HomeMy WebLinkAboutfranklin-road_0016 FORM B -BUILDING
Assessor's number USGS Quad Area(s) Form Number
56/118 Boston N. 1052
Massachusetts Historical Commission
Massachusetts Archives Building
Town Lexington
d; Place (neighborhood or village) Upper Meriam Hill
Cp
Address 16 Franklin Road
Historic Name James W. Smith House
I� r
Uses: Present Residential
"
Y Original Residential
�,+t �� ;i Date of Construction 1910
Source Lexington Valuation Lists
Style/Form ---
. Architect/Builder William Roger Greeley
Exterior Material:
* Foundation concrete
t� Wall/Trim wood shingles
Roof asphalt shingle
500 E 67A 00: Outbuildings/Secondary Structures
233
garage(1962)
4
260
( — Major Alterations (with dates) date? -enclosure of
270 first floor of north porch; addition of south section
Condition fair
�SOMERSE7 -4'�-1
`040 Moved ® no ❑ yes Date
Acreage 19,614 SF
Recorded by Lisa Mausolf Setting mixed early 20th century residential
Organization Lexington Historical Commission neighborhood
Date (month/year) May 2000
Follow Massachusetts Historical Commission Survey Manual instructions for completing this form.
BUILDING FORM (16 Franklin Road)
ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION
Describe architectural features. Evaluate the characteristics of the building in terms of other buildings within the
community.
The house at 16 Franklin Road is a 2 1/2-story, side-gabled dwelling which is sheathed in wood shingles with the second
story overhanging the first slightly. The eaves on the side gables are close with exposed rafters visible on the lateral eaves.
The house rests on a concrete foundation. The house displays a five-bay front with the right three bays expended forward by
a shed-roofed projection which contains the main entrance consisting of a modern six-panel door with integral lights at the
top. The door is flanked by full sidelights and capped by a louvered fan. Columns support an open bed pediment with an
arched underside. Windows consist primarily of 6/6 sash with some casements also in evidence. An arched dormer is located
on the front roof slope and a stuccoed chimney rises from the left ridge. A two-story sunporch spans the south elevation. The
first floor of the porch displays jalousie windows with casements separated by pilasters upstairs. A two-story addition abuts
the north side.
To the north of the house is a two-car garage (1962) sheathed in wood shingles above a concrete foundation. There are two
overhead doors on the gablefront. The front yard is largely shaded by a mature beech tree.
HIS f' ORICAL NARRATIVE
Describe the history of the building. Explain its associations with local (or state) history. Include uses of the building and
the)ole(s) the owners/occupants played within the community.
This land was originally part of the 400-acre Francis B. Haves estate which extended from Adams and Hancock Streets to
Woburn Street(the house known as Oakmount or The Castle was built in 1884 and demolished in 1941). This portion of the
Hayes estate was laid out in houselots in 1909. This property, encompassing lot 38, was sold by Herbert Birtwell of Boston
to James W. Smith in 1910. In 1910 James Smith of 5 Forest Street was assessed for Lot 38 of the Hayes subdivision,
encompassing 19,614 square feet. The following year, he was assessed for the same lot with a house, confirming the
construction of the dwelling. Directories indicate that Smith worked in insurance and as a bond salesman. Mr. and Mrs.
Smith continued to live in the house until 1943 when it was sold to Charles Kingsley who continued to own it until 1978.
Franklin Road was known as Olive Road before 1916.
The house was designed by local architect William Roger Greeley who lived nearby at 38 Somerset Road (MHC#1125),
which he designed in 1913. During this period Greeley's offices were located at 120 Boylston Street in Boston(later 9 Park
Street). In 1925 Greeley became a third member in the firm of Kilham, Greeley and Hopkins. Greeley's best known local
commission was the design of Cary Memorial Hall (MHC 46),a collaboration with Willard Brown built in 1927. Other
local residences designed by Greeley include 16 Belfry Terrace (MHC#1029)built in 1935, and 39 Locust Avenue (MHC
#518), constructed in 1919.
BID IOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES
G41ey, Roland to Anne Grady, 24 Feb. 1984. Correspondence in possession of Anne A. Grady, Lexington, Mass.
Lexington Assessors Records.
Lexington Directories, various dates.
Lexington Valuation Lists, various dates.
Recommended for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. If checked, you must attached a completed
National Register Criteria Statement form.