Nomination for First Minister's House

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

Form No. 10-300 REV. (9/77) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE FOR NPS USE ONLY NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY -- NOMINATION FORM RECEIVED 5 SEP 1979 NOV | 4 1979 DATE ENTERED SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN HOW TO COMPLETE NATIONAL REGISTER FORMS TYPE ALL ENTRIES -- COMPLETE APPLICABLE SECTIONS 1 NAME HISTORIC First Minister's House (preferred) AND/OR COMMON Kuniholm Hause 2 LOCATION STREET & NUMBER 186 Elm St. CITY. TOWN Gardner STATE n/a VICINITY OF CODE 025 3 Massachusetts CLASSIFICATION CATEGORY -DISTRICT *BUILDING(S) STRUCTURE SITE -OBJECT OWNERSHIP _PUBLIC XPRIVATE _BOTH PUBLIC ACQUISITION _IN PROCESS _BEING CONSIDERED STATUS XOCCUPIED _UNOCCUPIED -WORK IN PROGRESS ACCESSIBLE *YES: RESTRICTED - YES: UNRESTRICTED -NO 4 OWNER OF PROPERTY NAME Harry Kuniholm STREET & NUMBER 186 Elm Street : CITY.

TOWN Gardner - VICINITY OF E LOCATION OF LEGAL DESCRIPTION COURTHOUSE. REGISTRY OF DEEDS, ETC. Worcester County Registry of Deeds STREET & NUMBER 2 Main Street CITY. TOWN Worcester 6 REPRESENTATION IN EXISTING SURVEYS TITLE _NOT FOR PUBLICATION CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT COUNTY Worcester 2nd CODE 027 PRESENT USE -AGRICULTURE -MUSEUM _COMMERCIAL _PARK _EDUCATIONAL X PRIVATE RESIDENCE _ENTERTAINMENT _RELIGIOUS _GOVERNMENT _SCIENTIFIC -INDUSTRIAL _TRANSPORTATION _MILITARY _OTHER: STATE Massachusetts STATE Massachusetts Inventory of the Historic Assets of the Commonwealth #27 DATE 1977 DEPOSITORY FOR SURVEY RECORDS - CITY, TOWN _FEDERAL XSTATE _COUNTY _LOCAL Massachusetts Historical Commission Boston STATE Massachusetts 7 DESCRIPTION CONDITION xEXCELLENT _GOOD -FAIR -DETERIORATED -RUINS _UNEXPOSED CHECK ONE XUNALTERED ALTERED CHECK ONE XORIGINAL SITE _MOVED DATE.

DESCRIBE THE PRESENT AND ORIGINAL (IF KNOWN) PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Description of the property

The First Minister's House is a free standing late Georgian house of square plan located on a rise fifty feet back from Elm Street. It is located in the center of town and is surrounded for the most part by residential buildings of later period and lesser quality. The structure stands on a granite foundation, and its timber frame is sheathed with white clapboards. It is two stories tall and has a low hipped roof pierced by two interior end chimneys. The symmetrical facade is five bays in width with a central entrance which is its focal point. The doorway is framed by light Ionic pilasters which carry fragments of a pulvinated freize and a triangular modillioned pediment. The door is headed by a molded semi-circular arch with a keystone which contains a transom. The windows flanking the door are richly treated with pulvinated friezes and heavy dentilled caps.

The three-bay side elevations continue the detail of the facade with their first floor windows; headed by friezes and heavily molded caps. The entire composition is further enriched by quioned corners, a deep modillion cornice, and shutters framing each window. The office and garage additions, built in this century, are attached to rear of the structure and are compatible in design. These additions extend down the rise away from Elm Street to a circular gravel driveway that is surrounded by well-kept grounds. An old, unused concrete swimming pool is set back and to the rear and does not interfere with the house and grounds. The interior features included wideboard flooring throughout, exposed beams, wideboard wainscoting and doors, and stone cellar. The four rooms of the second floor have wideboard flooring throughout and original doors and hardware.

There are three upstairs fireplaces of shallow depth and original mantels. Pegged, hand-hewn beams are visible in the attic which also has wideboard flooring.

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

SIGNIFICANCE PERIOD -PREHISTORIC -1400-1499 -1500-1599 1600-1699 *1700-1799 _1800-1899 -1900- -ARCHEOLOGY-PREHISTORIC ARCHEOLOGY-HISTORIC -AGRICULTURE XARCHITECTURE -ART COMMERCE -COMMUNICATIONS AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE -- CHECK AND JUSTIFY BELOW _COMMUNITY PLANNING LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE _CONSERVATION _ECONOMICS -EDUCATION -ENGINEERING _EXPLORATION/SETTLEMENT LINDUSTRY _LITERATURE -MILITARY -MUSIC _PHILOSOPHY _POLITICS/GOVERNMENT INVENTION *RELIGION SCIENCE _SCULPTURE *SOCIAL/HUMANITARIAN _THEATER -TRANSPORTATION _OTHER (SPECIFY) SPECIFIC DATES 1792 STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE BUILDER

Statement of significance

/ARCHITECT Rev. Dr. Jonathan Osgood The First Minister's House in Gardner retains integrity of design, location, materials, and setting and is significant both as the town's most sophisticated example of late Georgian architecture and for its association's with important local persons. It was constructed in 1792 by the Reverend Jonathan Osgood who was the town's first minister. As there was no doctor at that time, he also served as the town's physician. Osgood later served as a representative in the state legislature. The second owner of the house was Deacon Lawrence; it is said that at this time the house served as a stop on the underground railroad. There has been only one other owner, a family named Blackwell, before the present one. This house is Gardner's finest example of late Georgian design and merits attention in terms of statewide interpretation of this style.

Its facade well illustrates the attempt of this period to enrich the common five bay, two story elevation with bold classical detail. Typically, the house has quoins and a projecting modillion cornice. Especially fine features are the center entrance with its elaborate pedimented frame, and the first floor windows headed by pulvinated friezes and heavily moulded caps. It is unusual that these caps are continued on the side elevations which were usually left unadorned. The late date of the house can be seen in its low hipped roof and nearly square plan which' look toward the federal period.

The rest of the file

Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.

MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES Herrick, History of Gardner. 10 GEOGRAPHICAL DATA UIM NOT VERIFIED ACREAGE OF NOMINATED PROPERTY 2.96 acres QUADRANGLE NAME Gardner UTM REFERENCES A |1 9/ { |5 ,5 |1 5 0] L4 117610 ZONE EASTING NORTHING CLL LLLu ELL Lilu dULLILL LILIL QUADRANGLE SCALE1:24000 BLu EASTIN( Ll, Lu NORTHING -u LuLuJ LLLu FLULLJLILILIN LLLLLLLu VERBAL BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION The boundaries are deliniated on the attached City Engineer's Map LIST ALL STATES AND COUNTIES FOR PROPERTIES OVERLAPPING STATE OR COUNTY BOUNDARIES CODE COUNTY CODE COUNTY STATE CODE STATE CODE 111 FORM PREPARED BY Eric Engleson, Consultant NAME / TITLE Gardner Historical Comm.

Candace Jenkins, National Register Coordinator with ORGANIZATION DATE Massachusetts Historical Commission STREET & NUMBER JELEPHN979 294 Washington Street (617) 727-8470 CITY OR TOWN STATÉ Boston Massachusetts 12 STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER CERTIFICATION THE EVALUATED SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS PROPERTY WITHIN THE STATE IS; NATIONAL - STATE_ LOCAL As the designated State Historic Preservation Officer for the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Public Law 89-665), I hereby nominate this property for inclusion in the National Register and certify that it has been evaluated according to the criteria and procedures set forth by the National Park Service. STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER SIGNATURE Yotua hWestiwski 8/20/9 TITLE Executive Director, Mass. Historical Commission DATE FOR NPS USE ONLY wte egereseanepyls3eHE MenoNA.

REAerEr DATE KEEPER OF THE NATIONAL ATTEST, DATE CHIEF OF REGISTRATION 11-14-29 GPO 921-803 Properes Ferat Menister's House susMass (Wocedel) kns Meor -3-77 2099 TECHNICAL CONTROL Photos. Maps 1 1792 House & lase Seogian design. Home Z towas HISTORIAN ist ministlr who also served as doctr, and cater accept ao representativl to Atate legislatue. Oulup ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIAN ARCHEOLOGIST OTHER HAER Inventory Review REVIEW UNIT CHIEF ACCEPT Ne dousse 11/8/19 CHIEF KEEPER National Register Write-up Federal Register Entry 12:4.79 Send-back Re-submit Entered _NOV | 4 1979 United States Department of the Interior - Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service First Minister's House Gardner, Mass., WORCESTER COUNTY Eric Engelson.

Gardner Historical Commission Photo #1 of / View Looking southeast INISTER'S HOUSET 5 SEP 1979 NOV | 4 1979 - 08-1,90 MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS Office of the Secretary of State 294 Washington Street Boston, Massachusetts 02108 617-727-8470 MICHAEL JOSEPH CONNOLLY Secretary of State August 20, 1979 RECEIVED Mr. Ronald Greenberg, Acting Chief Registration Branch OAHP, Heritage,Conservation & Recreation Service 440 G Street NW Washington, D.C. 20243 5 SEP 1979 NATIONAL REGISTER Dear Mr. Greenberg, Enclosed you will find the following nomination forms: Gardner - First Minister's House Gardner - Gardner News Building Gardner - F.W. Smith Silver Co. The above have been voted eligible by the State Review Board and have been signed by the State Historic Preservation Officer.

Sincerely, chistre Bouting Christine Boulding Survey Director CB/pm ENTRIES IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER STATE MASSACHUSETTS Date Entered NOV I 4 1979 Name Location Gardner News Building First Minister's House Smith, F. W., Silver Company Gardner Worcester County Gardner Worcester County Gardner Worcester County - - Also Notified Honorable Paul Isongas Honorable Edward M. Kennedy Honorable Robert F. Drinan State Historic Preservation Officer Mrs. Patricia L. Weslowsk1 Executive Director Massachusetts Historical Conmission 294 Washington Street Boston, Massachusetts 02108 (NR Byers/bjr 11/16/79 For further information, please call the National Register at (202) 343-6401.