Colonial Revival

Harlow House // c.1909

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Located on a dead end street in Waban, you’ll find this stunning Shingle style property, which rambles on forever! The house was built in the first decade of the 20th century and blends the Shingle style with the ever-popular Colonial Revival style. I could surprisingly not locate the architect for the house, but I’d guess that it was designed by the architectural firm of Longfellow, Alden, & Harlow, the last of which, Alfred Branch Harlow, shared a last name with the original owner of the home, Arthur Brooks Harlow. (And the same last name as Louis K. Harlow, an artist who lived one street away in a similar style home). I am not sure if these two were related, but thats my hunch. If anyone wants to do more digging on this and share the story with me, I’d be so grateful!

Winona and Winslow Blanchard House // c.1915

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This Colonial Revival house on Pine Ridge Road in Waban Village, Newton, is one of a handful of the brick houses in the neighborhood, and one of the more refined examples of the style in the neighborhood without architectural embellishments from other styles. The home was built around 1915 for Winslow Blanchard and his wife Winona. Winslow was an engineer who served as President of the Blanchard Machine Company in Cambridge. It is probable that the couple hired Dorchester-based architect Edwin J. Lewis to design the home; as Winona grew up in the Ashmont section of town where Lewis lived. Additionally, the couple hired Lewis to make alterations to their recently completed home in 1919. The house retains its original slate roof, front door with pedimented entry, and is covered in climbing ivy, which isn’t great for the masonry but looks so good!

Thomas M. James House // c.1900

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When the Waban section of Newton got a rail line connecting it to Boston, development boomed! Architects who lived in other parts of the Boston area saw an immense opportunity, not only for work, but for a bucolic setting where they could also reside. One of these architects that lived and worked in Waban was Thomas Marriott James, who in the early 20th century, designed and moved into this house on Pine Ridge Road. James was also born in Cambridge but received no academic architectural training. By 1893, Boston directories record that he was a draftsman at the office of Eugene L. Clark, a prolific designer of suburban homes. His residence in Waban blends the Shingle and Colonial Revival styles under a broad gambrel roof. The verandah is inset and has segmental bays with shingle posts as supports. The kneewall is also shingled, adding to the composition.

LeClear House // c.1915

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Waban in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was a hotbed for architect-designed houses as their own residences. This Colonial Revival/Tudor Revival style estate was designed by Gifford LeClear (1874–1931), a prominent architect in the Boston area. Gifford LeClear was born in Rutherford, New Jersey to Thomas and Cornelia (King) LeClear. He was educated in the private schools in Boston before entering Harvard University. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1895 and Master of Arts in 1896. He then worked for a year in the engineering department of the West End Street Railway before forming his partnership with Densmore in 1897. The partnership of Densmore & LeClear was formed in April 1897, practicing as mechanical and electrical engineers. One of the firm’s major projects in this role was the design of the building systems for the new campus of the Harvard Medical School in Boston.

Lamont Residence // 1907

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In 1907, William F. Lamont and his family moved into this beautiful turn-of-the-century home in the rapidly developing Waban Village in Newton, Massachusetts. The extension of the circuit railroad connected this part of Newton (which had previously been farmland) to Downtown Boston, opening up the area to development for middle-income families who sought land and fresh air in the suburbs. The first house on Alban Road in Waban was built for the Lamont Family, and it perfectly blends multiple architectural styles under a gambrel roof.

What is your favorite feature of this house?

Eva Southwick House // 1898

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Okay, there is just something about this house that is so intriguing and unique and stands out among all the other (thousands) of Colonial Revival style houses I have seen. I just can’t quite put my finger on it! This late 19th century beauty was built in 1898 for Eva Bailey and Francis Southwick eight years after their marriage and after the birth of their children. It is unclear who the young family hired as an architect to design the home, but they definitely went with a loose adaptation of the Colonial Revival style in an American Foursquare form. The house has a large Palladian window and a minimal front portico supported by Doric columns.

Ernest Zeiss House // 1897

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Another eclectic house in Waban is this beauty, a blending of Queen Anne and Colonial Revival styles under an impressive gambrel roof. The home was occupied by Ernest L. Zeiss, a salesman. Waban, which was once a neighborhood within the reach of the middle-class, has since become one of the most desirable neighborhoods in one of the most exclusive towns in the Boston metro. It is safe to say an ordinary 9-5 salesman would not be able to afford a house like this today!

Samuel Sparhawk House // c.1870

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In 1870, Samuel Sparhawk built a large Second Empire style mansion on Mugford Street in Marblehead. Samuel and his brother Peter were among the first large shoe manufacturers in Marblehead, and did very well for themselves. Samuel also worked as Director of the Marblehead Savings Bank. In the early 20th century, the property was sold to Asa A. Schofield. In 1910, a fire at the Second Congregational Church destroyed the 1832 building and embers carried and burned the roof of the old Sparhawk House. The mansard roof was replaced with a simpler hipped roof with dormers.

Orlando Rouland Art Studio // 1926

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Born in Illinois, Orlando Rouland (1873-1945) became a painter of rural landscapes, scenes of New York City, and portraits of actors, inventors and Presidents. He lived in New York and resided in Marblehead in summers, taking advantage of the natural scenery and rustic homes for his landscapes. In Marblehead, Rouland formed the Marblehead Arts Association and was President of the North American Artists Group. He built this small building in 1926 as his studio while he spent time in the seaside town, with the large window to provide natural light into the interior. The Colonial Revival style studio has been converted to a residence.

Old North Church, Marblehead // 1825

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Old North Church, formally the First Church of Christ Marblehead, was organized in 1635 by fishermen and mariners who formed a church to relieve them of the burden of travel to Salem in order to receive church sacraments and participate in civil affairs (before the separation of church and state). They met in member’s homes until 1638, when a meeting house was constructed overlooking the ocean. By 1695, a “modern” church structure was built on Franklin Street. The structure was not adequate for the growing wealth and prosperity of the town, as Marblehead emerged from local cod fishing to overseas trade. In 1824, merchant-politician William Reed helped the congregation acquire a large lot on Washington Street. Within a year, the new stone church was built. The stone to build the church was blasted from the ledge upon which it stands. In 1879, a wooden meeting house was built to accommodate an increased membership at prayer meetings. The detached meeting house was added onto in 1951, connecting it to the stone church. The two attached buildings were designed/re-designed in the Colonial Revival style to add to the architectural composition of the old Federal period church.