Friday, February 08, 2013 at 11:56 PM

 

Inventory No: HRV.88   

Historic Name: Bromfield School Principal's House

Common Name: Bromfield Public Schools Superintendent's Office

Address: 39 Massachusetts Ave

City/Town: Harvard

Village/Neighborhood: Harvard Center

Local No: 22B-31

Year Constructed: C 1914

Architect(s):

Architectural Style(s): Colonial Revival

Use(s): Administration Office; Single Family Dwelling House

Significance: Architecture; Education

Area(s): HRV.O: Harvard Center Historic District

Designation(s): Nat'l Register District (9/22/1997)

 

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Commonwealth of MassachusettsMassachusetts Historical Commission

220 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, Massachusetts 02125www.sec.state.ma.us/mhc

This file was accessed on:

FORM B - BUILDING A s s e s s o r s # 22b-31

Massachusetts H i s t o r i c a l Commission 80 Boylston S t r e e t Boston MA 02116

Recorded by: Dempsey & F i t z P a t r i c k

Organization: Harvard H i s t o r i c a l ) p i Commission

USGS quad Hudson /cj a r e a

Common a d d i t i o n form # 088

Town Harvard

P l a c e Common a d d i t i o n

Address

39 Massachusetts Avenue

H i s t o r i c Name

Bromfield House

Use: P r e s e n t O r i g i n a l

o f f i c e s r e s i d e n c e

Date: March 1994 jUN 1 5 1994

MASS. HIST. COMM.

Date of c o n s t r u c t i o n ca. 190

Source appearance

S t y l e C o l o n i a l R e v i v a l

Form h i p block

A r c h i t e c t N/A

E x t e r i o r M a t e r i a l :

Roof s l a t e W a l l / t r i m clapboard Foundation f i e l d s t o n e

Outbuildings none See r e a r of form f o r

d e t a i l e d d e s c r i p t i o n

A l t e r a t i o n s none See r e a r of form f o r

d e t a i l e d d e s c r i p t i o n

Condition good

Moved no

Acreage 1.9 a c r e s

S e t t i n g v i l l a g e See r e a r of form f o r

d e t a i l e d d e s c r i p t i o n

f H

BUILDING FORM 3 9 Massachusetts Avenue

ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION

The B r o m f i e l d House i s a la r g e and w e l l - d e t a i l e d example of a C o l o n i a l Revival h i p - r o o f e d double house. I t has a f a m i l i a r f i v e - b a y facade, w i t h symmetrical four-bay side e l e v a t i o n s t h a t r e f l e c t i t s d o u b l e - p i l e p l a n . The center e n t r y i s fl a n k e d by t h r e e - q u a r t e r s i d e l i g h t s and topped by a molded l i n t e l ; the windows are 6/1 double-hung sash w i t h a f r i e z e and molded cap. I t s primary ornament de r i v e s from the deep bracketed cornices of the main b u i l d i n g and i t s f r o n t porch, and from the paneled p i l a s t e r s at the b u i l d i n g ' s corners. The broad porch i s supported by t h i c k Tuscan columns and runs across the facade and wrapping around i t s n o r t h l a t e r a l w a l l ; i t i s reached by steps i n the center f r o n t and n o r t h s i d e . Three dormers add space t o the a t t i c s t o r y and a small s i n g l e - s t o r y e l l and Tuscan porch s h e l t e r the rear e n t r y . The c e n t r a l h a l l p l a n f o l l o w s a f a i r l y standard form: the s t a i r h a l l reaches about three q u a r t e r s through the b u i l d i n g , w i t h a small bath and rear e n t r y f i l l i n g the remaining space; the h a l l i s fl a n k e d on the l e f t by a f r o n t room and re a r k i t c h e n , on the r i g h t by p a i r e d p a r l o r s separated by pocket doors. The house i s s i t e d on a r i s e w i t h i n an ample l o t , opposite the B r o m f i e l d School and next t o the Harvard Elementary School. The house i s surrounded w i t h mature foundation p l a n t i n g s w i t h i n a l a r g e lawn p l a n t e d w i t h a prominent shade t r e e i n the f r o n t and rows of tre e s along the l o t l i n e s .

HISTORICAL NARRATIVE

This house i s l o c a t e d at the southern edge of the center v i l l a g e of Harvard, below the Brom f i e l d School near a c l u s t e r of e a r l y 2 0th century houses w i t h Massachusetts Avenue (see 32 and 36), and Bolt o n Road (see 4, 10, and 13) addresses. The house was b u i l t i n about 1914 t o serve as a residence f o r the p r i n c i p a l of the B r o m f i e l d School. This secondary School was formed w i t h a bequest from. Mrs. M.B. Blanchard i n 1878 (see form # 11). I n 1982 the house was purchased from the Br o m f i e l d Trustees by the town. I t now serves as the o f f i c e s f o r the school superintendent.

REFERENCES

Anderson, Directions of a Town, 1976. Nourse, History of Harvard, 1894. Savage, Memoirs of Old Harvard Days..., 1924. Notes of S c o r g i e , HHS. Harvard D i r e c t o r i e s , 1907, 1916, and 1925. Holman Map 1831, Beers A t l a s 1870, Richacdson, A t l a s 1898. Warren and Tahanto Maps, 1916, 1927, 1931.

_x_ Recommended f o r l i s t i n g i n the National R e g i s t e r of H i s t o r i c P l a c e s . See NR C r i t e r i a Statement form f o r the Common area.

MHC INVENTORY F O R M CONTINUATION S H E E T MHC Inventory scanning project, 2008-2012

MACRIS No.