Friday, February 08, 2013 at 11:33 PM

 

Inventory No: HRV.92   

Historic Name: Hildreth, Edwin Alonzo House

Common Name:

Address: 27 Ayer Rd

City/Town: Harvard

Village/Neighborhood: Harvard Center

Local No: 17A-1

Year Constructed: C 1881

Architect(s):

Architectural Style(s): Colonial Revival

Use(s): Secondary Dwelling House; Single Family Dwelling House

Significance: Architecture; Industry; Recreation

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

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

 

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FORM B - BUILDING A s s e s s o r s # 17a- l

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

/ 4- ft 4 USGS quad Ayer

area Common a d d i t i o n

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

O rganization: Harvard H i s t o r i c a l ^ commission RECEIVED

Date: March 1994 ^ ( g ^

form # 092

Town Harvard

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

Address

027 Ayer Road

H i s t o r i c Name

H i l d r e t h House

Use: Present r e s i d e n c e O r i g i n a l r e s i d e n c e

Date of c o n s t r u c t i o n c. 1881

Source Nourse

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

Form e l l house

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 a s p h a l t W a l l / t r i m clapboard Foundation g r a n i t e

Outbuildings shop 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 1.84 a c r e s

S e t t i n g r u r a l 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

MASS. HIST. COMM.

rVlV.12

BUILDING FORM 27 Ayer Road, O u t l y i n g

ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION x s e e c o n t i n u a t i o n s h e e t

O v e r l o o k i n g Ayer Road a t one of the road's h i g h e s t e l e v a t i o n p o i n t s , j u s t n o r t h of the Harvard Common, the H i l d r e t h House commands an expansive view of t h e h i l l s and v a l l e y s of e a s t e r n Harvard and Boxborough. T h i s C o l o n i a l R e v i v a l house i s "L"-shaped i n form, c o n s i s t i n g of a two-and-a-half-s t o r y gable b l o c k , w i t h a r e a r gabled e l l of s i m i l a r h e i g h t along the l e f t l a t e r a l w a l l . The clapboard-sheathed gable block measures t h r e e wide bays i n width and a s i n g l e p i l e i n depth. Secondary masses i n c l u d e : the s i n g l e -s t o r y , wrap-around f r o n t porch; the wide p r o j e c t i n g polygonal bay l o c a t e d i n the m i d - s e c t i o n of the l e f t l a t e r a l w a l l ; and the s h a l l o w polygonal bays which mark the f i r s t p i l e of both l a t e r a l w a l l s . I n a d d i t i o n t o the windows c e n t e r e d i n e i t h e r gabled end, the a t t i c l e v e l i s l i t by two gabled dormers along the f r o n t s l o p e and one along the r e a r s l o p e . The c e n t e r - e n t r y facade i s s y m m e t r i c a l l y f e n e s t r a t e d . Window treatment c o n s i s t s of 2/2 s a s h windows throughout the s t r u c t u r e . R e s t i n g on g r a n i t e p i e r supports, the f r o n t porch has a low b a l u s t r a d e r a i l and p a i r e d columns ( t r i p l e d a t t h e c o r n e r s ) which support t h e ornamental c o r n i c e and fretwork balcony above. T h i s fretwork a l s o appears i n t h e r o o f - l i n e b a l u s t r a d e . A s i n g l e - s t o r y porch w i t h ornate V i c t o r i a n p o s t - s u p p o r t s f r o n t s the r e a r e l l ' s l e f t l a t e r a l w a l l . The e l l has a two e n t r i e s , one on each of i t s l a t e r a l w a l l s . A s i n g l e - s t o r y , shed-roofed l e a n - t o abuts the e l l ' s r e a r w a l l . T h i s s t r u c t u r e i s r i c h l y ornamented w i t h the f o l l o w i n g : p i l a s t e r corner boards, l i n t e l s , wide f a s c i a boards, moulded c o r n i c e and c o r n i c e r e t u r n s , and pedimented dormers. The p r o j e c t i n g c e n t r a l e n t r y bay i s accented w i t h a leaded transom and s i d e - l i g h t s .

HISTORICAL NARRATIVE x_ s e e c o n t i n u a t i o n s h e e t

T h i s p r o m i n e n t l y - s i t e d e s t a t e was c o n s t r u c t e d i n 1881 by Edwin Alonzo H i l d r e t h . Edwin, an 1864 graduate of Harvard C o l l e g e , was born i n Cambridge and r a i s e d i n Groton. Throughout the l a t e - 1 8 7 0 s , Edwin and h i s b r o t h e r S t a n l e y H i l d r e t h were engaged i n b u s i n e s s w i t h Deacon George E . B u r t , under the name B u r t , H i l d r e t h & Co. T h i s f i r m , l o c a t e d along Bowers Brook i n the town's m i l l d i s t r i c t ( l e s s than a m i l e north of the town common), was noted f o r t h e f o l l o w i n g patented mechanical i n v e n t i o n s : horse power t r e a d s , hay t e d d e r s , and sawing machines. I n 1881, Edwin and S t a n l e y formed a s e p a r a t e p a r t n e r s h i p , known as H i l d r e t h B r o t h e r s . Edwin purchased l a n d from H o l l i s C a r r and Doctor Dow upon which he c o n s t r u c t e d h i s home and a new steam-powered machine shop ( t h e shop, l o c a t e d a t #33 Ayer Road, was l a t e r converted i n t o a s e p a r a t e r e s i d e n c e ) . H i l d r e t h B r o t h e r s produced a g r i c u l t u r a l machinery,

R E F E R E N C E S

Nourse, History of Harvard, 1894. Savage, Memoirs of Old Harvard Days, 1924. Holman, Map of Harvard, 1831. B e e r s , A t l a s of Worcester County, 1870. R i c h a r d s , Atlas.of Worcester County, 1898. W a l l i n g , Afap of Worcester County, 1857. ^

Recommended f o r l i s t i n g i n the N a t i o n a l R e g i s t e r of H i s t o r i c P l a c e s .

INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET

Massachusetts H i s t o r i c a l Commission 80 B o y l s t o n S t r e e t Boston, Massachusetts 02116

Community Harvard

P r o p e r t y Address 27 Ayer Road, O u t l y i n g

ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION ( c o n t i n u e d )

The H i l d r e t h House oc c u p i e s a 1.84 a c r e p a r c e l which r i s e s i n grade towards t h e r e a r boundary. A d r y - l a i d stone w a l l r e t a i n s the f r o n t lawn which i s graced by two mature deciduous t r e e s . The lawn t r a n s i t i o n s i n t o a wooded, rocky l a n d s c a p e towards the r e a r of the property. A s m a l l , s i n g l e - s t o r y o u t b u i l d i n g stands to the r e a r of the house. T h i s g a b l e - f r o n t e d s t r u c t u r e has a s i d e - p a s s a g e e n t r y , f r o n t e d by an arcaded porch, and a r i b b o n of 6/6 s a s h windows along i t s l e f t l a t e r a l w a l l . A s m a l l gable-roofed wing p r o j e c t s l a t e r a l l y from i t s r i g h t l a t e r a l w a l l . A g r a v e l d r i v e l o c a t e d t o the l e f t of the house l e a d s to t h i s r e a r s t r u c t u r e .

HISTORICAL NARRATIVE ( c o n t i n u e d )

s p e c i f i c a l l y saw t a b l e s and w o o d - s p l i t t e r s ; they exported equipment as f a r away as A u s t r a l i a and South A f r i c a . Edwin mar r i e d Mary Gray Hoyt, a Harvard s c h o o l t e a c h e r , and they had t h r e e c h i l d r e n , Horace, E l l e n , and Gladys. Mr. H i l d r e t h was a founding member of the Harvard H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y ; he a l s o h e l d the f o l l o w i n g o f f i c e s : J u s t i c e of the Peace (1891), s c h o o l committee member (1878-80), l i b r a r y t r u s t e e (1869 and 1883-91), and d i s t r i c t r e p r e s e n t a t i v e to the G e n e r a l Court ( 1 8 8 3 ) . F o l l o w i n g h i s r e l o c a t i o n to Cambridge i n the e a r l y -1900s, t h i s p r o p e r t y s e r v e d as a summer r e s i d e n c e u n t i l h i s death i n 1907. The H i l d r e t h f a m i l y continued to summer a t t h i s address through the 1920s.