in Room 1A
One on south wall, 6 over 6, narrower muntins.
Baseboard - moulding.
Cornice - None.
Heating - None presently. Evidence of two patched in stovepipe holes
on exterior walls
Lighting - None
Plumbing - None.
Other - By removing a section of ceiling plasterboard in this room,
one can see the point at which framing and rooflines of the first
two sections of the house have been joined. Some nails used in
framing appear to be hand-wrought. Framing shows signs of insect
damage.
(39)
ROOM 2B
_o -Floor - oak tongue and groove flooring in good condition.
Ceiling - Sheet rock.
Walls - Sheet rock.
Doors - Two hand-planed board doors, one small door to adjoining low
crawl space - 20" x 59", with unusual ornamental Norfolk latch.
One to Room 2A (see above ) with standard Norfolk latch. Both
one board thick.
Window's - Two windows on west side (facing Hancock St.), both 8 over 8.
One window on north side, 6 over 6.
Baseboard - Modern with Scotia moulding.
Cornice - None.
Heating - None.
Lighting - None.
Plumbing - None.
Other - Modern three drawer built-in unit on wall adjacent to storage
or crawl space. Built-in bookcase of hand-planed boards on insede of
west wall
ROOM 2C
Floors - Oak tongue and groove flooring in good condition.
Ceiling - Plasterboard.
Walls - West wall, adjacent to stairway constructed of seven hand-
planed boards, 14" x 1" thick. Other walls plaster on 2" strip
lath
Doors - Door at top of stairway encasing 4 over 4 hand-blown glass
window panes, Norfolk latch. Door to bathroom - modern (?)
Windows - Two on south side, both 6 over 6. Muntins thicker than those
in other rooms. Frames painted in.
Baseboard - Along southern wall, hand-planed.
Cornice - None
Heating - None
Lighting - None.
Plumbing - None.
Other - Fireplace on eastern wall. Appears to be in working order.
Recessed niche above. Closets on either side containing shelving
constructed of hand-planed boards.
(40)
ROOM 2D (CRAWL SPACE)
Floors - Unfinished wide boards. Trapdoor to Room 1C below. Additional
square (approximately 1 'x1 ' ) cut out and pieced in - significance
uhknown.
Ceiling - 3" x 7" exposed rafters. Patched in section corresponding to
break in floor below. Through this section one can see that a
second roof has been added above previous one. Some shingles
remain on original roof, attached with cut nails.
Walls - Wide tongue and groove sheathing boards, 1" x 10" Wallpaper
has been applied over these, with whitewash or wallpaper paste
beneath. On south wall these boards seem to have once been
exterior sheathing on second section of house. Contain some
large hand-wrought nails. Poor condition with some rot.
Doors - Wide doorframe of small door leading to Room 2B has same gunstock
configuration as doorframe in Room 2A. Also constructed of wide
hand-planed boards which have apparently been reused, and are wall-
papered on inside. Removal of the board on the south side of the
doorframe exposes exterior sheathing from both of original two
' outbuildings (i.e., two layers of sheathing facing in two directions.)
Hand-wrought nails are also in evidence. Insect damage visible.
Windows - None.
Baseboard - None
Cornice - None.
Heating - None.
Lighting - None.
Plumbing - None.
Other - None.
ROOK 2E .(BATHROOM)
Floors - Linoleum.
Ceiling - Plasterboard.
Walls - Plasterboard.
Doors - Old door cut down and top planed off. 23" x 67". Simple panels,
not bevelled. Variation of Norfolk latch, different than in other rooms.
Windows - One window on north wall, 6 over 6. Each pane- 7*' x 73.".
Thick modern muntins.
(41 )
(HCOM 2} - cont.)
Baseboard - Modern.
Cornice - None.
Heating - Modern radiator (?)
Lighting - Modern electric ceiling fixture (?).
Plumbing - Modern bathtub, sink, and toilet.
Other ,- None
1
(42)
FOOTNOTES
1 Hales, J.G Map of the Town of Lexington, 1830. Housed at the Lexington
Historical Society
2 Lexington Historical Commission. The Garrity House. Hancock Street,
Lexington. Significance. Physical Condition. Ideas for Reuse. July 17,
1980. p.1.
3 Worthen, Edwin B. Buckman Tavern,_ An Account of the Land and the House,
its Ownership. Development and Restoration. Lexington Historical
Society, 1963.
4 tariffing, Abbie Stetson. Letter to Dr Tilton, December 19, 1913.
5 Town of Lexington land Records, Book 116, pp. 161-164. Housed at the
Cambridge County Courthouse.
6 Town of Lexington Land Records, Book 235, ,pager46: " Cambridge County
Courthouse.
7 Town of Lexington Land Records, Book 63, pp. 607-608. Cambridge County
Courthouse,
8 Griffing, Abbie Stetson. Letter to Dr. Tilton, January 5, 1914. Housed
at the Lexington Historical Society.
9 Jellis, Christine and Laurence Whipple. "Memoirs of the Buckman Tavern
Cottage," February 18, 1959. Housed at the Lexington Historical Society
10 Griffing, Abbie Stetson. Letter to Dr. Tilton, January 5, 1914.
11 Jellis, Christine and Laurence Whipple "Memoirs of the Buckman Tavern
Cottage," February 18, 1959.
12 Town of Lexington Land Records, Book 3809, pp. 270-272. Housed at the
Cambridge County Courthouse.
13 Greeley, W.R. for Kilham, Hopkins, Greeley and Brodie, Architects, in a
report of Walter E. Sands, Lexington Historical Society, February 18,
1959. Housed at the Lexington Historical Society.
14 Worthen, Edwin B. Letter to Mrs. Ruth Morey, Town of Lexington Public
Facilities Committee, May 27, 1963.
(43)
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Brown, Willard D. The Story of Buckman Tavern„ Lexington Historical Society,
Lexington, MA, 1967.
Griffing, Abbie Stetson. Letter to Dr. Tilton, December 19, 1913.
Griffing, Abbie Stetson. Letter to Dr. Tilton, December 28, 1913.
Griffing, Abbie Stetson. Letter to Dr. Tilton, January 5, 1914.
Griffing, Abbie Stetson. Silhoettes. Lexington Historical Society.
Heath, Fkiizabeth G. and Harry 1. Taplin. Guide to the Study of Lexington.
Cary Memorial Library, Lexington, M.A. 1976.
Hudson, Charles. History of the Town of Lexington. Middlesex County, Massa-
chusetts, from its First Settlement to 1868, vol I. The Riverside Press,
Cambridge, MA, 1913.
Kelly, B.A. Lexington. A Century of Photographs. Lexington Historical Society
Lexington, MA, 1976 (?)
Lexington Historical Commission. The Garri•,ty House, Hancock Street, Lexington.
Significance, Physical Condition, Ideas for Reuse. July 17, 1980.
Lexington Minuteman, Minuteman Press. Articles: April 3, 17, May 8, August 21 ,
1980.
Town of Lexington Land Records„ Books 16, 63, 75, 85, 116, 1778, 215, 3809,
Lexington, MA
Worthen, Edwin B. Letter to Ruth Morey, Town of Lexington Public Facilities
Committee, May 27, 1963.
Worthen, Edwin B. Buckman Tavern. An Account of the Land and the House, its
Ownership, Development and Restoration. Lexington Historical Society,
1963.
C
Appendices
(
C_
Appendix B
Copies of correspondence from
Abbie Stetson Griffing to
Dr Tilton
•
CC PY ^ F TT
t ER
J^ l
.TRC
A7PIE 1n71-." '7 CTT?T.rr
r.
529 Peacon street, DeceLber 19.
'y -tsar Dr Tilton:--
Your latter in rn : rd tc t..e little cottage has been
handed to ne by Dr. Ltprd.
"y uncle, Cel 7 P eri.ara, had a half crazy ward,
named Allen, and the little co'-taga was nut up between 1530
and 1840 as a residence for this inn
^vidently it .-s not sc well wilt as the ^uc scan
Tavern and little :cnav has bean e_ca.ded u_,on it sires =t
( was put uy. This _^y accci.nt for the trace of "?gen
U
ncerely yours,
( igned) u )_a Stetscn rriffing
i � 1
CCPV CF LETTER
FRCM
APPIE STETSC T zP.IFFI'_TG.
Scituate, .Mass
December 38, 1913
Ay dear Dr. Tilton:--
Rave you yet decided what you will do with the little
cottage on the Buckman. Tavern property?
You may not know that there I made my first venture in
housekeeping having gone there tc live when my son was about a
year old.
The next spring, we had a stove moved away from the fire-
place in the dining-room that is the room east of the front doer.
Before the opening into the chimney was closed, my little boy
seized a silver fork and threw therein. It was marked "9" and
probably is there to this day If you tear down the building,
will you have the great kindness tc restore it to me? It will
complete my set, and is rather a curiosity after being entombed
there fcr nearly half a century
I shall consider it a great favor if you will attend to
this when the time arrives.
Sincerely yours,
(Signed) Abbie Stetson Griffing
tat PiytoIv ,./h 3 Thrice_r aec l{"rr.�
COPT OF LETTER
PROM
AHAIE S (CRIFFIN(3
January 5, 1914.
.y dear Dr Tilton.--
I knew the cottage was made of two old buildings, and
should have mentioned it in my last letter The date of the
"reconstruction" I had verified by my eldest brother in New 'ad-
ford. Where either of the two originally stood, I do not know
I knew also that there was no fireplace in the room on
the ground floor So far as I know .ere never .d been. I
think when I went there to live, my mother or some one of the
( family would .ave mentioned it had it formerly existed. -he
silver fork was dropped in the opening left for a stove before
the "thimble" was put back in place
I believe my grandfather built the kitchen adjoining
the main house At all events, teem was none there in 175, and
all my grandfather's ch_ldren, except 'artha, were born in the
house
"The other room, behind '- 3tchen, with sleeping room
above, was built by my father about 1859 Te always called it
the "sump room" as there was a chain pump in the :I ^ corner near
the door ".an• years after, my mother had "oe well f_lled uo.
Before this room wa. built, 'hare was some sort c_ a root above
the wall, which must be that to which you refer ; father also
put up he lattice doors, thus enclosing the two sheds, ;"ach you
mentioned.
I believe you are wrong in thinking the house itself .vas
built at two periods. Rut I have _sari mother (and her fa..ily)
( say that the 'i '" corner was not enclosed until a 1.t„ rerird. 'h t
is, to make it _ore clear, . :re .s no enclosed room below the
S --
y-
January 3, 1914.
i
"blue" :1 W c:amber; just space, through 7P._ch one entered the
large kitchen, and also the cellar, by means of the "bulkhead"
`lone of us knew the location of this bulkhead until we laid a
new floor in the T room (my fatherts study) about 2C -ears
ago I thank the walls of this room were put up w_th less
care than in the rest of the house, as instead of well—laid
brick filling, we found carelessly lead cobble atones Is 1
this enough for the present?
, Y'urs truly,
r 1 Scituate. (Signed) A S >riffing.
t
7o, still a little more Nies "Tellington must recol—
lect that one of the two cottages whaci- stood on, or near the
present site
C° course I well remember `ha old store. Its ._story
is quote romantic But before I can remember, it 'as moved from
its position, tc whack you refer, and placed behind the "old
barn" and in front of the prssent cottage It sto d n ':at .0-
4
sition until the death of my uncle, Col .eraam, •h-n 1 was about
sixteen years old. Then all its contents, including 15C clocks
t
(good ones too) -vere acid at auction "."TM_e .:al»ang 'as sold,
M
moved up towards Purlington, and converted into a dwelling _cuss
Pefcre the old store was .owed (1559 or 1850) there were
IS, tharteen buildings standing on the place
ir.«
a
i
Appendix D
Past reports on physical condition
1\'v
4 n
Kilhara, Hopkins, Greeley and Brodie
ARCHITECTS 1';;;E, tt`o'�%° °�� A
AT No 9 ARLINGTON STREET, BOSTON, MASS
r" a a KEN II2I0000o0G0006-606b000' 5-60(XCI
February la, 1959
Mr. fl ter E. Sands, President
J'e:1n ton Historical Society
T. 0. Box 1114_
Lexington 73, Massachusetts
Dear Walter:
Your Committee has met twice and offers the following
report:
1. Mr. Graves has measured the house and drawn
pians , blueprints of which are submitted herewith. The rooks
consist of a living rooms dining room, kitchen, office: four
bedrooms, and a bath.
2. )dr. Ripley has taken photographs of the 07-
te2lor, all sides . Copies are attached hereto.
3. Mr. Custance has obtained an estimate from
Donald M. Muirhead on the cost of taking care of damage by
insets and fungi. (Copy attached) . Cost S800.00.
I . Mr. Custance has estimated the cost of required
repairs, carpentry and painting at $1650.00 making a total of
3 u d 4 of $?):50.00.
This is an old house shown on the map in the Middlesex
County Atlas of 1875. It is an interesting termination to the
Buckman Tavern property (Mariam Farm) and with the shed nearby
helps to recall the fact that historically this was an estate
with a group of buildings . The barn was taken down after th,
death of Miss Ellen Stetson, last of the family ; around the
turn of the century.
The house is not only a valuable addition to the historic
district, but is in usable condition after the minor repairs
above referred to.
{
Yr. Walter E. Sands -2- February 18, 1959
lila local Chapter of. the American Red Cross has offered
to take it over and keep it in repair, using it as head-
quarters .
Very truly yours,
KIL_HAM, HOPKINS, GRF:r LJEY & BROD i v
By:
yic7/0 !
7
W. R. Greeley
ley a' ?
lLca
RG:pr
An inspection of the house and barn at 9 Hancock
Street was made at the request of i,_r. Howard Custance on
February 6, 1959 •
Damage to sills, joists, lower ends of corner posts
and studding as well as the lower exterior rough boardinc and
clapboards was found This damage has been caused byte -iitess,
beetles and fungi. Some beetle damage in the underflcorLng and
first floor framing was also noted.
No inspection of the joists under the kitchen or In
the basementless section adjacent to the rear basement wall.
has been made , since these areas are not now accessible .
The exterior grade level around the entire house is
at or above the level of the main sills This conditior hE3
helped to maintain a relatively high moisture content in the
wood which, in turn, encourages fungus growth or rot Ie also
affords direct and inviting access to the wood for any termite
colonies native to the site . Further, any termites in the near-
by earth would be drawn to this wood , during the winte. months,
by the relative warmth of the earth adjacent to the heated
building.
�( It was noted that some of the sills have been replaced
and that sections of this newer wood have been damaged, We
suggest that all wood located belo grade should be protecte?
from moisture and termite entrance . Since termites now hair
established runways or tubes (in the joints and interstices
within the stone masonry) which extend from the sill down :are_ to
a point below grade , it would be necessary to block off these
entrance paths
This insulation of the wood from both moisture and
termites can be most economically effected by the use of proper
copper shields and concrete v.ithout raising the prusenU level of
the building
Barn
The sill along the rear and the posts and partitions
of tre north end of the barn are close to or in direct contact
with the earth Damage was found varying in degree from. light
to heavy in these sections.
Plater from rains has entered the joints of the exposed
flooring at the doorway of the south end and damage by fungus is
advanced in both the sill and flooring of this area. The sill of
this south end and of an approximate one-third of the sill along
the front wall is now supported on stone masonry foundations and
is h. gh enough abo,re the grade level so that repair and control
work here should be relatively simple .
The doors to all but the second stall were padlocked
and no inspection was made of the interior in the north stall
or the south section
he would be pleased to make a thorough survey of
either or both of these buildings and prepare plans and details
sho;sing all necessary renewal or reinforcing of all wood, copper
shielding, concrete, and beetle control treatment.
����/\] n ,9
Febrvary 9, 1959
Donald M. Muirhead
West lie,' ton, Massachusetts
f \_
r
„ For: 4
)�
LILXING'ONS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
P O. Box 114
Lexing:on, Massa:i v:sacs
35 Dexter Road
Lexington 73, Mass .
May 27, 1903
Ruth Morey -
To; n Public Facilities Committee
50 North Hancock Street
Le .in„ton 73, Lessachusetts
'4th:
About the "Garrity house” and shed:
So far as I have any knowledge these two buildings are not
of historic importance in the sense that they existed at the time
of the Revolution. They probably date from the 1000' s, and, except
for the Tavern, are all that remain of the former Meriam estate or
farm. The Meriam lands extended back up the hill (far beyond the
present railroad tracks) , where their orchards were . There was no
'_er_aa Street at that time In addition to the Tavern itself there
ere at one time twelve other structures, both large and small, on
the Meriam lands - all part of the farm. Regarding the buildings
in question:
(a) The cottage, or "Garrity house" was built out of two of
their buildings on the place, about 1830-40.
(b) The seed, used by the Park Department, originally stood
ant_o:.i-nately on the spot where now is that aesthetic mistake, the
"`inute- .an :e:orial" The shed was end to the street, and about it
:e_ e fruit trees . I believe it may have been the carriage house,
. ich ;•as one of the known twelve out-buildings.
then the Town purchased the property in 1913 the Parr Commis-
starers moved the shea, or "carriage house", to its present location
Trey used the shed almost immediately for storage of tools and p :rz
e_•u_m.ent, and suggested that it would also be suitable for needed
tourist toilet facilities .
To review the more recent developments, and reasons for
sa ng the buildings
;;) In the Dece,ber 11, 1958 issue of the local paper was a
rote stating that at their November 10 meeting the Selectmen disco sed
rrs . Euth ,Sorey :.!ay 27, 1963
t e to n pronertyat 9 Hancoc'r Street, which, quoting the report, was
"to be torn do-raj' .
I •-rote to the Selectmen urging that they explore
all DOZS.Lbilities for making use of the buildings before any such ster
ere ta-c;,a, in o-der that they might be preserved_ The Selectmen re-
ni'_ed that it tas not their intention to demolish the buildings , at
least in the immediate future, that no hasty action wouid bo taken, ar
that of course they would have to have the apnrova:l of the Historic
Districts Commission before taking that step.
(2) At the same time, Anita mentioned this possibility (demoli-
tion) to an officer of the Historical Society (we were not then memJer
of the Council) . The subject was therefore brought to the attent.o '-
of the Ciuncil, rhich discussed the problem of preservation, etc . At
t'r e Jane,:ry ,20, 1959 meeting it was voted to appoint a committee to
survey the properties and male recommendations to the Counc1.l.
(3) A letter from the Society was also sent to the Selectmen,
January 21, as'•:ing that no action be taken until the Society had hal
ti.;.e to look _nto the matter. The letter from the Society state& fury
on these buildings : "We believe that they are well worthy of preserve
tion There are very few buildings remaining in torrn of this early d--
and
-and these add a great deal of charm to the grounds of the Bucicman Tac
therefore we strongly urge that every effort be made to save and rest-
then .
(4) The Society' s committee, headed by Roger Greeley, made a
thorough survey of the building, including cost estimates on sill damn
rerlacements, etc. , and submitted their report under date of February
195D.
In this report the committee stated in reference to the
ho'..se : "It is an interesting termination to the Buckman Tavern pron_rt•
and with the shed nearby helps to recall the fact that historically th
was an estate with a group of buildings The house is not only a
valuable addition to the historic district, but is in usable condi.tior
after the minor repairs referred to" .
(5) This report was presentee to the Council meeting of I: a:c:^ 1'
1253, at the sate time the President reporting that he had received a
letter from:o-: t::e Selectmen asking for recommendations as to the c.isposi
tdc- of the Garrity house The Corresponding Secretary was instructed
to write the Selectmen that "at this time the Society is unable to tak
o er the house, b'_t that before the house is sold or destroyed, it be
offered to the Society"
(b) This action tas set forth :n a letter from the Society to t?
Se_ectr.en, dated `,arch 31, 1959, which stated - "The Council does not
_ sh '_n ary '.:ay to interfere with this program of the Red Cross . Fre
o _ suggest, ho" ever, that the present structural appearance of the
.:_ '_^i.-gs should be preserved and that when Red Cross tenancy is te:-i-
c_ rcted Leil ;to- Historical Society shall be given the opportunity to
aacu re the u:.e of the buildings for historical purposes" .
The °resent Board of Selectmen is perhaps not arare of the
ex_steacc of this letter
rs . Ruth "foray -3- May 27, 1963
As to justification for preserving these two buildengs , our fee
/c ir-^.s : e the same as stated by others in paragraphs 3 and 4 above
co cur v.ith these statements entirely c.e believe it is also s.gnifi
cart that Samuel Chamberlain, the nationally-known architect-etcher-
a t:.st-photographer selected these buildings for ir•cluni;n in at lea-;
t o of his •.ti-'11-Jana;-n boa'cs pr photographs on Ne' England : "A Smell
1'ouse in the Sun" (1930 , and "Lexington and Concord" (1939) _ I can
assure you that his is the "selectivity" of a very sensitive authori ,ef
It is perhaps not unreasonable to believe that if certain other
communities o ned t o buildings of this age, which complete and couple
mart the setting of Else :pan Tavern so attractively, they would be
ars.ious to preserve that which they were fortunate to possess
If the Society were again to be approached by the Selectmen, as
requested in its letter of March 31, 1959, and still found it impossib
to make use of the buildings, the house with very slight alteration
could be used in part as a Tourist Information Center, ar.,4 tae s.i•n8.
done over for new and suitable toilet facilities. The Chamber of
Commerce could post their information Person in a portion of the first
floor front of the house, or perhaps rent the entire building for thein
of: ace and headquarters Either of these possibilities is highl ue-
li' ely. from their point of view as they doubtless would like the to--
to build something new, but it would save a lot of money and preserve
the building All this assures the Red Cross decides, or is asked to
vacate.
There is another alternative to the Chamber of Commerce ' s main-
taining an information person at its own expense, and that simply is
for the town to assure the responsibility . Isn' t it time for such
action? This is not a ne- idea. Back in 1935 there was an article in
tre -arrant for annual torn meeting to see if the toen would establish
the office of Information Clerk, the position to be filled by appoint-
ment by the Selectmen for a term not to exceed one year, and that the
sum of °3O be appropriated therefor. Those were depression years, anc..
the article was killed by indefinite postponement .
Today the situation and conditions are entirely changed, and town
action in this direction is far mere warranted. Official town sanction
an- responsibility for this seasonal position I feel would be appropr_-
a and it Could free it completely from the many self-interests of t're
Chamber of Commerce members One also gains the impression that inform:
tion geven to the tourists at the present "Old Belfry" center is rather
superficial 1'thy not approach this subject from the torn level, rather
t` ,-.. the C o C?
One more word about the old shed. We have been disturbed for so-_
tim, over tne fact that the loft door is left open, day and night
There is nothing to keep the rain out, and one morning after a storm
apte -cd as if the flags bed been set out to dry . !. wouldn ' t FD so
far as s.y that it ' s a deliberate plot to hasten the
-0lc GUilui: , but such ne,;ligencc makes a very good start in this airec-
tio: nave' been meaning to write a letter to the "authorities" bu`
-
' r - Futh Morey _4_ May 27, 1903
I
haven' t found time yet
>t_s letter is far longer than I intended, but wanted to get
do i a hu::ber of thoughts on the current problems .
Sincerely,
c7
Edwin B. Worthen, Jr.
Historian
M71r
C:afnn of exutgton, c assatlrusetfs
` � OFFICE OF SELECTMEN
POSERT CATALOG. CHAIRMAN
IRVING H. MASEE
ALLAN F KENNEY
ROLAND D. C•I?ELEY
FRED C. BAILEY
January 6, 1970
Mr Robert Gary, President
Lexington Historical Society
29 Highland Avenue
Le ngton, Massachusetts
Dear Mr. Gary
Mr Donald Muirhead has supervised the restoration work on Buckman
Tavern and has made an investigation of the Red Cross Building for
the Board of Selectmen His report indicates there is a consider-
able amount of beetle damage and other damage done by termites
that would require very extensive repair work on this building .
Before the Board of Selectmen decides to recommend that any money
be spent on this building, we would appreciate from you an in-
dication of the historical value of this building, if any. 4!e
would also appreciate your recommendation on whether you fee(
from an historical standpoint that this building is worth re-
storing
e-
storing at a considerable expense Le as AY7 f, a 47; 0047 _ >�
Very truly yours,
BOARD OF SELECTMEN
eraf'
Robert Cataldo
Chairman
THE GARRITY HOUSE, HANCOCK STREET, LEXINGTON
SIGNIFICANCE, PHYSICAL CONDITION, IDEAS FOR REUSE
Notes compiled by the Lexington Historical Commission
July 17, 1980
c_
( - THE GARRITY HOUSE, HANCOCK STREET, LEXINGTON
SIGNIFICANCE, PHYSICAL CONDITION, IDEAS FOR REUSE
SIGNIFICANCE
Ile Garrity House is of substantial historical significance to the
Town. It is a key building of the Battle Green area, and has special
qualities that.,give it a unique visual significance
The early history of the Garrity House is not known, though tradition
states that in about 1830 the house was built from parts of two other
buildings More is known about the small barn adjacent to the house
The barn was the carriage house for the Mariam estate a short distance
up Hancock Street. Certain construction charastics place its date in the
late 1700s The Meriam estate at one time had twelve residential and farm
buildings, of which only three remain today. the Buckman Tavern, the Garrity
House, and the barn
While the Garrity House did not exist in its present form at the time
of the Battle, it is representative of similar buildings which characterized
early Lexington The fact that Lexington was a simple farming community,
not dominated by monied Loyalist interests, was one of the primary reasons
the Revolutionary War began here The house is important because its
simple ane humble character reflect the life and mood of early Lexington
It is especially unusual for such a house to exist today so close to a town
common.
The architectural significance of the Garrity House is not as great as
its historical significance It is a good example of modest Greek Revival
style, and was chosen by historian Samuel Chamberlain to illustrate his
1936 book, A Small House In the Sun. The house has particular charm and
visual impact, however, because ;Tits size and location It is shorter
and smaller than most two-story houses, giving it a unique reduced scale
It also gives a special visual impact because of its construction un-
usually close to Hancock Street
In summary the Garrity House and barn are important both for what they
stand for as parts of Lexington's history, and -for the aesthetic contri-
butions they make today to the Battle Green area.
c_
2
PHYSICAL CONDITION
The Garrity House and barn have deteriorated considerably in the past
three decades An inspection made in 1959 revealed improper protection
against moisture at and below grade and subsequent attack by rot, fungi,
beetles, and termites Repairs were suggested and estimated to cost
$2450 00 (1959 dollars)
Those problems have worsened since then. The moisture, fungus, and
insect problems have not been corrected, and additional hazards and dis-
repair have been noted. These include settling and sagging of the structure,
roof and ripe leaks, and overall loss of integrity It is now estimated
that repairs would amount to $60,000 This figure includes making corrective
repairs as well as replacing or upgrading the heating, plumbing, and
electrical systems The barn needs structural repair as well
The buildings need immediate attention Peter DiMatteo, Building
Commissioner, stated (Nov 1979) that the house should be boarded up and
kept unoccupied until proper repair or rehabilitation work commences
POSSIBILITIES FOR REUSE -- OPTIONS AVAILABLE
CODE RE- HISTORICAL
OPTION COSTS BENEFITS STRICTIONS IMPACT
1 Town facility moderate bldg repaired; lowest (hist +
(some repair) space for Town use structure)
2 Residential large bldg rehab'd, low (historic +
(much repair) residence provided structure)
3 Commercial large I bldg rehab'd; low (historic + *
(much repair) 1 public amenity structure)
4 Res & Comm. large I bldg rehab'd, I medium + *
combined public amenity (mixed use)
5 Children's large I bldg rehab'd, I high + *
Museum public amenity (assemblage)
6 Demolition small problems I none -
eliminated
7 Leave as is, small save bldg for I none 0 I
seal up the time being
* - moving or connecting structures may have some negative impact
3
/ - Option 1 The least disruptive use of the house and barn would be
office space for some town agency, for example, the Lexington Town Employees'
Credit Union The barn could be used for storage as it is now This option
requires that the buildings be structurally repaired but not thoroughly
rehabilitated from top to bottom. Major repairs -- particularly to roof,
chimney, and sills at ground level -- would be made to allow occupancy and
prevent further deterioration The building codes are generally lenient
for this and other uses because the buildings are listed in the National
Register of Historic Places (as part of the Battle Green Historic District)
This historical status allows certain tradeoffs to be made in code compliance,
though reasonable structural integrity" and safe mechanical systems are
a necessity This option would not hurt the historical or aesthetic
.qualities of the house
Option 2 The next simplest disposition for the house would be as
a reside'ce, at market or low-income rate Costs would be higher than
for option 1, since the house would have to be liveable as well as struc-
turally sound The Town would gain a unit of housing, perhaps subsidized
housing. The Lexington Housing Authority could administer the house as
low-income housing, but could not do the rehabilitation work. Code
restrictions would be only slightly more stringent than in option 1 --
for example, smoke alarms would be required. The historical qualities
would not be damaged t The land is currently zoned for residential use
Option 3 Two parties have made proposals to use the Garrity House
as a place of business In these schemes refreshments would be served in
( the house and arts and crafts would be sold or exhibited. Costs would be
substantial to support this projected use; careful interior restoration
may be considered. A historically oriented commercial establishment would
bring a public amenity to the Battle Green/Buckman Tavern area. However,
to increase the feasibility of these plans, it may be necessary to construct
a new addition to the house, perhaps as a connection between house and barn
Such an addition should be carefully planned so as not to make a harmful
impact on the house's aesthetics
Option 4 One of the refreshments/crafts proposals envisions the
operator living in the house The costs and benefits of this idea are
substantially the same as in option 3, though a dual use may make more
efficient or sensible use of space The only special consideration is
due to building code standards that require a barrier to separate the
two use areas against the spread of fire
Option 5 One party has made a F^'oosal for converting the Garrity
House to a "hands-on children's museum_" Themuseumwould exhibit
materials of the Lexington Historical Society The barn might be used
for crafts demonstrations Again, such a use would require high rehabili-
tation costs but would become a historically-related asset This choice
requires the most stringent code compliance because the house in this case
would be designated a place of assemblage
Option 6 Demolition of the Garrity House is an easy escape from the
problems of maintaining a deteriorating building, but would give no meaningful
4
benefit to the Town otherwise In fact it would be severely detrimental
to the Town and to the Battle Green because it would mean the loss forever
of an irreplaceable significant building
Option 7 Doing nothing, or boarding up the house, would be a
minima-cost way to save the building But such a solution would not stop
possible structural collapse or further deterioration This action can
only be defended as a short-term protective measure to secure the building
" while funds or other definite arrangements are made for a proper, permanent
repair.
POSSIBILITIES FOR REUSE -- SOURCES OF FUNDING
l public Town; all repair/rehab work paid outright
Z public Town, relying on donations to pay some of the costs
3_ public Town, using a bank's 'leeway fund' to lessen costs
4 private Non-profit organization
5 # private Developer
Source 1 The cost to the Town of outright funding may be quite
high, owing to the several structural problems of the house and barn
Source 2 The Town could reduce its costs by soliciting private
donations, either in cash or in in-kind services The Town's reliance on
private donations must be justified
Source 3 The Town could reduce its costs by using a local bank's
'leeway fund ' This mechanism allows a bank to spend up to 3% of its profits
without restriction The intent of the 'leeway law' is to encourage banks
to make local civic improvements In a similar example, funds of this type
have been used in Newburyport for historic preservation projects
One bank is reportedly interested in helping convert the Garrity house
to low-income housing The Town. still would pay for the costs of rehabili-
tation, though without the usual financing expenses
Sources 4, 5 The Town could turn the property over to a private
non-profit organization or developer who would arrange the rehabilitation
and reuse of the property
5
Funding sources investigated and found unfeasible
"This Old House," the WGBH-TV rehabilitation techniques program,
expressed an interest in the house but decided beforehand to complete
its next project in the Inner City
Minuteman Vocational Technical School's carpentry students receive
training only on school premises
The exington Housing Authority cannot contribute rehabilitation
funds, though it could administer the house after rehabilitation work is
complete:
The Lexington Historical Society is unable at this time to take on
this property as a project
Questions for the Selectmen to address
1. Would non-residential/office use be acceptable?
2 Should a use be chosen that would maximize the return on the
Town's investment in the buildings, i e commercial use or
market-rate housing?
3 Should the Town give up control of the property through a long-
term lease or outright sale?
4 Does the Town wish to become the property's landlord under a
short-term lease arrangement?
5 Should there be an officially designated committee to entertain
proposals for reuse?
Appendix E
Copies of recent newspaper articles
relating to the restoration of the Garrity House
t
Lexington Minute-man Thursday,April 3,1050 Pat
4ive startsii, - , i , r , A ido -�
. ;4 / •:) ,k; rot 1 . r a
x.r n4 d
revive � j1 --ant, tit , 'tl, , F� : ,.
I §1 a- .
3d Cross
ildingr � : ; _ W
,exington Historical Society, the Lexing- I +Sit _
ric Commission and the Historic Districts -..+.-- ^-----'"`.. -
ion are looking for ways of saving the ., •" '.�.._-- .-
ted Cross building on Hancock Street by fes" _. .- — 1 ''x
ad tracks.
Juilding has been "informally con- 1 = �■ #, - ..
by Building Commissioner Peter Di f' f - _ 's a '
'ho r the building, which was part of t
m fL y fern in the early 19th century, ,fit. U '
� .
3. e
the Red Cross ceased to use it as its tZ , ,
headquarters when several towns con- _"""—w '" f '
in 1978, the building has been vacant. ,,; a �• .. 0•r',
teo cited several reasons why the build- - , ,, J I x _
it for use now, among which are external 'moi `impar t ,
1 as a sagging roof, and an outside wall w... 04, '' -�� .�' , � j "" -. ' '" -
owed out, and internal infirmities due to h " ` ,, ° rot 1 * ',*- .' 'x'**-. r .- -
amage and rotting floor joists in the ' x, Ai t` ,�<S110\ n'i N *- ',
e this, many people think it's worth414 '� `"' /A'a . �,-, ,�
ccording to Larry Whipple, there has " ' '_ , ' , —
j rmal communication' among the three The Red Cross house on Hancock Street near the old railroad tracks appears to 1
rtes organizations concerning possible
is building. (Photo by Owen O Rom
electmen have recommended that no could be used for a souvenir shop or a tea house in retarded man, stems not only from the desire
taken on the building until all the conjunction with the common. But he also said preserve an historic building, but from esthr
J8 for rehabilitation have been explored, that the seasonal income these would generate reasons, as well.
,tteo himself, said, At this point it's an would not be sufficient. "This buildingar
ondemnation because I know there are a Anne GradyChairman of the Lexington terminal andt the barn (next Whipple it) se
g point for the green, e<
people who want to do something with Historical Commission agrees. 'It would be lovely 'They are a gateway from the historic area of
n et want anyone in there now. to have a tea room there-so people could sit and common to residential Hancock Street."
teo also said he was going to go through look at the green in the summer, but as far as the Morehouse echoed this sentiment. He said
ng with construction analysts (Custance saving the building is concerned, housing is the green is attractive because it is surrounded
Inc. of Bedford Street)later this week to most stable use, she said. historic buildings, and that "knocking tl
n more detail what has to be done and The effort to save the building, -which, building down from the corner of the Lexing
II cost. according Meriam family tradition, was built by Green would be akin to taking a perfectly g
meantime, several alternatives for John Parkhurst Meriam in order to house a young tooth out of a set of dentures."
:he building are being discussed. Several
of involved organizations agree that
he b- 'ling is used for, it must generate
l'he it serious alternative at the
houiint.
ling to Richard Morehouse, of the
istricts Commission,there is a"possibil-
iocal savings bank might be interested in
er the land and refurbishing it at no
selling it back to the housing author-
er, Morehouse said things are"still very
it. talking stages. and /preferred not to
1
Lexington,Minute-man Thursday, May i, 19U0 Page 21
Red Cross House was home to them
Although the proposal to make the to come' to the door because they upstairs had no heat; learning to safety commissioner.
Red Cross Building into a subsidized thought it was the Hancock-Clarke sleep through the noise of the trains Neither of the sisters is quite aura
housing unit faces many obstacles, house. says Brenton. "There was a going by perilously close to the what the best use for their old home
there are two people who have sign for it on the green pointing to house,
would be. Although they claim no
always thought of it as a place to Hancock Street, and people would One reason (among many) that expertise, they don't think many
live. Betty Gaughan and'Abbey stop at our place. We'd just tell the building has been declared un- people would want to live in the
Brenton grew up there. them it was up the street." safe is that the roof lags, but house — at least not the way it was,
They are the daughters of the late Their father told them it was once according to the sisters, it always 'I don't think a couple with kids
John Garrity, who lived in the house the tail end of the Buckman Tavern, did, And, says Gaughan, "the would be interested.People live
for years when he was superintend, which isn't too far off. It was owned kitchen floor,- as long as we can differently today," Gaughan says.
out of parks and playgrounds for the by the same people, the Meriem remember, always slanted." Other They don't think the place would be
town. In fact, to many the building family and according to family structural oddities, such as the low appropriate for the elderly, either,
is known as Garrity House. tradition it was put together from ceilings, were always a source of because the stairs are steep and
We hive have a lot of sentimen- two out buildings on the farm in humor, especially when tall boy- difficult to maneuver. Gaughan
tel attachment to the'house, so order to house a young retarded friends came to call (Brenton's thinks it might make a good home
naturally, we'd_like to see it pre- man. husband is well over six feet). for a young couple 'who have a sense
served, says Gaughan. 'But we But their memories of it are Brenton says she always felt a of the history of the place' and who
didn't think about what it stood for. mostly personal.They remember the little sad when she went to the house would take an interest in maintain-
We had some sense of the history of seven in the family sharing three after their father moved out but she ing it.
it, but when you're younf you don't bedrooms; having to cut through was glad to see the Red Croce move Whatever happens, they want to
think about those things.' their mother's room to get to the there in 1959. 'I felt bad when they see the place stay there. "We can't
The sense of history came from a bathroom;getting dressed quickly on left because Dad had so much imagine that house not being there,"
couple of places.One indicated what cold winter mornings and running interest in the Red Cross. John says Brenton. 'I can't imagine what
the building was not. 'People used - down stairs in a hurry because the Garrity was the Red Cross water they'd put in its place."
1
1 'A 1/440 .a 'S
1 � I
r .y per
F4..`.
•
4,
Panel: many big hurdles to clear
•4
4 +.
Rousing weighed for Red Cross building
The Lexington Housing Authority Tuesday The problem, she said, is that agencies such as vitro controls the building. board members said:In
night expressed interest in using the vacant Red Housing and Urbap Development (HUD) are order to make thp building suitable for housing
Cross building at the corner of the Lexington_ unwilling to fund single projects because of a large structural changes might have to be"made which
Green for subsidized housing,but serious obstacle, overhead and small returns. She said the.Housing would be incompatible with preserving the build-
stand in the way of that becoming a reality. Authority does not hnva funds of.its own, and ing's historical,significance. This could mean
According to building commissioner loner Peter Di must apply to federal and state agencies for them. changes-to the outside of the building as well as
Matteo, the cost of restoring the building toil safe She indicated that if the building were raising the height of the ceiling in order'to bring it
condition is 'in excess of 350,000. Rehabilitation included in a larder projgct, of b0 to 100 units, for up to building cane standards,
would entail repairing rotted sills in the basement, f
installing new plumbing and wiring,.as well as exaGrample funds could possibly be obtained. When Spencer suggested during the meeting local
d in
building a foundation for an addition to the tde Scettered�Sitee building
could be said,,"1 he churches might-be•interested in purchasing the
building that was built-without one. project, Shproperty He said churches are generally "not
Lexington Historic Commission Chairman Scattered'Cite project is closed. There is no way interested in being in the al estate business, but
Anne Grady,told the board.that one of'the banks we could piggyback the Red Cross building onto some, of them do have housing." He said this
in town is interested in buying the building, 'an existing• project. We have to apply for X would be a way of keeping more local control over
rehabilitating it at cost and selling it back to the amount of buildings for X amount of dollars, the building.
town at no profit. She said\that under the state However, Housing, Authority members said 1
leeway law, which is designed to promote the they would be interested in searching for ways of However Wilbur Jaquith, a member of the
funding the suggested project, and would search Historical,Society and a former chairman of the
involvement of banks in public service projects, a for funds"diligently." , Historic Districts Commission said theproperty
bank can spend up to 3 percent of its_profits"in a should remain in control of the town because t
way not otherwise regulated. In a separate interview,board member William
She said using the building for housing would Spencer said it could be a long. time before a and the barn next to it are an "integral part of
be 'a way of killing two birds with one stone, project which could include the building could be Buckman Tavern (all three were owned by the
because it would provide the town with another funded. He said competition for funding is 'very Mariam family) and the green itself. Once it gets
dwelling and preserve an historic structure. i stiff," and that it took two years get funds for the out of control of the town there might be problems
However.Housing Authority Chairman Mary Scattered Site project despite"all kinds of support on down the line.
Shunney said that state and federal funding for from senior HUD people. ' The Lexington Historic Commission will be
such use is currently unavailable add will not be Another potential problem with federal funding discussing other ways of using the building tonight
Immediately forthcoming. ' is that theta may be strings attached governing at 8 p.m. in room 111 of the Town Office Building.
/1.-
1
I
1* .- •1
t.r '
t i
1 fW (.
F+".
\�..� Y'fiP: ..i i
9 �,
Board may buy Red Cross house
The Lexington Housing Au- mittee to look into possible used the Battle Green and the Buck-
thority has filed a preliminary for the vacant building) that man Tavern area, a movement
application for state funds to housing is the best use for it. was set afoot to preserve it.
purchase the Red Cross Building The idea of using the building A local bank expressed interest
on Hancock Street, according to for housing was first proposed to last spring in purchasing the site,
Executive Director Temple Scan- the Housing Authority last April rennovating it for subsidized
Ion. after the historic structure was housing and selling it back to the
Scanlon said $500,009 in state informally condemned by Build- Housing Authority at cost. How-
funds is available to the authority ing Commissioner Peter DiMat- ever, Shunney skid when the idea
for the purchase and rehabilita- leo. DiMatteo declared the build- was first proposed that there may
ton of existing units for-housing ing unsafe because of a sagging be difficulties in obtaining funds/
purposes, but the buildings must roof, rotting floor joists and ter- because state and federal agen-
be approved by the Executive mite damage. cies are more interested in larger
Office of Communities and Devel- The building has been vacant programs as opposed to single- s
opment(EOCD). since 1978, when the Red Cross building proposals.
Scanlon told the board mem- moved out due to the consolida- Other suggested uses have been
bers at their monthly meeting tion of several area chapers. renovating it and using it as a
Tuesday night that EOCD is Estimates for restoring it have museum, a souvenier shop or a
planning to send an architect out run as high as$60,000. tea house for tourists. However it 1
to look at the building in the next Because of the building's his- was felt that these would not
i
couple of weeks. Scanlon said he toric status, and the feeling of generate a steady income because j
has sent floor plans and dimen- interested parties that it is an of their seasonal nature. ''
sional descriptions to the agency. integral part of the esthetics of
He indicated that it may take a Y, .,
while for the agency to look at it —
because they have 30 similar
applications and only two archi-
tects to make examinations. t•3
Housing Authority Chairman
Mary Shunney, said the applica- ;�;
tion 'does not constitute a com-
M
,mittment by us that we are 'yi
asking to purchase the building.
While the authority plans 'to
'stay on top of it, Shunney said, !!`�+ t. .,
'we have no guarantees. We are -
at the mercy of a funding i i , *,,_
agency �4,� > '
Lexington Historical Society r
member Larry Whipple tom- c\�'f,?
mented in an inerview that 'I
think we're moving in the right i Mt.".
' direction. It's been-the-feeling.of
our committee (an informal corn- I. .
r, .,.
4. l'
4 \
CONED ��.L-. �
BOARDS CONSID )
0T. ��r�EUSE FiC�r-3
a� It iM1HQQx
The Historical Commission is completing the visual border
.� .y currently coordinating plans with around the Green.
the Lexington Historical Society, The selectmen are considering
the Historic Districts Commis- the alternatives, and have asked
sion and interested citizens to that Town Mans 'er Robert
A 1r '^ rel-abilit.. e the Garrity House. Hutchinson give thein tinorntr
t j t Tee building was part of the tion about creantsc'war that
li ' -_ ,r Meriam family farm in the early may have expteeeed an interest
,y :�%�`` - — 19th cents.' and, until recently in the builds Tata tot a eta-
c,a, used as Lexington beaelquar- ployees' credit union has inci-
ter: for the Red Ureas, cated that it may be interested
Wilbur Jaquith, filling in for in renting space in the house.
Historical C'ommi tsioh chairman According to the commission's
Ann Grad- presented a list of report, two organizations hove
alte-nati•-es to the Board of Proposed using the house alt a
Selectmen Monday nix lit, rang place of business. One proposal
ine from minor renuv-t, e of the %Jas for a Crafts altos Lad tt a
hosee for public use to -le or room and the other was for a full-
?- d rental to private concern:. scale restaurant.
i One alternative is using the Jaquith said there was some
prop,,ty fo lov.-income housing discussion about using the hos-a
– unoc. a Cie pter 705 program. as a museum, but this was never
The Lexington Housing Author seriously considered because
ity currently exploring that there was general agreement that
possibility and, according to Ja- another museum was not needed
math. it is being considered for lore.
the-cattercd the pro;rani. The Department of Public
Works has used the barn next to
The Len ngton Historical the house for equipment for
Commission, established at the many years, possibly since 1913,
March 1975 Town Meeting is according to Jaquith. He said
tee kcal board charged with the that maintenance costs have
resps;4sihility for historic preser been minimal, since improve-
vaaun- ments have been confined to
exterior painting.
r ;. The commission works with P g
-3 q" -, tor.•r, bodies like the Planning Jaquith denied the rumor cir
Board and the Conservation culating earlier this year that the
Commie;ion, and with private property might be condemned,
or;;,:niz-tion: and individuals to but he did say that rehabilitation
save le doricul, architectural and it needed right away fot the
cu;tur:l landmarks. rapidly deteriorating buildings.
The
e effort to save the building lie said that in 1950 Town
on not ooh from the Meeting was asked for $1 700 to
braise the house and put in new
desire .o preserve an historic sills By 1970 an estimated
f belle_^i, but from esthetic rea- $19,000 was required for repairs
4 -rs as well. and it was voted down. Jaquith
fre-
( 5 H; .soleal Commission offs- says that now it would take
'i .�. rials ; yin[ out titnt the house is 'upwurdv of SG0,O00 to pus flit
1. g a nut,y;rai p of th, iontivcape (,itruly Douse in top condition,
of Le..ineten (iteen and-serves us though a modified plan could be
a boundary for the area — put into use instead.
1
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7'9&P 9'y Az"coa-e_-.. ircseeaG/i J /44•ee ^ ,Llp C4=U7. 106
4 A, ( ,QAr<v/mid 2,-G"' ffoa r COST ESTIMATE '
WORK SHEET /sr f/tor 920 Sr) tat'
8,ik- �2 / X y(7 - ioyOSP �ys�
Plans & Arch work Total Brought Forward 90,.Sba .ou
Land
Site work & clearing Cook top & Oven range &CI ytre)
Permits Dishwasher Sod .fie 60
C t °r `e sz•, q-°'o`>•.+ 3oom-oo Disposal fro
673)
V.. '..L.,_ (ame 0 - - ') Window screens
Insurance (Wk. Comp.,Fire) 200 ao Window shades /7tI24Zqt am
Fill Storm doors O#' j7
Excavation Storm windows /741t3 o° 600.0-0
Form Work & Foundation Wrought iron railing -*.— j
Back fill Dry well
Steel beams Gravel for garage
Water & Sewer Connect Mom, eye) and basement �,�p sus- —
m�j Septic system Ma t�Qnaan<c 1ahor for estau-mo
A /f5Rough lumber /,�'ose i 00 L scapi" I.v,,,-46 c en.- vp e at
Sbn Finish lumber 36Pen,cv Evergreen planting
Kitchen Cabinets Z®oA•orr�( Walks
Bath Cabinets �'ma�.cu40 Fuel to heat house d to
Carpenter labor rough /S®me _aa ? Miscellaneous env. yr r§
Carpenter labor finish �pp�j c„ z ly€ Sliding glass doors -- --
Garage doors y�cn 6vaa o0 Shower door
/Moo
Windows & outside doors
tr / di oo •oo Mirrors /coD-oa(�1}
Insulation a000-oo Medicine cabinets eeadrera
Bulkhead Decorating costarst ,s.;Ct J foo 0-4
Jr-Lathe & Plaster q�o.0-o Radio intercom ---r-^
Rough hardware /goo. 6o Copper rough warlc�/s4yi.7y .lcorc P
Finish hardware inep,ov Attic exhaust fan
Mason work cost ..260a'. of Cleaning house ;Lbo-ob
Painting 2- Ceg4 4,,,,-,.., Hot water heater 3 0ca-o0
Plumbing /Jt.S i� emds�o Hot top driveway f
Heating /`�Zr c c 0.cs o Kitchen exhaust fail 4 /� Aar
i
Wiring cost mmto-o and hood /nss1Zlle ai Pt/do-ark
electric service Tub enclosure
Light fixtures Exhaust fans for baths
(incl bath fans, Oven fan
bulbs and chimes) ?dooms 0 Playroom paneling
Bath ceramic tile work /4&0-c-o Bookcases
Kitchen floor Aoa-ou Laundry chute
Other floors — Advertising
Oak floor stock&iiafePa ? ___?y,e&o-oo / Passing papers
Oak floor labor /0 do e. , Interest on mortgage
Weather stripping doors / 04t-do Tax on land & house
I Formica counter tops Drain
Wallpaper stock -000 .00 ,. Make ready 3.poq• osio
Wallpaper labor Jr0e140o 6,9 cr g.9_ C_P,vr, r<r,4 2Vcto
if, 4#1:11:, m,.6 — "`OOo>cra 'Nag ag Ates food•;77,
TotalMogiAfraAv R.srw4 2 .� °� d90
�O0.S'Otl�•om Total
I�r $7 Overhead 107 24 29
Total 9-- 13- 91 IF /-2.77s'oror <
/N e ioefeu hocre .174)*A.-f- 2^-c.
, n'ci•.zl S/e cC
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