HomeMy WebLinkAboutprospect-hill-road_0040 FORM B - BUILDING
Assessor's number USGS Quad Area(s) Form Number
33/176 Boston N. Y 1111
t, 4
Town Lexington
Place (neighborhood or village) Fair Oaks
. Address 40 Prospect Hill Road
Historic Name Fred&Katherine Lord House
Uses: Present Residential
Original Residential
Date of Construction 1914
Source Lexington Valuation Lists
Style/Form 20th century Eclectic
Architect/Builder unknown
is
Exterior Material:
Foundation rubble
Wall/Trim brick
k\( Roof tile
Outbuildings/Secondary Structures
�r none
Major Alterations (with dates) 1984 -new roof
i
'�► Condition good
Moved ® no ❑ yes Date
f Acreage 53,428 SF
Recorded by Lisa Mausolf Setting mixed 20th century residential
Organization Lexington Historical Commission
Date (month/year) April 2000
Follow Massachusetts Historical Commission Survey Manual instructions for completing this form.
BUILDING FORM (40 Prospect Hill Road)
ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION
Describe architectural features. Evaluate the characteristics of the building in terms of other buildings within the
community.
The house at 40 Prospect Hill Road is a large and unusual early 20th century 2 1/2-story, side-gabled dwelling with a brick
exterior, rubble foundation and a green tile roof(the house was reroofed in 1984). The brick is laid in a bond alternating a
course of stretchers with a course of headers. A band of three soldier bricks separates the first and second stories. The side-
gabled building displays overhanging eaves with large curved brackets with pyramidal tops supporting the notched ends of
the raking. Centered on the three-bay facade and fronted by brick steps with boulder sidewalls, the main entrance is sheltered
by a shed hood resting on large braces. The single-panel door is flanked by 2 x 4-light sidelights. On either side of the
entrance is a set of casement window consisting of four 2 x 4-light panels. The second story facade consists of a central set
of casement windows consisting of four 2 x 3-lights with a set of three 2 x 4-light windows on either side. A central gable
wall dormer breaks through the roof above the entrance.
On the left end of the house there is a single-story stone-walled extension lit by multi-paned panels set above a paneled wall
balustrade. On the other end of the house, closer to the road,there is a brick single-story extension fronted by a boulder wall
enclosing a small patio. The overhang of the roof at the entrance is supported by a notched brace. Remaining windows
consist primarily of casement windows. There is a gable wall dormer on the rear elevation, set above a curved first floor
projection.
Seton a spacious 53,428 SF lot, the house is setback from the road and fronted by a circular drive.
a
HISTORICAL NARRATIVE
Describe 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.
"Fair Oaks"was developed into house lots in 1912. This house was one of the first in the subdivision and was constructed in
1914 for Fred and Katherine Lord of Everett. Valuation records indicate that in 1913 the Lords owned only the lot. In 1914
they were assessed for an unfinished house valued at$15,000;the following year the assessment had climbed to$25,000
marking the completion of construction. Mr. Lord was a produce dealer. The Lords continued to occupy the house into the
1940s. Later owners included the Clements family who sold the property to Ervin and Sylvia Blake in 1958.
The original layout of the"Fair Oaks"development was the work of Arthur E. Horton, a landscape architect who had worked
for the Metropolitan Park Commission in Boston, for much of this time under the direction of Charles Eliot. The street layout
which was finally accepted by the town in 1924 was apparently a revised layout. Although an overview of the Fair Oaks
subdivision is provided in Area Farm Y, additional research needs to be done to determine the sequence of construction in the
neighborhood and any commonalties which may exist.
BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES
L", gton 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.