p - Form No. 10-300 IRew- 10-74

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIORNATIONAL PARK SERVICE

NATIONAL REGISTER OFHISTORIC PLACESINENTORY -- NOMINATION FORM

ETN STRUCTION S IN HOW TO COMPLETE NATIONAL REGISTER FORMSTYPE ALL ENTRIES-- COMPLETE APPLICABLE SECTIONS

flNAME - - - - - - - - - - - -

HISTORIC - -- - --

- - -

AND/OR COMMON

-

Winsor Stephen House -

flLocATIoN - -

STREET&NUMBER 93 Austin Avenue -

FOR PUBLICATIONCITY TOWN CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

- - SmithfieldSTATE Rhode Island 02$23 CODE COUNTY P ide CODE 007

fiCLASSIFICATION - .

-

CATEGORY OWNERSHIP STATUS PRESENT USE- XOCCUPIED -MUSEUM

LBUILDINGS .XPRIVATE COMMERCIAL PARKSTRUCTURE BOTH IN PROGRESS ....EDUCATIONAL IPRIVATE RESIDENCESITE FtUSLIC ACQUISITION ACCESSIBLE - t._ENTERTAINMENT .RELIGIOUS

IN PROCESS YES RESTRICTED - .SCIENTIFICBEING CONSIDERED .JYES: UNRESTRICTED

.XNO - -OTHER:-

DOWNER OFPROPERTY -

NAME Milton J. Fera -

STREET& NUMBER -

- -- - -*- 93 Austin Avenue -

CITYTOWN Sithfild- VICINITYOF

STATERhode Island

flL0CATION OF LEGAL DESCRIPTIONCOURTHOUSE.

Smithfield Town ClerkSTREET& NUMBER --

- 64 Farnum Pike - - . -

CITY. TOWN - STATE- Smithfield - Rhode Island

fl REPRESENTATIONIN EXISTING SURVEYS -

TITLE Not so represented --

DATE

STATE IOCALDEPOSITORY FORSURVEY RECORDS - -

CITY. TOWN - . STATE

flDESCRIPTION

CONDITION CHECK ONE CHECK ONE

_EXCELLENT ._DETERIORATED .AUNALTERED AORIGINAL SITE

IG000 _RUINS ._LALTERED ._.MOVED DATE________

_FAIR _UNEXPOSED -

DESCRIBE THE PRESENT AND ORIGINAL IF KNOWNPHYSICAL APPEARANCE

The Stephen Winsor house, a commodious and "stylish" farm residence of the 1850’s,is located on a site of 10.9 acres far out on a winding road hichruns out from thecentre of Greenville in Smithfield, about ten miles west of Providence. Its exteriordesign can be described as a simple but- imaginative use of the Italian Villa sanstower and "bracketed’1 styles. Set upon a fine, solid fieldstone foundation, thistimber-framed and clapboarded dwelling of two-and-one-half stories is basically agabled rectangle with its long entrance elevation facing south; however,, there arecross-gabled projections from this basic mass the south-east and north-west portionsof the house, giving it the visual asymmetry popular in its era. The house is far backfrom Austin Avenue on a property-surrounded by dry-laid stone walls at front and sides,and it is’ reached by a long gravel driveway which makes a circle near the rear entranceand which undoubtedly had a turn-off which the piesent owners intend to re-createacross the front entrance. There is much old and carefully-planned planting on theproperty, screening the dwelling from Austin. Avenue; there is.a Winsor family burying-ground Smithfield Historic Cemetery No; 31 within the stone wall; and behind thehouse a fine complex of outbuildings -- now needing restorationbut promised it --

survives. - . ‘

- Externally the house presents on its main south front a wide and, high appearance.Clapboarded as mentioned, it has corner pilasters with panels rounded at top and bottom;these pilasters support a deep entablature continued all around-the house which haspaired, carved brackets placed along it to uphold an overhanging eaves-cornice. At theright south-east end of the house is a gabled projection, and here the eaves-cornicemakes slight returns on paired brackets. The projection-features nearly-floor-lengthtripartite window openings -on first and second floors, with a smaller tripartite,angularly-pointed-top "Pal ladian" window in the gable of the garret; such smaller window-grOupings also appear.in the other garretgables... In.theanglesformed bythis. southeastern projection is- the main entrance, protected by a flat hood supported by pairedbrackets; the wide doorway has sidelights and a six-pane transom. Around the house,all -window openings have heavy, eared drip-mould cappings. Windows have 2-over-2,4-over-k or, more usually, 6-over-6 paned sash according to their size. The houseapparently never had any exterior sitting porches or uncovered verandahs which would,in fact,have obscured or cluttered its handsome, simple and dignified massing. Twobrick interior chimneys pierce the roof and serve six fireplaces mainly for stoves,of which there are four on the first floor, one in the basement and one on the secondfloor.

Inside the front door is a shllow entry hall, oblong in shape, from which astaircase curves upward -- one wall conforming to the curve. The stair has a railwith turned balusters ofdark wood, a moulded cherry hand rail1 and’a heavy vasiformnewel. The open string has sawn, thin appliques at the end of each step. A doorat the right of this hall leads into the "library,’ a long room because of thementioned forward projection of the house at this corner. A door at the left leadsinto the nearly-square parlour, behind which is the dining-room, also nearly square.A room at- the reir centre of the house alid behind the stairs is the present kitchen;and behind the library, is a first-floor bed-chamber of moderate size, customary atthe time this house was built. Three doors are placed aross the rear of the dining-room:

See Continuation Sheet 1

IFgrm o. 1O-300a -

Rev. 10-741

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF TI-IL INTERIOR FOR NPS USE-ONLYNATIONAL PARK SERVICE -.

- - RECEIVED

NATIONAL REGISTEROF HISTORIC PLACES - -

- INVENTORY-- NOMINATION FORM DATE ENTERED

CONTINUATION SHEET 1- ITEM NUMBER 7 PAGE 2

one opens to a china- or serving-pantry now converted to a bathrOom; a second openson stairs to the basement; the third opens to a rear entry-cum-back-stair-hall.Window and door trim on this floor and that above is of wide bands of gently convexmouldings and is all original, as are the six-panel doors, their hardware, and thefloors. Wooden mantels are simple and almost of Greek Revival type with shortpilasters carrying simple shelves, except that several have -- instead of plainentablatures ---wooden aprons across the upper hearth-surround which are sawnin pendant Gothic forms. There are baseboards throughout the house, but notchair-rails or ceiling mouldings. The plan on the second floor is similar tothat of the first, and .the garret is one large unplastered storage space. One isinclined to believe that the Original kitchen was in the basement, due to thecommodious stairs leading down to it from the dining-room and the presence in thebasement of a large chimney-base which could serve a coal or wood range and whichhas at one side two ovens and on the other a large circular rendering or soap-makingcauldron. Other kitchen appurtenances,or partitioning of this area, are notpresent now, as the basement has been made one large open area with a modern concretefloor. - - . - -

With this last-mentioned exception, the Winsor house exists inside and outin an intact state and, after a short period of neglect and minor vandalism, hasbeen internally restored with great care and little change other than bathroom andkitchen provisions.

In addition to the main house there are behind it three wooden out-buildingson stone foundations, of which the largest is a four-level barn whose levels arepartly determined by a northern declivity in its corner of the land, and whichhas an easterly extension. The present owner states that a Winsor descendantinformed him that two levels were for hOrses and cows, a third for smaller animalsprobably pigs and hens and that the lowest contained additional stalls --

probably for work-horses. To the east of this barn and of the house is a one-story gabled carriage- and wagon-shed; between this latter and the house standsa three-seater privy.

Not least among features of the Wi-nsor property is its planned planting oftrees. Just within-the stone wall separating it from Austin Avenue is an oblongorchard of apple trees; north of this and close to the front of the house, shieldingit from general view, are two parallel rows-of now-very-tall and well-shapedconifers; some d-istance behind the heuse, and seen between barn and carriage shed,is another rectangular orchard, to the north of which stretches acreage now probablyless than originally formerly used to grow vegetables, very likely more apple trees,and for pasturagé. ‘ I .‘ .

/ Form No. 1O-300a - - -

tRay. 1O.74J - -

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR- NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACESINVENTORY-- NOMINATION FORM I’;

‘7.

FpR NPS USE ONLY. . -

-RECEIVED

DATE ENTERED ‘

ITEM NUMBER 7 PAGE

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CONTINUATION SHEET -‘- 2

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Sketch-plans of site and firstfloor of house àot to scale.

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fi SIGNIFICANCE

PERIOD_PREHISTORIC

_1400. 1499

1500-1599

_1 600-1699

1700.1799

1 800-1899

_1 900.

.....ARCH EOLUC3Y.PR EHISTORIC

....ARCHE0L0GY-HI 5TORIC

..AGRIcuLTuRE

.XA A C H ITECTIJ R E

...A RT

_COMM ER CE

_c0MMUNICATIONS

AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE_COMMUNITY PLANNING

_CONSEAVATION

_EcONOMIC5

_EDuCATION

_ENGINEERING

_EXPLORATION/SETTLEMENT

...JNDUSTRY

_JNVENTION

CHECK AND JUSTIFY BELOW* _LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

_LAW -

.LITERATURE

...MILITARY

.Muslc

....PHILOSOPHY

_P0UTICS/GOVERNM ENT

.....RELIGION

SCIENCE

SCULPTURE

.....SOCIAL/HUMANITARJA N

THEATER

_TRANSPORTATION

L.OTHER SPECIFY -

Complete XIX-Centuryfarm complex

The Winsor property has fortunately retained not only space and seclusion but alsoits excellent Italianate main house in an unaltered condition, as well as the groupingof subsidiary buildings behind the-residence. Its present owner, Mr. Fera, whoacquired this property in August, 1-973, is currently if slowly undertaking suchlittle exterior restoration of the house as is needed and plans to rehabilitate theout-buildings. Until about -five years ago the place was still in the hands of Winsorheirs, and there was only one other owner between them and the present one. Thearchitecture of the house is of value and interest, and this in combination --

especially -- with the outbuildings, the old family cemetery and the landscape planand plantings makes the whole eminently worthy of a place on the National Register.

SPECIFICDATES c. 1850-1855 - BUILDER/ARCHITECT - -

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE -

The Winsor family is one of long standing and numerous members in the Greenville-Smithfield area, and Stephen-Winsor, who had the large farm property on Austin Avenuein Greenville and built his sizeable residence there in the middle of the XIX Century,

was a prosperous and locally prominent-man. He was a gentleman-farmer whoseflourishing orchards were widely known and no doubt also profitable, and he was oneof Rhode Island’s early bankers -- quite likely tying in with nearby textile andmanufacturing industries as well. -For his home he developed a carefully-planned,well-run, medium-sized modern country ‘estate." Now reduced to only about elevenacres, it still gives that impression, with its surrounding wall, long drive andorderly plantings. -

-- . . flMAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES

CGEOGRAPHI CAL DATA - - -

ACREAGE OF NOMINATED PROPERTY 10.9 .* -

-UTM REFERENCES - . * .. -* -

- 1i.O 4tooJo -*

A 11,91 WVStcé*S$!l W26t4*9øt B I X91 I Mt’iZONE EASTING NORTHING ZONE EASTING - -NORTHING - -

c kl 124 $pi--l I D Yal I *ai*wI- a%2-i-VERBAL BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION -- --

LIST ALL STATES AND COUNTIES FOR PROPERTIES OVERLAPPING STATE OR COUNTY BOUNDARIES

STATE - CODE COUNTY CODE

STATE CODE COUNTY 9ODE

WFORM PREPARED BY -

NAME/TITLE- Richard B. Harrington, Consultant -

ORGANIZATION DATERhode Island Historical Preservation Commission October 19, 19Th

STREET& NUMBER TELEPHONE -

- .* . -- .150 Benefi*t.Street - * .277-2678 -

CITY OR TOWN - - STATEProvidence Rhode Island-

ESTATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER CERTIFICATION -

THE EVALUATED SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS PROPERTY WITHIN THE STATE IS:

NATIONAL_ STATE_ LOCAL..._

As the designated State Historic Preservation Officer for the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 Public Law 89-665. Ihereby nominate this property for inclusion in the National Register and certify that it has been evaluated according to thecriteria and procedures set forth by the National Park Service.

FEDERAL REPRESENTATIVE SIGNATURE

TITLE * - DATE

bRNPSUSEONLYI HEREBY CERTIFY THATTHIS PROPERTY IS INCLUDED IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER

- DATEDIRECTOR. OFFICE OF ARCHEOLOGY

ATTEST: - -

- KEEPER OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER

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- UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIORNATIONAL PARK SERVICE

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HiSTORIC PLACESPROPERTYPHOTOGRAPHFORM

NAME

SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN HOW TO COMPLETE NATIONAL REGISTER FORMSTYPE ALL ENTRIES --IENCLOSE WITH PHOTOGRAPH

____

HISTORIC Stephen Winsor House

AND/OR COMMON

[] LOCATIONCITY. TOWN Smithfield OF COUNTY Providence STATE Rhode

Island

PHOTOREFERENCEPHOTO CREDIT

Walter NebjkerDATE OF PHOTO

October, 1974

NEGATIVE FILED AT Rhode Island Historical Preservation Commission

IDENTIFICATIONDESCRIBE VIEW. DIRECTION. ETC. IF DISTRICT. GIVE BUILDING NAME & STREET PHOTO NO

FOR NPS USE ONLY

REcEIVED

ATE ENTERED

Stephen Winsor House, viewed from the south-west, at 93 Austin Avenue

Rev 10-74

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIORNATIONAL PARK SERVICE

NATIONAL REGISTEROF_HISTORICPLACESPROPERTYPHOTOGRAPHFORM

FOR NPS USE ONLY

REcEIVED

ATEENTERED

Eu NAME

SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN HOW TO COMPLETE NA TIONAL REGISTER FORMSTYPE ALL ENTRIES --ENCLOSE WITH PHOTOGRAPH

_____

HISTORIC Stephen Wjnsor House

AND/OR COMMON

] LOCATIONCITY. TOWN Smithfield OF COUNTY Providence STATE Rhode

, Island

] PHOTOREFERENCEPHOTO CREDIT Keith N. Morgan DATE OF PHOTO December, 1.974

NEGATIVE FILED AT Rhode Island Historical Preservation Commission

j IDENTIFICATIONDESCRIBE VIEW. DIRECTION. ETC. IF DISTRICT. GIVE BUILDING NAME & STREET PHOTO NO 2

Full View of Stephen Winsor House and plantings, 93 Austin Avenue, from theri

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR FOR NPS USE ONLYNATIONAL PARK SERVICE

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES RECEIVED

PROPERTYPHOTOGRAPHFORMATE ENTERED

SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN HOWTO COMPLETE NA TIONAL REGISTER FORMSTYPE ALL ENTRIES --IENCLOSE WITH PHOTOGRAPH

NAMEHISTORIC Stephen Winsor House

AND/OR COMMON

[J LOCATIONCITY. TOWN Smithfield _VICINITY OF COUNTY Providence STATE Rhode

Island

PHOTOREFERENCEPHOTOCREDIT Keith N. Morgan DATEOFPHOTO December, 1974

NEGATIVE FILED AT Rhode Island Historical Preservation Commission

[J IDENTIFICATIONÔESCRIBE VIEW. DIRECTION. ETC. IF DISTRICT. GIVE BUILDING NAME & STREET PHOTO NO

I.lantel in library

INT: 2983-75

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR FOR NPS USE ONLYNATIONAL PARK SERVICE

NATIONAL REGISTER OFHISTORIC PLACES RECEIVED

PROPERTYPHOTOGRAPHFORMDATE ENTERED

SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN HOW TO COMPLETE NATIONAL REGISTER FORMSTYPE ALL ENTRIES --IENCLOSE WITH PHOTOGRAPH

NAMEHISTORIC Stephen Winsor House

AND/OR COMMON

LOCATIONCITY. TOWN Smithfield OF coUNfl’ Providence sTATERhode Islar

PHOTOREFERENCEPHOTO CREDIT

Walter NebikerDATE OF PHOTO October, 1.974

NEGATIVE FILEDA Rhode Island Historical Preservation Commission

IDENTIFICATIONDESCRIBE VIEW. DIRECTION. ETC IF DISTRICT. GIVE BUILDING NAME & STREET PHOTO NO 4

Exterior view of four-level barn

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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR FOR NPS USE ONLYNATIONAL PARK SERVICE

RECEIVEDNATIONAL REGISTEROF HISTORIC PLACES

PROPERTYMAP FORMDATE ENTERED

SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN HOWTO COMPLETE NA TIONAL REGISTER FORMSTYPE ALL ENTRIES --I ENCLOSE WITH MAP

IJ NAMEHISTORIC Stephen Winsor House

AND/OR COMMON

LOCATIONCITY. TOWN Smithfield VICINITY OF COUNTYProvidence STATE Rhode

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] MAP REFERENCESOURCE u* S. Geological Survey

SCALE 1: 24000 DATE 1954

REQUIREMENTSTO BE INCLUDED ON ALL MAPS

1. PROPERTY BOUNDARIES2. NORTH ARROW3. UTM REFERENCES

INT ;2427- 74