HomeMy WebLinkAbouthayes-avenue_0031 FORM B - BUILDING Assessor's Number USGS Quad Area(s) Form Number
63/58 Boston H 2139
MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION North
MASSACHUSETTS ARCHIVES BUILDING
220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD Town/City: Lexington
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125
Place: (neighborhood or village): Merriam Hill area
Photo ra h
Address: 31 Hayes Ave.
Historic Name: Ernest and Anna Nichols House
Uses: Present: Residential
Original: Residential
Date of Construction: 1915
Source: Lexington Assessors Records
Style/Form: Bungalow
Architect/Builder: Willard Brown
Exterior Material:
Foundation: Invisible
Wall/Trim: Wood shingles
Locus Map
Roof: Asphalt shingles
On Structures: Garage
Major Alterations(with dates):
lqp +
f
•
Condition: Good
Moved: no ® yes ❑ Date:
l,� Q Acreage: 0.33 acres
125 Setting: Neighborhood of early to mid 20the century
dwellings.
38.948
f 63 46B
Recorded by: Anne Grady
Organization: Lexington Historical Society
Date(month/year): July 2015
12/12 Follow Massachusetts Historical Commission Survey Manual instructions for completing this form.
INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET TOWN ADDRESS
LEXINGTON 31 HAYES AVE.
MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No.
220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD,BOSTON,MASSACHUSETTS 02125
H� 2139
❑ Recommended for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.
If checked,you must attach a completed National Register Criteria Statement.form.
Use as much space as necessary to complete the following entries, allowing text to flow onto additional continuation sheets.
ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION:
Describe architectural features. Evaluate the characteristics of this building in terms of other buildings within the community.
The Ernest Nichols House deviates from the more typical Willard Brown houses in the Colonial Revival or Craftsman styles in
that it is Brown's version of the Bungalow style. The house has the broad sweeping roof and the shed dormer typical of a
Bungalow. The roof on the facade terminates with a slightly flared eave above the first floor. The dormer contains paired double
hung windows at the center and single windows on either side. The eave of the dormer is finished with plain exposed rafter feet,
which are a signature feature Willard Brown buildings and are thought to reflect Japanese influence. Four thick Tuscan columns
support the front of the roof at the eave and divide the first floor of the facade into three sections: a glazed sun porch at the
northeast end, an entry bay with doorway at the center and an enclosed room at the southwest end. The wide side elevations
incorporate windows in which the placement appears to reflect the use of the rooms within. For example on the northeast side
three windows are staggered upward, apparently to light a stairway. On the southwest side is a three-sided single story bay
window. A single central chimney is placed at the ridge of the roof. The foundation is invisible from the exterior.
The lot slopes up from the street. The first level of the building's facade is complete shielded by plantings. A paved drive curves
up from the southwest side of the lot across in front of the house to a garage at the rear northeast side of the building. The
garage was in place by 1935.
The Ernest Nichols House is part of a group of houses, many architect-designed, that were built parts of Lexington, such as
Merriam Hill, Munroe Hill and Winthrop Road that saw upscale development in the early 20th century.
Local architect, Willard Brown (1871-1943), was responsible for the design of a number of these residences (including 19
documented by his daughter), as well as a few well-regarded public buildings (the Munroe and Parker Schools, and Cary
Memorial Library). His buildings are among the most creative and interesting structures of the period in Lexington. They often
combine allusions to several styles at once and may include features of the Shingle, Queen Anne, Italian Villa, Arts and Crafts,
of even the Prairie style, though they are most frequently categorized as Craftsman or Colonial Revival. Many are characterized
by low hip roofs with broad eaves. Exterior finish materials used include stucco, brick, shingles, or clapboards. Brown's buildings
invariably feature horizontal massing. Sixteen houses designed by Brown are included in the immediate Merriam Hill area.
HISTORICAL NARRATIVE
Discuss the history of the building. Explain its associations with local(or state) history. Include uses of the building, and the role(s) the
owners/occupants played within the community.
The Nichols House was built in 1915 for Ernest Ostrom, a salesman, and Anne W. Nichols next door to the house of his brother,
Howard Ostrom Nichols. According to Sarah Emily Brown Schoenhut, the two Nichols brothers did not want their houses to be
similar. Hence the house at 29 Hayes Ave. is a blend of Colonial Revival/Craftsman style, while this one is a Bungalow.
The lot that Ernest O. Nichols purchased from George W. Fitch on Dec. 5, 1913 was Lot 72 in the Plan of Oakmount Park, Part
A, of May 28, 1903. In 1943, the estate of Ernest Nlchols sold the property to Gardner L. and Olive Russell Frost. John and
Marjorie Kent have been the owners since 1966.
Continuation sheet I
INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET TOWN ADDRESS
LEXINGTON 31 HAYES AVE.
MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No.
220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD,BOSTON,MASSACHUSETTS 02125
H� 2139
BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES
Grady, Anne. "The Architecture of Willard Brown." Course paper, Boston University Graduate School,1986.
Lexington Assessors Records.
Sanborn Insurance Map, 1935.
Sarah Emily Brown Schoenhut. Letter to Anne Grady. March 13, 1984.
South Middlesex County Registry of Deeds. Bk. 6699, Pg. 291; Bk.112245, Pg. 107.
Willard Brown Collection, Lexington Historical Society.
Continuation sheet 2