Harvard Hill LHD combined documents — File 202756

Harvard Hill LHD - Final Study Report Somerville, MA, January 2017 Final Study Report for the proposed Harvard Hill Local Historic District at Smith Avenue & Beacon Street, Somerville, MA

Harvard Hill LHD - Final Study Report Somerville, MA, January 2017 Table of Contents Summary Sheet 3 Contact Information Somerville Historic Preservation Commission Conclusion Introduction 4 Methodology 5 Significance 6 History Architectural Descriptions Justification of Boundaries 9 Map Property Index 11 Appendices 12 A: Census data spreadsheets B: Inventory Forms C: Historic Maps & Atlases D: Somerville Historic District Ordinance E: Composition of the Somerville Historic Preservation Commission

Harvard Hill LHD - Final Study Report Somerville, MA, January 2017 Summary Sheet Contact Information: George Proakis Director of Planning Mayor’s Office of Strategic Planning & Community Development 93 Highland Avenue Somerville, MA 02143 [phone removed] Somerville Historic Preservation Commission: Dick Bauer, Chair Abby Freedman, immediate past Vice Chair Alan Bingham, Vice-Chair Heather Davies, Secretary George Born Mark Sternman Denis J. Chagnon Ryan Falvey Eric Parkes Public Hearing: December 20, 2016 Board of Aldermen Vote: January 26, 2016 Total Properties: 8 Conclusion: Among all of the municipalities in the Commonwealth that have adopted Chapter 40C, the City of Somerville has the largest concentration of single-building Local Historic Districts (LHDs). The most recent of these, the Somerville Main Post Office in Union Square, was designated in late 2014. It has been some years since the City has formally studied and recommended the establishment of a multi-structure LHD. As redevelopment pressures across the City have mounted, some intact, historic streetscapes are at risk of being lost without the protection that only local historic district can bring. The small, intact area of Smith Avenue (flanked by Beacon Street and Line Street) is the most recent area whose historic houses and equally historic neighborhood character are threatened by demolition and redevelopment. This neighborhood, in an area of Somerville historically known as “Harvard Hill,” has changed little since it was first laid out by Steven Smith c.1869-1874. In fact, the boundaries of this district are inclusive of all but two of Steven Smith’s original holdings in this area. One of the houses on this street, 9 Smith Avenue, is already a single

Harvard Hill LHD - Final Study Report Somerville, MA, January 2017 building LHD. Somerville proposes extending this single building LHD to encompass seven other buildings, all of which are original to this area when it was platted out over 145 years ago. Introduction In the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, a Local Historic District (LHD)1 is an area officially designated by a municipality under the auspices of the state enabling statute, Massachusetts General Laws (M.G.L.) Chapter 40C, a portion of which states that “…the buildings, structures or sites to be included in the proposed historic district may consist of one or more parcels or lots of land, or one or more buildings or structures on one or more parcels or lots of land.”2 While the first local historic districts in the United States were formed in the 1930s, LHDs were first established in Massachusetts in 19553. Since this time more than 240 LHDs have been created in municipalities throughout the Commonwealth, with more of varying sizes coming into existence each year. Since establishing its first local historic districts in 1985, Somerville has been at the forefront of creating single-structure LHDs and has the largest number thereof in the state. This is due to previous surveying efforts on the part of the City which found that some of Somerville’s more architecturally and historically-significant structures and sites are scattered throughout the community rather than clustered in a few discrete areas. The past decade-and-a- half has seen a renewed effort on the part of the City to survey additional properties and merge them with existing single-building districts. While the single-structure method has been, to date, an excellent tool for protecting the architectural integrity of numerous Somerville buildings and the local history that each communicates, this one-off approach has prevented the City from protecting historic streetscapes and the larger swaths of historic architecture and city history that they present. The proposed district discussed in this report will help protect an historic streetscape within the City for the first time in several years. The benefits of Local Historic Districts are many and have been studied extensively both within Massachusetts and around the country.4 Repeatedly, such studies show that historic district 1 A Local Historic District (LHD) differs from a National Register District (NRD) in that an LHD protects the exterior of a structure within the district from incongruous exterior changes as well as demolition. National Register designation is an honorary designation and does not provide any such protections unless there is federal funding, licensing, or permitting involved in a project being undertaken near National Register-designated resources. In such cases, a Section 106 (Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966 as amended)review is triggered at the request of the permitting, funding, or licensing agency. National Register designation also triggers similar review procedures under MA state law when state licensing, funding, or permitting agencies are involved in a project that involve National Register properties. National Register designation does not protect a property from demolition or from unsympathetic changes undertaken by a property owner not using public funds. 2 See Massachusetts General Law (M.G.L.) Chapter 40C Section 3. 3 These first LHDs were established through Special Acts of the state Legislature. M.G.L. Chapter 40C did not come into effect until August, 1960. 4 See, among others: - New York City Independent Budget Office. “The Impact of Historic Districts on Residential Property Values.” New York, NY, September, 2004. - Mabry, Jonathan, PhD, Historic Preservation Officer. “Benefits of Residential Historic District Designation for Property Owners.” Department of Urban Planning and Design, Tuscon, AZ, June, 2007. - PlaceEconomics (for New York Landmarks Conservancy). “Historic Preservation: At the Core of a Dynamic New York City.” April, 2016.

Harvard Hill LHD - Final Study Report Somerville, MA, January 2017 designation often can improve property values overall and helps protect districted properties from the sometimes wild fluctuations in the property marketplace. Local Historic Districts and the guidelines under which they operate can provide stability to neighborhoods and instill confidence in property owners that their investment and neighborhood character will not be undermined by inappropriate alterations over time either to their own building or to those of their neighbors’. Designating properties along a contiguous streetscape can help preserve the character of its architecture and the quality of life that residents appreciate. The presence of designated LHDs also can appeal to potential buyers as it assures that the attractive qualities of a neighborhood will be protected over the longer term. Historic districts create and preserve a sense of place and reinforce neighborhood pride. Designated historic areas encourage public and private investment, and reinforce citizens’ perception that they live in a city that cares about itself and its residents, and create a sense of a “neighborhoods within neighborhoods;” a sense of place within the larger community context. Historic designation encourages thoughtful, well-planned building design and site development. The inventory form that underlies the creation of historic districts provides invaluable information about the significant role that Somerville played in the development and growth of the region, as well as the founding of our nation. This research helps schools, libraries, and other resource centers to develop educational material that promote local pride and participation. Numerous municipalities surrounding Somerville contain LHDs including, but not limited to, Brookline, Medford, Arlington, Boston, Newton, and Belmont. Two key factors served as the impetus for creating this district: the request to demolish two Italianate buildings original to the streetscape, and a city-wide zoning overhaul pending in 2017 that will up-zone this area into a multi-story, mixed-use development area, potentially putting historic neighborhoods such as this one at risk of loss through extensive redevelopment. This Final Study Report proposes to extend the existing single-structure LHD at 9 Smith Avenue to encompass all other structures on Smith Avenue, three on Beacon Street and two on Line Street, to be called the Harvard Hill Local Historic District. This expansion will, for the first time in several years, provide the City the opportunity to protect an entire streetscape that is nearly as intact today as when it was first laid out over 145 years ago. Methodology In early 2016, the Somerville Historic Preservation Commission (HPC), the review and permitting authority for the City’s existing LHDs, determined that a local historic district should be pursued along Smith Avenue and Beacon Streets after being presented with a demolition request for two Italianate structures (5 Smith Avenue and 102 Beacon Street) at the juncture of these two public ways. The City of Somerville’s Historic Preservation Planners in the Mayor’s - National Trust for Historic Preservation. “10 Benefits of Establishing a Local Historic District.” https://savingplaces.org/stories/10-on-tuesday-10-benefits-of-establishing-a-local-historic-district#.V_QmfPkrLRY - “Economic Impact of Historic Preservation in Texas.” see Chapter 9: Property Value. University of Texas-Austin Center for Sustainable Development and Rutgers University Center for Urban Policy Research. 2015. - Cheong, Caroline; Mason, Randall, PhD; Rypkema, Donovan. “Measuring Economic Impacts of Historic Preservation: A Report to the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.” November, 2011.

Harvard Hill LHD - Final Study Report Somerville, MA, January 2017 Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development (OSPCD) served as the “study committee” for this LHD effort under the supervision of the Planning Director. Residents and property owners in this neighborhood were also galvanized by the possible loss of these two structures. Several residents have lived in this neighborhood all of their lives – some nearly 100 years - and can also point to numerous generations of family who preceded them in this small, urban enclave. On the advice of Preservation Staff, these residents reached out to other neighborhood property owners to garner their support for the creation of an LHD. This group of supporters also met with city Aldermen to lobby for their supporting vote to create this district. From a research perspective, Preservation Staff, with some limited, part-time assistance of a post-graduate intern, studied census data, property deeds, industrialization patterns, historic maps, and city permitting records to piece together the history of this neighborhood. Interviews with long-time residents provided nuanced insight into daily life that helped to round out the 20th –century history of the neighborhood. On-the-whole, Somerville’s historic development patterns are well-documented both by city Preservation Staff and through publications such as Beyond the Neck: The Architecture and Development of Somerville, Massachusetts. Preservation Planners in the Mayor’s Office of Strategic Planning & Community Development (OSPCD) have spent the past several years researching districted properties as well as those which, unfortunately, are presented to the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) for demolition. The totality of this work has resulted in a deep understanding of Somerville’s history. The opportunity to research properties for inclusion in a Local Historic District results in an intimate understanding of the lives of both the permanent and transient residents of a particular neighborhood. While the definitive date of the public hearing has not been determined pending notification from the Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC) of the receipt date of the complete report, Preservation Staff anticipates an early December public hearing with submission to the Alderean immediately following. Should this proposed district be approved, the LHD property owners will become eligible to apply for small grants (up to $15,000.00) from Somerville’s Historic Homeowner Preservation Fund to assist with preservation-related, exterior projects that are visible from the public way. Significance History The corner of Beacon Street and Smith Avenue was first platted out by Stephen Smith between 1869 – 1874 and was one of the first residential neighborhoods constructed for the working and lower-middle-class in this area of the City. The need for such housing was prompted by the spread of industrialization in Somerville. While farming remained a dominant practice in Somerville through the first half of the nineteenth century, this area of what is now Ward Two was evolving into an important transportation and manufacturing center. The early activities of the Middlesex Dye and Bleachery Company (1801) and the American Tube Works (1852) began

Harvard Hill LHD - Final Study Report Somerville, MA, January 2017 the transformation of this area from brickyards and fields to concentrated industry which included metal fabrication, bleaching, dyeing, tanning, lumber processing, slaughtering, distilling, rope making. Accompanying this industrial growth was a large influx of workers, many of whom, as seen in the census records5, had emigrated from Europe or who were first- generation Americans. These new residents required housing, which led to the subsequent division of larger properties into smaller parcels upon which two- and multi-family houses were constructed. Most of the first homeowners and residents of this neighborhood were Irish immigrants and first generation Irish Americans, like house carpenter Patrick Leonard and laborer Hugh Smith who both lived at 9 Smith Avenue with their families in 1880. 48 Line Street was home for working class Irish families up through the 1940s, at one point providing a roof for twelve members of the McCarthy and Curtin families. Other early immigrants in the neighborhood arrived from England, Scotland, Germany, and Canada, but the demographic of renters along Smith Avenue and Beacon Street shifted in the first two decades of the twentieth century to include a large contingent of Italian families6. Probably the most prominent among them was the Tassinari family. Eventually buying Stephen Smith’s home at 94 Beacon Street, the Tassinaris were successful wine importers. Their business success allowed them to raze Stephen Smith’s home and construct a new three-story, three- family residential building in 1915 that long-time residents recollect as a beautiful part of the community. The later years of the twentieth century saw splendor of the Tassinari home replaced with the multi-story, multi-unit brick apartment building that resides at 94 Beacon Street today. The census data included at the end of this report reflects the multi-person households that resided in these residences throughout the last 150 years. As the census data shows, the occupations of the residents were predominantly working class in nature and ran the gamut from homemaker to laborer, to printer, to cabinetmaker. The parcels identified for inclusion in this proposed Local Historic District were built as and remained multi-unit, working-class housing well into the twentieth century7. The majority of the land parcels in the proposed district originated from land once owned and cultivated by local merchant, Stephen Smith, whose home was located at what is now 94 Beacon Street. Architectural significance The structures at 5 Smith Avenue, 9 Smith Avenue and 102 Beacon Street are nearly8 identical Italianate workers’ cottages. It cannot be underscored enough how rare it is to have such buildings built for the same purpose9, in the same location, by the same individual10, with the same level of higher exterior decoration than that normally found on workers’ residences, still extant in their original locations. This is particularly rare in Somerville given the transient nature 5 Census data for each of the parcels in the proposed district are located in the Appendix. 6 See census data spreadsheets in the Appendices. 7 See the historic maps in the Appendices. 8 “Nearly” is used here only because some minor, later additions to the rear of each of the houses have some variation in size and location. 9 Multi-family worker’s housing 10 Stephen Smith

Harvard Hill LHD - Final Study Report Somerville, MA, January 2017 of the properties’ occupants over the course of more than a century and given the numerous, and sometimes significant, economic fluctuations experienced by the City. With the exception of 94 Beacon Street, a non-contributing/intrusive structure in the proposed district and 101 Beacon which is of an earlier vintage than those on Smith Avenue, all of the buildings studied for inclusion in this expanded district are Italianate in nature, some with higher degrees of ornamentation and styling (5 Smith, 9 Smith, 102 Beacon, 10 Smith, 48 Line) and detail than others (13 Smith). New or updated survey forms have been written for this Final Study Report and can be found in the Appendices. Brief details of each of the structures proposed for the district, outlining their architectural significance follow: 5 Smith Avenue: The dwelling is a gable-ended Italianate home built c.1871on a brick foundation. The house is currently asbestos sided and retains its paired cornice brackets, a decorated door hood over the front entrance, and the one-story bay on the first floor front elevation. Also extant is the original placement of the windows, particularly on the front elevation. Of further note is the arch-toped window located under the front gable peak. A two- story ell on the left of the structure remains and mirrors the original ell of its neighbor, 9 Smith Avenue. The building is an excellent example of an Italianate workers’ cottage. 9 Smith Avenue: The dwelling is a gable-ended Italianate home built c.1871on a brick foundation. The house is currently asbestos sided and retains its paired cornice brackets, a decorated door hood over the front entrance, and the one-story bay on the first floor front elevation. Also extant is the original placement of the windows, particularly on the front elevation. Of further note is the arch-toped window located under the front gable peak. A two- story ell on the left of the structure remains and mirrors the original ell of its neighbor, 9 Smith Avenue. The building is an excellent example of an Italianate workers’ cottage. The original core of 9 Smith Avenue is the mirror image of 5 Smith Avenue. 102 Beacon Street: The dwelling is a gable-ended Italianate home built c1869-1874 on a brick foundation. The house is currently asbestos sided and retains its paired cornice brackets, a decorated door hood over the front entrance, and the one-story bay on the first floor front elevation. Also extant is the original placement of the windows, particularly on the front elevation. Of further note is the arch-topped window located under the front gable peak. A two- story, gable-ended ell is located on the left elevation of the structure. The building is an excellent example of an Italianate workers’ cottage. 101 Beacon Street: This 2 ½-story Victorian structure presents its gable end to Beacon Street. This front façade presents two bays on the first story, two on the second, and one under the gable on the ½ story. The first story also presents an open front porch significantly elevated off grade. The front façade presents “poor man’s” gable returns. A brick foundation runs the footprint of the original portion of the house and all chimney stacks have been removed. It is through deed research on this property that the name “Harvard Hill” was first discovered referring to this area of the City. Though the meaning of the name remains elusive, it remained in the local lexicon for nearly a century with local newspaper advertisements and the local Omnibus route referring to locations in Somerville’s “Harvard Hill”.

Harvard Hill LHD - Final Study Report Somerville, MA, January 2017 94 Beacon Street: This ~ 9-story residential building built in 1976 presents brick veneer façade to Beacon Street. Each story presents 6 windows, evenly articulated vertically and horizontally across the front façade. The ground level of this building presents a parking area divided into 10 uniform, concrete bays whose openings face Beacon Street. A concrete wall separates the parking bays and most of the ground floor from the city sidewalk. 10 Smith Avenue: This building is a 2 ½ - story Italianate structure presenting a brick foundation with brick arches over the basement windows and a brick first story. The second story and half story are currently asbestos/asphalt shingles. The front façade presents a split eave with windowed gable, a five bay second story and a 5 bay first story. Italianate brackets are present under the front eave gable and on the left and right side gables. The rear addition also presents a brick foundation and first story, and an asbestos/asphalt shingled second and half story which was likely originally clapboarded. It is unusual to see a brick first story topped with (an originally shingled) non-brick stories above. Such styling was more typical of areas abutting brickyards and is most frequently associated with brickworkers’ housing. While the specific construction date for this property remains elusive, it is believed, based on its styling, to have been built 1874 or after. 13 Smith Avenue: In its current state, this structure appears to be vernacular Italianate in nature. This building is a 2 ½-story residential structure located on the corner of Smith Avenue and Line Street on the Somerville/Cambridge border. This house is gable-ended to the street. The front façade presents three bays on the first story, two bays on the second (a third bay has been blocked) and one bay under the front gable. The foundation is brick. The gable lacks returns and is of a pitch more common of Italianate-style structures. The original entry has been converted from a single-door, hooded entry to a two-door entry with a newer, modern hood. The original footprint of the structure appears to remain intact. One chimney stack remains in place on the left side of the structure. Two, single dormers have been added, one to each of the right and left elevation. Small brackets flank the right and left ends of the front gable, but it is possible that they were added later to the house. 48 Line Street: This 2 ½-story Italianate structure presents its gable front façade to Line Street. A two-story bay is present on the left side of the front façade, growing up from the brick foundation and terminating at a decorated string course that separates the second story from the upper ½ story. An original window opening above the front door has been replaced with a casement window. The gable is steeply pitched and a chimney stack remains extant on the left side of the structure. A narrow, 2-story ell at the back of the right elevation terminates under the eave. A faux balcony rests above the front door hood. Justification of Boundaries With the exception of 101 Beacon Street which is an earlier structure than those on Smith Avenue, all other parcels of land selected as part of the proposed “Harvard Hill Local Historic District” were part of Stephen Smith’s original holdings between1869-1874. This area was specifically developed for workers’ housing to accommodate part of the labor force serving this newly-industrialized area. Studies of early maps and atlases show that only two parcels original to Smith’s holdings, both of which are on Line Street, remain outside of this proposed LHD. The boundary map appears below.

Harvard Hill LHD - Final Study Report Somerville, MA, January 2017

Harvard Hill LHD - Final Study Report Somerville, MA, January 2017 Property Index Street No. Street Const. Date Historic Name Inventory Form # Properties #Units MBL 5 Smith Avenue c.1869-1874 New, attached 1 2-family 66/E/9 9 Smith Avenue c.1869-1874 Patrick Leonard House Updated, attached 1 2-family 66/E/10 10 Smith Avenue c.1880-1895 Updated, attached 1 2-family 66/D/1 13 Smith Avenue c.1869-1880 New, attached 1 2-family 66/E/11 48 Line Street c.1869-1880 New, attached 1 2-family 66/D/26 101 Beacon Street C1840-1870 New, attached 1 Single family 66/A/14 102 Beacon Street c.1869-1874 New, attached 1 2-family 66/E/8 94 Beacon Street 1976 New, attached 1 multi 66/D/1/11 Recommendation The City of Somerville previously adopted an ordinance creating and protecting historic districts in the City of Somerville known as Ordinance No. 1985-2, the Somerville Historic District Ordinance. The intent of this ordinance is to govern all local historic districts in Somerville including the establishment of new districts and the enlargement or reduction of existing districts. Each district adopted as part of the Ordinance is also defined by a map. The Somerville Historic Preservation Commission proposes that the Board of Aldermen adopt a map amendment to create the Harvard Hill Local Historic District. There are no recommendations to change the existing ordinance that governs the establishment, enlargement or reduction of a district and district commission, the procedures for review of applications, the criteria for determinations, or the exclusions from review. The existing ordinance is included at the end of this report.

Follow Massachusetts Historical Commission Survey Manual instructions for completing this form. 12/12 FORM B  BUILDING MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION MASSACHUSETTS ARCHIVES BUILDING 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Photograph Locus Map On continuation sheet Assessor’s Number USGS Quad Area(s) Form Number Assessor’s Number USGS Quad Area(s) Form Number 66/D/1/A Town/City: Somerville Place: (neighborhood or village): Ward Two – Cobble HIll Address: 10 Smith Avenue Historic Name: -- Uses: Present: residential Original: residential Date of Construction: c.1880-1895 Source: census data, historic maps, deed research Style/Form: Italianate Architect/Builder: Stephen Smith Exterior Material: Foundation: Brick Wall/Trim: first story brick, second story asbestos shingles/asphalt shingles Roof: asphalt shingles Outbuildings/Secondary Structures: none Major Alterations (with dates): Dates are unknown but major alterations are: - Rear elevation addition Condition: good Moved: no X yes Date: Acreage: 3485 square feet Setting: urban; small residential street near Cambridge/Somerville line and major thoroughfare (Beacon Street) Recorded by: Sarah White, Preservation Planner, City of Somerville Organization: Office of Strategic Planning & Community Dev. Date (month / year): August, 2016

INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET TOWN ADDRESS MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Continuation sheet 1 Recommended for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. If checked, you must attach a completed National Register Criteria Statement form. Use as much space as necessary to complete the following entries, allowing text to flow onto additional continuation sheets. ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION: Describe architectural features. Evaluate the characteristics of this building in terms of other buildings within the community. This Form B is an update of the October, 1980 survey form on MACRIS. This building is a 2 ½ - story Italianate structure presenting a brick foundation with brick arches over the basement windows and a brick first story. The second story and half story are currently asbestos/asphalt shingles. The front façade presents a split eave with windowed gable, a five bay second story and a 5 bay first story. Italianate brackets are present under the front eave gable and on the left and right side gables. The rear addition also presents a brick foundation and first story, and an asbestos/asphalt shingled second and half story which was likely originally clapboarded. It is unusual to see a brick first story topped with (an originally shingled) non-brick stories above. Such styling was more typical of areas abutting brickyards and is most frequently associated with brickworkers’ housing. While the specific construction date for this property remains elusive, it is believed, based on its styling, to have been built 1874 or after. HISTORICAL NARRATIVE Discuss the history of the building. Explain its associations with local (or state) history. Include uses of the building, and the role(s) the owners/occupants played within the community. This ward was sparsely developed until the mid to late 1800s when it became an important transportation and manufacturing center. The early industries of the Middlesex Dye and Bleachery Company (1801) and the American Tube Works (1852) established the development cycle in the area. By the 1870s, all of the brick yards and farmland had been converted to manufacturing and food processing establishments. This uptick in industrialization and the nature of the industries established created significant health and pollution concerns in the surrounding area. Accompanying the industrial growth was the need for workers’ housing. Occupants of this and other properties were employed in these and other skilled and unskilled labor jobs when this area was first being industrialized. Smith Avenue, a short street near the Cambridge line, and running between Beacon and Line Streets, was laid out between 1869 and 1874. The surrounding land was owned and subsequently developed by Stephen Smith who, from the 1860s, lived on Beacon Street opposite Calvin Street. Probate records show that friends and relatives petitioned to have Smith declared insane in the years before his death in 1874. 5 Smith Avenue, along with 9 Smith and 102 Beacon (at the corner of Smith and Beacon), all reflect the popular Italianate style of dwelling popular during the last half of the 19th century. This building, along with the other wood structures in the proposed district, reflect the styles and designs of houses popular with working and middle-class homeowners. BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES (South) Middlesex County Registry of Deeds, Cambridge, MA Beyond the Neck: The Architecture and Development of Somerville, Massachusetts Map of Somerville, 1883 City of Somerville Tax Records Somerville City Directories (1881, 1896, 1903, 1905, 1910, 1915, 1918, 1920, 1945, 1955, 1960, 1965) U.S. Census (1880, 1900, 1930) 1874 Hopkins Atlas 1884 Hopkins Atlas 1895 Bromley

INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET TOWN ADDRESS MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Continuation sheet 2

Follow Massachusetts Historical Commission Survey Manual instructions for completing this form. 12/12 FORM B  BUILDING MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION MASSACHUSETTS ARCHIVES BUILDING 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Photograph Locus Map On continuation sheet Assessor’s Number USGS Quad Area(s) Form Number Assessor’s Number USGS Quad Area(s) Form Number 66/A/14/ Town/City: Somerville Place: (neighborhood or village): Ward Two – Cobble HIll Address: 101 Beacon Street Historic Name: -- Uses: Present: residential Original: residential Date of Construction: c.1840-1870 Source: census data, historic maps, deed research Style/Form: Victorian Eclectic Architect/Builder: Exterior Material: Foundation: Brick Wall/Trim: vinyl siding Roof: asphalt shingles Outbuildings/Secondary Structures: none Major Alterations (with dates): Dates are unknown but major alterations are: - Open front porch - 2-story rear addition Condition: good Moved: no X yes Date: Acreage: 1307 square feet Setting: urban; major thoroughfare (Beacon Street) Recorded by: Sarah White, Preservation Planner, City of Somerville Organization: Office of Strategic Planning & Community Dev. Date (month / year): September, 2016

INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET TOWN ADDRESS MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Continuation sheet 1 Recommended for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. If checked, you must attach a completed National Register Criteria Statement form. Use as much space as necessary to complete the following entries, allowing text to flow onto additional continuation sheets. ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION: Describe architectural features. Evaluate the characteristics of this building in terms of other buildings within the community. This 2 ½-story Victorian structure presents its gable end to Beacon Street. This front façade presents two bays on the first story, two on the second, and one under the gable on the ½ story. The first story also presents an open front porch significantly elevated off grade. The front façade presents “poor man’s” gable returns. A brick foundation runs the footprint of the original portion of the house and all chimney stacks have been removed. HISTORICAL NARRATIVE Discuss the history of the building. Explain its associations with local (or state) history. Include uses of the building, and the role(s) the owners/occupants played within the community. It is through deed research on this property that the name “Harvard Hill” was first discovered referring to this area of the City. Though the meaning of the name remains elusive, it remained in the local lexicon for nearly a century with local newspaper advertisements and the local Omnibus route referring to locations in Somerville’s “Harvard Hill”. This ward was sparsely developed until the mid to late 1800s when it became an important transportation and manufacturing center. The early industries of the Middlesex Dye and Bleachery Company (1801) and the American Tube Works (1852) established the development cycle in the area. By the 1870s, all of the brick yards and farmland had been converted to manufacturing and food processing establishments. This uptick in industrialization and the nature of the industries established created significant health and pollution concerns in the surrounding area. Accompanying the industrial growth was the need for workers’ housing. Occupants of this and other properties were employed in these and other skilled and unskilled labor jobs when this area was first being industrialized. This area, including Smith Avenue, and a small portion of Beacon and Line Streets, was laid out predominantly between 1869 and 1874. The surrounding land was owned and subsequently developed by Stephen Smith who, from the 1860s, lived on Beacon Street opposite Calvin Street. Probate records show that friends and relatives petitioned to have Smith declared insane in the years before his death in 1874. BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES (South) Middlesex County Registry of Deeds, Cambridge, MA Beyond the Neck: The Architecture and Development of Somerville, Massachusetts Map of Somerville, 1883 City of Somerville Tax Records Somerville City Directories (1881, 1896, 1903, 1905, 1910, 1915, 1918, 1920, 1945, 1955, 1960, 1965) U.S. Census (1880, 1900, 1930) 1874 Hopkins Atlas 1884 Hopkins Atlas 1895 Bromley

INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET TOWN ADDRESS MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Continuation sheet 2

Follow Massachusetts Historical Commission Survey Manual instructions for completing this form. 12/12 FORM B  BUILDING MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION MASSACHUSETTS ARCHIVES BUILDING 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Photograph Locus Map On continuation sheet Assessor’s Number USGS Quad Area(s) Form Number 66/E/8 Town/City: Somerville Place: (neighborhood or village): Ward Two – Cobble HIll Address: 102 Beacon Street Historic Name: -- Uses: Present: residential Original: residential Date of Construction: 1869-1874 Source: census data, historic maps, deed research Style/Form: Italianate Architect/Builder: Stephen Smith Exterior Material: Foundation: Brick Wall/Trim: asbestos/asphalt shingles Roof: asphalt shingles Outbuildings/Secondary Structures: none Major Alterations (with dates): Dates are unknown but major alterations are: - Skylights, left elevation - Small, rear deck - Gable-ended left elevation addition Condition: excellent Moved: no X yes Date: Acreage: 2614 square feet Setting: urban; at the corner of Beacon Street (major thoroughfare) and Smith Avenue, a small, residential street near the Cambridge/Somerville line Recorded by: Sarah White, Preservation Planner, City of Somerville Organization: Office of Strategic Planning & Community Dev. Date (month / year): June, 2016

INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET TOWN ADDRESS MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Continuation sheet 1 Recommended for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. If checked, you must attach a completed National Register Criteria Statement form. Use as much space as necessary to complete the following entries, allowing text to flow onto additional continuation sheets. ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION: Describe architectural features. Evaluate the characteristics of this building in terms of other buildings within the community. The dwelling is a gable-ended Italianate home built c1869-1874 on a brick foundation. The house is currently asbestos sided and retains its paired cornice brackets, a decorated door hood over the front entrance, and the one-story bay on the first floor front elevation. Also extant is the original placement of the windows, particularly on the front elevation. Of further note is the arch-topped window located under the front gable peak. A two-story, gable-ended ell is located on the left elevation of the structure. The building is an excellent example of an Italianate workers’ cottage. HISTORICAL NARRATIVE Discuss the history of the building. Explain its associations with local (or state) history. Include uses of the building, and the role(s) the owners/occupants played within the community. This 2 ½-story Italianate structure was built between 1869-1874, at the time that this area (Smith Avenue) was laid out and developed for residential use. (The Somerville assessor’s database has the construction date of this property incorrectly listed as 1880.) Much about 102 Beacon can be learned from the abutting and nearby properties at 5 and 9 Smith Avenue. This structure was one of the original to be built on this Ward 2 street. This ward was sparsely developed until the mid to late 1800s when it became an important transportation and manufacturing center. The early industries of the Middlesex Dye and Bleachery Company (1801) and the American Tube Works (1852) established the development cycle in the area. By the 1870s, all of the brick yards and farmland had been converted to manufacturing and food processing establishments. This uptick in industrialization and the nature of the industries established created significant health and pollution concerns in the surrounding area. Accompanying the industrial growth was the need for workers’ housing. This property is on the corner of Beacon Street and Smith Avenue, a short street near the Cambridge border that runs one-way between Beacon and Line Streets. Smith Avenue, including this parcel on 102 Beacon Street, was laid out between1869-1874. The surrounding land was owned and subsequently developed by Stephen Smith who, from the 1860s, lived on Beacon Street opposite Calvin Street. Probate records show that friends and relatives petitioned to have Smith declared insane in the years before his death in 1874. The original portions of 102 Beacon Street, 5 Smith Avenue and 9 Smith Avenue are identical; all reflect the popular Italianate style of dwelling house popular during the last half of the 19th century. Each carries the same decorated door hoods, lintels, arched under-gable window, front façade window placement, front bay window, and Italianate bracketing. These types of buildings, along with similar wooden structures in the immediate area, reflect the styles and designs of houses popular with working and middle-class homeowners. This building represents one of the first constructed in the Smith/Beacon neighborhood when it was first laid out. BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES (South) Middlesex County Registry of Deeds, Cambridge, MA Beyond the Neck: The Architecture and Development of Somerville, Massachusetts Map of Somerville, 1883 City of Somerville Tax Records Somerville City Directories (1881, 1896, 1903, 1905, 1910, 1915, 1918, 1920, 1945, 1955, 1960, 1965) U.S. Census (1880, 1900, 1930) 1874 Hopkins Atlas

INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET TOWN ADDRESS MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Continuation sheet 2 1884 Hopkins Atlas 1895 Bromley

Follow Massachusetts Historical Commission Survey Manual instructions for completing this form. 12/12 FORM B  BUILDING MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION MASSACHUSETTS ARCHIVES BUILDING 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Photograph Locus Map On continuation sheet Assessor’s Number USGS Quad Area(s) Form Number Assessor’s Number USGS Quad Area(s) Form Number 66/E/11/ Town/City: Somerville Place: (neighborhood or village): Ward Two – Cobble HIll Address: 13 Smith Avenue Historic Name: -- Uses: Present: residential Original: residential Date of Construction: c.1869- 1880 Source: census data, historic maps, deed research Style/Form: Italianate / Victorian Eclectic Architect/Builder: Stephen Smith Exterior Material: Foundation: Brick Wall/Trim: first story brick, second story asbestos shingles/asphalt shingles Roof: asphalt shingles Outbuildings/Secondary Structures: none Major Alterations (with dates): Dates are unknown but major alterations are: - 2-level open porches on rear. - Front doorway widened - Window above front doorway closed - Dormer added to back of right elevation and front of left elevation Condition: good Moved: no X yes Date: Acreage: 3049 square feet Setting: urban; small residential street near Cambridge/Somerville line and major thoroughfare (Beacon Street) Recorded by: Sarah White, Preservation Planner, City of Somerville Organization: Office of Strategic Planning & Community Dev. Date (month / year): September, 2016

INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET TOWN ADDRESS MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Continuation sheet 1 Recommended for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. If checked, you must attach a completed National Register Criteria Statement form. Use as much space as necessary to complete the following entries, allowing text to flow onto additional continuation sheets. ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION: Describe architectural features. Evaluate the characteristics of this building in terms of other buildings within the community. In its current state, this structure appears to be vernacular Italianate in nature. This building is a 2 ½-story residential structure located on the corner of Smith Avenue and Line Street on the Somerville/Cambridge border. This house is gable-ended to the street. The front façade presents three bays on the first story, two bays on the second (a third bay has been blocked) and one bay under the front gable. The foundation is brick. The gable lacks returns and is of a pitch more common of Italianate-style structures. The original entry has been converted from a single-door, hooded entry to a two-door entry with a newer, modern hood. The original footprint of the structure appears to remain intact. One chimney stack remains in place on the left side of the structure. Two, single dormers have been added, one to each of the right and left elevation. Small brackets flank the right and left ends of the front gable, but it is possible that they were added later to the house. HISTORICAL NARRATIVE Discuss the history of the building. Explain its associations with local (or state) history. Include uses of the building, and the role(s) the owners/occupants played within the community. This ward was sparsely developed until the mid to late 1800s when it became an important transportation and manufacturing center. The early industries of the Middlesex Dye and Bleachery Company (1801) and the American Tube Works (1852) established the development cycle in the area. By the 1870s, all of the brick yards and farmland had been converted to manufacturing and food processing establishments. This uptick in industrialization and the nature of the industries established created significant health and pollution concerns in the surrounding area. Accompanying the industrial growth was the need for workers’ housing. Occupants of this and other properties were employed in these and other skilled and unskilled labor jobs when this area was first being industrialized. Smith Avenue, a short street near the Cambridge line, and running between Beacon and Line Streets, was laid out between 1869 and 1874. The surrounding land was owned and subsequently developed by Stephen Smith who, from the 1860s, lived on Beacon Street opposite Calvin Street. Probate records show that friends and relatives petitioned to have Smith declared insane in the years before his death in 1874. BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES (South) Middlesex County Registry of Deeds, Cambridge, MA Beyond the Neck: The Architecture and Development of Somerville, Massachusetts Map of Somerville, 1883 City of Somerville Tax Records Somerville City Directories (1881, 1896, 1903, 1905, 1910, 1915, 1918, 1920, 1945, 1955, 1960, 1965) U.S. Census (1880, 1900, 1930) 1874 Hopkins Atlas 1884 Hopkins Atlas 1895 Bromley

INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET TOWN ADDRESS MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Continuation sheet 2

Follow Massachusetts Historical Commission Survey Manual instructions for completing this form. 12/12 FORM B  BUILDING MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION MASSACHUSETTS ARCHIVES BUILDING 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Photograph Locus Map On continuation sheet Assessor’s Number USGS Quad Area(s) Form Number Assessor’s Number USGS Quad Area(s) Form Number 66/D/26/ Town/City: Somerville Place: (neighborhood or village): Ward Two – Cobble HIll Address: 48 Line Street Historic Name: -- Uses: Present: residential Original: residential Date of Construction: c.1869- 1880 Source: census data, historic maps, deed research Style/Form: Italianate Architect/Builder: Stephen Smith Exterior Material: Foundation: Brick Wall/Trim: wood shingle Roof: asphalt shingles Outbuildings/Secondary Structures: none Major Alterations (with dates): Dates are unknown but major alterations are: - 2-story rear addition - Top story rear deck - First and second-story open porches Condition: good Moved: no X yes Date: Acreage: 2614 square feet Setting: urban; small residential street near Cambridge/Somerville line and major thoroughfare (Beacon Street) Recorded by: Sarah White, Preservation Planner, City of Somerville Organization: Office of Strategic Planning & Community Dev. Date (month / year): September, 2016

INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET TOWN ADDRESS MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Continuation sheet 1 Recommended for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. If checked, you must attach a completed National Register Criteria Statement form. Use as much space as necessary to complete the following entries, allowing text to flow onto additional continuation sheets. ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION: Describe architectural features. Evaluate the characteristics of this building in terms of other buildings within the community. This 2 ½-story Italianate structure presents its gable front façade to Line Street. A two-story bay is present on the left side of the front façade, growing up from the brick foundation and terminating at a decorated string course that separates the second story from the upper ½ story. An original window opening above the front door has been replaced with a casement window. The gable is steeply pitched and a chimney stack remains extant on the left side of the structure. A narrow, 2-story ell at the back of the right elevation terminates under the eave. A faux balcony rests above the front door hood. HISTORICAL NARRATIVE Discuss the history of the building. Explain its associations with local (or state) history. Include uses of the building, and the role(s) the owners/occupants played within the community. This ward was sparsely developed until the mid to late 1800s when it became an important transportation and manufacturing center. The early industries of the Middlesex Dye and Bleachery Company (1801) and the American Tube Works (1852) established the development cycle in the area. By the 1870s, all of the brick yards and farmland had been converted to manufacturing and food processing establishments. This uptick in industrialization and the nature of the industries established created significant health and pollution concerns in the surrounding area. Accompanying the industrial growth was the need for workers’ housing. Occupants of this and other properties were employed in these and other skilled and unskilled labor jobs when this area was first being industrialized. This area, including Smith Avenue, and a small portion of Beacon and Line Streets, was laid out predominantly between 1869 and 1874. The surrounding land was owned and subsequently developed by Stephen Smith who, from the 1860s, lived on Beacon Street opposite Calvin Street. Probate records show that friends and relatives petitioned to have Smith declared insane in the years before his death in 1874. BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES (South) Middlesex County Registry of Deeds, Cambridge, MA Beyond the Neck: The Architecture and Development of Somerville, Massachusetts Map of Somerville, 1883 City of Somerville Tax Records Somerville City Directories (1881, 1896, 1903, 1905, 1910, 1915, 1918, 1920, 1945, 1955, 1960, 1965) U.S. Census (1880, 1900, 1930) 1874 Hopkins Atlas 1884 Hopkins Atlas 1895 Bromley

INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET TOWN ADDRESS MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Continuation sheet 2

Follow Massachusetts Historical Commission Survey Manual instructions for completing this form. 12/12 FORM B  BUILDING MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION MASSACHUSETTS ARCHIVES BUILDING 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Photograph Locus Map On continuation sheet Assessor’s Number USGS Quad Area(s) Form Number 66/E/1/9 Town/City: Somerville Place: (neighborhood or village): Ward Two – Cobble HIll Address: 5 Smith Avenue Historic Name: -- Uses: Present: residential Original: residential Date of Construction: 1869-1874 Source: census data, historic maps, deed research Style/Form: Italianate Architect/Builder: Stephen Smith Exterior Material: Foundation: Brick Wall/Trim: asbestos siding Roof: asphalt shingles Outbuildings/Secondary Structures: none Major Alterations (with dates): Dates are unknown but major alterations are: - Skylights, right roof elevation - Right elevation 2-story addition, poss. for stairs - Rear elevation addition Condition: good Moved: no X yes Date: Acreage: 5227 square feet Setting: urban; small residential street near Cambridge/Somerville line and major thoroughfare (Beacon Street) Recorded by: Sarah White, Preservation Planner, City of Somerville Organization: Office of Strategic Planning & Community Dev. Date (month / year): June, 2016

INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET TOWN ADDRESS MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Continuation sheet 1 Recommended for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. If checked, you must attach a completed National Register Criteria Statement form. Use as much space as necessary to complete the following entries, allowing text to flow onto additional continuation sheets. ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION: Describe architectural features. Evaluate the characteristics of this building in terms of other buildings within the community. The dwelling is a gable-ended Italianate home built c.1871on a brick foundation. The house is currently asbestos sided and retains its paired cornice brackets, a decorated door hood over the front entrance, and the one-story bay on the first floor front elevation. Also extant is the original placement of the windows, particularly on the front elevation. Of further note is the arch- toped window located under the front gable peak. A two-story ell on the left of the structure remains and mirrors the original ell of its neighbor, 9 Smith Avenue. The building is an excellent example of an Italianate workers’ cottage. HISTORICAL NARRATIVE Discuss the history of the building. Explain its associations with local (or state) history. Include uses of the building, and the role(s) the owners/occupants played within the community. This 2 ½-story Italianate structure was built c.1871, at the time during which Smith Avenue was laid out and developed for residential use (the Somerville assessor’s database has the construction date of this property incorrectly listed as 1900). Much about 5 Smith Avenue can be learned from the abutting property at 9 Smith Avenue which is also its mirror image. This structure was one of the first to be built on this Ward 2 street. This ward was sparsely developed until the mid to late 1800s when it became an important transportation and manufacturing center. The early industries of the Middlesex Dye and Bleachery Company (1801) and the American Tube Works (1852) established the development cycle in the area. By the 1870s, all of the brick yards and farmland had been converted to manufacturing and food processing establishments. This uptick in industrialization and the nature of the industries established created significant health and pollution concerns in the surrounding area. Accompanying the industrial growth was the need for workers’ housing. Smith Avenue, a short street near the Cambridge line, and running between Beacon and Line Streets, was laid out between 1869 and 1874. The surrounding land was owned and subsequently developed by Stephen Smith who, from the 1860s, lived on Beacon Street opposite Calvin Street. Probate records show that friends and relatives petitioned to have Smith declared insane in the years before his death in 1874. 5 Smith Avenue, along with 9 Smith and 102 Beacon (at the corner of Smith and Beacon), all reflect the popular Italianate style of dwelling popular during the last half of the 19th century. These types of buildings, along with similar wooden structures in the immediate area, reflect the styles and designs of houses popular with working and middle-class homeowners. This structure is similar to two abutting properties built within the same time period – 9 Smith Avenue and 102 Beacon. This building represents one of the first constructed on Smith Avenue when it was first laid out. BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES (South) Middlesex County Registry of Deeds, Cambridge, MA Beyond the Neck: The Architecture and Development of Somerville, Massachusetts Map of Somerville, 1883 City of Somerville Tax Records Somerville City Directories (1881, 1896, 1903, 1905, 1910, 1915, 1918, 1920, 1945, 1955, 1960, 1965) U.S. Census (1880, 1900, 1930) 1874 Hopkins Atlas 1884 Hopkins Atlas 1895 Bromley

INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET TOWN ADDRESS MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Continuation sheet 2

Follow Massachusetts Historical Commission Survey Manual instructions for completing this form. 12/12 FORM B  BUILDING MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION MASSACHUSETTS ARCHIVES BUILDING 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Photograph Locus Map On continuation sheet Assessor’s Number USGS Quad Area(s) Form Number 66/E/10 Town/City: Somerville Place: (neighborhood or village): Ward Two – Cobble HIll Address: 9 Smith Avenue Historic Name: Patrick Leonard House Uses: Present: residential Original: residential Date of Construction: 1869-1874 Source: census data, historic maps, deed research Style/Form: Italianate Architect/Builder: Stephen Smith. Later owner, Patrick Leonard Exterior Material: Foundation: Brick Wall/Trim: clapboard Roof: asphalt shingles Outbuildings/Secondary Structures: none Major Alterations (with dates): Dates are unknown but major alterations are: - Skylight, left elevation - Rear elevation addition Condition: excellent Moved: no X yes Date: Acreage: 3920 square feet Setting: urban; small residential street near Cambridge/Somerville line and major thoroughfare (Beacon Street) Recorded by: Sarah White, Preservation Planner, City of Somerville Organization: Office of Strategic Planning & Community Dev. Date (month / year): June, 2016

INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET TOWN ADDRESS MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Continuation sheet 1 Recommended for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. If checked, you must attach a completed National Register Criteria Statement form. Use as much space as necessary to complete the following entries, allowing text to flow onto additional continuation sheets. ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION: Describe architectural features. Evaluate the characteristics of this building in terms of other buildings within the community. The dwelling is a gable-ended Italianate home built c.1871on a brick foundation. The house is currently asbestos sided and retains its paired cornice brackets, a decorated door hood over the front entrance, and the one-story bay on the first floor front elevation. Also extant is the original placement of the windows, particularly on the front elevation. Of further note is the arch- toped window located under the front gable peak. A two-story ell on the left of the structure remains and mirrors the original ell of its neighbor, 9 Smith Avenue. The building is an excellent example of an Italianate workers’ cottage. The original core of 9 Smith Avenue is the mirror image of 5 Smith Avenue. HISTORICAL NARRATIVE Discuss the history of the building. Explain its associations with local (or state) history. Include uses of the building, and the role(s) the owners/occupants played within the community. This 2 ½-story Italianate structure was built c.1871, at the time during which Smith Avenue was laid out and developed for residential use (the Somerville assessor’s database has the construction date of this property incorrectly listed as 1900). Much about 9 Smith Avenue can be learned from the abutting property at 5 Smith Avenue which is also its mirror image. This structure was one of the first to be built on this Ward 2 street. This ward was sparsely developed until the mid to late 1800s when it became an important transportation and manufacturing center. The early industries of the Middlesex Dye and Bleachery Company (1801) and the American Tube Works (1852) established the development cycle in the area. By the 1870s, all of the brick yards and farmland had been converted to manufacturing and food processing establishments. This uptick in industrialization and the nature of the industries established created significant health and pollution concerns in the surrounding area. Accompanying the industrial growth was the need for workers’ housing. Smith Avenue, a short street near the Cambridge line, and running between Beacon and Line Streets, was laid out between 1869 and 1874. The surrounding land was owned and subsequently developed by Stephen Smith who, from the 1860s, lived on Beacon Street opposite Calvin Street. Probate records show that friends and relatives petitioned to have Smith declared insane in the years before his death in 1874. 9 Smith Avenue, along with 5 Smith Avenue and 102 Beacon Street (at the corner of Smith and Beacon), all reflect the popular Italianate style of dwelling popular during the last half of the 19th century. These types of buildings, along with similar wooden structures in the immediate area, reflect the styles and designs of houses popular with working and middle-class homeowners. This building represents one of the first constructed on Smith Avenue when it was first laid out. BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES (South) Middlesex County Registry of Deeds, Cambridge, MA Beyond the Neck: The Architecture and Development of Somerville, Massachusetts Map of Somerville, 1883 City of Somerville Tax Records Somerville City Directories (1881, 1896, 1903, 1905, 1910, 1915, 1918, 1920, 1945, 1955, 1960, 1965) U.S. Census (1880, 1900, 1930) 1874 Hopkins Atlas 1884 Hopkins Atlas 1895 Bromley

INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET TOWN ADDRESS MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Continuation sheet 2

Follow Massachusetts Historical Commission Survey Manual instructions for completing this form. 12/12 FORM B  BUILDING MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION MASSACHUSETTS ARCHIVES BUILDING 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Photograph Locus Map On continuation sheet Assessor’s Number USGS Quad Area(s) Form Number Assessor’s Number USGS Quad Area(s) Form Number Assessor’s Number USGS Quad Area(s) Form Number 66/D/1/11 Town/City: Somerville Place: (neighborhood or village): Ward Two – Cobble Hill Address: 94 Beacon Street Historic Name: n/a Uses: Present: multi-unit Original: Date of Construction: 1976 Source: census data, historic maps, deed research Style/Form: Mid-rise Architect/Builder: Exterior Material: Foundation: Brick veneer Wall/Trim: Brick veneer Roof: Tar & gravel / rubber Outbuildings/Secondary Structures: none Major Alterations (with dates): - none Condition: good Moved: no X yes Date: Acreage: not found; condo property Setting: urban; major thoroughfare (Beacon Street) Recorded by: Sarah White, Preservation Planner, City of Somerville Organization: Office of Strategic Planning & Community Dev. Date (month / year): September, 2016

INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET TOWN ADDRESS MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Continuation sheet 1 Recommended for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. If checked, you must attach a completed National Register Criteria Statement form. Use as much space as necessary to complete the following entries, allowing text to flow onto additional continuation sheets. ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION: Describe architectural features. Evaluate the characteristics of this building in terms of other buildings within the community. This ~ 9-story residential building built in 1976 presents brick veneer façade to Beacon Street. Each story presents 6 windows, evenly articulated vertically and horizontally across the front façade. The ground level of this building presents a parking area divided into 10 uniform, concrete bays whose openings face Beacon Street. A concrete wall separates the parking bays and most of the ground floor from the city sidewalk. HISTORICAL NARRATIVE Discuss the history of the building. Explain its associations with local (or state) history. Include uses of the building, and the role(s) the owners/occupants played within the community. The land on which this structure rests is one of the original plots set out by Stephen Smith and upon which he built his home. Extensive research did not reveal any extant photos or other renderings of the Smith house,save for the house footprint on the 1874 Somerville Atlas. This ward was sparsely developed until the mid to late 1800s when it became an important transportation and manufacturing center. The early industries of the Middlesex Dye and Bleachery Company (1801) and the American Tube Works (1852) established the development cycle in the area. By the 1870s, all of the brick yards and farmland had been converted to manufacturing and food processing establishments. This uptick in industrialization and the nature of the industries established created significant health and pollution concerns in the surrounding area. Accompanying the industrial growth was the need for workers’ housing. This property is on the corner of Beacon Street and Smith Avenue, a short street near the Cambridge border that runs one-way between Beacon and Line Streets. Smith Avenue, including this parcel on 102 Beacon Street, was laid out between1869-1874. The surrounding land was owned and subsequently developed by Stephen Smith who, from the 1860s, lived on Beacon Street opposite Calvin Street. Probate records show that friends and relatives petitioned to have Smith declared insane in the years before his death in 1874. BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES (South) Middlesex County Registry of Deeds, Cambridge, MA Beyond the Neck: The Architecture and Development of Somerville, Massachusetts Map of Somerville, 1883 City of Somerville Tax Records Somerville City Directories (1881, 1896, 1903, 1905, 1910, 1915, 1918, 1920, 1945, 1955, 1960, 1965) U.S. Census (1880, 1900, 1930) 1874 Hopkins Atlas 1884 Hopkins Atlas 1895 Bromley

INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET TOWN ADDRESS MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Continuation sheet 2

HISTORIC DISTRICT ORDINANCE FOR THE CITY OF SOMERVILLE In accordance with the Historic Districts Act, Chapter 40C of the General Laws of Massachusetts Adopted by Board of Aldermen (Ordinance #1985-2) March 7, 1985 Approved by Mayor Brune March 11, 1985 Amended by Board of Aldermen (Ordinance #1989-6) October 26, 1989 Approved by Mayor Brune October 31, 1989 Amended by Board of Aldermen (Ordinance #1990-7) May 10, 1990 Approved by Mayor Capuano May 16, 1990 Amended by Board of Aldermen (Ordinance #1993-2) February 25, 1993 Approved by Mayor Capuano March 2, 1993

SOMERVILLE HISTORIC DISTRICT ORDINANCE TABLE OF CONTENTS Section 1. Purpose & Intent a-f Goals Section 2. Definitions a. Commission b. Historic District c. Altered d. Building e. Constructed f. Exterior Architectural Feature g. Person Aggrieved h. Structure Section 3. Establishment of Historic Districts a. Process b. Formation of Historic District Study Committee Section 4. Historic Preservation Commission: Membership & Administrative Matters a. Terms b. Composition c. Compensation d. Conflict of Interest e. Officers f. Expenses g. Gifts h. Record Keeping and Rules i. Other Powers Section 5. Amendments to Historic District Designations a. Enlargements or Reductions b. Additional District c. Notices d. Filing Requirements Section 6. Applications for Certificates from the Commission a. Considerations of Commission b. Submission Requirements

TABLE OF CONTENTS (Cont'd) c. Exclusions d. Commission Powers and Duties Section 7. Meetings of the Commission a. Voting b. Review of Application c. Hearing on Application d. Period of Determination e. Waiver of Public Hearing Section 8. Process of Appealing Determinations of the Commission a. Court Appeal b. Court Options c. Other Options d. Costs Section 9. Enforcement Section 10. Limited Coverage Section 11. Amendments to Ordinance Section 12. Severability Section 13. Designation of Historic Districts

Somerville Historic District Ordinance 1 AN ORDINANCE CREATING AND PROTECTING HISTORIC DISTRICTS IN THE CITY OF SOMERVILLE BE IT ENACTED BY THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN AND THE MAYOR, in accordance with the authority granted under the Historic Districts Act, Chapter 40C of the General Laws of Massachusetts Section 1. Purpose and Intent It is hereby declared a matter of public policy that the protection, enhancement, preservation and use of historical resources or value is a public necessity and is required in the interest of education, prosperity, safety and welfare of the people. The purpose of this ordinance is to: a. Protect, enhance and preserve cultural and historical resources, including those districts which represent or reflect elements of the City's cultural, social, economic, political or architectural history. b. Safeguard the City's historical and cultural heritage by improving historical and cultural resources by creating historic districts. c. Foster wider public awareness of and pride in accomplishments of the past. d. Encourage private efforts of Somerville citizens in support of such purposes. e. Promote the use of historic districts as a stimulus to local business and industry. f. Enhance the City's image to residents, visitors and tourists and make the City a more attractive and desirable place in which to live and work. Section 2. Definitions In the ordinance, unless the context clearly requires otherwise: a. Commission means the Historic Preservation Commission created under this ordinance. b. Historic District is an area designated in accordance with Section 3 that contains one or more parcels or lots of land, or one or more buildings or structures on one or more parcels or lots of land. c. Altered includes the words "rebuilt", "reconstructed", "restored", "removed" and "demolished" and the phrases "changed in exterior color" and " any alteration to exterior physical appearance or exterior architectural feature visible from a public way". d. Building means a combination of materials forming a shelter for persons, animals or property. e. Constructed includes the words "built", "erected", "installed", "enlarged" and "moved".

Somerville Historic District Ordinance 2 f. Exterior architectural feature means such portion of the exterior of a building or structure as is open to view from a public street, public way, public park or public body of water, including but not limited to the architectural style and general arrangement and setting thereof, the kind, color and texture of exterior building materials, the color of paint or other materials applied to exterior surfaces and the type and style of windows, doors, lights, signs and other appurtenant exterior fixtures. g. Person Aggrieved means the applicant, an owner of adjoining property, an owner of property within the same historic district as property within one hundred feet of said property lines and any charitable corporation in which one of its purposes is the preservation of historic structures or districts. h. Structure means a combination of materials other than a building, including a sign, fence, wall, hitching post, terrace, walk or driveway. Section 3. Establishment of Historic Districts The City of Somerville may, by ordinance adopted by two-thirds vote of the Board of Aldermen, establish historic districts subject to the following provisions: a. Process. Prior to the establishment of any historic district in Somerville, an investigation and report on the historical and architectural significance of the buildings, structures or sites to be included in the proposed historic district or districts shall be made by an historic district study committee or by an historic district commission, as provided in this section. The buildings, structures or sites to be included in the proposed historic district may consist of one or more parcels or lots of land, or one or more buildings or structures on one or more parcels or lots of land. The study committee or the commission shall transmit copies of the report to the Planning Board, and to the Massachusetts Historical Commission for their respective consideration and recommendations. Not less than sixty days after such a transmittal the study committee or commission shall hold a public hearing on the report after due notice given at least fourteen days prior to the date thereof, which shall include a written notice, given by certified mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested, to the owners as they appear on the most recent real estate tax list of the Board of Assessors of all properties to be included in such district or districts. The committee shall submit a final report with its recommendations, a map of the proposed district or districts and a draft of a proposed ordinance to the Board of Aldermen. b. Formation of Historic District Study Committee. An historic district study committee may be established in Somerville by vote of the Board of Aldermen for the purpose of making an investigation of the desirability of establishing an historic district or districts therein. The study committee shall consist of not less than three nor more than seven members appointed by the Mayor, subject to confirmation by the Board of Aldermen including: a) one member from two nominees submitted by the Somerville Historical Society or, in the absence thereof by the Society for the Preservation of New England

Somerville Historic District Ordinance 3 Antiquities; b) one member from two nominees submitted by the local chapter of the American Institute of Architects; and c) one member from two nominees of the board of realtors, if any, covering the area. If, within thirty days after submission of a written request for nominees to any of the organizations herein named, no such nominations have been made, the appointing body may proceed to appoint the study committee without nominations by such organization. Section 4. Historic Preservation Commission: Membership Terms and Administrative Matters a. Terms. The ordinance shall be administered by an Historic Preservation Committee with the following terms, composition and administrative matters. The Historic Preservation Commission shall consist of seven (7) members, and seven (7) alternates, appointed by the Mayor and subject to confirmation by the Board of Aldermen. All of the members and at least five (5) of the alternates shall be residents of the City. Each member and alternate shall serve for a term of three years; except that the initial appointments shall be for two members and two alternates to serve a term of one year, two members and two alternates to serve a term of two years, and three members and three alternates to serve a term of three years. Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment for the unexpired term. In case of the absence, inability to act or unwillingness to act because of self-interest on the part of a member of the Commission, his or her place shall be taken by an alternate member designated by the chairman. Each member and alternate shall continue in office after expiration of his or her term until a successor is duly appointed and qualified. b. Composition. The Commission membership shall be composed of the following: one member, preferably a professional architectural historian, chosen from three nominees submitted by the Somerville Historical Society or the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities; an architect, preferably a person registered in the Commonwealth, chosen from three nominees submitted by the local chapter of the American Institute of Architects; a licensed real estate broker chosen from three nominees submitted by the regional chapter of the Board of Realtors; a city planner, preferably with knowledge about allied local activities and boards; a lawyer with knowledge of real estate and historic preservation law; and two citizen members who, through education or experience, have demonstrated a commitment to historic preservation. Two or more of the members so appointed shall be residents of a designated historic district. The alternate members shall include: at least one resident of a designated historic district, one landscape architect, one licensed general contractor or building tradesperson and four with a background in any of the other categories represented by the regular members of the Commission. If, within thirty (30) days after the submission of a written request for nominees to any of the above-named organizations, no such nominations have been submitted, the Mayor may make such an appointment without nomination by said organization. To the extent a person meets more than one of the foregoing specific membership requirements, then each such specific membership requirement so met shall be satisfied by such person's membership on the commission. c. Compensation. No member or alternate shall receive compensation for his or her service on the Commission, but shall be reimbursed, subject to availability of

Somerville Historic District Ordinance 4 appropriated funds, for his or her actual expenses reasonably and necessarily incurred in performance of his or her official duties. d. Conflict of Interest. If any Commission member or alternate is employed or to be employed by the City or to have directly, or indirectly a financial interest in any contract with the City, the classification of "special municipal employee" should be obtained from the Board of Aldermen and all other requirements as set forth under Chapter 268A, Massachusetts General Laws, shall be met. e. Officers. The Commission shall elect before the end of its fourth regular meeting during the first year and every May thereafter, a chairman, vice-chairman, and a secretary. All officers, except the secretary shall be elected from its own members. Whenever the secretary shall not attend a meeting of the Commission, the Commission shall elect a secretary pro-tempore who shall take the minutes of the meeting. The records of the Commission shall set forth every determination made by the Commission, the vote of every member participating in such determination and the absence or failure to vote of every other member. f. Expenses. The Commission may enter into contracts and may, if necessary, subject to appropriation, employ clerical and technical assistance of consultants and incur other expenses appropriate to the carrying on of its work. g. Gifts. The Commission may accept money gifts and expend the same for the carrying on of its work. The Commission may also administer on behalf of the City any properties or easements, restrictions or other interests in real property which the City may have or may accept as gifts or otherwise and which the City may designate the Commission as the administrator thereof. h. Record Keeping and Rules. The Commission shall keep a permanent record of its resolutions, transactions and determinations and of the vote of each member participating therein, and may adopt and amend such rules and regulations not inconsistent with the provisions of this Ordinance and prescribe such forms as it shall deem desirable and necessary for the regulations of its affairs and the conduct of its business. The Commission shall file a copy of any such rules and regulations with the City Clerk. An annual report of the Commission's activities shall be filed with the Massachusetts Historical Commission under provisions of Chapter 40C, Section 15, and shall be submitted to the City Clerk for filing. i. Other Powers. The Commission shall have, in addition to the powers, authority and duties granted to it by this Ordinance, such other powers, authority and duties as may be delegated or assigned to it from time to time by vote of the Board of Aldermen. Section 5. Amendments to Historic District Designations a. Enlargements or Reductions. An historic district may be enlarged or reduced or an additional historic district in the City created in the manner established under Section 3, for creation of the initial district, except that in the case of the enlargement or reduction of an existing historic district the investigation, report and hearing shall be by the

Somerville Historic District Ordinance 5 Historic Preservation Commission having jurisdiction over such historic district instead of by a study committee. b. Additional Districts. In the case of creation of an additional historical district the investigation, report and hearing shall be by the City Historic Preservation Commission instead of by a study committee unless the Commission recommends otherwise. c. Notice. If the district is to be reduced, written notice, as provided in section 3 for the creation of the initial district, shall be given to said owners of each property in the district. d. Filing Requirements. No changes to the boundaries of an historic district shall be come effective until a map(s) setting forth the changes to the boundaries of the historic district has been filed with the City Clerk and has been recorded in the South Middlesex Registry of Deeds and the provisions of Section 13A of Chapter 36, of Massachusetts General Laws, shall not apply. Section 6. Application for Certificates from the Commission a. Considerations of Commission. In passing upon matters before it the Commission shall consider, among other things, the historic and architectural value and significance of the site, building or structure, the general design, arrangement, texture, material and color of the features involved, and the relation of such features to similar features of buildings and structures in the surrounding area. In the case of new construction or additions to existing buildings or structures, the Commission shall consider the appropriateness of the size and shape of the building or structure both in relation to the land area upon which the building or structure is situated and to buildings and structures in the vicinity, and the Commission may in appropriate cases impose dimensional and set back requirements in addition to those required by applicable ordinance or by-law. The Commission shall not consider interior arrangements or the categories of exclusions specified in paragraph c of this Section. The Commission may after public hearing set forth in such manner as it may determine the various designs of certain appurtenances, such as light fixtures, which will meet the requirements of an historic district and a roster of certain colors of paint and roofing materials which will meet the requirements of an historic district, but no such determination shall limit the right of an applicant to present other designs or colors to the Commission for its approval. The Commission shall not make any recommendation or requirement except for the purpose of preventing developments incongruous to the historic aspects or the architectural characteristics of the surroundings and of the historic district. b. Submission Requirements. Except for the exclusions noted in paragraph (c), no building or structure within an historic district shall be constructed or altered in any way that affects exterior architectural features unless the Commission shall first have issued a certificate of appropriateness, a certificate of nonapplicability or a certificate of hardship with respect to such construction or alteration.

Somerville Historic District Ordinance 6 Any person who desires to obtain a certificate shall file with the Commission an application for a certificate of appropriateness, a certificate of nonapplicability or a certificate of hardship, as the case may be, in such form as the Commission may reasonably determine, together with such plans, elevations, specifications, material and other information, including in the case of demolition or removal a statement of the proposed condition and appearance of the property thereafter, as may be reasonably deemed necessary by the Commission to enable it to make a determination on the application. No building permit for construction of a building or structure or for alteration of an exterior architectural feature within an historic district and no demolition permit for demolition (full or partial) or removal of a building or structure within an historic district shall be issued by Inspectional Services thereof until the certificate required by this section has been issued by the Commission. c. Exclusions. The authority of the Commission shall not extend to the review of the following categories of buildings, structures or exterior architectural features of the historic district and, in this event, the buildings, structures or exterior architectural features so excluded may be constructed or altered within the historic district without review by the Commission: 1. temporary structures or signs, subject, however, to such conditions as to duration of use, location, lighting, removal and similar matters as the Commission may reasonably specify; 2. storm doors and windows, screens, window air conditioners, lighting fixtures, antennae, lawn statuary and similar appurtenances, or any one or more of them; 3. the color of paint; 4. signs of one foot square or less in area in connection with use of a residence for a customary home occupation or for professional purposes, provided only one such sign is displayed in connection with each residence and if illuminated is illuminated only indirectly; and one sign in connection with the non-residential use of each building or structure which is not more than twelve square feet in area, is appropriately located and consists of letters and/or symbol or trademark compatible with the character of the area and if illuminated only indirectly; or either of them; 5. the reconstruction, substantially similar in exterior design, type of use and size of a building, structure or exterior architectural feature damaged or destroyed by storm or other disaster, provided such reconstruction is begun within one year thereafter and carried forward with due diligence; and upon request by an applicant, the Commission shall issue a certificate of non-applicability with respect to construction or alteration in any category then not subject to review by the Commission in accordance with the above provisions.

Somerville Historic District Ordinance 7 d. Commission Powers and Duties. The Commission shall have the following powers, functions and duties related to issuance of certificates: 1. If the Commission determines that the construction or alteration for which an application for a certificate of appropriateness has been filed will be appropriate for or compatible with the preservation or protection of the historic district, the Commission shall cause a certificate of appropriateness to be issued to the applicant. In the case of a disapproval of an application for a certificate of appropriateness the Commission shall place upon its records the reasons for such determination and shall forthwith cause a notice of its determination, accompanied by a copy of the reasons therefore as set forth in the records of the Commission, to be issued to the applicant. The Commission may make recommendations to the applicant with respect to appropriateness of design, arrangement, texture, material, and similar features. Prior to the issuance if any disapproval the Commission may notify the applicant of its proposed action accompanied by recommendations of changes in the applicant’s proposal which, if made, would make the application acceptable to the Commission. The Commission shall, as feasible, identify sources of additional information, technical assistance and financial incentives, which may eliminate the area of concern. If, within fourteen days of the receipt of such notice, the applicant files a written modification of his application in conformity with the recommended changes of the Commission, the Commission shall cause certificate of appropriateness to be issued to the applicant. 2. In the case of determination by the Commission that an application for a certificate of appropriateness or for a certificate of non-applicability does not involve any exterior architectural feature, or involves an exterior architectural feature which is not then subject to review by the Commission in accordance with the provisions of Section Six, the Commission shall cause a certificate of non-applicability to be issued to the applicant. 3. The commission shall determine if the construction or alteration for which an application for a certificate of appropriateness has been filed is inappropriate, or in the event of an application for a certificate of hardship, the Commission shall determine if, owing to conditions especially affecting the building or structure involved, (e.g. handicapped access), but not affecting the historic district generally, failure to approve an application will involve a substantial hardship, financial or otherwise, to the applicant. The commission shall also determine whether such application may be approved without substantial detriment to the public welfare and without substantial derogation from the intent and purposes of this Ordinance. If the commission determines that owing to such conditions failure to approve an application will involve substantial hardship to the applicant and approval thereof may be made without such substantial detriment or derogation, or, in the event of failure to make a determination on an application within the time specified in Section Seven, the Commission shall cause a certificate of hardship to be issued to the applicant.

Somerville Historic District Ordinance 8 4. Each certificate issued by the Commission shall be dated and signed by its Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary or such other person designated by the Commission to sign such certificates on its behalf. Each certificate issued by the Commission shall also be accompanied by a document substantiating in sufficient detail, the basis of the determination. Certificates are valid for one full year from the date of issuance and must be revalidated by the Commission if substantial work has not been completed by the end of this period. 5. The commission shall file with the City Clerk and with the City Building Department a copy or notice of all certificates, determinations of disapproval and substantiating documents issued by it. Section 7. Meetings of the Commission a. Voting: The Commission shall hold meetings at the call of the Chairman and at the request of two members of the Commission, and in such other manner as the Commission shall determine in its rules. A majority of the members of a Commission shall constitute a quorum. The concurring vote of a majority of the members of the Commission shall be necessary to issue a certificate of appropriateness, a certificate of non-applicability or a certificate of hardship. b. Review of Application: The Commission shall determine promptly, and in all events within fourteen (14) days after the filing of an application for a certificate of appropriateness, a certificate of non-applicability or a certificate of hardship, as the case may be, whether the application involves any exterior architectural features which are subject to approval by the Commission. If the Commission determines that such application involves any such features which are subject to approval by the Commission, the Commission shall hold a public hearing on such application unless such hearing is dispensed with as hereinafter provided. c. Hearing an Application: The Commission shall fix a reasonable time for the hearing on any application and shall give public notice of the time, place and purposes thereof at least fourteen (14) days before said hearing in such manner as it may determine, and by mailing, postage prepaid, a copy of said notice to the applicant, to the owners of all adjoining property and other property deemed by the Commission to be materially affected thereby as they appear on the most recent real estate tax list of the Board of Assessors, to the City Planning Board, to any person filing written request for notice of hearing, such request to be renewed yearly in December, and to such other persons as the Commission shall deem entitled to notice. d. Period of Determination: As soon as convenient after such public hearing, but in any event within forty-five (45) days after the filing of the application, or within such further time as the applicant may allow in writing, the Commission shall make a determination on the application. If the Commission shall fail to make a determination within such period of time, the Commission shall thereupon issue a certificate of hardship.

Somerville Historic District Ordinance 9 e. Waiver of Public Hearing: A public hearing on an application need not be held if such hearing is waived in writing by all persons entitled to notice thereof. In addition, a public hearing on an application may be waived by the Commission if the Commission determines that the exterior architectural feature involved or its category or color, as the case may be, is so insubstantial in its effect on the historic district that it may be reviewed by the Commission without public hearing on an application, provided, however, that if the Commission dispenses with a public hearing on an application, notice of the application shall be given to the owners of all adjoining property and other property deemed by the Commission to be materially affected thereby as above provided and ten (10) days shall elapse after the mailing of such notice before the Commission may act upon such application. Section 8. Process of Appealing Determinations of the Commission a. Court Appeal. A person aggrieved by a determination of the Commission may, within twenty (20) days after the filing of the notice of such determination with the City Clerk, appeal to the South Middlesex Superior Court. b. Court Option. The court shall hear all pertinent evidence and shall annul the determination of the Commission if it finds the decision of the Commission to be unsupported by the evidence or to exceed the authority of the Commission, or may remand the case for further action by the Commission or make such other decree as justice and equity may require. c. Other Options. The remedy provided by this section shall be exclusive but the parties shall have all rights of appeal and exception as in other equity cases. d. Costs. Costs shall not be allowed against the Commission unless it shall appear to the court that the Commission acted with gross negligence, in bad faith or with malice in the matter from which appeal was taken. Costs shall not be allowed against the party appealing from such determination of the Commission unless it shall appear to the court that such party acted in bad faith or with malice in making the appeal to the court. Section 9. Enforcement The South Middlesex Superior Court shall have jurisdiction to enforce the provisions of Chapter 40C, General Laws and this ordinance enacted thereunder and the determinations, rulings and regulations issued pursuant thereto and may, upon the petition of the Mayor or the Board of Aldermen or of the Commission, restrain by injunction violations thereof; and, without limitation, such court may order the removal of any building, structure or exterior architectural feature constructed in violation thereof, or the substantial restoration of any building, structure or exterior architectural feature altered or demolished in violation thereof, and may issue such other orders for relief as may be equitable. Whoever violates any of the provisions of this ordinance shall be punished by a fine of not less than ten dollars ($10.00) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500.00). Each day during any portion of which a violation continues to exist shall constitute a separate offense.

Somerville Historic District Ordinance 10 Section 10. Limited Coverage Nothing in this ordinance shall be construed to prevent the ordinary maintenance, repair, or replacement of any exterior architectural feature within an historic district which does not involve a change in design, material, color or the outward appearance thereof, nor to prevent landscaping with plants, trees or shrubs, nor construed to prevent the meeting of requirements certified by a duly authorized public officer to be necessary for public safety because of an unsafe or dangerous condition nor construed to prevent any construction or alteration under a permit duly issued prior to the effective date of this historic district ordinance. Section 11. Amendments to Ordinance This ordinance enabling the creation of historic districts may from time to time be amended in a manner not inconsistent with the provisions of Chapter 40C, General Laws, by a two-thirds vote of the Board of Aldermen, provided that the substance of such amendment has first been submitted to the Historic Preservation Commission and the Massachusetts Historical Commission, for their recommendation and their recommendations have been received or sixty (60) days have elapsed without such recommendations. Section 12. Severability The provisions of this ordinance are severable, and if any of its provisions shall be held invalid or unconstitutional by any decision of any court or competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not impair or otherwise effect any other provisions of this act. Section 13. Designation of Historic Districts There are hereby established under the provisions of Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 40C, as amended, the following Historic Districts bounded as shown on the map accompanying the inventory forms, which is attached and made a part of this ordinance.