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Home My WebLink Aboutarea-sFORM A -.AREA s Form numbers in this area Area letter 548-550 MASSAGIUSETIS HISTORICAL COtw.rrSSION294WashLTlgtonStreet_Rn~""n"'"'k.fA n .....•,...• Lexington If area (if any)Peacock Farm !date or period 1950s'------- ( (\ Anne Grady Organization Lexington Historical Commissio: Date------~------------February,1984 (Staple additional sheets here) ARCHITECTUR~SIGNIFIC~CE of area.(Describe physical setting,general character, and architecturally significant structures). The Peacock Farm neighborhood is a development of 65 contemporary style houses built between 1951 and c.1960.The houses are primarily of the award winning split-level design known as the Peacock Farm house.However,there are eight houses of an earlier design,three which were individually designed by architects and one which is a Techbuilt.The houses are sited to take advantage of the natural setting which includes in its 45 acres wetlands, wooded areas,fields,and a substantial rise in elevation. The first buildings to be constructed were of a one-story design with raised basement,low pitch roof,and vertical cedar siding (see 9 Peacock Farm Road fOrQ).In late 1955,that design was superseded by the Peacock Farm house (see 2 Mason Street form).A simple structure with logical division of functions on three levels,the house is characterized by a 1m"pitch roof with one slope longer than the other,broadly overhang eaves and exposed be~s, exterior finish of stained vertical cedar siding,linear treatment of windows (see Continuation Sheet)HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE of area.(Explain development of area,what caused it, and how it affected community;be specific). Land for the Peacock Farm development was purchased in 1951 by architects Danforth Compton and Walter Pierce."AIthough the Hoon Hill development of International Style houses established'by The Architects Collaborative(TAC)in 1948 was close by,Compton and Pierce did not choose Lexington"for its associa- tion with contemporary housing.The name derives from the farm at the entrance to the development where peacocks were raised in the early twentieth century. The 45 acres purchased comprised acreage of the farm.The house at 4 Peacock Farm Road was built as a demon st.rat.Lonmodel in late 1951.It was the original design described above.Eight of this type of house had been built by 1955. In late 1955,Danforth Compton died and developers Harmon Vlhite and Edward Green bought the remaining land." After a period of inforrn~l market research among real estate agents, bankers and prospective buyers,Green and ~fuite comrn i ssi.oned\"lalterPierce to design a house to meet the needs of the young professional buyers they hoped to attract.Requirements included a three bedroom,one-and-a-half bath house with fireplace and a natural setting for a price of $20,000.The result was the split-level design known as the "Peacock Farra House." In 1957 the design won first prize in the national "Homes for Better Living"contest sponsored by the A.I.A.The house was also selected as one of 57 for exhibit in the National Association of Horne Builders'Hall of F~e in Washington (Boston Globe,May 16,1957).As a result of its illustration in national publications such as the New York Times and Time magazine,requests for plans were received.There are perhaps a dozen Peacock Farm houses throughout (see Continuation Sheet)BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES "First Awar d.."Reprint from House and Home,June 1957. "First Prize Awarded in Competition."Christian Science Honitor,May?,1957. "Lexington Contemporary at Peacock Farms Wins First Prize in National Competition." Boston Sunday Herald,May 19,1957. "Lexington Home Wins A.LA.Contest.II Boston Globe,May 16,1957. (see Continuation Sheet) 2M-6/80 ------- MASSACHUSEITS HI STORI CAL C(M.fl SS I ON Office of the Secretary,Boston Community:Perm No: Lexington S Property Narre:Peacock Farm INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE and broad expanses of glass.The split-level plan was intentionally designed for sloping sites.The living area end of the house was intended to be at ground level as was the garage/playroom area half a story below the living area. Houses were flipped or turned to match the contour of the site.The resulting random orientation of the houses is a key feature of Peacock Farm,and one which distinguishes it from other developments.The natural stained siding and simple design are particularly appropriate for the many wooded lots in the development. Individually designed houses in the area are:the house at 16 Trotting Horse Drive by Walter Pierce,the house at 23 Peacock Farm Road by Henry Hoover, and the house at 48 Peacock Farm Road.A number of the houses in Peacock Farm have been enlarged.Pierce and Hoover have been responsible for many of the additions. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE the country in such places as Virginia and the Midwest.Five other areas of Lexington were developed by Green and White with Peacock Farm houses:the Grove off Burlington Street,the Glen at Gountryside (Woburn Street and Lowell Street) on Turning Mill Road in North Lexington,on Rumford Road,and in 1965 at Pleasant Brook adjacent to the original development site.There are a few isolated ex~~ples of the house in Lexington,Belmont,Newton,and Wayland. Peacock Farm developed along the lines of the other neighborhoods of contemporary houses built in Lexington in the 19405 and 1950s,attracting the same kind of young professional and academic families,their sense of community ,~-enhanced by shared interests such as the community swimming pool,neighborhood play groups for children,and use of the development's six acres of co~~on land. The Peacock Farm Trust oversees neighborhood affairs and administers the architectural restrictions recorded with every deed.Five trustees are elected from among home owners.Restrictions require approval for changes or additions to buildings or landscape,including the removal of trees over four inches in diameter. Developments of contemporary style houses like Peacock Farm are one of the most significant features of Lexington architecturally (there are ten such neighborhoods).For reasons not yet defined the phenomenon thrived here as in no place else in the Boston area. BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES "Modern Split-Level Homes Find Acceptance in History-Steeped Lexington."New York Times,September 13,1959. 'Noel Seney.A Spli t':LE~"ai':that;TMaKe's~'Sens·e.Reprint from Better Homes and Gardens magazine for'-B.en)"amirUFiariklinHomes,Lexington,Massachusetts. Des Moines,Iowa:Meredith Publishing Company,1960. Personal communication from Walter Pierce. Staple to Inventory form at bottom INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET Town LEXINGTON Property Address PEACOCK FARM MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION MASSACHUSETTS ARCHIVES BUILDING 220 MORRISSEY BOULEY ARD BOSTON,MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Area(s)Form No. 01__ DATA SHEET AREAS PEACOCK FARM Address Style I Architect Date Assessor MHC# Number 1 Compton Circle Contemporary (peacock Farm)Walter S.Pierce 1958 7/36 3 Compton Circle Contemporary (Peacock Farm)Walter S.Pierce 1958 7/35 4 Compton Circle Contemporary (peacock Farm)Walter S.Pierce 1958 7/32 5 Compton Circle Contemporary (peacock Farm)Walter S.Pierce 1958 7/34 6 Compton Circle Contemporary (peacock Farm)Walter S.Pierce 1958 7/33 1 Mason Street Contemporary (peacock Farm)Compton &Pierce 1954 8/92 2 Mason Street Contemporary (peacock Farm)Compton &Pierce c.1956 8/88 550 4 Mason Street Contemporary (peacock Farm)Compton &Pierce 1956 8/89 5 Mason Street Contemporary (peacock Farm)Compton &Pierce 1954 8/91 6 Mason Street Contemporary (Expanded Walter S.Pierce 1967 8/155 Peacock Farm) 7 Mason Street Contemporary (Expanded Walter S.Pierce 1969 8/153 Peacock Farm) 8 Mason Street Contemporary (Expanded Walter S.Pierce 1970 81156 Peacock Farm) 9 Mason Street Contemporary (Expanded Walter S.Pierce 1969 8/154 Peacock Farm) 2 Peacock Farm Road Contemporary (peacock Farm)Walter S.Pierce 1956 8/82 3 Peacock Farm Road Federal/Greek Revival c.1830 7/91C 548 4 Peacock Farm Road Contemporary (peacock Farm)Compton &.Pierce 1953 8/83 6 Peacock Farm Road Contemporary (Peacock Farm)Walter S.Pierce 1958 8/84 8 Peacock Farm Road Contemporary (peacock Farm)Walter S.Pierce 1956 8/85 9 Peacock Farm Road Contemporary (peacock Farm)Compton &.Pierce c.1953 8/94 549 10 Peacock Farm Road Contemporary (peacock Farm)Compton &.Pierce 1954 8/86 12 Peacock Farm Road Contemporary (peacock Farm)Walter S.Pierce 1956 8/87 15 Peacock Farm Road Contemporary (Peacock Farm)Walter S.Pierce 1956 8/93 17 Peacock Farm Road Contemporary (peacock Farm)Walter S.Pierce 1956 7/89 18 Peacock Farm Road Contemporary (peacock Farm)Walter S.Pierce 1956 7110 19 Peacock Farm Road Contemporary (peacock Farm)Walter S.Pierce 1956 7/88 22 Peacock Farm Road Contemporary (peacock Farm)Walter S.Pierce 1957 7/22 Address Style Architect Date Assessor MHC# Number 23 Peacock Farm Road Contemporary Henry Hoover 1958 7/87 24 Peacock Farm Road Contemporary (peacock Farm)Walter S.Pierce 1957 7/23 25 Peacock Farm Road Contemporary (peacock Farm)Walter S.Pierce 1957 7/86 26 Peacock Farm Road Contemporary (Peacock Farm)Walter S.Pierce 1957 7/24 27 Peacock Farm Road Contemporary (peacock Farm)Walter S.Pierce 1957 7/85 28 Peacock Farm Road Contemporary (peacock Farm)Walter S.Pierce 1957 7/25 29 Peacock Farm Road Contemporary (Peacock Farm)Walter S.Pierce 1957 7/84 30 Peacock Farm Road Contemporary (peacock Farm)Walter S.Pierce 1957 7/26 31 Peacock Farm Road Contemporary (peacock Farm)Walter S.Pierce 1957 7/83 32 Peacock Farm Road Contemporary (peacock Farm)Walter S.Pierce 1957 7/27 33 Peacock Farm Road Contemporary (Peacock Farm)Walter S.Pierce 1957 7/82 34 Peacock Farm Road Contemporary (peacock Farm)Walter S.Pierce 1957 7/28 35 Peacock Farm Road Contemporary (Peacock Farm)Walter S.Pierce 1957 7/81A 37 Peacock Farm Road Contemporary (peacock Farm)Walter S.Pierce 1960 7/80B 38 Peacock Farm Road Contemporary (peacock Farm)Walter S.Pierce 1957 7/29 39 Peacock Farm Road Contemporary (peacock Farm)Walter S.Pierce 1957 7179 40 Peacock Farm Road Contemporary (Peacock Farm)Walter S.Pierce 1957 7/30 41 Peacock Farm Road Contemporary (peacock Farm)Walter S.Pierce 1957 7178 42 Peacock Farm Road Contemporary (peacock Farm)Walter S.Pierce 1957 7/31 43 Peacock Farm Road Contemporary (peacock Farm)Walter S.Pierce 1958 7176 45 Peacock Farm Road Contemporary (Peacock Farm)Walter S.Pierce 1958 7175 46 Peacock Farm Road Contemporary (peacock Farm)Walter S.Pierce 1958 7/37 47 Peacock Farm Road Contemporary (Peacock Farm)Walter S.Pierce 1958 7174 48 Peacock Farm Road Contemporary (peacock Farm)Walter S.Pierce 1960 7/38 49 Peacock Farm Road Contemporary (peacock Farm)Walter S.Pierce 1958 7173 50 Peacock Farm Road Contemporary (peacock Farm)Walter S.Pierce 1958 7/39 51 Peacock Farm Road Contemporary (peacock Farm)Walter S.Pierce 1958 7172 52 Peacock Farm Road Contemporary (Peacock Farm)Walter S.Pierce 1958 7/40 53 Peacock Farm Road Contemporary (peacock Farm)Walter S.Pierce 1958 7/71 4 Trotting Horse Drive Contemporary (peacock Farm)Walter S.Pierce 1957 7/11 6 Trotting Horse Drive Contemporary (Peacock Farm)Compton &Pierce 1955 7/12 7 Trotting Horse Drive Contemporary (peacock Farm)Walter S.Pierce 1958 7/21 8 Trotting Horse Drive Contemporary (peacock Farm)Compton &Pierce 1957 7/13 10 Trotting Horse Drive Contemporary (Techbuilt)1957 7114 11 Trotting Horse Drive Contemporary (peacock Farm)Compton &Pierce 1955 7/20 12 Trotting Horse Drive Contemporary (peacock Farm)Compton &Pierce 1957 7/15 )4 Trotting Horse Drive Contemporary (custom)Compton &Pierce 1956 7116 --------------- Address Style Architect Date Assessor MHC# Number 15 Trotting Horse Drive Contemporary (Peacock Farm)Compton &Pierce 1957 7119 16 Trotting Horse Drive Contemporary (custom)Compton &Pierce 1958 7/17 17 Trotting Horse Drive Contemporary (Peacock Farm)Compton &Pierce 1955 7/18 2 White Pine Lane Contemporary (Expanded Walter S.Pierce 1967 81157 Peacock Farm) 4 White Pine Lane Contemporary (Expanded Walter S.Pierce 1967 81158 Peacock Farm) 6 White Pine Lane Contemporary (Expanded Walter S.Pierce 1968 81159 Peacock Farm) Updated by Bruce Clouette,May 2011