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Home My WebLink Aboutwinthrop-road_0015 FORM B - BUILDING AREA FORM NO. M 4.71 MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 294 WASHINGTON STREET, BOSTON, MA 02108 in Lexington # tress 15 Winthrop Road - toric Name J. Chester Hutchinson Dig MAW, W. t residential - Original residential )ESCRIPTION: "r st r > iR s - _ :e 1905 Source Willard Brown's album SKETCH MAP Show property's location in relation Style to nearest cross streets and/or geographical features. Indicate Architect Willard Brown . all buildings between inventoried property and nearest intersection. Exterior wall fabric shingles Indicate north. Outbuildings Major alterations (with dates) -I-<O C� v Moved Date Approx. acreage 19133 ft.2 Recorded by Anne GradySetting Residential street of substantial Organization Lexington Historical Commission houses built at the turn of the twentieth Date April, 1984 century. (Staple additional sheets here) .1*11 ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE (Describe important architectural features and evaluate in terms of other buildings within the community.) This house, built in 1905, is a little too early to have been influenced by Wright's Prairie Houses. However, it shares the same characteristics of low hovering hip roof with broad boxed eaves, and horizontal emphasis. Comparison with Brown's other early buildings (see list in historic overview) shows how versatile and original he could be. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE (Explain the role owners played in local or state history and how the building relates to the development of the community.) The house was built by J. Chester Hutchinson, a clerk in Boston. BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFEREN'ChS (nwiie of puuiicatio , author, date acrd puU.11.1' cher) Willard Brown' s album of photographs and plans of his work. Lexington Historical Society archives. 1906 Directory 10M - 7/82 INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET Town Property Address LEXINGTON 15 WINTHROP ROAD MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. MASSACHUSETTS ARCHIVES BUILDING 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD 471 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE: A long article entitled"A New Home"appearing in the Lexington Minute-man on August 26, 1905 provides a detailed description of this house, inside and out: Winthrop road,Lexington,has shown a rapid growth since it was opened, of a first class example of dwelling houses which have very materially added to the taxable reality holdings and also built up a desirable section that is a credit to the town. One of the latest of these is a house nearing completion built for Mr. J. Chester Hutchinson of Lexington,who,with his recent bride,hopes to take possession of the premises within a month. Willard D. Brown, of this town,was the architect,while T.H. O'Connor has been the contractor and builder. Mr. O'Connor has done most excellent work on the house and it is an example of his skill and mechanical ability he may well be proud of and will still further establish him in his business here and make him sought as a conscientious and reliable building. This is a reputation worth having in these days when much that masquerades as first class work is done in an inferior and careless way. The exterior of the house is simplicity personified, built of walnut stained shingles and dark green trimmings. The hip roof is unbroken, except by a couple of dormer windows. The entrance porch suggests the Georgian style in architecture and is flanked on either side by an open piazza,with a covered veranda on the south side of the house. The entrance hall opens into rooms on both sides,the staircase mounting from the rear rather than the front of the house, and in design suggests the hallway and staircase in the Geo. O. Whiting house(8 Adams Street). The hall is of fair proportions and has an arched vestibule at the entrance that gives it distinction. To the left is the living room, 24 x 14 feet,with clustered windows facing east and an open fireplace opposite. A two- toned paper in green is to be used. All the floors on the first floor are of nicely matched oak and the wood work is white enamel,with doors,window sashes, stair treads and rail, etc. of red birch, finished in mahogany. This makes the color scheme harmonious and suggestive of the colonial period. The hall paper is in two tones of grey. The dining room a the right of the hall is another large room, 18 x 14, and has, besides clustered windows,two corner cupboards,which feature the room. These will display, in a most effective way, choice cbina and cut glass. The walls are covered with green burlap up to the pate rail,with the upper walls in soft tones of brown paper. The butler's pantry is unusually large and perfectly equipped with glass cabinets and drawers. The kitchen pantry is also all that could be desired and here is located a large refrigerator. Both pantries are convenient to the kitchen, and all show that thought has been given to the domestic requirements. A rear entrance and back hallway(with a set bowl), and staircase, are so arranged that the front of the house can be shut off from the domestic quarters. The den or sitting room is in the rear of the living room and entered from the main hall. It is a picturesque and inviting room with a beautiful outlook. The word work is stained No. Carolina pine to represent black oak, and the wall coverings are Japanese grass cloth in gay colors. The recessed open fireplace is timbered about the ceiling,which is an attractive feature. A door opens from the room on to the veranda. INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET Town Property Address LEXINGTON 15 WINTHROP ROAD MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. MASSACHUSETTS ARCHIVES BUILDING 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD 471 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE(continued): There are four rooms on the second floor, besides the house bath. One of the rooms is to be used as a sewing room and is to be decorated in the Dutch style. Two of the chambers are finished in natural cypress, with dainty flowered papers in pleasing contrasts of tones. The main chamber is a large room with an open fireplace and a roomy toilet room leading out of it, including a shower bath cased in white marble. The coloring is blue and the paint white enamel. The large linen closet is in the hall and is quite a model of convenience,with its numerous drawers, lockers and cupboards. All the sanitary arrangements in the bath room and elsewhere are handsome and the lighting fixtures are highly artistic. On the third floor are two good rooms,besides a store room. The cellar is equipped with a steam heating apparatus, a laundry,toilet, cold closet and fuel bins. There are other incidentals about the house that add to its beauty and comfort, but Mr. and Mrs. Hutchinson's many friends will no doubt have an opportunity to inspect the handsome new home and thus get a better idea of it than a newspaper article can give. J. Chester and Lucy Hutchinson only occupied the house until about 1913. By 1915 they were living at 6 Adams Street. Frank Brown, brother of architect Willard Brown and worked at a bank in Boston, is listed as living here in the 1915 and 1918 directories. The house at 15 Winthrop Road was owned and occupied by Arthur and Minnie Maddison from about 1922 until at least 1942. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Lexington directories,various dates. Lexington Minute-Man,August 26, 1905. Supplement prepared by: Lisa Mausolf March 2009