Fall 2023 - Steep Brook, Fall River MA - Limited Scope Historic Resource Survey
Limited Scope Historic Resource Survey Steep Brook - Fall River, MA
Prepared for:
Fall River Historical Commission
Providence, RI
Prepared by: Roger Williams University
Cummings School of Architecture, Preservation Practices Program
PRES 341/541: Building & Site Documentation and Research Methods
Elaine Stiles, Assistant Professor of Historic Preservation
FALL 2023
Limited Scope Historic Resource Survey
Steep Brook, Fall River, MA
Prepared for the Fall River Historical Commission
Prepared by:
Roger Williams University
Cumming School of Architecture
Preservation Practices Program
PRES 341/541: Building & Site Documentation and Research Methods
Fall 2023
I. Introduction
This report presents the findings of a limited-scope cultural resource survey of residential, commercial, and institutional buildings in the Steep Brook section of Fall River, Massachusetts conducted by students in Building and Site Documentation and Research Methods at Roger Williams University under the supervision of faculty member Dr. Elaine Stiles in the Fall of 2023 The purpose of the survey was to identify and evaluate properties in Steep Brook that may be eligible for the State and National Registers of Historic Places and update existing survey from the later twentieth century. Student contributors included Elisabeth Brown, Benjamin Clark, Cameron Cutler, Chloe Fortner, Erin Lomonaco, Charles McGowan, Nathaniel Oldenburg, Andrew Retford, Jayson Schlosser, Georgia Seehaus, and Oliver Sherry.
A. Scope of Work and Methods
The limited-scope survey included thirty-two properties (Figure 1). Four of the selected properties were already listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Fall River Multiple Resource Area in 1983. In addition to these properties, six more selected properties were surveyed by the Massachusetts Historical Commission in the 1970s. These ten properties were resurveyed to update and enrich the previous efforts. Twenty-two other buildings were selected due to their apparent age and proximity to the historic commercial hub of Steep Brook located near the intersection of North Main Street and Wilson Road and the original Steep Brook settlement site near the intersection of North Main Street and Wilbur Lane. Class members updated or completed Massachusetts Historical Commission Building Forms for each of the thirty-two properties, along with National Register of Historic Places Criteria Statement Forms when applicable.
Figure 1: Map of Steep Brook section of Fall River Massachusetts, indicating surveyed properties.
The survey process began in September of 2023 with field work in Steep Brook, where the class photo documented the selected properties. The class undertook an investigation of properties' owner and occupancy histories using Fall River city directories, U.S. Census data, and, for selected properties, title research. Building permit records were used to investigate properties’ physical histories. The class also employed historic maps and photographs, historic newspaper articles, and secondary sources on Fall River history and architectural history to research individual properties and the Steep Brook neighborhood. These sources were gathered from the Fall River Public Library, the Bristol County Registry of Deeds, the North Bristol County Registry of Deeds, the Fall River Building Department, and multiple online databases such as Ancestry.com and the Durfee High School’s Keeley Library Database. It is important to note that the Fall River Historical Society was closed for a major renovation project during the research period for this project, so their records could not be consulted.
The class evaluated surveyed properties according to the criteria for eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places. To be considered for listing on the National Register, a property must be at least fifty years old and must meet at least one of the following criteria:
A. The property must be associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history, or
B. The property must be associated with the lives of persons significant in our past, or
C. The property must embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction, represent the work of a master, possess high artistic values, or represent a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction, or
D. The property must show, or may be likely to yield, information important to history or prehistory.
The property must also possess sufficient integrity to convey its significance. Integrity is described through seven aspects, which include location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. 1
1 Jeff Joeckel, “How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation, National Register of Historic Places Bulletin (NRB 15),” December 16, 2001, 15, https://www.nps.gov/nr/publications/bulletins/nrb15/.
II. Historical Contexts and Development
The area of Fall River now known as Steep Brook historically supported economic endeavors including agriculture, milling, clay mining, small-scale commercial activity, recreation, and transportation. 2
A. Early European Settlement (Mid 17th to early 19th centuries)
The Steep Brook area was initially inhabited by the Pocasset and Wampanoag tribes before King Philip's War virtually exterminated the groups and forced the remaining members of the tribes to relocate. The area was settled by Europeans as early as the 1680s, likely due to access to the navigable Taunton River and a fresh source of water in Steep Brook. The settlement of Steep Brook mimicked that of previous indigenous tribes, resulting in the building along the Taunton and its tributaries and the settlers’ reliance on the river for food sources, transportation, and fertile agricultural land on the riverbanks. 3 Agriculture was the basis of the early Steep Brook economy, and early residents were primarily farmers tending the land surrounding the post road running through the area (North Main Street). At the intersection of Wilson Road and North Main Street, Fall River’s first town house was constructed in 1805 and the first post office arrived in the area in 1811, making Steep Brook the administrative center of the town 4
Associated Properties
• William B. Canedy House, 2634 North Main Street (FLR.274, NRIND/NRMRA 1983)
• Borden Winslow House, 3063 North Main Street (FLR.275, NRIND/NRMRA 1983)
• 3138 North Main Street (FLR.2227)
• 3216 North Main Street (FLR.2228)
• 3325 North Main Street (FLR.279)
• William Collins House, 3775 North Main Street (FLR.283; NRIND/NRMRA 1983)
2 Massachusetts Historical Commission, MHC Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River (Boston: Massachusetts Historical Commission, 1982).
3 Q, Stuart et al, Massachusetts Historical Commission Form A – North Main Street Area. Boston: Massachusetts Historical Commission, 2012.
4 Massachusetts Historical Commission, MHC Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River.
B.
Agriculture Development (Early 18th century to early 20th century)
Agriculture served as the base of the colonial and early Federal period economy in Fall River, and Steep Brook appears to have developed as a service center to the agricultural land around its post road. Grist mills existed early on in Steep Brook, suggesting that corn and other grains were being grown locally. 5 Farming in the neighborhood on modest scales continued into the early twentieth century. 6
Associated Properties
• William B. Canedy House, 2634 North Main Street (FLR.274, NRIND/NRMRA 1983)
• Borden Winslow House, 3063 North Main Street (FLR.275, NRIND/NRMRA 1983)
• 3325 North Main Street (FLR.279)
• Anson Davis House, 3579 North Main Street (FLR.2264)
• Jael and Elizabeth Hathaway House, 4042 North Main Street (FLR.284)
C. Industrial-Era Growth (1850-1920)
After serving as the center of Fall River during the reign of its agrarian economy, industrialization shifted the focus away from Steep to the falls on the Quequechan River where the textile industries located. In 1836, the town house was moved from Steep Brook to what is now downtown Fall River, marking it as the community’s commercial, industrial, and government center. 7 Fall River grew into one of the largest textile producing cities in the nation, by the 1870s. The mills attracted an influx of residents and workers that sparked a surge in new construction, including a smaller surge in residential construction in Steep Brook in the later nineteenth century 8 This includes properties such as 3112 North Main Street (ca. 1850, FLR.2225), the John Dyer House at 3126 North Main Street (before 1850, FLR.2226), and the Barnabas Clark House, 3247 North Main Street (before 1850, FLR.2233).
5 Massachusetts Historical Commission. MHC Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River.
6 Ancestry.com. [1850-1930] United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
7 Henry M. Fenner, History of Fall River (New York: F. T. Smiley Publishing Company, 1906).
8 Massachusetts Historical Commission. MHC Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River.
D. Commercial Activity (Early 18th century to present)
Over the course of the mid to late nineteenth century, Steep Brook continued to be a modest village center with small-scale industry, agriculture, and commerce (Figure 2) Every major farm reputedly had a wharf, or wharf access on the Taunton River, and later, access to the railroad. Steep Brook offered the “Green Dragon Inn,” opened by Orin Eddy in the mid1800s, Barnabas Clark’s blacksmith shop, and a wharf built by Job T. Wilson at the end of Wilson Road, where trade ships were constructed and local shipping trade occurred (Figure 3) 9
Some early business ventures also included a mixing plant for sidewalk and roofing material near the intersection of North Main Street and Wilson Road, a stove foundry owned by Seth Eddy, Read’s tanning yard, and various carpenter shops and boat building enterprises scattered along North Main Street. 10 All of these factors ensured Steep Brook saw a constant flow of goods and people running through the neighborhood. At the turn of the twentieth century, there were six markets a post office in Steep Brook.
Associated Properties
• 3079 North Main Street (No survey number)
• 3216 North Main Street (FLR.2228)
• 3262 North Main Street (FLR.277)
• Read and Winslow Grocery, 3282 North Main Street (FLR.2236)
9 Ann Macari Healey, "North End Residents Try To Retain Rural Character; Developers Knock On Doors," Providence Journal (RI), June 27, 1988: B-01
10 Arthur Sherman Phillips, The Phillips History of Fall River (Fall River, MA: Dover Press, 1946).
Figure 2. Map of the center of Steep Brook, George Oliver Rigby’s Steep Brook (1979)
E.
Maritime Industries (Early 18th century to early 20th century)
Steep Brook was also known for its maritime commerce, with multiple wharves constructed on the Taunton River between 1738 and the early nineteenth century. Steep Brook was well positioned for maritime commerce due to its close proximity to Taunton River and ability to trade with Cape Cod, New Bedford, and Providence. The wharves were the building sites of many ships and served as ports for ships engaging in trade locally, such as Wilson’s Wharf, which transported local wood and clay products to Newport and other cities. 11 With the advent of steam-power, a number of Steep Brook residents became steamboat captains and workers, such as William Z. Canedy and Elisha Simmons, further connecting the neighborhood with maritime activity. 12 There are a few remnants of the existence of the wharves still present in the landscape today. 13
11 “Steep Brook Was Important The Herald News (Fall River, MA). October 17, 1978, A-2. https://www.sailsinc.org/durfee/steepbrook.pdf; Massachusetts Historical Commission. MHC Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River; Healey, Ann Macari. “North End Residents Try to Retain Rural Character; Developers Knock on Doors.”
12 Sampson and Murdock and Co., Fall River Directory, 1890 (Boston: Sampson and Murdock and Co., 1874-1935, Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA.
13 Everts & Richards. Topographical Atlas of Bristol County, Massachusetts. Philadelphia: Everts & Richards, 1895.
Figure 3 “Clark Blacksmith Shop,” George Oliver Rigby, Steep Brook, 1979
F. Clay Mining (Mid to late 19th century)
Steep Brook resident Barnabas Clark discovered clay in the beds of the Steep Brook in the 1840s and sent it to Taunton to be tested. The clay proved ideal for creating fire bricks for lining furnaces. 14 Clark mined and shipped the clay to various companies, including the Presbrey Stove Lining Company in Taunton, who turned the clay into firebrick, cupola brick, stoneware, glass tile, blast furnace, and forge bricks. 15 Clay mining was continued by Clark’s greatgrandson, B. Clary Shaw, until after World War II.30 Clark’s house survives, in altered form, at 3247 North Main Street (FLR.2233).
G. Ice Harvesting and Dealing (Mid 18th century to early 20th century)
The ice industry was a main contributor to the economy in Fall River during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Watuppa Pond was a main focus for harvesting due to the size of the pond, and many companies set up ice houses on the pond shores. When the railroad came to Fall River, the commercial demand for ice increased as goods such as fresh fish, meats and dairy products were being shipped across greater distances and needed to be kept cold. 16 In Steep Brook, there were three smaller ponds with ice houses that also sent ice out on the train. The two main ice proprietors were Barnabas Clark, who had a saw and grist mill and ice house on Mill Pond and an ice house on Stump Pond, and Aaron Davis, who had an ice house on Aaron Pond. 17
H. Transportation (Early 18th century to mid 20th century)
The mid to late nineteenth century saw transportation evolution and change, many of which affected Steep Brook. Though downtown Fall River was the clear transportation hub, the
14 “Steep Brook Was Important.” The Herald News (Fall River, MA). October 17, 1978, A-2. https://www.sailsinc.org/durfee/steepbrook.pdf.
15 George Oliver Rigby, Steep Brook, (Danvers, MA: Bett’s, 1979), 10.
16 Bill Goncalo, “Harvesting the Other Crop: The Cook-Durfee Ice House and the Natural Ice Industry in Fall River,” The Hatchet: A Journal of Lizzie Borden and Victorian Studies, July 14, 2018, https://lizzieandrewborden.com/HatchetOnline/harvesting-the-other-crop-the-cook-durfee-ice-house-and-thenatural-ice-industry-in-fall-river.html
17 Rigby, Steep Brook, 1-9.
railroad, streetcars, and steamships all had a presence in the Steep Brook neighborhood. 18 Stage coach service to Fall River started in 1808 and took passengers from Fall River to Boston, Providence, and Newport with a stop at the Green Dragon Inn at Steep Brook. Colonel Richard Borden helped establish the Fall River Railroad in 1844 with a route to Boston that ran through Steep Brook along the Taunton River. The railroad expanded its lines to other cities and eventually merged with the Old Colony Railroad in 1854, connecting Fall River to Boston, New Bedford, Cape Cod, and Providence (Figure 4) 19 A station in Steep Brook was established by 1870. 20 Ferries transported goods from wharves in Steep Brook in the mid-nineteenth century (Figure 5).
James H. Wilson began running his steam and electric-powered omnibus service along North Main Street in 1875 until the advent of the electric streetcar (Figure 6) 21 In 1880, Globe Street Railways laid trolley tracks along North Main Street. The service included horse cars and then, in 1892, an electric streetcar. The streetcar lines, later part of the Old Colony Street Railway, connected Steep Brook residents with jobs downtown, and brought residents from throughout the city to the recreational facilities developed on the banks of the Taunton River (Figure 7). 22 Steep Brook also saw an increase in housing development during the early twentieth century as the streetcars, and then automobiles made the outlying areas of the city better connected to the downtown. Examples include properties such as 3100 North Main Street (ca. 1900, FLR.2224).
18 Phillips, The Phillips History of Fall River; William A Moniz, “Horses, Trolleys Kept Fall River Moving in Early Days,” The Standard-Times, July 6, 2012. https://www.southcoasttoday.com/story/news/2012/07/05/horses-trolleyskept-fall-river/49571750007/.
19 Dan Madeiros, “Train Timeline: Tracking Fall River's history from Old Colony Railroad to South Coast Rail.” The Herald News (Fall River, MA). October 25, 2021. https://www.heraldnews.com/story/business/transportation/2021/10/25/fall-river-railroad-history-old-colonysouth-coast-rail/6167656001/
20 Phillips, The Phillips History of Fall River; Massachusetts Historical Commission, MHC Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River
21 Phillips, The Phillips History of Fall River.
22 Moniz, “Horses, Trolleys Kept Fall River Moving in Early Days.”
Figure 4. Map showing lines of Old Colony Railroad (O.C.R.R.) and Fall River Railroad (F.R.R.R.) in 1846 (Boston to Plymouth and South Braintree to Fall River, Massachusetts). Source: Wikipedia
Figure 5. Railroad passenger depot at Steep Brook (no longer extant). Collection of the Keeley Library, B.M.C. Durfee High School, Fall River, MA. https://www.sailsinc.org/durfee/cdpictures/steepbrook4.jpg
Figure 6. J. H. Wilson’s Omnibus in the late 19th Century (L) and a surviving omnibus (R). Rigby, Steep Brook, 1979 and https://www.southcoasttoday.com/story/news/2007/12/06/omnibusgiven-to-freetown-historical/52716670007/.
Figure 7. Detail, Tri-State Trolley Map (MA, NH, RI), 1910. Map shows Boston & Northern Street Railway Company (to the north of Boston), and the Old Colony Street Railway Company (to the south of Boston).
I. Recreation (Mid 19th century to mid 20th century)
There were three main recreational areas in Steep Brook: Forest Hill Gardens, Riverview Gardens, and Bliffin’s Beach (Figures 8 and 9). All three were located along the east bank of the Taunton River. Forest Hill Gardens was located on North Main Street in the vicinity of Baldwin and Holland streets. Originally known as Ashley’s Grove, Forest Hill Gardens included an amusement hall, skating rink, dance hall, restaurant clam house, a hotel, and even a theater at one point. However, by 1895, it was closed and the land was purchased for the development of St. Vincent’s Orphanage Home (no longer extant). 23 Riverview Gardens opened in 1895, advertising itself as a “A Cool and Delightful Shore Resort.” Located on the west side of North Main Street north of Winslow Street, the site offered music, dancing, amusements and games, and catered events. 24 The venue also hosted clambake dinners, bowling, lawn tennis, derby horses and dancing until it was sold in 1926. 25 The recreational site that took the most advantage of its coastal location was Bliffin’s Beach. The beach was a popular destination for swimming lessons, swimming races, and other events and included a diving platform and concessions The site closed due to problematic pollution sometime after 1950s. 26
23 “Forest Hill Gardens of Fifty Years Ago.” Fall River Herald News. August 3, 1932:7.
24 Sampson & Murdock Company, Fall River City Directory 1895, (Boston: Sampson & Murdock Company, 1895), 852. Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA
25 “125 Years: A Glimpse of the Past,” Fall River Herald News, January 19, 1998, 26.
26 “Instruction in Swimming at Bliffin’s Beach,” Fall River Herald News, July 7. 1925, 9; “Rules, Course are Announced by Committee,” Fall River Herald News, July 24, 1934, 13; “Brilliant Scene at Garden Party.” Fall River Herald News, July 10, 1933, 5. Stefani Koorey, Fall River Revisited (Charleston, SC: Arcadia, 2012), 67-68.
Figure 8. View of Forest Hill Gardens by Richard Mallory, 1894. https://www.vintagecitymaps.com/product/fall-river-ma-1894/
9. Postcard showing the swimming area at Bliffin’s Beach. Source: Digital Commonwealth.
Figure
J. Education (Early 19th century to early 21st century)
The first public school constructed in Steep Brook was opened in 1811. Histories of Fall River discuss that the school system lacked resources and funding; the city had only three schools by the 1820s. School classes were sometimes held in private homes, and in 1826, the town hall also served as a school for a short time. 27 A second mixed-grade school, the North Steep Brook School, opened in Steep Brook in 1878. 28 In 1897, the neighborhood petitioned for a new school to help separate primary and secondary classes 29 It was not until 1911, however, that the William J. Wiley School (FLR.2008) opened to accommodate students from the other overcrowded schools. 30
K.
Religion (Early 18th
century to present)
While Steep Brook and Fall River were still a part of the land acquired in the Freetown Purchase, the area around Steep Brook was its religious center, with the First Congregational Church being erected ca. 1714 on North Main Street. 31 In 1803, Fall River separated from Freetown and the congregation split between a new house of worship at the “Four Corners” of Assonet built in 1809 and the First Congregational Church in downtown Fall River completed in 1816. 32 It is unknown when the original Congregational church in Steep Brook was demolished. Steep Brook residents organized and erected two later churches: the North Christian Congregational Church (FLR.241, NRIND/NRMRA 1983) in 1842 and the North Methodist Episcopal Church (FLR.2234) in 1854.
L. Immigration (Early 19th century to mid 20th century)
The earliest European settlers in Steep Brook were predominantly English immigrants
27 Henry M Fenner, History of Fall River (New York: F. T. Smiley Publishing Company, 1906).
28 Sampson & Murdock Company, Fall River City Directory 1878 (Boston: Sampson & Murdock Company, 1878), 386.
29 “That New School.” Fall River Daily Herald. May 29, 1897, 1.
30 K. Miller, Q. Stuart, A. Cahoon, “Massachusetts Historical Commission Form B – Building for 2585 North Main Street, Fall River, MA, [FLR.2008], December, 2012, Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Commission, Boston, MA.
31 Massachusetts Historical Commission. MHC Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River.
32 Palo Alto Pierce, A History of the Town of Freetown, Massachusetts: with an Account of the Old Home Festival, July 30th, 1902 (Fall River, MA: Press of J.H. Franklin & Co., 1902) 29-46.
The later expansion of mills in Fall River attracted an influx of immigrants, including as Portuguese, Irish, English, German, and French Canadians.38 Steep Brook reflects these demographics at properties such as 3079 North Main Street, which housed English immigrants William and Elizabeth Marsden, French Canadian immigrant Julia O’Neill, and Portuguese immigrants Antone and Maria Perreira at different times since its construction, or 3579 North Main Street (FLR.2264), that housed Irish immigrant Delia M. O’Brien. 33
M. Architectural Trends
Steep Brook contains a small collection of modest cape or two-story, double-pile, center chimney houses with some Federal styling dating from the late colonial and early Federal periods (see FLR.282, FLR.2263, FLR.283, FLR.274, FLR.275, FLR.2227, FLR.2228, FLR.279, FLR 2260). Unusual survivals include the half-house form seen at 3562 North Main Street (FLR.2261). Later architectural staples in Steep Brook include modest Italianate (FLR.2264; FLR.2225) and Greek Revival houses along North Main Street as well as double houses (FLR.2238, FLR.2255) and side hall forms (FLR.2245, FLR.2250). 34 The Queen Anne-style house at 3100 North Main Street (FLR.2224) is an architectural highlight of the area, as is the ClassicalRevival style William J. Wiley School (2585 North Main Street, FLR.2008).
III. Properties Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Four of the surveyed buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places (Figure 10). All four were listed via the Fall River Multiple Resource Area nomination in 1983.
William Collins House, 3775 North Main Street (FLR. 283)
3775 North Main Street is an early nineteenth-century cape form building referred to as the William Collins House. Collins was a master mariner in Steep Brook from the early to midnineteenth century. The Collins House was nominated under Criterion A for its association with
33 Ancestry.com. [1920-1940] United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010; Sampson & Murdock Company, Fall River City Directory, (Boston: Sampson & Murdock Company, 1940-1950).
34 Wendy Frontiero, Vivienne Lasky, Peter Stott, and Sarah Zimmerman, “Fall River Multiple Resource Area National Register Nomination Form,” United States Department of the Interior, 1983.
the early development of Steep Brook as an agricultural center; as well as Criterion C because it is a rare survival of a pre-industrial building in Fall River.
Figure 10: Map of Steep Brook, Massachusetts, denoting properties on the National Registry and eligible for the National Registry.
North Christian Congregational Church, 3538 North Main Street (FLR.241)
The North Christian Congregational Church was built in 1842 and originally sported Greek Revival and Gothic Revival features. The church was nominated under Criterion A for its early association with Steep Brook’s religious and communal history and under criterion C for its Greek and Gothic Revival design.
3063 North Main Street (FLR.275)
3063 North Main Street is Georgian-style dwelling built ca. 1740 or ca. 1770-85. This building is thought to be one of Fall River's oldest dwellings. The house was nominated under criterion A for being one of the earliest remaining houses in Fall River, and under criterion C for being a rare surviving example of Georgian architecture.
Squire William Barnabas Canedy House, 2634 North Main Street (FLR. 274)
The Squire William Barnabas Canedy House at 2634 North Main Street was constructed in 1806 by farmer and prominent Steep Brook community member William B. Canedy. 35 It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion A for its association with pre-industrial development in Fall River and Criterion C for its architectural significance as a distinctive example of the Federal style. 36 Tradition maintains that the house operated as a stop on the Underground Railroad, but further research is necessary to confirm this. 37
35 Ellen Rosebrock, “Massachusetts Historical Commission Form B – Building for 2634 North Main Street, Fall River, MA [FLR.274],” October 21, 1977, Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Commission; Orin Fowler, History of Fall River with Notices of Freetown and Tiverton (Boston: Almy and Milne, 1841) 63-65.
36 Wendy Frontiero, Vivienne Lasky, Peter Stott, and Sarah Zimmerman, “Fall River Multiple Resource Area National Register Nomination Form.”
37 Constance Winslow, “Fall River’s Old Houses,” Fall River Herald News, June 1, 1955.
IV. Survey Findings
A. General Observations
During the class’s survey of Steep Brook, there were a number of things that stood out to us. To start, Steep Brook is known for the presence of a significant clustering of surviving colonial and pre-industrial era houses. Although their historic integrity is in some cases compromised, these buildings’ rarity and survival make them significant within the city. We also discovered significant losses in the past century or more. One of the biggest losses has been commercial buildings. Steep Brook was a small, but vibrant commercial center in the nineteenth century with numerous businesses clustered around the intersection of North Main Street and Wilson Road. The photographs in Figures 11 and 12 give a sense of the character of the area in the early twentieth century. Other key properties such as Barnabas Clark’s grist mill, blacksmith shop, and ice house have all been lost to us. Additionally, Steep Brook has lost the recreational facilities that once attracted people to it from other areas. Most of these have already been discussed, such as Bliffin’s Beach and Riverview Gardens, but it is worth mentioning how their loss affects the community.
Figure 11: A view of Main Street in Steep Brook at the Wilson Road intersection. Source: “‘Historic Freetown’ as Read in F.R. Historical Society,” Fall River Herald News, January 12, 1928, 16.
Figure 12: A view of North Main Street in Steep Brook at the Wilson Road intersection, looking south. Wilson Road enters at the left. Source: “‘Historic Freetown’ as Read in F.R. Historical Society,” Fall River Herald News, January 12, 1928, 16.
During our research on Steep Brook some interesting stories also emerged. The North Methodist Episcopal Church, which will be discussed in more detail later, lost its steeple and was rehabilitated into a single-family dwelling. James H. Wilson was a descendent of Roger Wilson, who “helped fit out” the Mayflower. 38 Wilson at one point lived in the Green Dragon Inn and founded an omnibus service to transport citizens between the north and south sides of the city. 39 Census records have shown us that he eventually died in Butler Asylum in Providence. One of the properties we researched twice caught on fire from a passing train bound for Boston. Overall, as sleepy as Steep Brook seems, it has a rich history that's relevant to all of Fall River.
B. Properties Appearing Eligible for the National Register of Historic Places
Of the 32 buildings surveyed, four appear eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
38 “Early Days of Steep Brook Pictured by Mrs. R.N. Allen.” Fall River Herald News,January 30, 1934, 3
39 Rigby, Steep Brook, 25.
2585 North Main Street (FLR.2008)
The William J. Wiley School at 2585 North Main Street is a nine-room Classical Revival-style schoolhouse constructed in 1911 to help remedy overcrowding in the Steep Brook, Border City, and Borden Schools. 40 The William J. Wiley school appears eligible for listing on the National Register for its association with a pattern of school construction in early-twentieth-century Fall River as well as for its architectural significance as a well-preserved Classical Revival-style earlytwentieth-century schoolhouse.
3100 North Main Street (FLR.2224)
3100 North Main Street, called the Mercy Winslow House, was constructed by the Winslow family as a single-family house around 1900. 41 3100 North Main Street appears eligible for listing on the National Register for its architectural significance as a well-preserved Queen Anne-style residence from the turn of the twentieth century.
3562 North Main Street (FLR. 2261)
3562 North Main Street was constructed early nineteenth century and appears eligible to be listed on the National Register under Criterion C for its existence as a rare surviving half house which has survived with minimal alterations, and a fully surviving front facade.
4042 North Main Street (FLR.284)
4042 North Main Street was constructed in 1785 and is an intact example of Federal style architecture. The house was owned by several generations of farmers, including Revolutionary battalion captain Jael Hathaway, who reportedly built the house. It serves as an example of the early linear development of Steep Brook that we still see today. This home appears to be eligible for the National Register under criterion A for its association with the pre-industrial
40 K. Miller, Q. Stuart, A. Cahoon, “Massachusetts Historical Commission Form B – Building for 2585 North Main Street, Fall River, MA, [FLR.2008].
41 Deed for 3100 North Main Street, from Frederick Winslow to Mercy Sylvester, October 9, 1890. Book 492, Page 19 North Bristol County Registry of Deeds, Taunton, MA.
agricultural practices of Steep Brook and the initial European-American linear development of the neighborhood as a result of these practices, as well as criterion C for its rare surviving example of a pre-industrial Federal building.
C. Properties That Could Contribute to a National Register Historic District
We only surveyed a small number of properties in the Steep Brook area and did not fully assess the potential for a historic district at Steep Brook. However, a number properties in the neighborhood could contribute to a potential historic district.
3576 North Main Street (FLR.2263)
3576 North Main is potentially eligible for the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing property to a historic district under Criterion A for its association with the preindustrial agrarian development of Steep Brook in the eighteenth century. The property’s early association with agriculture as its primary economic source, since its early owners worked as farmers, qualifies the property’s contribution to a historic district’s national register nomination under Criterion A. The property may qualify for the National Register as part of a historic district under Criterion C due to the rarity of its survival from Steep Brook’s early development in the eighteenth century. Though its modernized features and material updates diminish the historic integrity of the house as an eighteenth century vernacular house with a cape form, the survival of its form alone is compelling evidence of the early development of Steep Brook.
3325 North Main Street (FLR.279)
The house at 3325 North Main Street, built around 1800, could contribute to a historic district under Criterion C an example of the pre-industrial Federal style in Fall River, though it has also lost integrity over the years.
D. Buildings of Interest
Some of the buildings we surveyed, while not apparently eligible for listing on the National Register, shed light on the history of the neighborhood. Many of them have very little integrity, but still warrant mention.
3079 North Main Street
The property at 3079 North Main Street was built around 1910. 42 It served as tenement housing with a shop in its basement. 43 Newspaper records reveal the store sold tobacco, ice cream, candy, groceries, and soda in the 1910s and 1920s. 44
3247 North Main Street (FLR.2233)
The house at 3247 North Main is associated with the major industry ventures of Barnabas Clark, a person of much interest in the understanding of Steep Brook’s history. His major industry ventures represent the pattern of development of Steep Brook between the 1850s and the 1900s. Clark was the first person to live in the house, located just west of the clay pits he mined. Clark was also prominent in Fall River’s ice dealing industry in the late nineteenth century. In addition, his blacksmith business was just south of the house (no longer extant).
3262 North Main Street (FLR.277)
3262 North Main Street was locally known for much of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as The Green Dragon Inn. The Green Dragon Inn was owned by Job Wilson, an important name in Steep Brook circles. He was the son of James H. Wilson who led the James H. Wilson coal company. Job Wilson also had founded the North Methodist Episcopal Church originally at 3338 North Main Street, built a wharf at the end of Wilson Road, and petitioned to construct a new road in Steep Brook.
42 Sampson & Murdock Company, Fall River City Directory 1912, (Boston: Sampson & Murdock Company, 1912). Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA.
43 “To Let,” The Evening Herald, December 16, 1915, 7; “For Sale,” The Fall River Globe, May 28, 1918, 10.
44 “Superior Officers Talk with Board of Police,” The Evening Herald, February 5, 1914, 11; “Doreo Poulhus,” The Evening Herald, September 23, 1921, 9
3282 North Main Street (FLR.2336)
3282 North Main Street was built ca. 1803 and served as a post office run by the Read Family by the late 1800s. Walter D. Read’s store features in an advertisement, selling “Groceries and Provisions” especially “Hay, Grain and Flour.” 45 Historian George O. Rigby cites that “one could get almost anything from a common pin to a bale of hay.” 46 Later it was renamed the Wilson Road market in the 1950s, and eventually it was renovated into a home and later into apartments some time during the 1970s.
3320 North Main Street (FLR.278)
The house at 3320 North Main Street is tied to the North Methodist Episcopal Church and Howard Lothrop, a former Superintendent of Parks of Fall River. It was originally built during the mid-nineteenth century, and hosted locals like Cyrus S. Lothrop from the 1890s to the 1920s, a sexton for the North Methodist Episcopal Church, in addition to the previously aforementioned Howard Lothrop, who was Superintendent of Parks from 1904 to 1950. The land 3320 is on was purchased by Job Wilson for usage by the North Methodist Episcopal Church, the same church he created, and Wilson owned it from 1853 to 1868. However, over the years the house has suffered many alterations that challenge its integrity.
3338 North Main Street (FLR.2243)
3338 North Main Street began life as the North Methodist Episcopal Church in 1854, but since then it has drastically lost integrity, especially with its missing steeple, vinyl siding, and asphalt roofing. It stopped being used as a church in 1970
3484/3494 North Main Street (FLR.2255)
3484/3494 North Main Street was built ca. 1897 as a two-family house. For most of its history it was owned and occupied by the Canedys, beginning with William Z. Canedy, followed by Ida E. Canedy and eventually their daughter Florence L. Lewin. William Z. Canedy was a
45 Sampson & Murdock Co. Fall River (Bristol County, Mass.) City Directory 1900. Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA.
46 Rigby, Steep Brook, 49
notable steamship captain. He worked on the Fall River steamship line for over forty years. All the ships on the line had their flags at half-mast when he died, making William Z. Canedy a very important local in Steep Brook’s history.
V. Recommendations
Historic District Eligibility
This limited-scope historic resource survey is just a starting point and a larger, more comprehensive study should be conducted. Our evaluations discuss that some properties could contribute to a National Register historic district, but we did not do further work to establish potential district boundaries or other contributors. It is recommended that an evaluation of Steep Brook and its eligibility as a historic district be further researched and evaluated
Historic Context Development
There are several historic contexts in Steep Brook that warrant further study. More research could be done into the commerce and small-scale industry that was present along North Main Street, especially at the intersection with Wilson Road. There is also little known about the ice harvesting industries, clay mining, or agriculture in the area. What crops were farmed here, where were the farms were located, how they interacted with the wharfs and shipping in the area, or if there is still evidence of the farms, are all important questions. More research about the railroad connections in Streep Brook would help to explain the commercial and industrial activities there. It is also unclear as to Steep Brook’s importance in terms of maritime industries. More research on the various recreational beaches and entertainment areas that once served not only Steep Brook, but all of Fall River, would give us more information about this context. Finally, research should be done on the greater events in Fall River’s history, such as the Hurricane of 1938 or the closing of the textile mills and how Steep Brook was affected.
Additional Property Research
Some additional property-specific research is also warranted. For example, the connection between the Canedy House (FLR.274) and the Underground Railroad, or how buildings such as
the North Christian Congregational Church (FLR.241) and North Methodist Episcopal Church (FLR.2243) served the community deserve further attention.
Interpretation and Education
There is also more work that could be done to bring awareness to the Steep Brook area. Interviewing residents and former residents of the Steep Brook neighborhood and collecting oral histories from them is one way to not only bring awareness to the importance of the neighborhood to the residents but also to shed light on an important component of Fall River’s history. Additionally, re-designating or “branding” the neighborhood as Steep Brook would serve to continue its narrative and to connect the current neighborhood with its past.
To spread awareness of Steep Brook, the research that has been conducted on the neighborhood through this effort could be made accessible to the public through the efforts of the Fall River Historical Commission, perhaps in partnership with the Fall River Public Library and the Fall River Historical Society. The owners of the studied historic homes of Steep Brook could also be sent the research compiled on their homes. Other ways to raise awareness include a marker program for its historic properties and annual tours highlighting the historic properties and general neighborhood history of Steep Brook.
VI. Bibliography
“125 Years: A Glimpse of the Past.” Fall River Herald News. January 19, 1998, 26.
Allen, R.N. “Early Days of Steep Brook Pictured by Mrs. R.N. Allen.” Fall River Herald News January 30, 1934, 3.
Ancestry.com. [1850-1930] United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
“Brilliant Scene at Garden Party.” Fall River Herald News. July 10, 1933, 5.
Deed for 3100 North Main Street from Frederick Winslow to Mercy Sylvester, October 9, 1890. Book 492, Page 19, North Bristol County Registry of Deeds, Taunton, MA.
“Doreo Poulhus,” The Evening Herald, September 23, 1921, 9.
Early Days of Steep Brook Pictured by Mrs. R.N. Allen,” Fall River Herald News, January 30, 1934, 3
Everts & Richards. Topographical Atlas of Bristol County, Massachusetts. Philadelphia: Everts & Richards, 1895.
Fenner, Henry M. History of Fall River. New York: F. T. Smiley Publishing Company, 1906.
“For Sale,” The Fall River Globe, May 28, 1918, 10
“Forest Hill Gardens of Fifty Years Ago.” Fall River Herald News. August 3, 1932, 7.
Fowler, Orin. History of Fall River with Notices of Freetown and Tiverton. Boston: Almy and Milne, 1841.
Frontiero, Wendy, Vivienne Lasky, Peter Stott, and Sarah Zimmerman. “Fall River Multiple Resource Area National Register Nomination Form.” United States Department of the Interior, 1983.
Goncalo, Bill. “Harvesting the Other Crop: The Cook-Durfee Ice House and the Natural Ice Industry in Fall River.” The Hatchet: A Journal of Lizzie Borden and Victorian Studies. July 14, 2018. https://lizzieandrewborden.com/HatchetOnline/harvesting-the-other-cropthe-cook-durfee-ice-house-and-the-natural-ice-industry-in-fall-river.html
Healey, Ann Macari. "North End Residents Try To Retain Rural Character; Developers Knock On Doors." Providence Journal (RI), June 27, 1988: B-01. Newsbank: Access World News –Historical And Current. Https://Infoweb-NewsbankCom.Rwulib.Idm.Oclc.Org/Apps/News/DocumentView?P=Worldnews&Docref=News/15252785ceadd3e8.
“‘Historic Freetown’ as Read in F.R. Historical Society.” Fall River Herald News, January 12, 1928, 16
“Instruction in Swimming at Bliffin’s Beach.” Fall River Herald News. July 7. 1925, 9
Joeckel, Jeff. “How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation, National Register of Historic Places Bulletin (NRB 15),” December 16, 2001, 15, https://www.nps.gov/nr/publications/bulletins/nrb15/.
Koorey, Stefani Fall River Revisited Charleston, SC: Arcadia, 2012.
Massachusetts Historical Commission. MHC Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River Boston: Massachusetts Historical Commission, 1982.
Madeiros, Dan. “Train Timeline: Tracking Fall River's history from Old Colony Railroad to South Coast Rail.” The Herald News (Fall River, MA). October 25, 2021. https://www.heraldnews.com/story/business/transportation/2021/10/25/fall-riverrailroad-history-old-colony-south-coast-rail/6167656001/.
Miller,K et al, “Massachusetts Historical Commission Form B – Building for 2585 North Main Street, Fall River, MA, [FLR.2008], December, 2012, Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Commission, Boston, MA.
Moniz, William A. “Horses, Trolleys Kept Fall River Moving in Early Days.” The Standard-Times. July 6, 2012. https://www.southcoasttoday.com/story/news/2012/07/05/horsestrolleys-kept-fall-river/49571750007/
Phillips, Arthur Sherman. The Phillips History of Fall River. Fall River, MA: Dover Press, 1946.
Pierce, Palo Alto. A History of the Town of Freetown, Massachusetts: with an Account of the Old Home Festival, July 30th, 1902. Fall River, MA: Press of J.H. Franklin & Co., 1902.
Rigby, George Oliver. Steep Brook Danvers, MA: Bett’s, 1979.
Rosebrock, Ellen, “Massachusetts Historical Commission Form B – Building for 2634 North Main Street, Fall River, MA [FLR.274],” October 21, 1977, Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Commission
“Rules, Course are Announced by Committee.” Fall River Herald News. July 24, 1934, 13
Sampson and Murdock and Co. Fall River Directory. Boston: Sampson and Murdock and Co., 1874-1935. Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA.
“Steep Brook Was Important.” The Herald News (Fall River, MA). October 17, 1978, A-2. https://www.sailsinc.org/durfee/steepbrook.pdf.
Stuart, Q. et al. Massachusetts Historical Commission Form A – North Main Street Area. Boston: Massachusetts Historical Commission, 2012.
“Superior Officers Talk with Board of Police.” The Evening Herald. February 5, 1914, 11.
“That New School.” Fall River Daily Herald. May 29, 1897, 1.
“To Let,” The Evening Herald, December 16, 1915, 7.
Winslow, Constance. “Fall River’s Old Houses ” Fall River Herald News June 1, 1955.
Appendix: Table of Surveyed Properties
MHC Inventory Number Address
FLR.2008 2585 North Main Street William J. Wiley School T-17-0001 1911 Eligible – Individual
FLR.274 2634 North Main Street Squire William B. Canedy House T-01-0028 1806 Listed
FLR.275 3063 North Main Street Borden-Winslow House T-25-0027 Ca. 1740 Listed
N/A 3079 North Main Street Residences/Grocery T-25-0026 Ca. 1910 Not Eligible
FLR.2224 3100 North Main Street Mercy Winslow House T-16-0024 Ca. 1900 Eligible – Individual
FLR.2225 3112 North Main Street George Brightman House T-16-0010 Ca. 1855 Not Eligible
FLR.2226 3126 North M2226ain Street Mary Dyer House T-16-0011 Ca. 1840 Eligible - District
FLR.2233 3247 North Main Street Barnabas Clark House T-25-0048 Ca. 1855 Not Eligible
FLR.2234 3248 North Main Street James H. Wilson House T-16-0017 Ca. 1870 Not Eligible
FLR.277 3262 North Main Street Green Dragon Inn T-16-0018 Ca. 1880 Not Eligible
FLR 2236 3282-3286 North Main Street Read & Winslow Grocery X-01-0001 Ca. 1865 Not Eligible
FLR.2238 3300-3302 North Main Street Walter D. Read House X-01-0002 Ca. 1898 Not Eligible
FLR.2239 3301 North Main Street William and Ella Lannigan House T-25-0057 Ca. 1930 Not Eligible
FLR.278 3320 North Main Street Philip Wilbur House X-01-0003 Ca. 1870 Not Eligible
FLR. 279 3325 North Main Street Read-Hathaway House X-05-0002 Ca. 1800 Eligible- District
FLR. 2242 3326 North Main Street X-01-0015 Ca. 1900 Not Eligible
FLR.2243 3338 North Main Street North Methodist Episcopal Church X-01-0012 1854 Not Eligible
MHC Inventory Number Address
FLR.2245 3350 North Main Street North Methodist Episcopal Church Parsonage X-01-004 Ca. 1897 Not Eligible
FLR.2250 3417 North Main Street Francis B. O’Neil House X-05-0007 1902 Not Eligible
FLR.2252 3458 North Main Street X-01-008 Ca. 1900 Not Eligible
FLR.2253 3472 North Main Street X-02-0016 Ca. 1900 Not Eligible
FLR.2255 3484 North Main Street William Z. and Ida Canedy House X-02-0003 Ca. 1895 Not Eligible
FLR.241 3538 North Main Street North Christian Congregational Church X-02-0015 1842 Listed
FLR.282 3548 North Main Street X-02-0007 1820 Not Eligible
FLR.2260 3555 North Main Street X-05-0018 1799 Not Eligible
FLR.2261 3562 North Main Street X-02-0008 Ca. 1853 Eligible - Individual
FLR.2263 3576 North Main Street X-02-0009 1791 Eligible – District
FLR.2264 3579 North Main Street Anson Davis House X-05-0019 1870 Not Eligible
FLR.283 3775 North Main Street William Collins House X-03-0018 Ca. 1800 Listed
FLR.284 4042 North Main Street Jael Hathaway House X-03-0005 1785 Eligible - Individual
☐ 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.
2585 North Main Street is a two-story, rectangular plan school building located on a corner lot along a residential and commercial thoroughfare. The building sits atop a moderate rise above North Main Street partially lined by concrete curbing and chain-link fence. A concrete stairway and pathway lead from the sidewalk to the main entrance on the west façade, and another concrete stairway and pathway near the northwestern corner of the property parallel the north elevation. There is an asphaltpaved lot adjacent to the east (rear) elevation of the building. The south elevation of the building is not visually accessib le. Constructed in the Classical Revival style, the steel and concrete structure is sheathed in red brick and its window trim, quoins, and water table are made of granite. The roof is flat and sheathed in rolled rubber.
The building’s west façade is five bays wide, with the main entrance located in the central bay. The central bay and the two outermost bays project shallowly. A granite staircase leads up to the central bay’s attached porch, sheltering the main entrance. The entrance features a rounded-arch brick door surround. Flanking recessed blind arches with granite sills and keystones mimic the door surround. Two cast stone Doric columns support a cast stone entablature, which includes a stone plaque that reads “WILLIAM J WILEY SCHOOL”, flanked by cast stone brackets. The arched transom situated above the modern aluminum double-leaf paneled doors appears to be sealed with plywood. The second story of the central bay features a modern 1/1 double-hung window surrounded by brownstone trim. All bays except the center one feature sets of three 1/1 double-hung windows on each story of the façade, surrounded by granite trim. Windows on the two outermost bays as well as on the center bay are larger than those in the recessed bays. Basement story windows appear in a regular pattern along the façade, north elevation, and east elevation, though they have all been boarded up. Near the roofline, a cornice extends around the entire building, topped by a parapet wall with a molded copper cornice, a brick frieze, and a brownstone taenia.
Side elevations feature a full-height projecting central bay. The east elevation features a centered, single-story semi-hexagonal bay window. Fenestration patterns on secondary elevations are regular and feature modern 1/1 double-hung windows. The central bay of the north elevation features a modern aluminum double-leaf paneled door entryway accessed via concrete steps. Two small concrete masonry wall sheds extend from the east elevation with modern aluminum doors.
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 William J. Wiley Public School was constructed between 1910 and 1911 by contractor Mitchell Nicholson as a nine-room Classical Revival style school in a lightly residentially developed part of southern Steep Brook. 1 Named after a long-time president and member of the Fall River Board of Aldermen, the school officially opened on September 23, 1911. Students came from the Steep Brook, Border City and Borden Schools. It accommodated approximately 260 students in levels Kindergarten through Eighth Grade, with a staff of ten (Beers 1871; Everts & Richards 1895; Sanborn Map Company 1933; Fall River Public Schools 1911:22). 2
1 “Work on Wiley School,” The Evening Herald, November 25, 1910; K. Miller, Q. Stuart, and A. Cahoon, “Massachusetts Historical Commission Form B – Building for 2585 North Main Street, Fall River, MA [FLR.274],” December, 2012, Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Commission.
2 K. Miller, Q. Stuart, and A. Cahoon, “Massachusetts Historical Commission Form B – Building for 2585 North Main Street, Fall River, MA [FLR.274],” December, 2012, Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Commission.
Shortly after the building was constructed, school administrators identified a few issues in the property’s construction and design. A 1912 Fall River public school system report documented that the building had severely leaking windows, no water access on the second floor, a poorly maintained yard, and no walkway from the street to the front door. Lastly, the school provided only two drinking fountains (located in each of the building’s two basements) for approximately 260 students, who shared a single recess period (Fall River Public Schools 1911:35-36). 3 At the expense of the contractor, wall repointing and roof repairs were undertaken immediately. 4 Building permit records indicate that in 1975, part of the property was paved with asphalt and a fence was installed. They also note the replacement of the structure’s roof in 1994. 5 The school closed in 2005. 6
Steep Brook Background:
Steep Brook is located in the northwestern part of Fall River, which was itself a part of Freetown, Massachusetts until its incorporation as a separate town in 1803. 7 British settlement in Steep Brook dates back to the mid-seventeenth century. 8 Steep Brook served as Fall River’s original town center. 9 Most of Fall River’s surviving pre-industrial properties are located in Steep Brook, 10 which functioned as an agricultural village and service area along the Post Road prior to the onset of large-scale industrialization in the heart of Fall River in the nineteenth century. 11 In the seventeenth century, crops and fields were likely maintained by seasonal workers, as there is no evidence of residential settlement during this period; farmers began to inhabit the area in the eighteenth century. 12
The topography of Fall River aided in the area’s industrial development, as access to streams and the Taunton River enabled maritime transport and commercial activity throughout the 1800s. 13 In the early nineteenth century, the village boasted such enterprises as saw and grist mills, blacksmith shops, a stove foundry, a tan yard, and multiple boat-building businesses. 14 The area surrounding the intersection of North Main Street and Wilson Road marked the commercial hub of Steep Brook, where many of these ventures took place. 15 Steep Brook also boasted a wharf and shipyard where Wilson Road met the Taunton River. 16 Barges and steamers frequented Steep Brook, transporting goods and passengers throughout the region and beyond. 17 Transportation played a vital role in the history of Steep Brook. Fall River’s railway system was established in 1844. A decade later, the Fall River Railroad merged with the Old Colony Railroad, connecting Fall River to Providence, New Bedford, and Boston. 18 The railroad featured a stop in Steep Brook. 19 In the early 1800s, the stagecoach line that ran from Boston to Newport featured a stop at Steep Brook’s Green Dragon Inn. 20 Steep Brook also boasted its own omnibus service, pioneered by local businessman James H. Wilson to connect Steep Brook to Globe Village in southern Fall River prior to the introduction of the streetcar. 21 In 1880, Fall River’s Globe Street Railway was established. Horse drawn trolleys transported riders to and from
3 K. Miller, Q. Stuart, and A. Cahoon, “Massachusetts Historical Commission Form B – Building for 2585 North Main Street, Fall River, MA [FLR.274],” December, 2012, Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Commission.
4 “Contractor Pays $230 Bill,” The Fall River Daily Evening News, September 28, 1914.
5 Fall River Building Department, Fall River, Massachusetts, “Building Permit for 2585 North Main Street,” 1975 and 1994.
6 “William J. Wiley Elementary School,” Public School Review, https://www.publicschoolreview.com/william-j-wiley-elementary-school-profile.
7 “Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River,” Massachusetts Historical Commission, 1982, 1.
8 George Oliver Rigby, Steep Brook. 1st ed. Danvers, MA: Bett’s, 1979, 15.
9 Wendy Frontiero, Vivienne Lasky, Peter Stott, and Sarah Zimmerman, “Fall River Multiple Resource Area National Register Nomination Form,” United States Department of the Interior, 1983, 3.
10 Q. Stuart, K. Miller, and A. Cahoon, “Area Form for Steep Brook,” Massachusetts Historical Commission. December, 2012, 1.
11 “Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River,” Massachusetts Historical Commission, 1982, 1.
12 “Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River,” Massachusetts Historical Commission, 1982, 3-4.
13 Wendy Frontiero, Vivienne Lasky, Peter Stott, and Sarah Zimmerman, “Fall River Multiple Resource Area National Register Nomination Form,” United States Department of the Interior, 1983, 13.
14 Arthur Sherman Phillips, The Phillips History of Fall River. Fall River, MA: Dover Press, 1946, Volume I, 90.
15 Ann Macari Healey, “North End Residents Try to Retain Rural Character; Developers Knock on Doors,” Providence Journal, June 27, 1988.
16Ann Macari Healey, “North End Residents Try to Retain Rural Character; Developers Knock on Doors,” Providence Journal, June 27, 1988.
17 “Steep Brook Was Important Early,” Fall River Herald News, October 17, 1978.
18 Dan Medeiros, “Train Timeline: Tracking Fall River's History from Old Colony Railroad to South Coast Rail,” The Herald News, October 25, 2021.
19 Arthur Sherman Phillips, The Phillips History of Fall River. Fall River, MA: Dover Press, 1946, Volume II, 177.
20 Arthur Sherman Phillips, The Phillips History of Fall River. Fall River, MA: Dover Press, 1946, Volume III, 26-27.
21Arthur Sherman Phillips, The Phillips History of Fall River. Fall River, MA: Dover Press, 1946, Volume II, 183.
stops along North Main Street. In 1892, electric street cars were introduced in Fall River. For over forty years, these vehicles made downtown Fall River more accessible to residents of Steep Brook, where there was a stop. 22 After Fall River was incorporated in 1803, settlement and industrial and commercial development began to shift south of Steep Brook, toward the Quequechan River. 23 Water-powered manufacturing transformed Fall River into an industrial hub by the midnineteenth century. 24 The advent of the steam -powered mills facilitated the textile industry boom, which generated exponential population growth. 25 The proliferation of employment opportunities in downtown Fall River attracted immigrants to the area, and though Steep Brook was not as intensely urbanized, the influx of immigrants did affect the demographic composition of the neighborhood. 26 As transportation became increasingly feasible over the course of the nineteenth century, Steep Brook became populated with residents able to commute to their jobs in Fall River. Thus, the mid-nineteenth to early-twentieth century saw an uptick of construction in the Steep Brook neighborhood. 27
Education:
In 1812, Fall River boasted three schools, including the Steep Brook school. Steep Brook’s original schoolhouse, located just south of the intersection of North Main Street and Wilson Road, featured two rooms and taught students grades one through nine. 28 In 1826, the Steep Brook town house northeast of the intersection of North Main Street and Wilson Road was converted into a school. 29 Industrial development in Fall River in the last half of the nineteenth century resulted in population growth in the city and the surrounding villages, creating a demand for more educational opportunities. 30 The passage of a state law in the early 1900s which prohibited children from working unless they could read and write sparked even more school construction. 31 The William J. Wiley School was one of the first new wave of schools to be constructed during a period of educational expansion in Fall River. During the Late Industrial Period (1870-1915), Fall River experienced extensive residential development, with a high style residential district extending northward from Highland Street. School system administrators began to identify a need for updated educational buildings within the city to address an issue of overcrowded classrooms. School buildings that shortl y followed suit included the Hamlet Street School and later, the Ferry Lane School. A string of new school buildings were built following the William J. Wiley School such as the Fall River School Administration Building circa 1915, Doran School in 1926 (MHC No. FLR.99), the Fall River Technical High School in 1929 (MHC No. FLR.3049), and several others. 32
Architectural Context:
Many of the Fall River Schools built in the 1910s and 1920s were predominantly masonry buildings constructed in the Colonial Revival and Renaissance Revival styles with flat roofs (MHC 1982:18-19). 33 The Wiley School’s features are consistent with these patterns.
BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES
“Contractor Pays $230 Bill.” The Fall River Daily Evening News, September 28, 1914.
Fall River Building Department, Fall River, Massachusetts. “Building Permit for 2585 North Main Street. 1975 and 1994.
22 William A. Moniz, “Horses, Trolleys Kept Fall River Moving in Early Days,” Standard-Times, July 5, 2012.
23“Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River,” Massachusetts Historical Commission, 1982, 6-7.
25 “Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River,” Massachusetts Historical Commission, 1982, 10.
26 Wendy Frontiero, Vivienne Lasky, Peter Stott, and Sarah Zimmerman, “Fall River Multiple Resource Area National Register Nomination Form,” United States Department of the Interior, 1983, 15; “Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River,” Massachusetts Historical Commission, 1982, 9.
27 Wendy Frontiero, Vivienne Lasky, Peter Stott, and Sarah Zimmerman, “Fall River Multiple Resource Area National Register Nomination Form,” United States Department of the Interior, 1983.
28 George Oliver Rigby, Steep Brook. 1st ed. Danvers, MA: Bett’s, 1979, 23.
29 Arthur Sherman Phillips, The Phillips History of Fall River. Fall River, MA: Dover Press, 1946, Volume II, 54.
30 Arthur Sherman Phillips, The Phillips History of Fall River. Fall River, MA: Dover Press, 1946, Volume II, 61.
31 Arthur Sherman Phillips, The Phillips History of Fall River. Fall River, MA: Dover Press, 1946, Volume II, 66.
32 K. Miller, Q. Stuart, and A. Cahoon, “Massachusetts Historical Commission Form B – Building for 2585 North Main Street, Fall River, MA [FLR.274],” December, 2012, Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Commission.
33 K. Miller, Q. Stuart, and A. Cahoon, “Massachusetts Historical Commission Form B – Building for 2585 North Main Street, Fall River, MA [FLR.274],” December, 2012, Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Commission.
Frontiero, Wendy, Vivienne Lasky, Peter Stott, and Sarah Zimmerman. “Fall River Multiple Resource Area National Register Nomination Form.” United States Department of the Interior. 1983.
Healey, Ann Macari. “North End Residents Try to Retain Rural Character; Developers Knock on Doors.” Providence Journal, June 27, 1988.
Medeiros, Dan. “Train Timeline: Tracking Fall River's History from Old Colony Railroad to South Coast Rail.” The Herald News , October 25, 2021.
Miller, K., Stuart, Q., and Cahoon, A. “Massachusetts Historical Commission Form B – Building for 2585 North Main Street, Fall River, MA [FLR.274].” December, 2012. Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Commission.
Moniz, William A. “Horses, Trolleys Kept Fall River Moving in Early Days.” Standard-Times, July 5, 2012.
Phillips, Arthur Sherman. The Phillips History of Fall River. Fall River, MA: Dover Press. 1946.
“Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River.” Massachusetts Historical Commission. 1982.
Sanborn Map Company. Insurance Maps of Fall River, 1933, updated 1961.
“Steep Brook Was Important Early.” Fall River Herald News, October 17, 1978.
Stuart, Q., Miller, K., and Cahoon, A. “Area Form for Steep Brook.” Massachusetts Historical Commission. December, 2012.
“Transfer of Children from the Border City and Steep Brook Schools to the Wm. J. Wiley School.” The Evening Herald, September 21, 1912.
U.S. Geological Survey Topographic Quadrangle Map. Fall River, Massachusetts, 1944.
“William J. Wiley Elementary School.” Public School Review. https://www.publicschoolreview.com/william -j-wiley-elementaryschool-profile.
“Work on Wiley School.” The Evening Herald, November 25, 1910.
The William J. Wiley School, circled in yellow, is identified by name on this 1944 map. Source: U.S. Geological Survey Topographic Quadrangle Map, Fall River, Massachusetts, 1944.
The William J. Wiley School, circled in red, is identified by name on this 1961 map. Source: Sanborn Map Company, Insurance Maps of Fall River, 1933, updated 1961.
West façade, featuring the paved entryway, looking east.
A photograph of the William J. Wiley School upon its opening in 1912. Source: The Evening Herald, September 21, 1912.
Check all that apply:
National Register of Historic Places Criteria Statement Form
☒ Individually eligible ☐ Eligible only in a historic district
☐ Contributing to a potential historic district ☐ Potential historic district Criteria:
Criteria Considerations:
Statement of Significance by Elisabeth Brown
The criteria that are checked in the above sections must be justified here.
Criterion A: 2585 North Main Street appears eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion A because the William J. Wiley School is associated with a pattern of school construction in early-twentieth-century Fall River. Industrial development in Fall River in the last half of the nineteenth century resulted in population growth in the city and the surrounding villages, creating a demand for more educational opportunities. The passage of a state law in the early 1900s which prohibited children from working unless they could read and write sparked even more school construction. The Wiley School was constructed to help address the overcrowding that was affecting schools as residential development in the Steep Brook neighborhood and surrounding areas increased. Students from the Steep Brook, Border City, and Borden Schools were transferred to the Wiley School. The 1910s and 1920s saw the continued construction of educational buildings throughout Fall River.
Criterion C: 2585 North Main Street appears eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion C because the William J. Wiley School is a well-preserved example of a Classical Revival-style school built in the early twentieth century. The brick and granite building exhibits symmetry of form and design and features a center entry, a porch supported by classical columns, and a decorative door surround and arched transom.
The Wiley School features modern doors and windows and a replaced roof but has otherwise undergone very few alterations. 2585 North Main Street retains integrity of location, design, materials, workmanship, and association.
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.
2634 North Main Street is a two-story Federal-style house located on a residential and commercial thoroughfare, with a moderate set back from the sidewalk. The wood frame building has a center hall plan and a side gable roof. The southwest elevation features a small one-story wing with a hipped roof. A paved driveway parallels the northeast elevation and provides access to the small detached shed.
A stone path leads from the sidewalk to the center entry on the southeast façade. The modern single- leaf panel door’s surround features a wooden fan and keystone, Doric pilasters, and half-length sidelights comprised of leaded stained glass. On the façade and all visible elevations, the fenestration pattern is regular. All windows on the main block are vinyl 1/1 double-hung windows while windows on the wing are vinyl sliding windows. The house is clad in wooden shingles and features an asphalt-shingled roof as well as two interior brick chimneys, located close to the ridge on the southwest and northeast ends of the roof’s facade. The southwest and northeast elevations each feature a gable vent.
The northwest elevation is not visually accessible, though it appears to feature an attached porch.
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 Squire William Barnabas Canedy House was constructed as an agricultural homestead in 1806. The house is located in the southern portion of Steep Brook, between the Taunton River and North Main Street, the village’s primary thoroughfare. The Federal-style structure is considered to be one of the best representatives of the pre-industrial period of Steep Brook’s history. 1
Occupant History:
This structure was built in 1806, the same year William Barnabas Canedy married Susan Hughes Luther. The couple had 13 children, seven of them daughters, and all seven girls taught in Fall River Schools. 2 Squire Canedy, as he was called, served as postmaster at Steep Brook and, over the course of the 1810 and 1820s, served terms as a Fall River Town Clerk, Selectman, Justice of the Peace, General School Committee member, and as a representative in the General Court of Massachusetts. 3 He also was appointed to a committee to lay out the North Burial Ground in 1825. 4
Tradition maintains this house was used as a station of the Underground Railway. 5 An article published in the Fall River Herald in 1955, Constance Winslow speculates about the Canedy House’s Underground Railroad association, suggesting that two of
1 Ellen Rosebrock, “Massachusetts Historical Commission Form B – Building for 2634 North Main Street, Fall River, MA [FLR.274],” October 21, 1977, Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Commission.
2 Ellen Rosebrock, “Massachusetts Historical Commission Form B – Building for 2634 North Main Street, Fall River, MA [FLR.274],” October 21, 1977, Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Commission.
3 Orin Fowler, History of Fall River with Notices of Freetown and Tiverton. Boston: Almy and Milne, 1841, 63-65; Ellen Rosebrock, “Massachusetts Historical Commission Form B – Building for 2634 North Main Street, Fall River, MA [FLR.274],” October 21, 1977, Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Commission.
4 Ellen Rosebrock, “Massachusetts Historical Commission Form B – Building for 2634 North Main Street, Fall River, MA [FLR.274],” October 21, 1977, Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Commission.
5Ellen Rosebrock, “Massachusetts Historical Commission Form B – Building for 2634 North Main Street, Fall River, MA [FLR.274],” October 21, 1977, Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Commission.
William B. Canedy’s daughters’ involvement in teaching Black children in the South after the Civil War indicates a connection 6 Another of Canedy’s daughters, Mary Bridges Canedy, married fellow Steep Brook resident Albion Slade in 1850. 7 The couple lived at the Canedy House in the 1850s before relocating to another Steep Brook property at 335-337 Pine Street, where they are documented as serving as Underground Railroad conductors. 8 Further research is needed to verifying a link between 2634 North Main Street and Underground Railroad activity.
William B. Canedy’s son, farmer Philander Canedy, occupied the Canedy House with his family from the late 1850s through the 1880s. 9 Philander’s daughter, schoolteacher Caroline W. Canedy, and her husband Henry Hall occupied the property with their children into the 1920s. 10 The James E. Connor family moved to the house in the 1930s; James, his sons, and his sister-in-law are documented as working at a mill while residing at 2634 North Main Street. 11 In the 1940s, the building began to operate as multi-family housing. 12 Many of the house’s occupants from the 1940s into the 1970s were employed in the construction industry at such companies as Turgeon Construction and Seminski Construction. 13
Physical History:
Building permit records from 1907 note a six-foot by eight-foot, one-story addition to the structure, which is no longer extant. Permits also document the construction of two eighteen- foot by twenty-foot, one-story garages at the rear of the property in 1925, as well as the addition of the twelve-foot by nine-foot, one-story piazza to the southwest elevation of the main block in 1942. 14 Visual evidence reveals that between 1977 and the present, windows in the uppermost half-story of the main block were removed; now vents occupy their approximate locations. Building permits records also indicate that the structure’s windows were replaced in 1998; the siding was replaced in 2020; the roof was replaced in 2021; and solar panels were installed in 2022. 15
Steep Brook Background:
Steep Brook is located in the northwestern part of Fall River, which was itself a part of Freetown, Massachusetts until its incorporation as a separate town in 1803. 16 British settlement in Steep Brook dates back to the mid-seventeenth century. 17 Steep Brook served as Fall River’s original town center. 18 Most of Fall River’s surviving pre-industrial properties are located in Steep Brook, 19 which functioned as an agricultural village and service area along the Post Road prior to the onset of large-scale industrialization in the heart of Fall River in the nineteenth century. 20 In the seventeenth century, crops and fields were likely maintained by seasonal workers, as there is no evidence of residential settlement during this period; farmers began to inhabit the area in the eighteenth century. 21
The topography of Fall River aided in the area’s industrial development, as access to streams and the Taunton River enabled maritime transport and commercial activity throughout the 1800s. 22 In the early nineteenth century, the village boasted such enterprises as saw and grist mills, blacksmith shops, a stove foundry, a tan yard, and multiple boat-building businesses. 23 The area surrounding the intersection of North Main Street and Wilson Road marked the commercial hub of Steep Brook, where
6 Constance Winslow, “Fall River’s Old Houses,” Fall River Herald News, June 1, 1955.
7 “Mary Bridges Canedy,” Family Search, https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/LHKS-LT6/mary-bridges-canedy-1826-1882.
8 “Black History Month 2017,” Fall River Historical Society, https://fallriverhistorical.org/online-exhibits/black-history-month-2017/; 1850 United States Federal Census, Ancestry.com, Leni, Utah.
9 United States Federal Census: 1850; 1870; 1880, Ancestry.com, Leni, Utah.
10 United States Federal Census: 1880; 1900, Ancestry.com, Leni, Utah; Massachusetts, United States, Death Records, 1841-1915, Ancestry.com, Leni, Utah.; 1921 Fall River City Directory, Boston, Massachusetts: Sampson & Murdock Company.
11 United States Federal Census: 1930, 1940, 1950, Ancestry.com, Leni, Utah.
12 Polk’s Fall River (Bristol County, Massachusetts) City Directory, Volume 1946, Boston: R. L. Polk & Company.
13 Polk’s Fall River (Bristol County, Massachusetts) City Directory, Volumes 1946, 1951, 1961, 1966, 1971, Boston: R. L. Polk & Company.
14 Fall River Building Department, Fall River, Massachusetts, “Building Permit for 2634 North Main Street,” 1925 and 1942.
15 Fall River Building Department, Fall River, Massachusetts, “Building Permit for 2634 North Main Street,” 1975 and 1998; 2020; 2021; 2022.
16 “Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River,” Massachusetts Historical Commission, 1982, 1.
17 George Oliver Rigby, Steep Brook. 1st ed. Danvers, MA: Bett’s, 1979, 15.
18 Wendy Frontiero, Vivienne Lasky, Peter Stott, and Sarah Zimmerman, “Fall River Multiple Resource Area National Register Nomination Form,” United States Department of the Interior, 1983, 3.
19 Q. Stuart, K. Miller, and A. Cahoon, “Area Form for Steep Brook,” Massachusetts Historical Commission. December, 2012, 1.
20 “Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River,” Massachusetts Historical Commission, 1982, 1.
21 “Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River,” Massachusetts Historical Commission, 1982, 3-4.
22 Wendy Frontiero, Vivienne Lasky, Peter Stott, and Sarah Zimmerman, “Fall River Multiple Resource Area National Register Nomination Form,” United States Department of the Interior, 1983, 13.
23 Arthur Sherman Phillips, The Phillips History of Fall River. Fall River, MA: Dover Press, 1946, Volume I, 90.
many of these ventures took place. 24 Steep Brook also boasted a wharf and shipyard where Wilson Road met the Taunton River. 25 Barges and steamers frequented Steep Brook, transporting goods and passengers throughout the region and beyond. 26 Transportation played a vital role in the history of Steep Brook. Fall River’s railway system was established in 1844. A decade later, the Fall River Railroad merged with the Old Colony Railroad, connecting Fall River to Providence, New Bedford, and Boston. 27 The railroad featured a stop in Steep Brook. 28 In the early 1800s, the stagecoach line that ran from Boston to Newport featured a stop at Steep Brook’s Green Dragon Inn. 29 Steep Brook also boasted its own omnibus service, pioneered by local businessman James H. Wilson to connect Steep Brook to Globe Village in southern Fall River prior to the introduction of the streetcar. 30 In 1880, Fall River’s Globe Street Railway was established. Horse drawn trolleys transported riders to and from stops along North Main Street. In 1892, electric street cars were introduced in Fall River. For over forty years, these vehicles made downtown Fall River more accessible to residents of Steep Brook, where there was a stop. 31
After Fall River was incorporated in 1803, settlement and industrial and commercial development began to shift south of Steep Brook, toward the Quequechan River. 32 Water-powered manufacturing transformed Fall River into an industrial hub by the midnineteenth century. 33 The advent of the steam -powered mills facilitated the textile industry boom, which generated exponential population growth. 34 The proliferation of employment opportunities in downtown Fall River attracted immigrants to the area, and though Steep Brook was not as intensely urbanized, the influx of immigrants did affect the demographic composition of the neighborhood. 35 As transportation became increasingly feasible over the course of the nineteenth century, Steep Brook became populated with residents able to commute to their jobs in Fall River. Thus, the mid-nineteenth to early-twentieth century saw an uptick of construction in the Steep Brook neighborhood. 36
Architectural Context:
Steep Brook contains six pre-industrial residences, which comprise most of Fall River’s surviving pre-industrial architecture. 37 Like half of the other surviving pre- industrial buildings in Steep Brook, 2634 North Main Street was constructed as a Federalstyle single-family house, five bays wide. 38 These homesteads reveal the rural nature of the village prior to industrial development and the growth it facilitated. 39
24 Ann Macari Healey, “North End Residents Try to Retain Rural Character; Developers Knock on Doors,” Providence Journal, June 27, 1988. 25Ann Macari Healey, “North End Residents Try to Retain Rural Character; Developers Knock on Doors,” Providence Journal, June 27, 1988.
26 “Steep Brook Was Important Early,” Fall River Herald News, October 17, 1978.
27 Dan Medeiros, “Train Timeline: Tracking Fall River's History from Old Colony Railroad to South Coast Rail,” The Herald News, October 25, 2021.
28 Arthur Sherman Phillips, The Phillips History of Fall River. Fall River, MA: Dover Press, 1946, Volume II, 177.
29 Arthur Sherman Phillips, The Phillips History of Fall River. Fall River, MA: Dover Press, 1946, Volume III, 26-27.
30Arthur Sherman Phillips, The Phillips History of Fall River. Fall River, MA: Dover Press, 1946, Volume II, 183.
31 William A. Moniz, “Horses, Trolleys Kept Fall River Moving in Early Days,” Standard-Times, July 5, 2012.
32“Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River,” Massachusetts Historical Commission, 1982, 6-7.
34 “Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River,” Massachusetts Historical Commission, 1982, 10.
35 Wendy Frontiero, Vivienne Lasky, Peter Stott, and Sarah Zimmerman, “Fall River Multiple Resource Area National Register Nomination Form,” United States Department of the Interior, 1983, 15; “Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River,” Massachusetts Historical Commission, 1982, 9.
36 Wendy Frontiero, Vivienne Lasky, Peter Stott, and Sarah Zimmerman, “Fall River Multiple Resource Area National Register Nomination Form,” United States Department of the Interior, 1983.
37 Stuart, Q., Miller, K., and Cahoon, A, “Area Form for Steep Brook,” Massachusetts Historical Commission. December, 2012, 1.
38 Stuart, Q., Miller, K., and Cahoon, A, “Area Form for Steep Brook,” Massachusetts Historical Commission. December, 2012, 1.
39 W. Mendonca, “Massachusetts Historical Commission Form B – Building for 2634 North Main Street, Fall River, MA [FLR.274],” November 19, 1980, Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Commission.
Fall River Building Department, Fall River, Massachusetts. “Building Permit for 2634 North Main Street. 1907; 1925; 1942; 1977; 1998; 2020; 2021; 2022.
Fall River City Directory: 1896, 1901, 1906-1907, 1911, 1912, 1916, 1921, 1926, 1931, 1936. Boston, Massachusetts: Sampson & Murdock Company.
Fowler, Orin. History of Fall River with Notices of Freetown and Tiverton. Boston: Almy and Milne, 1841.
Frontiero, Wendy, Vivienne Lasky, Peter Stott, and Sarah Zimmerman. “Fall River Multiple Resource Area National Register Nomination Form.” United States Department of the Interior. 1983.
George H. Walker & Company. Fall River, 1883.
Healey, Ann Macari. “North End Residents Try to Retain Rural Character; Developers Knock on Doors.” Providence Journal, June 27, 1988.
H. F. Walling. Map of the County of Bristol, Massachusetts, 1858.
List of Persons Assessed for a Poll Tax: 1892, 1895, 1896.
“Mary Bridges Canedy.” Family Search. https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/LHKS-LT6/mary-bridges-canedy-1826-1882. Massachusetts, United States, Death Records, 1841-1915. Ancestry.com. Leni, Utah.
Medeiros, Dan. “Train Timeline: Tracking Fall River's History from Old Colony Railroad to South Coast Rail.” The Herald News , October 25, 2021.
Mendonca, W. “Massachusetts Historical Commission Form B – Building for 2634 North Main Street, Fall River, MA [FLR.274].” November 19, 1980. Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Commission. Boston, MA.
Moniz, William A. “Horses, Trolleys Kept Fall River Moving in Early Days.” Standard-Times, July 5, 2012.
Phillips, Arthur Sherman. The Phillips History of Fall River. Fall River, MA: Dover Press. 1946.
Polk’s Fall River (Bristol County, Massachusetts) City Directory, Volumes 1941, 1946, 1951, 1956, 1961, 1966, 1971. Boston: R. L. Polk & Company.
“Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River.” Massachusetts Historical Commission. 1982.
Rosebrock, Ellen. “Massachusetts Historical Commission Form B – Building for 2634 North Main Street, Fall River, MA [FLR.274].” October 21, 1977. Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Commission. Boston, MA.
Sanborn Map Company. Insurance Maps of Fall River, 1933, updated 1961.
“Steep Brook Was Important Early.” Fall River Herald News, October 17, 1978.
NRIND 2/16/1983; NRMRA 2/16/1983
Stowe, Edward Adams. Anti-Slavery Days in Fall River and the Operation of the Underground Railroad. Fall River, MA: Fall River Historical Society, 2017.
Stuart, Q., Miller, K., and Cahoon, A. “Area Form for Steep Brook.” Massachusetts Historical Commission. December, 2012.
United States Federal Census: 1850, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940, 1950. Ancestry.com. Leni, Utah.
Winslow, Constance. “Fall River’s Old Houses.” Fall River Herald News, June 1, 1955.
2634 North Main Street, owned by Philander Canedy in 1858, is outlined in black. Source: H. F. Walling, Map of the County of Bristol, Massachusetts, 1858.
This 1883 map depicts a house an outbuilding belonging to Philander Canedy at 2634 North Main Street, outlined in black. Source: George H. Walker & Company, Fall River, 1883.
Southeast façade and northeast elevation, looking west.
A photograph of 2634 North Main Street predating the 1942 piazza addition. Source: Anti-Slavery Days in Fall River and the Operation of the Underground Railroad by Edward Adams Stowe, published by the Fall River Historical Society in 2017. Photograph date unknown.
A photograph of 2634 North Main Street taken after the addition of the piazza in 1942 but predating installation of the stone pathway from the sidewalk to the house’s entrance. Source: Judith Boss’s Fall River: A Pictorial History, published in 1982, which credits this photograph to the Fall River Herald.
A photograph of 2634 North Main Street showcasing the pathway from the sidewalk to the entrance, as well as the (perhaps decorative) windows in the upper half-story, which are no longer extant. Source: Massachusetts Historical Commission B Form for 2634 North Main Street, recorded by Ellen Rosebrock in 1977.
A photograph of Mary Bridges Canedy Slade circa 1850, when she lived at her father William B. Canedy’s house at 2634 North Main Street. Source: Fall River Historical Society.
FORM B BUILDING
MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION
MASSACHUSETTS ARCHIVES BUILDING
220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125
Photograph
Locus Map
Recorded by: Cameron Cutler
Organization: Roger Williams University
Date (month / year): September 2023
Town/City: Fall River
Place: (neighborhood or village): Steep Brook
Address: 3063 North Main St
Historic Name: Borden-Winslow House
Uses: Present: Multiple Family Dwelling
Original: Single Family Dwelling
Date of Construction: ca. 1740
Source: MHC Building Form FLR.275
Style/Form: Georgian
Architect/Builder: unknown
Exterior Material:
Foundation: ashlar stone
Wall/Trim: wood shingles
Roof: asphalt shingles
Outbuildings/Secondary Structures: There is a shed on the eastern boundary of the property.
Major Alterations (with dates): A large central chimney was removed between 2012 and 2015.
Condition: Extant/Good
Moved: no yes Date:
Acreage: 0.500 acres
Setting: The North Main Street area of the Steep Brook neighborhood originally developed as part of the village of Steep Brook. The area today is used for both commercial and residential purposes and still contains many of the structures built during the 18th and 19th centuries.
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 Borden-Winslow House at 3063 North Main Street is a 2½ story, wood-framed, Georgian styled saltbox house. The multifamily building sits on a low rise on the southeast side of North Main Street in a mainly residential area and is separated from the road and sidewalk by a rough stone retaining wall and a small yard. The four-ranked main block sits on an ashlar stone foundation, is side-gabled and clad in wood shingles. The house has a two-story ell set flush with the south elevation and a onestory addition to the rear of the ell with a shed roof.
The front elevation of the main block faces northwest and contains the main entry. The main entry contains a single-leaf, sixpanel door and is surrounded with a pediment, pilasters, and a six-paneled transom light. All windows on the building are replacement double-hung vinyl, with three being on the first story and four on the second of the main elevation. The windows have a simple wood frame and sill surround, and the roofline has a simple wooden cornice.
Both side elevations contain two windows on the first story, two on the second, and one in the gable. These windows are surrounded by a wooden architrave. There is a partially attached porch with a hipped roof containing another entrance on the south elevation of the east wing. On the north elevation of the east wing there is a wood deck. All roofs are covered with asphalt shingles.
The central chimney and front door of the house, both of which were present in the original 1977 B-Form, are no longer extant. Google street view images show both present in 2012, but they are gone by 2015. A large tree, also visible in the 1977 photographs, was removed sometime between 2015 and 2019.
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.
Summary
3063 North Main Street, known as the Borden-Winslow House, is a rare surviving example of Georgian architecture in Fall River. Likely constructed around 1740, the house would have been among the earliest houses in the Steep Brook area during its time as the central business/political district. Its occupants during the early nineteenth century reflect the common demographics of the neighborhood and their roles during its time as the political and commercial center of the area.
3063 North Main Street
The Borden-Winslow House is believed to have been built in 1740. 1 The earliest map of the property is one from 1812 showing Abel Bordon living at the property. The early census records (1820-1840) show Abel Bordon living in the area, but they unfortunately do not show the occupation or other residents of the house. 2 Another map from 1858 shows ‘A. Borden’ living on the property. This is believed to be Amos Borden, likely a son of Abel. In 1860 Amos Borden lived in the house with his wife, Mary, and a gentleman named Thomas Borden, while a family named Winslow lived in another unit within the house. Thomas Winslow lived in the separate unite with his wife Mary and their daughter Velma. The 1860 census shows Amos, at age 74, and
1 W. Mendonca & P. Giza. Massachusetts Historical Commission Form B - Building for 3063 North Main Street. Boston: Massachusetts Historical Commission, November 17, 1981. 2Ancestry.com, 1820, 1830, 1840 United States Federal Census [database on-line] (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010).
five of his close neighbors, working as farmers. Thomas Winslow worked as a ‘Master Mariner.’ 3 By 1870 the Bordens were no longer shown on the census, but instead were replaced by an extended Winslow family, which is reflected on the 1871 atlas map. Based on this evidence we can assume the origin of the ‘Borden-Winslow’ name. 4 The next two maps available of the area, from 1883 and 1895, show Phineas Staples living at the property. Unfortunately, no census records are available for Staples while he lived at the property, but we can see he worked as a farm laborer as a teenager and later as an ice cream dealer. 5
Going into the twentieth century, the Borden-Winslow House began to be occupied by families who would remain in the house for long stretches of time. In 1900 a family of ten Hathaways occupied the house until at least 1920, after which a family of Gaudreau’s lived in it for thirty years. Moving in around 1940, a family named Silva lived in the house for roughly twenty years, while other families came and went in the other unit. Although no longer farmers and mariners, these residents were all employed in common working-class jobs of the times. Charles Hathaway, 1900 resident, worked as a painter, while his two daughters, Anna and Myrtle, worked as a dress waitress and a cotton mill drawer, respectively. Philias Gaudreau worked as a clerk, Edgar Banville as a conductor, and Antone Silva as a frame worker. There are two additions built onto the rear of the main block which we have no building permit records for, so it is unclear when they were constructed, but census records show a second unit in the house by 1860. Sometime between 2012 and 2015 the central chimney, which was leaning and in poor condition, was removed.
Steep Brook
Any history of Fall River is incomplete without a brief history of Steep Brook. The early settlers of the area followed the patterns of the Native Americans in the area, who settled along the eastern side of the Taunton and Quequechan Rivers. What would eventually be known as Fall River originally broke off from the town of Freetown due to its distance from residents in the southwesterly corner of the area. 6 North Main Street became the main postal road that ran from Freetown in the north to Fall River in the south, with Steep Brook roughly in the middle. Residential settlement was concentrated in Steep Brook by the late 18th century, and its importance is evident in the establishment of Fall River’s first townhall there, as well as the temporary placement of the post office. 7 8
The life of the 18th century Steep Brook farmer was likely one of relative prosperity, as they were “practically independent. Abundant fish and game in the woods, and streams nearby, and his own cattle, sheep, swine, and poultry, added to the vegetables raised on his land, and a bounteous supply of butter, eggs, and milk, enabled him to set a generous table.” 9 Besides providing for themselves, the farmers of Steep Brook would also sell their goods in other places, using the many wharves built at most farms in the area or one of the six grocery stores in Steep Brook. 10 Although the censuses of the time mark the women as ‘keeping house,’ they too played a role in the early prosperity of Steep Brook. A 1928 wrote that “as each family kept sheep up on the hillside, so each housewife spun the yarn, wove the cloth, and fashioned garments for their household.” 11
With these factors considered, it is unsurprising that Steep Brook was the “center of business, social, and political activit y of Fall River” in the early 19th century. 12 With the arrival of the railroad in the 1840s, Steep Brook continued to grow as a hub of
3 Ancestry.com, 1860 United States Federal Census [database on-line] (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010). 4Ancestry.com, 1870 United States Federal Census [database on-line] (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010). 5Ancestry.com, 1870 United States Federal Census [database on-line] (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010).
R.L. Polk & Co., Polk’s Fall River (Bristol County, Mass.) City Directory 1885, (Boston: R.L. Polk & Co., 1970). Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA.
6 Vivienne Lasky et al. "Fall River Multiple Resource Area," National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form (Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 1984), Section 8, 0.
7 “MHC Reconnaissance Survey Town Report: Fall River,” January, 1982. Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Commission, Boston, MA, 7.
8 Henry M. Fenner, History of Fall River Massachusetts (Fall River, Ma: The Munroe Press, 1911), 17.
9 Henry M. Fenner, History of Fall River (New York: F.T. Smiley, 1906), 10.
10 Fenner, History of Fall River, 13.
11 W. Irving Pierce, “Historic Freetown,” Fall River Herald News, January 12, 1928, http://fallriver.advantagepreservation.com/viewer/?k=&i=f&d=0101180012312021&m=between&ord=k1&fn=fall_river_herald_news_usa_massachusetts_fall_river_19280112_english_16&df=1&dt=10&cid=2892
12 George Oliver Rigby, Steep Brook (Danvers, MA: Bett’s, 1979), 22.
transportation. Steep Brook was home to a railroad depot, a stagecoach stop, and had an omnibus service that ran into central Fall River. 13 Historic maps of the area show that the neighborhood enjoyed substantial growth along with the rest of Fall River. The occupants of the Borden-Winslow House would have been directly involved in the community, selling their goods to their neighbors and neighboring communities abroad.
Building Type
The style of the Borden-Winslow House is in line with other buildings across Southeastern Massachusetts during the same time period. A very small percentage of buildings were considered high-style, with most being vernacular and conservative. 14 The earliest Georgian style houses in SE Massachusetts date to the same period as the Borden-Winslow House and are also minimal in detailing. 15 Center chimney plans like this house were the most commonly built for the time period, but they were more often one-story cottages rather than this two-story example. The Borden-Winslow House also deviates from the standard by being a four-bay, three-quarter plan, as opposed to the five-bay plan. 16
BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES
Ancestry.com. 1840, 1855, 1860, 1870, United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
DePaoli, Neil, Maxine Farkas, Peter Stott, Sarah Zimmerman, James W. Bradley. “Historic and Archaeological Resources of Southeast Massachusetts: A Framework for Preservation Decisions,” June, 1982. Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Commission, Boston, MA.
Fenner, Henry M. History of Fall River. New York: F.T. Smiley, 1906.
Fenner, Henry M. History of Fall River Massachusetts. Fall River, MA: The Munroe Press, 1911.
Giza, P. and W. Mendonca. Massachusetts Historical Commission Form B - Building for 3063 North Main Street. Boston: Massachusetts Historical Commission, November 17, 1981.
Lasky, Vivienne, Peter Stott, Wendy Frontiero, and Sarah Zimmerman. "Fall River Multiple Resource Area," National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form (Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 1984)
“MHC Reconnaissance Survey Town Report: Fall River,” January, 1982. Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Commission, Boston, MA.
Pierce, W. Irving. “Historic Freetown.” Fall River Herald News, January 12, 1928. http://fallriver.advantagepreservation.com/viewer/?k=&i=f&d=0101180012312021&m=between&ord=k1&fn=fall_river_herald_news_usa_massachusetts_fall_river_19280112_english_16&df=1&dt=10& cid=2892
Rigby, George Oliver. Steep Brook. Danvers, MA: Bett’s, 1979.
R.L. Polk & Co. Polk’s Fall River (Bristol County, Mass.) City Directory 1930, 1935, 1940, 1945, 1950, 1960. Boston: R.L. Polk & Co., 1885 Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA.
13 George Oliver Rigby, Steep Brook (Danvers, MA: Bett’s, 1979), 25.
14 Neil DePaoli et al. “Historic and Archaeological Resources of Southeast Massachusetts: A Framework for Preservation Decisions,” June, 1982. Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Commision, Boston, MA, 128.
15 DePaoli et al. “Historic/Archaeological Resources,” 133.
16 DePaoli et al. “Historic/Archaeological Resources,” 134.
1. 1895 map showing a section of N. Main St. near the Ashley Avenue intersection. 3063 N Main St is visible, shown to belong to Phineas Staples. Source: Everts & Richards, Atlas of Surveys Bristol Co. Massachusetts 1895. State Library of Massachusetts. https://archives.lib.state.ma.us/handle/2452/206017
2. An 1883 map showing the same intersection of N. Main St. and Ashley Ave. Phineas Staples is still shown as the owner. Note: the top of the map is south. Source: George H. Walker, Atlas of Fall River City, Massachusetts , 1883. State Library of Massachusetts. https://archives.lib.state.ma.us/handle/2452/127853
3. An 1871 map showing the location of 3063 North Main Street. This map shows the owner as Miss E. Winslow. Source: F.W. Beers & Co., Bristol County 1871, 1871. https://historicmapworks.com/Map/US/7988/Steep+Brook+Town/Bristol+County+1871/Massachusetts/
4. An 1858 map showing the section of N Main St. near Ashley Ave. A. Borden is shown as the owner of the property. Source: H.F. Walling, Map of the County of Bristol, Massachusetts, 1858. https://shop.oldmaps.com/massachusetts/towns/bristol-co-ma-1858-town/steep-brook-village-massachusetts-1858-old-townmap-custom-print-bristol-co/
5. An 1812 map showing the early houses of North Main Street, including one owned by Abel Borden in the area that the Borden-Winslow house sits. Source: New York: Atlantic Publishing and Engraving Company, A Centennial History of Fall River, Mass. 1877. Pg.4-5. https://archive.org/details/centennialhistor00new/page/n21/mode/2up
9. 2012 Google Street View image of the west-facing elevation showing the central chimney and former front door before their removal. The tree to the right of the building was removed by 2019. Source: Google Maps, 2012.
10. View looking northeast, showing the Borden-Winslow house. Believed to be one of the oldest houses in the area, the house has an estimated construction date in the 1740’s. Source: Giza, P. and W. Mendonca. Massachusetts Historical Commission Form B - Building for 3063 North Main Street. Boston: Massachusetts Historical Commission, November 17, 1981.
view of the Borden-Winslow house. The house is notable for its surviving Georgian pediment. View looking northeast. Source: Ellen Fletcher Rosebrock, Historic Fall River, 1978.
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.
3079 North Main Street is a one-and-a-half story wood-frame building with a side gable roof, located along a residential and commercial thoroughfare. The building is banked into a low hillside, and the northwest (street) elevation of the building, which features an exposed basement story, is set flush with the sidewalk. The main block has a rectangular plan, and the façade features a one-story ell with a low pitch gabled roof and a concrete foundation while the southwest elevation features an enclosed porch with a hipped roof. A random -course stone retaining wall begins at the western corner of the main block’s northwest elevation and extends southwest along the sidewalk. A concrete pathway runs parallel to the southwest elevation of the enclosed porch and leads to the southeast elevation, which is not visually accessible. The structure is clad in wood shingles.
The exposed basement story on the northwest elevation features two entrances: a half-lit wooden single-leaf paneled door at the northern end, and wooden double-leaf paneled doors near the western end. All of the building’s windows are 1/1 double-hung sash except for the two undivided fixed sash windows on the exposed basement story and a regular row of four horizontal fixed sash windows set under the eaves on the northwest elevation. A window opening positioned at the western end of the façade’s first story is boarded up. Fenestration patterns are regular along the second story of the northwest elevation, as well as on the ell and enclosed porch massing. The double-hung windows on the main block’s façade and northeast elevation, as well as those on the northwest elevation of the northeast wing, feature simple architrave surrounds and modest cornice caps.
On the second story of the façade of the main block, a wooden single-leaf paneled door accompanied by a bracketed door hood with hipped roof is visible, near the eastern end of the facade. The window directly above this door features a metal fire escape. A single-leaf paneled door provides entrance to the ells attached to the facade of the main block, located on the northern end of the façade of the ell. The roof is clad in asphalt shingle and features a shed dormer with a sliding window near the western edge of the roof and an interior brick chimney, protruding near the ridgeline.
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.
3079 North Main Street was constructed circa 1910 on the east side of Steep Brook’s main thoroughfare. The one-and-a-half story building, which has undergone significant alterations, features residential use on the main level and an exposed basement story where a grocery store was operated in the early twentieth century. 1 The building functioned as a multi-family dwelling, housing immigrant families and textile employees who lived and worked in Steep Brook in its late industrial period. 2
Occupant History:
Upon its construction in the early twentieth century, 3079 North Main Street a series of grocers lived in the residential portion of the structure. 3 The address itself is listed as a store in the business section of city directories from the late 1910s and early 1920s. 4 Newspaper records, including an ad for Doreo Poulhus’s store at the address, reveal that soda, ice cream, candy,
1 Fall River City Directory: 1912, 1916, 1921, 1926, 1931, Boston, Massachusetts: Sampson & Murdock Company.
2 Polk’s Fall River (Bristol County, Massachusetts) City Directory, Volumes 1946, 1956, Boston: R. L. Polk & Company; United States Federal Census: 1940, 1950, Ancestry.com, Leni, Utah.
3 Fall River City Directory: 1912, 1916, 1921, 1926, 1931, Boston, Massachusetts: Sampson & Murdock Company.
4 Fall River City Directory: 1916, 1921, Boston, Massachusetts: Sampson & Murdock Company.
MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION
groceries, and tobacco were sold at the site. 5 In the 1930s, the Perreira family moved to the property, where they continued to live for the next four decades. 6 During that time, many members of the Perriera household worked in Fall River’s textile industry as weavers, sewers, and loom fixers. 7
By 1885, nearly half of Fall River’s population was foreign-born. 8 Most of the area’s nineteenth-century immigrants were from England, Scotland, Ireland, and French Canada. 9 Over the course of the twentieth century, many of the occupants of 3079 North Main Street were immigrants, suggesting that the influx of immigrants in the late 1800s also affected the neighborhoods surrounding downtown Fall River. Grocer William Marsden and his wife Elizabeth, two of the house’s first documented residents, immigrated from England. 10 Julia O’Neill, who resided at 3079 North Main Street with her husband James in the 1920s and 1930s, immigrated from French Canada. 11 Weaver Antone Perreira took ownership of the building in the late 1930s; he and his wife Maria immigrated from Portugal. 12
Physical History:
William Marsden’s intention to build a ten foot by eighteen foot addition to his store was announced in a local newspaper in 1914. 13 Newspaper advertisements from 1915 and 1918 describe the building at 3079 North Main Street as containing two stores and three tenements. 14 Building permit records indicate a twenty-foot by six-foot, one-story wood piazza addition to the property in 1922, visible along the southwest elevation. 15 At some point, the northeast elevation’s porch was enclosed and incorporated into the basement story; Fall River building records indicate that this space’s dimensions are fifteen feet by t wentythree feet. 16 Building permit records also document an eight-foot by twenty-foot, one-story “addition for kitchen and stairs” in 1947 and the installation of new gutters in 1994. 17
Steep Brook Background:
Steep Brook is located in the northwestern part of Fall River, which was itself a part of Freetown, Massachusetts until its incorporation as a separate town in 1803. 18 British settlement in Steep Brook dates back to the mid-seventeenth century. 19 Steep Brook served as Fall River’s original town center. 20 Most of Fall River’s surviving pre-industrial properties are located in Steep Brook, 21 which functioned as an agricultural village and service area along the Post Road prior to the onset of large-scale industrialization in the heart of Fall River in the nineteenth century. 22 In the seventeenth century, crops and fields were likely maintained by seasonal workers, as there is no evidence of residential settlement during this period; farmers began to inhabit the area in the eighteenth century. 23
5 “Superior Officers Talk with Board of Police,” The Evening Herald, February 5, 1914; “Doreo Poulhus,” The Evening Herald, September 23, 1921.
6 1936 Fall River City Directory, Boston, Massachusetts: Sampson & Murdock Company; Polk’s Fall River (Bristol County, Massachusetts) City Directory, Volumes 1941, 1946, 1951, 1956, 1961, 1966, 1971, Boston: R. L. Polk & Company.
7 Polk’s Fall River (Bristol County, Massachusetts) City Directory, Volumes 1946, 1956, Boston: R. L. Polk & Company; United States Federal Census: 1940, 1950, Ancestry.com, Leni, Utah.
8 “Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River,” Massachusetts Historical Commission, 1982, 13.
9 Wendy Frontiero, Vivienne Lasky, Peter Stott, and Sarah Zimmerman, “Fall River Multiple Resource Area National Register Nomination Form,” United States Department of the Interior, 1983, 15.
10 1920 United States Federal Census, Ancestry.com, Leni, Utah; 1916 Fall River City Directory, Boston, Massachusetts: Sampson & Murdock Company.
11 1930 United States Federal Census, Ancestry.com, Leni, Utah.
12 1940 United States Federal Census, Ancestry.com, Leni, Utah.
13 “Intentions to Build,” The Fall River Daily Evening News, October 26, 1914.
14 “To Let,” The Evening Herald, December 16, 1915; “For Sale,” The Fall River Globe, May 28, 1918.
15 Fall River Building Department, Fall River, Massachusetts, “Building Permit for 3079 North Main Street,” 1922.
16 Fall River Building Department, Fall River, Massachusetts, “Building Permit for 3079 North Main Street.”
17 Fall River Building Department, Fall River, Massachusetts, “Building Permit for 3079 North Main Street,” 1947 and 1994.
18 “Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River,” Massachusetts Historical Commission, 1982, 1.
19 George Oliver Rigby, Steep Brook. 1st ed. Danvers, MA: Bett’s, 1979, 15.
20 Wendy Frontiero, Vivienne Lasky, Peter Stott, and Sarah Zimmerman, “Fall River Multiple Resource Area National Register Nomination Form,” United States Department of the Interior, 1983, 3.
21 Q. Stuart, K. Miller, and A. Cahoon, “Area Form for Steep Brook,” Massachusetts Historical Commission. December, 2012, 1.
22 “Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River,” Massachusetts Historical Commission, 1982, 1.
23 “Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River,” Massachusetts Historical Commission, 1982, 3-4.
The topography of Fall River aided in the area’s industrial development, as access to streams and the Taunton River enabled maritime transport and commercial activity throughout the 1800s. 24 In the early nineteenth century, the village boasted such enterprises as saw and grist mills, blacksmith shops, a stove foundry, a tan yard, and multiple boat-building businesses. 25 The area surrounding the intersection of North Main Street and Wilson Road marked the commercial hub of Steep Brook, where many of these ventures took place. 26 Steep Brook also boasted a wharf and shipyard where Wilson Road met the Taunton River. 27 Barges and steamers frequented Steep Brook, transporting goods and passengers throughout the region and beyond. 28 Transportation played a vital role in the history of Steep Brook. Fall River’s railway system was established in 1844. A decade later, the Fall River Railroad merged with the Old Colony Railroad, connecting Fall River to Providence, New Bedford, and Boston. 29 The railroad featured a stop in Steep Brook. 30 In the early 1800s, the stagecoach line that ran from Boston to Newport featured a stop at Steep Brook’s Green Dragon Inn. 31 Steep Brook also boasted its own omnibus service, pioneered by local businessman James H. Wilson to connect Steep Brook to Globe Village in southern Fall River prior to the introduction of the streetcar. 32 In 1880, Fall River’s Globe Street Railway was established. Horse drawn trolleys transported riders to and from stops along North Main Street. In 1892, electric street cars were introduced in Fall River. For over forty years, these vehicles made downtown Fall River more accessible to residents of Steep Brook, where there was a stop. 33
After Fall River was incorporated in 1803, settlement and industrial and commercial development began to shift south of Steep Brook, toward the Quequechan River 34 Water-powered manufacturing transformed Fall River into an industrial hub by the midnineteenth century. 35 The advent of the steam -powered mills facilitated the textile industry boom, which generated exponential population growth.
36 The proliferation of employment opportunities in downtown Fall River attracted immigrants to the area, and though Steep Brook was not as intensely urbanized, the influx of immigrants did affect the demographic composition of the neighborhood. 37 As transportation became increasingly feasible over the course of the nineteenth century, Steep Brook became populated with residents able to commute to their jobs in Fall River. Thus, the mid-nineteenth to early-twentieth century saw an uptick of construction in the Steep Brook neighborhood. 38
Commercial Activity:
Commercial activity in Steep Brook was once concentrated around the intersection of North Main Street and Wilson Road, where the village’s general store was located in the early nineteenth century. 39 Steep Brook boasted six grocery stores in its early days, but population growth throughout Fall River necessitated the opening of more markets to accommodate residents’ needs. 40 The tenements and shops at 3079 North Main Street were erected during the period of suburbanization that ensued, as Fall River workers made their homes outside the heart of the city. 41
24 Wendy Frontiero, Vivienne Lasky, Peter Stott, and Sarah Zimmerman, “Fall River Multiple Resource Area National Register Nomination Form,” United States Department of the Interior, 1983, 13.
25 Arthur Sherman Phillips, The Phillips History of Fall River. Fall River, MA: Dover Press, 1946, Volume I, 90.
26 Ann Macari Healey, “North End Residents Try to Retain Rural Character; Developers Knock on Doors,” Providence Journal, June 27, 1988. 27Ann Macari Healey, “North End Residents Try to Retain Rural Character; Developers Knock on Doors,” Providence Journal, June 27, 1988.
28 “Steep Brook Was Important Early,” Fall River Herald News, October 17, 1978.
29 Dan Medeiros, “Train Timeline: Tracking Fall River's History from Old Colony Railroad to South Coast Rail,” The Herald News, October 25, 2021.
30 Arthur Sherman Phillips, The Phillips History of Fall River. Fall River, MA: Dover Press, 1946, Volume II, 177.
31 Arthur Sherman Phillips, The Phillips History of Fall River. Fall River, MA: Dover Press, 1946, Volume III, 26-27.
32Arthur Sherman Phillips, The Phillips History of Fall River. Fall River, MA: Dover Press, 1946, Volume II, 183.
33 William A. Moniz, “Horses, Trolleys Kept Fall River Moving in Early Days,” Standard-Times, July 5, 2012.
34“Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River,” Massachusetts Historical Commission, 1982, 6-7.
36 “Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River,” Massachusetts Historical Commission, 1982, 10.
37 Wendy Frontiero, Vivienne Lasky, Peter Stott, and Sarah Zimmerman, “Fall River Multiple Resource Area National Register Nomination Form,” United States Department of the Interior, 1983, 15; “Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River,” Massachusetts Historical Commission, 1982, 9.
38 Wendy Frontiero, Vivienne Lasky, Peter Stott, and Sarah Zimmerman, “Fall River Multiple Resource Area National Register Nomination Form,” United States Department of the Interior, 1983.
39 “Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River,” Massachusetts Historical Commission, 1982, 10; George Oliver Rigby, Steep Brook 1st ed. Danvers, MA: Bett’s, 1979, 22.
40 George Oliver Rigby, Steep Brook. 1st ed. Danvers, MA: Bett’s, 1979, 19.
41Wendy Frontiero, Vivienne Lasky, Peter Stott, and Sarah Zimmerman, “Fall River Multiple Resource Area National Register Nomination Form,” United States Department of the Interior, 1983.
“Doreo Poulhus.” The Evening Herald, September 23, 1921.
Fall River Building Department, Fall River, Massachusetts. “Building Permit for 3079 North Main Street. 1922; 1947; 1994.
Fall River City Directory: 1896, 1901, 1906-1907, 1911, 1912, 1916, 1921, 1926, 1931, 1936. Boston, Massachusetts: Sampson & Murdock Company
“For Sale.” The Fall River Globe, May 28, 1918.
Frontiero, Wendy, Vivienne Lasky, Peter Stott, and Sarah Zimmerman. “Fall River Multiple Resource Area National Register Nomination Form.” United States Department of the Interior. 1983.
Google Street View. 3079 North Main Street, September, 2012.
Healey, Ann Macari. “North End Residents Try to Retain Rural Character; Developers Knock on Doors.” Providence Journal, June 27, 1988.
“Intentions to Build.” The Fall River Daily Evening News, October 26, 1914.
Medeiros, Dan. “Train Timeline: Tracking Fall River's History from Old Colony Railroad to South Coast Rail.” The Herald News , October 25, 2021.
Moniz, William A. “Horses, Trolleys Kept Fall River Moving in Early Days.” Standard-Times, July 5, 2012.
Phillips, Arthur Sherman. The Phillips History of Fall River. Fall River, MA: Dover Press. 1946.
Polk’s Fall River (Bristol County, Massachusetts) City Directory, Volumes 1941, 1946, 1951, 1956, 1961, 1966, 1971. Boston: R. L. Polk & Company.
“Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River.” Massachusetts Historical Commission. 1982.
3079 North Main Street is circled in yellow on this 1944 map. Source: U.S. Geological Survey Topographic Quadrangle Map, Fall River, Massachusetts, 1944.
Northwest and southwest elevations, looking east
A photograph revealing minimal alterations to the building over the past decade. Source: Google Street View in September, 2012.
Northwest elevation, looking southeast.
MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No.
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.
3100 North Main Street is a two-and-a-half-story Queen Anne-style multi-family dwelling located on a residential and commercial thoroughfare, set back moderately from the street. The building features an asymmetrical side gable roof with a projecting ba y disrupting the roofline of the façade. The wood frame structure is clad in wooden shingle siding. The driveway and parking areas are located northeast of the building. The northwest elevation of the building features an ell addition.
A paved pathway leads from the sidewalk to the steps of the one-story asymmetrical wraparound porch with shed roof spanning the full lengths of the façade and southwest elevation of the building. The westernmost portion of the porch is screened in. A small gable roof section is set above the porch entrance. The porch is characterized by turned posts and patterned wood latticework ornamentation within the balustrade and beneath the porch’s roofline. The façade features two entrances: a half -lit single-leaf paneled door aligned with the porch steps, and a single- leaf paneled door located near the eastern end of the building, which provides access to the upper-story unit. Near the southern end of the façade, a two-story semi-hexagonal bay projects. The bay is larger on the first story, where it features a window on each of its elevations, and smaller on the seco nd story, where it features one window on the central elevation and cutaway corners. Fenestration patterns are regular along the façade and southwest elevation. All of the building’s visible windows are 1/1 double hung sash with modest caps and plain surrounds except for a fixed sash window with a transom on the first story of the bay window and three first-story windows on the northeast elevation, where fenestration patterns are irregular. The northeast elevation features a square, stained-glass window; a small, three‐part bay window with a fixed, undivided center sash and fixed 6 pane side sash; and a fixed sash hexagonal window on the first story. A second stained glass window is set between the stories.
The roofline features a modest friezeboard and cornice and a slight overhang along the upper half story. The building’s roof is asphalt-shingled, and an interior brick chimney projects near the center of the ridgeline.
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.
3100 North Main Street was constructed between the Taunton River and Steep Brook’s main thoroughfare in the late nineteenth century. The building stands as an excellent local example of the Queen Anne style.
Occupant History:
Mercy Winslow received the deed for the lot at 3100 North Main Street from her father Frederick Winslow in 1890. 1 A house was constructed on this property between 1895 and 1900. 2 Mercy and her husband Charles Sylvester, both longtime employees of the Fall River Telephone Exchange, lived at the address from 1900 through the 1920s. 3 Mercy’s nephew Charles F. Winslow was the executor of her will; 4 he and his family moved in after Mercy’s death in the early 1920s and occupied the house through
1 Deed for 3100 North Main Street, from Frederick Winslow to Mercy Sylvester, October 9, 1890. Book 492, Page 19, Taunton Registry of Deeds.
2 1901 Fall River City Directory, Boston, Massachusetts: Sampson & Murdock Company; Deed for 3100 North Main Street, from Frederick Winslow to Mercy Sylvester, October 9, 1890. Book 492, Page 19, Taunton Registry of Deeds.
3 “Fall River’s Early Days,” Fall River Herald News, September 28, 1931; Fall River City Directory: 1901, 1906-1907, 1911, 1912, 1916, 1921, Boston, Massachusetts: Sampson & Murdock Company; “Mrs. Mercy V. Sylvester,” The Fall River Daily Evening News, July 30, 1923.
4 Deed for 3100 North Main Street, from Charles F. Winslow to Charles F. Winslow, November 28, 1924. Book 339, Page 24, Fall River Registry of Deeds.
the 1950s. 5 Charles was an employee of Border City Manufacturing Company and his wife Lida was an involved community member she served at least fifteen consecutive terms as president of the Ladies’ Aid Society of the North Christian Church. 6 The couple’s adult children lived at the address into the 1930s: Norman worked as a fireman and Evelyn was a public school teacher. 7 By 1960, real estate agent Alfred Camara and his wife Doris took ownership of the property. 8
Physical History:
Building permit records document two 1941 additions to the property: a twenty-two-foot by thirty-one-foot, two-story cottage and a twelve-foot by twenty-foot, one-story garage. Building permit records also note the construction of a screen porch, spanning twenty feet on both the southwest and northwest elevations of the building in 1960. The rear garage was expanded in 1981 and a twenty-two-foot by twenty-four-foot bedroom, which comprises the ell off the rear of the main block, was added in 1986. 9 The property owners also received permits to repair the porch in 2012 and to replace the roof in 2021. 10
Steep Brook Background:
Steep Brook is located in the northwestern part of Fall River, which was itself a part of Freetown, Massachusetts until its incorporation as a separate town in 1803. 11 British settlement in Steep Brook dates back to the mid-seventeenth century. 12 Steep Brook served as Fall River’s original town center. 13 Most of Fall River’s surviving pre-industrial properties are located in Steep Brook, 14 which functioned as an agricultural village and service area along the Post Road prior to the onset of large-scale industrialization in the heart of Fall River in the nineteenth century. 15 In the seventeenth century, crops and fields were likely maintained by seasonal workers, as there is no evidence of residential settlement during this period; farmers began to inhabit the area in the eighteenth century. 16
The topography of Fall River aided in the area’s industrial development, as access to streams and the Taunton River enabled maritime transport and commercial activity throughout the 1800s. 17 In the early nineteenth century, the village boasted such enterprises as saw and grist mills, blacksmith shops, a stove foundry, a tan yard, and multiple boat-building businesses. 18 The area surrounding the intersection of North Main Street and Wilson Road marked the commercial hub of Steep Brook, where many of these ventures took place. 19 Steep Brook also boasted a wharf and shipyard where Wilson Road met the Taunton River. 20 Barges and steamers frequented Steep Brook, transporting goods and passengers throughout the region and beyond. 21 Transportation played a vital role in the history of Steep Brook. Fall River’s railway system was established in 1844. A decade later, the Fall River Railroad merged with the Old Colony Railroad, connecting Fall River to Providence, New Bedford, and Boston. 22 The railroad featured a stop in Steep Brook. 23 In the early 1800s, the stagecoach line that ran from Boston to Newport
5 Fall River City Directory: 1926, 1931, 1936, Boston, Massachusetts: Sampson & Murdock Company; Polk’s Fall River (Bristol County, Massachusetts) City Directory, Volumes 1941, 1946, 1951, 1956, Boston: R. L. Polk & Company.
6 Fall River City Directory: 1926, 1931, 1936, Boston, Massachusetts: Sampson & Murdock Company; Polk’s Fall River (Bristol County, Massachusetts) City Directory, Volumes 1941, 1946, 1951, Boston: R. L. Polk & Company; “Church Society Elects Officers,” Fall River Herald News, January 11, 1939.
7 1930 United States Federal Census, Ancestry.com, Leni, Utah.
8 Polk’s Fall River (Bristol County, Massachusetts) City Directory, Volumes 1961, 1966, 1971, Boston: R. L. Polk & Company.
9 Fall River Building Department, Fall River, Massachusetts, “Building Permit for 3100 North Main Street,” 1941; 1960; 1981.
10 Fall River Building Department, Fall River, Massachusetts, “Building Permit for 3100 North Main Street,” 2012 and 2021.
11 “Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River,” Massachusetts Historical Commission, 1982, 1.
12 George Oliver Rigby, Steep Brook. 1st ed. Danvers, MA: Bett’s, 1979, 15.
13 Wendy Frontiero, Vivienne Lasky, Peter Stott, and Sarah Zimmerman, “Fall River Multiple Resource Area National Register Nomination Form,” United States Department of the Interior, 1983, 3.
14 Q. Stuart, K. Miller, and A. Cahoon, “Area Form for Steep Brook,” Massachusetts Historical Commission. December, 2012, 1.
15 “Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River,” Massachusetts Historical Commission, 1982, 1.
16 “Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River,” Massachusetts Historical Commission, 1982, 3-4.
17 Wendy Frontiero, Vivienne Lasky, Peter Stott, and Sarah Zimmerman, “Fall River Multiple Resource Area National Register Nomination Form,” United States Department of the Interior, 1983, 13.
18 Arthur Sherman Phillips, The Phillips History of Fall River. Fall River, MA: Dover Press, 1946, Volume I, 90.
19 Ann Macari Healey, “North End Residents Try to Retain Rural Character; Developers Knock on Doors,” Providence Journal, June 27, 1988. 20Ann Macari Healey, “North End Residents Try to Retain Rural Character; Developers Knock on Doors,” Providence Journal, June 27, 1988.
21 “Steep Brook Was Important Early,” Fall River Herald News, October 17, 1978.
22 Dan Medeiros, “Train Timeline: Tracking Fall River's History from Old Colony Railroad to South Coast Rail,” The Herald News, October 25, 2021.
23 Arthur Sherman Phillips, The Phillips History of Fall River. Fall River, MA: Dover Press, 1946, Volume II, 177.
featured a stop at Steep Brook’s Green Dragon Inn. 24 Steep Brook also boasted its own omnibus service, pioneered by local businessman James H. Wilson to connect Steep Brook to Globe Village in southern Fall River prior to the introduction of the streetcar. 25 In 1880, Fall River’s Globe Street Railway was established. Horse drawn trolleys transported riders to and from stops along North Main Street. In 1892, electric street cars were introduced in Fall River. For over forty years, these vehicles made downtown Fall River more accessible to residents of Steep Brook, where there was a stop. 26
After Fall River was incorporated in 1803, settlement and industrial and commercial development began to shift south of Steep Brook, toward the Quequechan River. 27 Water-powered manufacturing transformed Fall River into an industrial hub by the midnineteenth century. 28 The advent of the steam -powered mills facilitated the textile industry boom, which generated exponential population growth 29 The proliferation of employment opportunities in downtown Fall River attracted immigrants to the area, and though Steep Brook was not as intensely urbanized, the influx of immigrants did affect the demographic composition of the neighborhood. 30 As transportation became increasingly feasible over the course of the nineteenth century, Steep Brook became populated with residents able to commute to their jobs in Fall River. Thus, the mid-nineteenth to early-twentieth century saw an uptick of construction in the Steep Brook neighborhood. 31
Architectural Context:
3100 North Main Street is built in the Queen Anne style, which was prevalent throughout Fall River in the late nineteenth century. 32 The Queen Anne style is prevalent throughout the Highlands neighborhood, situated between Steep Brook and downtown Fall River. Residential construction, particularly of large Victorian single-family homes, boomed in the Highlands at the end of the nineteenth century, as rapid industrialization in Fall River sparked economic growth and suburbanization. 33 3100 North Main Street suggests that Fall River’s prosperity during this period had similar effects on Steep Brook, albeit on a sm aller scale.
BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES
“Church Society Elects Officers.” Fall River Herald News, January 11, 1939.
Deed for 3100 North Main Street. From Charles F. Winslow to Charles F. Winslow. November 28, 1924. Book 339, Page 24. Fall River Registry of Deeds.
Deed for 3100 North Main Street. From Frederick Winslow to Mercy Sylvester. October 9, 1890. Book 492, Page 19. Taunton Registry of Deeds.
29 “Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River,” Massachusetts Historical Commission, 1982, 10.
30 Wendy Frontiero, Vivienne Lasky, Peter Stott, and Sarah Zimmerman, “Fall River Multiple Resource Area National Register Nomination Form,” United States Department of the Interior, 1983, 15; “Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River,” Massachusetts Historical Commission, 1982, 9.
31 Wendy Frontiero, Vivienne Lasky, Peter Stott, and Sarah Zimmerman, “Fall River Multiple Resource Area National Register Nomination Form,” United States Department of the Interior, 1983.
32 Wendy Frontiero, Vivienne Lasky, Peter Stott, and Sarah Zimmerman, “Fall River Multiple Resource Area National Register Nomination Form,” United States Department of the Interior, 1983, 5.
33 Wendy Frontiero, Vivienne Lasky, Peter Stott, and Sarah Zimmerman, “Fall River Multiple Resource Area National Register Nomination Form,” United States Department of the Interior, 1983, 2.
Fall River City Directory: 1896, 1901, 1906-1907, 1911, 1912, 1916, 1921, 1926, 1931, 1936. Boston, Massachusetts: Sampson & Murdock Company.
“Fall River’s Early Days.” Fall River Herald News, September 28, 1931.
“Former Teacher to Wed This Month.” Fall River Herald News, January 3, 1934.
Frontiero, Wendy, Vivienne Lasky, Peter Stott, and Sarah Zimmerman. “Fall River Multiple Resource Area National Register Nomination Form.” United States Department of the Interior. 1983.
Healey, Ann Macari. “North End Residents Try to Retain Rural Character; Developers Knock on Doors.” Providence Journal, June 27, 1988.
Levesque, William R. “Taunton River Still Draws People to City’s North End.” Fall River Herald News
Medeiros, Dan. “Train Timeline: Tracking Fall River's History from Old Colony Railroad to South Coast Rail.” The Herald News , October 25, 2021.
Moniz, William A. “Horses, Trolleys Kept Fall River Moving in Early Days.” Standard-Times, July 5, 2012.
“Mrs. Mercy V. Sylvester.” The Fall River Daily Evening News, July 30, 1923.
Phillips, Arthur Sherman. The Phillips History of Fall River Fall River, MA: Dover Press. 1946.
Polk’s Fall River (Bristol County, Massachusetts) City Directory, Volumes 1941, 1946, 1951, 1956, 1961, 1966, 1971. Boston: R. L. Polk & Company.
“Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River.” Massachusetts Historical Commission. 1982.
The deed for this property was transferred to Mercy Winslow in 1890. This map reveals the lot did not yet feature a house in 1895. The address first appears in the city directory in 1901. Source: Everts & Richards, Fall River City 4 in Atlas of Bristol County, Massachusetts, 1895.
3100 North Main Street is circled in yellow on this 1944 map. Source: U.S. Geological Survey Topographic Quadrangle Map, Fall River, Massachusetts, 1944.
A photograph revealing continuity in the house’s form and ornamentation. Source: Photographed Dave Souza for The Herald News, in an article called “Taunton River Still Draws People to City’s North End” by William R. Levesque housed in the Fall River Public Library’s newspaper clippings collection. Date unknown.
A photograph of Evelyn Winslow, for resided at 3100 North Main Street in the 1930s. Source: Fall River Herald News, January 3, 1934.
National Register of Historic Places Criteria Statement Form
Check all that apply:
Individually eligible
Eligible only in a historic district
Contributing to a potential historic district
Potential historic district
Criteria: A B C D
Criteria Considerations: A B C D E F G
Statement of Significance by Elisabeth Brown, RWU, Bristol, RI, November 2023
The criteria that are checked in the above sections must be justified here.
3100 North Main Street appears eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion C because it stands as a well-preserved example of the Queen Anne style from the early twentieth century. The building features an asymmetrical façade, a steeply pitched roof with a dominant front-facing gable, an asymmetrical one-story wraparound porch, turned posts, a cutaway bay window, wood shingle cladding, and latticework ornamentation.
The property features a 1986 addition along the rear elevation, but otherwise retains its original form. Its defining stylistic features remain intact. 3100 North Main Street retains integrity of location, design, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association.
FORM B BUILDING
MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION
MASSACHUSETTS ARCHIVES BUILDING
220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125
Photograph
Locus Map
Recorded by: Cameron Cutler
Organization: Roger Williams University
Date (month / year): September 2023
Town/City: Fall River
Place: (neighborhood or village): Steep Brook
Address: 3112 North Main St
Historic Name: George Brightman House
Uses: Present: Multiple Family Dwelling
Original: Single Family Dwelling
Date of Construction: unknown
Source:
Style/Form: Italianate
Architect/Builder: unknown
Exterior Material:
Foundation: stone w/ concrete skim
Wall/Trim: wood shingles
Roof: asphalt shingles
Outbuildings/Secondary Structures: two-car garage
Major Alterations (with dates): two-story addition (1900), garage (1922), basement studio (1987).
Condition: Extant/Good
Moved: no yes Date:
Acreage: 0.367 acres
Setting: The North Main Street area of the Steep Brook neighborhood originally developed as part of the village of Steep Brook. The area today is used for both commercial and residential purposes and still contains many of the structures built during the 18th and 19th centuries.
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 characteristic s of this building in terms of other buildings within the community.
3112 North Main Street is a 2½ story front-gabled house with Italianate styling. The wood-framed, multi-family building sits on the northwest side of North Main Street in a mainly residential area. It is clad in wood shingles and sits on a stone foundation with a layer of concrete skim. The front elevation faces east and is practically flush with the sidewalk. There is a two-story addition on the west elevation of the building that is two bays wide and one bay deep. On the south side of the building there is a small lawn between the house and a long driveway that leads to a two-car garage.
The main entry is in an enclosed, partial, attached porch with a shed roof centered on the front elevation. Wrapped fully around the porch is a half-height, turned spindle column railing that sits below 2/2 wood-framed sash windows. At each corner of the porch are larger turned posts that extend to the shed roof of the porch. Along the roofline of the porch there is a wood cornice with dental molding. The south side of the front elevation has two-story, square bay windows with a hipped roof. The rest of the front elevation contains a regular fenestration pattern of 1/1, replacement, vinyl windows.
The south side elevation has a mostly regular fenestration pattern of the same 1/1 vinyl windows but includes four smaller sidesashed windows. On the southwest corner there is a side entrance within another shed-roofed, partial, attached porch with squared support columns and a simple squared railing. The north elevation has a regular fenestration pattern of the same windows as the south. The main roofline has moderately overhanging eaves lined with ornamental brackets. All roofs are covered with asphalt shingles.
The two-car garage has an asphalt shingle, hip roof and is clad in the same wood shingles as the main block. The two-story, wood addition was built on the rear (west) side of the building in the year 1900. The garage on the western boundary of the premises was built by the owner in 1922. In 1987 the basement was converted into a studio apartment.
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.
Summary
3112 North Main Street is an example of the architecture built in Fall River during its population growth of the mid-19th century. Likely constructed as a two-family residence, the building housed a number of families that represented typical working-class citizens of the Steep Brook area. Specifically, the building was home to a series of carpenters over a period of nearly 100 years.
3112 North Main Street
The building at 3112 North Main Street was likely constructed around 1850 in direct response to Fall River’s doubling of population during the previous decade. 1 The property is visible on an 1858 atlas map that shows ‘G. Brightman’ owning the property. The 1855 census shows Gardner Brightman working as a mariner and living on the property with only his wife, Hannah. By the 1870 census it is still just the two Brightmans in the house, and Gardner is now listed as a retired carpenter. 2
1 Benjamin Earl & Son, Fall River: Its Rise and Progress (Fall River, MA: Benjamin Earl & Son, 1875), 40.
2 Ancestry.com, 1855 and 1870 United States Federal Census [database on-line] (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010)
The 1883 atlas map shows ‘Z. Briggs’ living at the property, and the 1880 census shows Zephaniah Briggs living with his wife and daughter, both named Abbie J. 3 Zephaniah Briggs is shown to be working as a carpenter at age 73. The property is marked on the 1895 map as ‘Z. Briggs Est.’ implying that Zephaniah had passed during the interim. The 1900 and 1920 censuses show George H. Allen, a minister, lived in the house with his wife, Abbie J. 4 Based on this evidence, it is likely that Abbie J. Briggs married George H. Allen and the two lived in the property for another thirty years after her mother and father’s death.
By 1925 a family named Snow moved into the house. Living in two separate units, Harry Snow lived with his wife Ethel, and Elisha Snow lived with his wife Louisa. Census records leave their relation to each other unclear, but both Snows worked as carpenters. 5 Building permits show that, in 1922, a garage was built by the owner of the house. This was likely built by Harry Snow and is still extant today.
Around 1940 a pharmacist named Arthur Corner moved in with his wife Louise and their daughters Anne and Nancy. City directories show the Corners lived with Ethel Snow until about 1960. 6
Steep Brook
Any history of Fall River is incomplete without a brief history of Steep Brook. The early settlers of the area followed the patterns of the Native Americans in the area, who settled along the eastern side of the Taunton and Quequechan Rivers. What would eventually be known as Fall River originally broke off from the town of Freetown due to its distance from residents in the southwesterly corner of the area. 7 North Main Street became the main postal road that ran from Freetown in the north to Fall River in the south, with Steep Brook roughly in the middle. Residential settlement was concentrated in Steep Brook by the late 18th century, and its importance is evident in the establishment of Fall River’s first townhall there, as well as the temporary placement of the post office. 8
With an estimated construction date of 1850, the house at 3112 North Main Street would have been built during a time of great growth in Fall River. By 1850, the population of Fall River had risen to over 11,000 people, up from just under 7,000 in 1840 9 While mill workers and their housing was concentrated closer to the Quequechan and the mills, other citizens likely sought alternatives to the denser areas of the city. Especially with the development of transportation methods, such as the railroad, omnibus, and stagecoach, it would have been easier and easier for citizens to live as far out as Steep Brook. Steep Brook had always been a central hub of transportation, and by the mid-19th century that had not changed. The Taunton River had been established as a highway for river travel in the colonial period, and that trend continued even after the establishment of the railroad. 10 Steep Brook maintained itself as a transportation hub between land north, Fall River to the south, and New York and other cities even further than that.
The residents of 3112 North Main Street show that there was more going on in Fall River apart from the textile industry. “While other areas in Fall River increased in density with textile industry worker housing, the North Main Street Area saw an increase in general residential construction.” 11 Likewise, the demand for new construction in Fall River, coupled with the primary use of lumber as a building material, meant a high demand for carpenters in the area. The population boom had shockwaves that went
3 Ancestry.com, 1880 United States Federal Census [database on-line] (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010)
4 Ancestry.com, 1900 and 1910 United States Federal Census [database on-line] (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010)
5 Ancestry.com, 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line] (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010)
6 R.L. Polk & Co., Polk’s Fall River (Bristol County, Mass.) City Directory 1960, (Boston: R.L. Polk & Co., 1960). Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA.
7 Vivienne Lasky et al. "Fall River Multiple Resource Area," National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form (Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 1984), Section 8, 0.
8 “MHC Reconnaissance Survey Town Report: Fall River,” January, 1982. Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Commission, Boston, MA, 7.
Henry M. Fenner, History of Fall River Massachusetts (Fall River, Ma: The Munroe Press, 1911), 17.
9 Benjamin Earl & Son, Fall River: Its Rise and Progress (Fall River, MA: Benjamin Earl & Son, 1875), 40.
10 Neil DePaoli et al. “Historic and Archaeological Resources of Southeast Massachusetts: A Framework for Preservation Decisions,” June, 1982. Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Commission, Boston, MA, 67.
11 Q. Stuart, K. Miller, and A. Cahoon, “Massachusetts Historical Commission Form A – Area for North Main Street Area, Fall River, MA, [FLR.BD],” December, 2020, Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Commission, Boston, MA, cont. 1.
through the town, all the way out to Steep Brook. The carpenters, pharmacists, ministers, and other workers that lived in 3112 were brought there by the increased demand of the population boom. They were directly involved in building and growing the community and responding to the new demands of the city.
Building Type
As previously mentioned, the growth of the textile industry resulted in an increased demand in housing. The Massachusetts Historical Commission Reconnaissance Survey Town Report from 1982 reports that one of the most common workers’ housing was a “six-bay wide, center entrance, Italianate two-and-a-half story double house,” which aligns with the house at 3112 North Main Street. 12 Although there is no evidence that 3112 North Main Street was constructed specifically for mill workers, it is likely this form and style was copied from other areas of the city.
BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES
Ancestry.com. 1855,1870, 1880, 1900, 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
DePaoli, Neil, Maxine Farkas, Peter Stott, Sarah Zimmerman, James W. Bradley. “Historic and Archaeological Resources of Southeast Massachusetts: A Framework for Preservation Decisions,” June, 1982. Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Commission, Boston, MA.
Earl, Benjamin & Son. Fall River: Its Rise and Progress. Fall River, MA: Benjamin Earl & Son, 1875.
Lasky, Vivienne, Peter Stott, Wendy Frontiero, and Sarah Zimmerman. "Fall River Multiple Resource Area," National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form (Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 1984)
“MHC Reconnaissance Survey Town Report: Fall River,” January, 1982. Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Commission, Boston, MA.
R.L. Polk & Co. Polk’s Fall River (Bristol County, Mass.) City Directory 1960. Boston: R.L. Polk & Co., 1960. Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA.
Stuart, Q., K. Miller, and A. Cahoon “Massachusetts Historical Commission Form A – Area for North Main Street Area, Fall River, MA [FLR.BD].” December, 2020. Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Commission, Boston, MA
12 “MHC Reconnaissance Survey Town Report: Fall River,” January, 1982. Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Commission, Boston, MA, 11.
1. 1895 map showing a section of N. Main St. near the Ashley Avenue intersection. 3112 North Main Street is shown circled in red. Source: Everts & Richards, Atlas of Surveys Bristol Co. Massachusetts, 1895. State Library of Massachusetts. https://archives.lib.state.ma.us/handle/2452/206017
2. An 1883 map showing the same intersection of N. Main St. and Ashley Ave. The map shows the same property owners for 3112 N Main as the 1895 atlas. Source: George H. Walker, Atlas of Fall River City, Massachusetts, 1883. State Library of Massachusetts. https://archives.lib.state.ma.us/handle/2452/127853
3. 1871 map that now shows the property at 3112 North Main belonging to ‘G. Brightman.’ Source: F.W. Beers & Co., Bristol County 1871, 1871. https://historicmapworks.com/Map/US/7988/Steep+Brook+Town/Bristol+County+1871/Massachusetts/
4. An 1858 map showing the section of N Main St. near Ashley Ave. Visible on the west side of N Main St. is 3112 circled in red. Gardner Brightman is listed in the 1859 city directory as a carpenter, John Dyer in 1853 as a painter, both with a house in Steep Brook. Source: H.F. Walling, Map of the County of Bristol, Massachusetts, 1858. https://shop.old-maps.com/massachusetts/towns/bristol-co-ma-1858-town/steep-brookvillage-massachusetts-1858-old-town-map-custom -print-bristol-co/
Setting: The North Main Street area of the Steep Brook neighborhood originally developed as part of the village of Steep Brook. The area today is used for both commercial and residential purposes and still contains many of the structures built during the 18th and 19th centuries.
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.
3126 North Main Street is a 2½ story, multi-family, Georgian styled saltbox house on the northwest side of North Main Street. In a mainly residential area, the wood-framed house is separated from the street and sidewalk by a small lawn and ashlar stone retaining wall. The side-gabled and wood-framed building sits on a stone foundation with a concrete skim. There is a two-story wing addition on the southwest corner of the main block. Both the main block and wing are clad in wood shingles with asphalt shingle roofs.
The front elevation faces the east and is comprised of four bays. The third bay contains the main entry. The entry is covered with a triangularly pedimented door hood, supported by braces, and contains a half-lit, single leaf, paneled, replacement door. All the windows on the building are 1/1, replacement, vinyl, double-hung windows. They are symmetrically dispersed with three on the first story and four on the second. The windows and door have a simple wood frame and there is a wood cornice along the roofline.
The south elevation has a wing likely added after the initial construction. The two-story wing begins in the middle of the two-bay, original elevation, and projects south. It has a regular fenestration pattern similar to the front elevation. There is a two-story, attached porch on the southeast corner of the main block.
The asphalt driveway extends from the street and runs along the south side of the property. At the end of the driveway, west of the building, is a modern, one-car garage with a flat roof. Along the driveway there is an exposed basement story beneath the main block and wing.
The owners of the property constructed the garage on the western boundary of the property in 1922. Evidence shows that this original garage was removed sometime between 2015 and 2019. A modern garage was constructed north of the original garage site. The building was reroofed in 2023.
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.
Summary
The house at 3126 North Main Street and its occupants over the years reflect the common demographics of Steep Brook over the past two-hundred years. Likely constructed in the early 19th century, the house has been home to families that originally settled Steep Brook. The house remains significant for its reflection of the families who lived and worked in the Steep Brook community.
3126 North Main Street
Early occupants of 3126 North Main Street worked similar jobs as their neighbors, such as farmers and fishermen. The earliest map available for the area shows John Dyer living at the property in 1850, and census records show him working as a painter. 1 It is likely that Dyer died sometime between 1858 and 1866, as deed research shows the land being sold by Henry Dyer, likely an
1Ancestry.com, 1855 United States Federal Census [database on-line] (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010).
heir, to Isaac and Josephine Read. 2 The Reads would live in the house with John Dyer’s widow, Mary, for the next sixty years. On an 1871 atlas map the property has both ‘Miss Dyer’ and ‘I. Read’ labeled on the property. We can also see on this map the footprint of the house as it is today, with a large wing addition off the rear of the building, implying it was built sometime during the 1860s. The 1883 atlas map still shows the property as the Dyer Estate, but deed transfer records tell us the property was owned by the Reads. It is not until the 1895 atlas map that the property is labeled to be belonging to Josephine Read. From the 1860s until the 1880s, censuses list Isaac Read as a fisherman and a farmer, while Josephine Read and Mary Dyer kept house. 3
By 1900 the house was still occupied by Mary Dyer and Josephine Read. Living with them was Read’s son-in-law and Dyer’s nephew, John P. Collins. Collins is listed as working as a steamboat captain. At this point they also had a live-in cook and servant living in the house. 4 In 1925 two families of Codegas, Plinio Codega and his wife Zelia, and Silvio Codega and his wife Rose, moved into the two units of the house. Plinio and Silvio both worked for the Shell station, and the two families lived in the building for thirty years.
Steep Brook
Any history of Fall River is incomplete without a brief history of Steep Brook. The early settlers of the area followed the patterns of the Native Americans in the area, who settled along the eastern side of the Taunton and Quequechan Rivers. What would eventually be known as Fall River originally broke off from the town of Freetown due to its distance from residents in the southwesterly corner of the area. 5 North Main Street became the main postal road that ran from Freetown in the north to Fall River in the south, with Steep Brook roughly in the middle. Residential settlement was concentrated in Steep Brook by the late 18th century, and its importance is evident in the establishment of Fall River’s first townhall there, as well as the temporary placement of the post office. 6 7
The life of the 18th century Steep Brook farmer was likely one of relative prosperity, as they were “practically independent. Abundant fish and game in the woods, and streams nearby, and his own cattle, sheep, swine, and poultry, added to th e vegetables raised on his land, and a bounteous supply of butter, eggs, and milk, enabled him to set a generous table.” 8 Besides providing for themselves, the farmers of Steep Brook would also sell their goods in other places, using the many wharves built at most farms in the area or one of the six grocery stores in Steep Brook. 9 Although the censuses of the time mark the women as ‘keeping house,’ they too played a role in the early prosperity of Steep Brook. A 1928 article mentioned that “as each family kept sheep up on the hillside, so each housewife spun the yarn, wove the cloth, and fashioned garments for their household.” 10 With these factors considered, it is unsurprising that Steep Brook was the “center of business, social, and political activity of Fall River” in the early 19th century. 11
The house at 3126 North Main Street was likely constructed when Steep Brook was still a rural and agricultural community. Its earliest occupants, the Dyers and the Reads, were among the original settlers of the area. This multigenerational family lived at the property for around 100 years and was directly involved in the community surrounding the property. As Fall River grew, Steep Brook maintained its community of working-class families that is reflected in this property. The occupants of the house at
2North Bristol County Registry of Deeds, Taunton, Massachusetts, ““Henry Dyer, Sarah Dyer, Isaac Read, Josephine Read to Mary Dyer,” April 6, 1866, Deed Book 290, Page 342.
3 Ancestry.com, 1860 and 1880 United States Federal Census [database on-line] (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010).
4 Ancestry.com, 1900 United States Federal Census [database on-line] (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010).
5 Vivienne Lasky et al. "Fall River Multiple Resource Area," National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form (Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 1984), Section 8, 0.
6 “MHC Reconnaissance Survey Town Report: Fall River,” January, 1982. Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Commission, Boston, MA, 7.
7 Henry M. Fenner, History of Fall River Massachusetts (Fall River, Ma: The Munroe Press, 1911), 17.
8 Henry M. Fenner, History of Fall River (New York: F.T. Smiley, 1906), 10.
9 Fenner, History of Fall River, 13.
10 W. Irving Pierce, “Historic Freetown,” Fall River Herald News, January 12, 1928, http://fallriver.advantagepreservation.com/viewer/?k=&i=f&d=0101180012312021&m=between&ord=k1&fn=fall_river_herald_news_usa_massachusetts_fall_river_19280112_english_16&df=1&dt=10&cid=2892 11George Oliver Rigby, Steep Brook (Danvers, MA: Bett’s, 1979), 22.
3126 North Main Street would have been directly involved in the community, selling their goods to their neighbors and neighboring communities abroad.
BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES
Ancestry.com.1855, 1860, 1880, 1900, United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts. “Henry Dyer, Sarah Dyer, Isaac Read, Josephine Read to Mary Dyer.” April 6, 1866. Deed Book 290, Page 342.
Fenner, Henry M. History of Fall River. New York: F.T. Smiley, 1906.
Fenner, Henry M. History of Fall River Massachusetts. Fall River, MA: The Munroe Press, 1911.
Lasky, Vivienne, Peter Stott, Wendy Frontiero, and Sarah Zimmerman. "Fall River Multiple Resource Area," National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form (Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 1984)
“MHC Reconnaissance Survey Town Report: Fall River,” January, 1982. Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Commission, Boston, MA.
Pierce, W. Irving. “Historic Freetown.” Fall River Herald News, January 12, 1928. http://fallriver.advantagepreservation.com/viewer/?k=&i=f&d=0101180012312021&m=between&ord=k1&fn=fall_river_herald_news_usa_massachusetts_fall_river_19280112_english_16&df=1&dt =10& cid=2892
Rigby, George Oliver. Steep Brook. Danvers, MA: Bett’s, 1979.
1. 1895 map showing a section of N. Main St. near the Ashley Avenue intersection. 3126 N Main is circled in red, showing Josephine Read and Mary Dyer living at the property. Source: Everts & Richards, Atlas of Surveys Bristol Co. Massachusetts, 1895. State Library of Massachusetts. https://archives.lib.state.ma.us/handle/2452/206017
2. An 1883 map showing the same intersection of N. Main St. and Ashley Ave. The map shows ‘Dyer Est.’ for the property owner. Source: George H. Walker, Atlas of Fall River City, Massachusetts, 1883. State Library of Massachusetts. https://archives.lib.state.ma.us/handle/2452/127853
3. 1871 map showing I. Read and Miss Dyer living at the property of 3126 North Main Street. Source: F.W. Beers & Co., Bristol County 1871, 1871. https://historicmapworks.com/Map/US/7988/Steep+Brook+Town/Bristol+County+1871/Massachusetts/
4. An 1858 map showing the section of N Main St. near Ashley Ave. Visible on the west side of N Main St. is 3126 circled in red. John Dyer in an 1853 city directory is listed as a painter with a house in Steep Brook. Source: H.F. Walling, Map of the County of Bristol, Massachusetts, 1858. https://shop.oldmaps.com/massachusetts/towns/bristol-co-ma-1858-town/steep-brook-village-massachusetts-1858-old-townmap-custom-print-bristol-co/
5. Walling, Henry Francis. "Fall River Village ; Map of the town of Fall River, Bristol County, Massachusetts." Map. New York: A.G. Gillet,, 1850. Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center, https://collections.leventhalmap.org/search/commonwealth:4m90fn438 (accessed May 28, 2024).
7. 2015 Google Maps Street View image showing the east-facing elevation. The 1922 garage is visible in the lower-right corner. Source: Google Maps, 2015.
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.
3138 North Main Street is located in the historic Steep Brook area, a linear low-density residential neighborhood of Fall River, MA. The house is set on a low rise above the street and sidewalk with a low granite block retaining wall along the property’s frontage. It is a modest Greek Revival 1½ story, wood frame house with a stone foundation. It has a T -shaped plan consisting of the rectangular main block and a rear ell addition slightly off-center on the back, plus an outdoor deck set in the north intersection of the main block and ell. The roof is surfaced with asphalt shingles. There are paired brick interior ridge chimneys on either end of the roof on the main block. All siding on the house is coursed wood shingle, with smaller shingles on the front and larger ones on the sides. The corners of the main block have vertical wood corner boards.
The southeast (front) elevation of the building is symmetrical and can be split into five bays, with the main entrance in the center and two windows on either side. The entry has a modern single-leaf half-lit 2-panel door with half-length side lights. The door surround has pilasters on either side with a lintel and cornice above. A modern external k -style gutter system runs over the cornice along the eave of the roof above the frieze. All of the windows on the main block of the building are modern 1-over-1 double-hung windows with unornamented wood window casings.
The northeast and southeast elevations of the main block are mirror images of each other. The fenestration pattern on the 2nd floor of these elevations is symmetrical, but the first is not. The elevations can each be divided into 2 bays. Each bay has a 1-over-1 double-hung window on each floor. On the southeastern bays, the 1st floor window is much closer to the front facade. On the northwestern bays, the window on the 1st floor is closer to the rear of the building than on the 2nd floor. The cornice features cornice returns on the ends.
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 house at 3138 North Main Street, built circa. 1843, housed multiple families over its history. The lives of the inhabitants follow greater trends in the city of Fall River in regard to occupation and industry. The first inhabitants of the house were William H. Ashley and his wife Joanna H. Ashley who lived there for approximately 15 years. William H. Ashley was a trader/grocer. He sold the house to Frederick Winslow, a farmer, in 1859. Residents in the house at this time included a pair of grocers, George Winslow and Henry H Elsbree, who owned a grocery store called Winslow & Elsbree at 644 North Main St, as well as Isaiah Winslow, a carpenter; Ira B Brightman, a captain; and Mary H Winslow, a teacher. In the first half of the 20th century, the house was owned by the Read family Arthur C. Read was a fireman and then engineer on the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. In the second half of the 20th century, the house was owned by Helen A. Warden, an inspector at the Firestone Cotton Mills.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
and/or REFERENCES
Ancestry.com. 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940, 1950, United States Federal Census [database online]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2023.
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 3216 North Main Street occupies a corner lot on North Main Street and Collins Street. It is located in the historic Steep Brook area, a linear low-density residential neighborhood, of Fall River, MA. The building is set very close to the street with a low chain-link fence in front of it along the sidewalk. It can be understood as 3 connected but distinct pieces: The original 1½ story portion fronting N Main St, a large 2 story addition on its rear, and a small single-story addition across the rear elevation of that addition. The original portion of the house has a side- gabled roof; the addition has a low pitch gable roof with the ridge set perpendicular to the main block, and the small addition has a half-hipped roof. All roof slopes are covered with asphalt shingles. There are two brick interior chimneys set at either end of the rear slope of the roof on the main block. All siding on the house is coursed wood shingle of a consistent size, with the exception of the one-story addition, where the wood shingles are considerably smaller. Similarly, all corners of the house have a simple wood corner board detail, except the corners of the small addition.
The east (front) elevation of the building is symmetrical and can be split into five bays, with the main entrance in the center and two windows on either side. The entry has a modern single-leaf door and small transom window in a wood door surround that has a simple architrave trim surrounding it and an eared cornice on top. A modern external k -style gutter system runs along the eave of the roof just above the frieze. The windows on the east elevation, as well as on the north and south sides of the original portion of the building, are modern 1-over-1 double-hung windows with unornamented wood window casings.
The south elevation can be divided into 5 bays: 2 on the original building, 2 on the large addition, and 1 for the small addition. From east to west, the 1st bay has one window on the 1st floor and one directly above on the 2nd. The 2nd bay has a window only on the 2nd floor. In front of the 3rd, 4th and 5th bays is an external wood staircase up to an elevated wood deck with access to the 2nd floor. The large addition, comprising the 3rd and 4th bays, contains 3 windows and a door in an irregular fenestration pattern. In the 3rd bay is a modern sliding window on the 1st floor, and a short and wide modern 1-over-1 double-hung window on the 2nd floor. The 4th bay contains a window on the 1st floor identical to the ones on the original building and a modern door on the second level for the deck. The 5th bay has twin double-hung modern 1over-1 windows. A decorative cornice follows the rake of the original building’s roofline until it gets cut off by the large addition. Along the eave of the large addition’s roof is a gutter system that ends where the addition roof and original roof slopes meet, and another gutter system wraps around the south and west sides of the small addition.
The west elevation has a symmetrical design composed of 3 bays. In the central bay on the 1st floor is a modern door, and on the bays on either side is a modern double-hung 1-over-1 window. Each of the side bays also has a modern doublehung 1-over-1 window on the large addition’s 2nd floor, with thinner window casings than the others.
The north elevation can be divided into 6 bays. The original portion, again divided into 2 bays, is a mirror image of the south elevation, but the large and small additions have different arrangements, and thus can be divided into 4 more bays. The small addition has no openings or detailing in its bay. The 1st floor of the large addition has 3 more of the windows seen on the original portion of the building, each in a bay. From west to east, there are shorter 1-over-1 double-hung windows with thinner window casings on the 2nd story in both the 2nd and 3rd bays. There are no openings in bay 4 on the 2nd story, but unlike on the south elevation where the decorative cornice of the original building gets cut off at the addition’s roofline, the cornice on this side continues down along the elevation to suggest the original building’s full gabled roof shape. There is also another gutter system starting where the rooflines of the original building and the large addition meet and ending at the corner of the small addition.
INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET
MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION
220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 FALL RIVER 3216 NORTH
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 house at 3216 North Main Street was built in 1860 for the family of Job B. and Wealthy Ashley. Job B. Ashley was a grocer and the house doubled as his grocery store. His father Hezekiah, who was living in the same house, was a farmer, as many residents of Steep Brook were in the early- to mid- 1800s. In 1872 the house was sold to John Winslow, a machinist, and his family resided there for over a century. Winslow’s son Clarence was a teamster, and his daughter Minnie was a dressmaker. His granddaughter Helen C. Gifford became a teacher at the William J. Wiley School in Steep Brook.
BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES
Ancestry.com. 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940, 1950, United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2023.
220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 FALL RIVER 3216 NORTH
South and west facades looking northeast.
FORM B BUILDING
MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION
MASSACHUSETTS ARCHIVES BUILDING
220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125
Photograph
Locus Map
Recorded by: Erin
LoMonaco
Organization: Roger Williams University
Date (month / year): September / 2023
Town/City: Fall River
Place: (neighborhood or village): Steep Brook
Address: 3247 North Main Street
Historic Name: Barnabas Clark House
Uses: Present: Single Family Dwelling
Original: Single Family Dwelling
Date of Construction: Before 1850
Source: Fall River Directories
Style/Form: Cape
Architect/Builder: Unknown
Exterior Material:
Foundation: Stone, uncut
Wall/Trim: Vinyl
Roof: Asphalt Shingle
Outbuildings/Secondary Structures: None present to date
Major Alterations (with dates): Renovated (10/23/2018 and 10/16/2019) with a garage built to south of building (10/18/2018) and heating added, with the assumed removal of the chimney (4/24/2019)
Condition: Fair
Moved: no yes
Acreage: 0.342 acres
Date:
Setting: Urban linear residential district developed in the early 19th Century.
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.
3247 North Main Street is a one and a half story, cape form, single family dwelling. The house has a deep set back from North Main Street, and the driveway, which takes up much of the setback, includes parking spaces for three cars. The main elevation of the building has three parts; what appears to be the original form of the house with an uncut stone foundation, an attached addition to the south with a concrete foundation, and an attached garage to the south. All three parts have vinyl siding and sidegable roofs with asphalt shingles. The wing addition has an extended shed roof from the west end of the gable, indicating incorporation of a porch into living space. The main block of the house contains a projecting entry bay with gable roof in the center which has a vinyl cornice. The entrance features a replacement modern door with plain vinyl surround. To the north of the entrance, there are a set of two vinyl 1/1 double-hung replacement windows with shutters, and to the south, a set of tripartite vinyl 1/1 double-hung replacement windows with shutters. A vent pipe is present in the center of the west part of the roof. The west elevation of the wing has one vinyl 1/1 double-hung replacement window with shutters. The garage has a single bay entrance with an overhead door featuring six windows.
The north elevation is only partially visible from the road. One vinyl 1/1 double- hung replacement window with shutters can be seen on the east end of the first story, and one vinyl 1/1 double-hung replacement window is located on the west end of the half story. The east and south elevations are not visible from the road.
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.
Property History
The property at 3247 North Main Steet was built before 1850. The first owner of the property was Barnabas Clark, who lived here until his death in 1893. He was an ingenious blacksmith, ice dealer, clay miner, and owner of a grist mill in Steep Brook who provided for the community’s economy, built and owned various houses and businesses, and discovered clay which became a major industry in Steep Brook. His contributions to the development of Steep Brook led to the naming of Clark Street after him (“Steep Brook Was Important,” 1978).
The house at 3247 North Main Street was originally built as a Cape form, single-family home. The building is still used as a single-family home, and it seems to have retained most of its original form, though some integrity of the Cape form has been lost with the removal of the center chimney, and the additions to the south that have been added in the 21st century.
No historical photographs have been found for this property, but from the 1871 map of Steep Brook to the present GIS map, the footprint of the building does not appear to have changed much from its original L form. Changes since 2012- based on building permit records and historic Google Street view photos- include the removal of the central chimney when the heating system was added in 2019; the removal of the garage outbuilding that was located to the southeast of the building and the addition of a garage attached to the south of the building in 2018; the replacement of the wooden cladding with vinyl in 2018-2019; the removal of the windows and replacement in a new pattern on the elevation with vinyl windows in 2018-2019; the changes done to the second bay, including the removal of the second south entrance and the arched windows beside it, then the extension of the bay to line up with the main bay elevation with a singular window installed in the center; and the paving of the driveway in 2018-2019, adding a space for parking in the front of the building (Google Maps, 2012-2023; Fall River Building Department Building Permit for 3247 North Main Street).
Barnabas Clark was born around 1813, coming to Steep Brook around 1840 to make a living (Ancestry, 1880). He came from Lakeville with the intention of becoming a blacksmith (“Steep Brook Was Important,” 1978). Clark accomplished this, creating a successful blacksmith business next to his house. However, that was not his only accomplishment. Clark was an incredible entrepreneur in Steep Brook, creating a clay industry and developing a large ice industry along with his blacksmiths shop.
Clark discovered clay in the beds of the Steep Brook in the 1840s. He sent the clay to Taunton to be tested, discovering it was the best kind of clay for lining furnaces. Recognizing this as a method of profit, Clark bought the land behind his house along the brook from Nain Road to Highland Road and began to extract the clay. Clark purchased Wilson’s Wharf from Job T. Wilson and enlarged it so that ships could carry the clay he mined to various places, including the Presbrey Stove Lining Co. in Taunton who turned the clay into firebrick, cupola brick, stoneware, glass tile, blast furnace and forge bricks. Clay mining continued in Steep Brook well past Clark’s death in 1893 by his great-grandson, B. Clary Shaw, until after World War II (“Steep Brook Was Important,” 1978).
The ice industry was a main contributor to the economy in Fall River during the 18th and 19th centuries, particularly around Watuppa Pond due to its sheer size (Goncalo, 2018). Clark recognized this and took advantage of the ponds in Steep Brook, building ice houses on two of the three main ponds. He had an icehouse and a saw grist mill on Mill Pond, and another icehouse on what was called Stump Pond until the mid-1800s, where it was then called Barnabas’s Pond in recognition of him owning the land. Clark used the extra sawdust from his saw grist mill at his ice houses to separate the ice blocks from each other so th ey did not freeze into one larger cube, as well as for insolation during the summer months to keep the blocks cool (Rigby, 1979). There was another sawmill in the area not far from Stump Pond and Mill Pond owned by Bill Davis, but that appears to be the only other saw grist mill in the neighborhood apart from Clark’s. In 1854, the Old Colony Railroad was built, with a station being added in Steep Brook in 1870 (Madeiros, 2021). With the railroad as a means allowing goods such as fresh fish, meats, and dairy products to be shipped across greater distances, the ice industry boomed, as ice was needed to keep the goods cold during travel (Goncalo, 2018). It can be extrapolated that Clark not only sold ice locally, but that he also took advantage of the railroad to sell his ice to those that were shipping goods that needed to be kept cold. Unfortunately, in 1951 when the Route 24 connector was constructed, Barnabas’s house, stone grist mill, and stone icehouse on Mill Pond were destroyed (“Steep Brook Was Important,” 1978).
Barnabas Clark was a blacksmith in Steep Brook from 1853 to his death in 1893. His black -smithery was located to the south of his home at 3247 North Main Street. The shop stood until 1972, when it was sadly torn down (“Steep Brook Was Important,” 1978).
Other Families that Have Lived in 3247 North Main Street
A few other families lived in the house between Clark’s death in 1893 and 1935, when his great-grandson B. Clark Shaw lived there. Jas A. Robinson rented the house in 1940 with his wife, son, and daughter (he worked as a collection clerk and teller at B.M.C. Durfee Trust Co. bank) before Frank T. Mello moved in in 1950. Frank T. Mello worked as a machinist, first at Braley’s in 1950, then as a mechanic at Sherry Service Co. in 1960. He retired in 1974, and presumably passed away between then and 1977, because in 1977, he no longer is listed in the directories, and nine other people are listed as living in the house. This included Frank T. Mello Jr., as well as members of the Machado family; Anna, Antone, Davide, John, and Elizabeth A., as well as Lorie and Roberta Ramos. It appears that the house may have been being used as tenement housing for three short years, but it is unclear because census records cannot be accessed for 1977 currently. By 1980, however, only Frank T. Mello lived in the house (presumably Frank T. Mello Jr.) until 1985 (Polk, 1940-1985).
Historical Context: Steep Brook
Steep Brook is a neighborhood located in Fall River, within Bristol County, Massachusetts. Steep Brook was initially inhabited by the Pocasset and Wampanoag tribes, but they were virtually exterminated and forced to relocate during King Phillip’s War. The Europeans then settled in Steep Brook soon after the settlement of Fall River in 1680 due to the location on the Taunton River and because of the three ponds in the area that were perfect for harvesting ice, as well as being used for the entertainment of
the townspeople, such as for swimming and ice skating. The land of Steep Brook was fertile and rich, creating an early econom y of agriculture (Stuart, 2012). By the mid-18th century, commercial buildings began to develop around the intersection of North Main Street and Wilson Road due to there being a transportation stop here through various eras of travel. There was the “Gree n Dragon Inn” on the southwest corner of Wilson and Main Streets, a Post Office on the northwest corner of the before mentioned streets, a town hall on the northeast corner of the before mentioned streets, a church on the west side of North Main Street to the south of Wilson Road, and a school located on the west side of North Main Street to the south of Wilson Road (Rigby, 1979).
Steep Brook was also known for its maritime commerce due to its location on the Taunton River. There were many wharves built in the neighborhood from 1738 to the early 19th century, such as the one built by Job T. Wilson that transported local wood and clay products to Newport and other cities. Ships traded goods from Steep Brook to Cape Cod, New Bedford, and Providence. The wharves were also sites for the building of ships as well (“Steep Brook Was Important,” 1978).
BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES
Ancestry.com. [1880-1930] United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
Bill Goncalo. “Harvesting the Other Crop: The Cook -Durfee Ice House and the Natural Ice Industry in Fall River.” The Hatchet: A Journal of Lizzie Borden and Victorian Studies. PearTree Press. July 14, 2018. https://lizzieandrewborden.com/HatchetOnline/harvesting-the-other-crop-the-cook-durfee-ice-house-and-the-natural-iceindustry-in-fall-river.html.
Beers. Bristol County Atlas of 1871 Original 1871 Fall River Map 27”x19”. Atlas: Bristol County 1871. https://www.ebay.com/itm/274996450760.
Bristol Fall River Registered/Recorded Land. “Fall River Deeds,” 1856, 1877, 1883, 1892, 1940, 1944, 1949, 1965, 2010. https://www.fallriverdeeds.com/MA/BristolFallRiver/D/Default.aspx.
Everts & Richards, Fall River City 7, Steep Brook, 1895. Fall River City 7, Steepbrook, Atlas: Bristol County 1895, Massachusetts Historical Map (historicmapworks.com).
Fall River, MA Board of Election Commissioners, Chairman Francis J. O’Neil, Clerk Louis R. Bouchard, Lucien J. Dion, Angelo Fusaro.
Fall River Building Department, Fall River, Massachusetts. Building Permit for 3247 North Main Street. Google Maps. “Google Maps,” 2023. https://www.google.com/maps/@41.7446689,-71.1267961,19z?entry=ttu.
List of Persons 3 Years of Age and Over, 1977.
Madeiros, Dan. “Train timeline: Tracking Fall River's history from Old Colony Railroad to South Coast Rail”. Fall River, MA: The Herald News. 2021.
Massachusetts Historical Commission, MHC Area Form for Steep Brook, FLR.BD. 2012-2019.
Massachusetts Historical Commission, William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth, Chair of the Massachusetts Historical Commission. Historic and Archaeological Resources of Southeast Massachusetts, A Framework for Preservation Decisions. June, 1982.
Massachusetts Historical Commission, William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth, Chair of the Massachusetts Historical Commission. MHC Reconnaissance Survey Town Report, Fall River. 1982.
Newspapers.com by Ancestry. “Fall River Public Library Newspapers.” Archive, 2023. https://fallriverpubliclibrary.newspapers.com/search/.
Norman B. Leventhal Map and Education Center. “Map of the County of Bristol, Massachusetts - Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center.” Digital Collections, 1858. Accessed November 9, 2023. https://collections.leventhalmap.org/search/commonwealth:wd376642s.
Northern Bristol County Registry of Deeds. “Taunton Deeds.” Accessed November 9, 2023. https://search.tauntondeeds.com/Default.aspx.
Phillips, Arthur Sherman. The Phillips History of Fall River.
Polk. “Digital Archives of the Fall River Public Library.” 1853, 1857, 1859, 1861, 1864, 1866, 1869, 1871, 1874, 1876, 1878, 1879, 1880, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1885, 1887, 1888, 1895, 1896, 1900, 1910, 1915, 1920, 1922, 1925, 1930, 1935, 1940, 1942, 1945, 1950, 1955, 1960, 1965, 1970, 1974, 1977, 1980, 1985. Community History Archive. Accessed November 9, 2023. https://fallriver.advantage-preservation.com.
Sampson & Murdock Co. Fall River (Bristol County, Mass.) City Directory 1853, 1857, 1859, 1861, 1864, 1869, 1876, 1878, 1880, 1882, 1887, 1888 Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River Mass.
“Steep Brook Was Important”. Fall River, MA: Herald News. October 17, 1978.
Stuart, Q. et al. Massachusetts Historical Commission Form B – North Main Street Area. Boston: Massachusetts Historical Commission, 2012.
United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Fall River Multiple Resource Area National Register Nomination. October, 31, 1984.
Walker. George H. and Company. Fall River City. 27.24”x17.28”. Atlas: Fall River City 1883, Historic Map Works Rare Historic Maps Collection. https://www.historicmapworks.com/Map/US/18414/Fall+River+City/Fall+River+1883/Massachusetts/.
Walling, Henry Francis. "Fall River Village ; Map of the town of Fall River, Bristol County, Massachusetts." Map. New York: A.G. Gillet,, 1850. Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center, https://collections.leventhalmap.org/search/commonwealth:4m90fn438 (accessed May 28, 2024).
Walling, Henry Francis. "Fall River Village ; Map of the town of Fall River, Bristol County, Massachusetts." Map. New York: A.G. Gillet,, 1850. Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center, https://collections.leventhalmap.org/search/commonwealth:4m90fn438 (accessed May 28, 2024).
Steep Brook Area of Fall River in 1871, showing B. C. as the owner. The property is a block away from the school to the south and a block away from the M.E. Church to the north, and borders a blacksmith’s shop on the southern side that is owned by B. Clark. Source: Beers. Bristol County Atlas of 1871. Original 1871 Fall River Map. 27”x19”. Atlas: Bristol County 1871.
Steep Brook Area of Fall River in 1883, showing B. Clark as the owner. The property is a block away from the school to the south and from the church to the north. The property is near the post office at the intersection of Wilson Road and North Main Street, and near the Steep Brook Station. The property borders a store on the northern side and a black smith’s shop on the southern side. Source: Walker, George H. and Company. Fall River City. 27.24”x17.28”. Atlas: Fall River City 1883, Historic Map Works Rare Historic Maps Collection.
Steep Brook Area of Fall River in 1895, showing Harriett Shaw as the owner. The school, M.E. Church, and Steep Brook Station are still present. Source: Everts & Richards. Fall River City 7, Steep Brook, 1895. Fall River City 7, Steepbrook, Atlas: Bristol County 1895, Massachusetts Historical Map.
Oblique view, showing the west elevation. Photographed looking towards the east.
3247 North Main Street as it appeared in 2012. The chimney is present (which was later removed), the second mass to the south was being used as another entrance (it is now altered), the existing garage is not yet built, and the driveway has not yet been paved or made to have room for parking before the front of the house. Source: Google Maps, September 2012.
FORM B BUILDING
MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION
MASSACHUSETTS ARCHIVES BUILDING
220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125
Photograph
Locus Map
Recorded by: Erin LoMonaco
Organization: Roger Williams University
Date (month / year): September / 2023
Town/City: Fall River
Place: (neighborhood or village): Steep Brook
Address: 3248 North Main Street
Historic Name: James H. Wilson House
Uses: Present: Apartment House, 4-8 units
Original: Single Family Dwelling
Date of Construction: ca. 1870
Source: Fall River Directories
Style/Form: Altered beyond recognition
Architect/Builder: Unknown
Exterior Material:
Foundation: Granite; Stone, uncut; Brick
Wall/Trim: Vinyl Siding, vinyl
Roof: Asphalt Shingle
Outbuildings/Secondary Structures: None
Major Alterations (with dates): The building has been vinyl sided, and the windows have been replaced ca. 2021.
Condition:
Moved: no yes
Acreage: 0.292 acres
Date:
Setting: Urban linear residential district developed in the early 19th Century.
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.
3248 North Main Street is a two and a half story end gable dwelling with prominent gable wall dorm ers on the side elevations and a two-story projecting open porched bay on the northeast rear elevation with a hipped roof. The building is a multi-family dwelling, with a slight setback from North Main Street. The house has a rectangular plan, with an end-gable orientation to North Main Street. All elevations have vinyl siding and the roof is clad in asphalt shingles. A brick interior chimney is located on the southwest slope of the roof, to the west of the center gable.
The main elevation, facing southeast, has an attached one-story full-length porch with a shed roof, wooden railings, and square support columns with square capitals. The main entrance is located off center to the north. The entrance has a set of double leaf, half-lit paneled doors. The arched surround has a plain tympanum and wide architrave moldings on the side jambs. All windows on the house are 1/1 double-hung replacement vinyl windows. A metal fire escape stair system has been attached to the north window on the third floor of the main elevation, extending down to the porch’s shed roof. Another metal fire escape ladder continues from the northeast corner of the porch’s shed roof to the ground.
The northeast side elevation has a centered gable and an off-center set of two-story bay windows set towards the west end of the elevation On the west end of the roof slope, to the west of the center gable, is a dormer with a shed roof.
The southwest elevation has a centered gable wall dormer and a centered one-story bay window. There is an attached porch that runs along the east third of the elevation, with a hipped roof, wooden railings, and square supporting columns with square capitals. A secondary entrance is set under this porch, with a single swing paneled door with a half-lit section that has a diamond-patterned latticework. The northwest elevation appears to have a full- length double story attached porch.
In 1895, it appears that a projecting bay was added on the northeast side of the building (Everts and Richards, 1895). Over time, map evidence suggests that the building has had additions to the northwest side of the building. As the building transitioned over time from a single-family home to apartment style housing, it makes sense that the building would have expanded to accommodate more people.
The original building had painted wood clapboard siding with wood-framed windows. Though there are no documented building permits for these changes, it can be seen in historic Google Maps images that the building was vinyl sided and the windo ws were replaced with vinyl windows between 2021-2023 (Google Maps, 2012-2023).
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.
Property History
The property at 3248 North Main Street appears to have been built between 1871 and 1883 (Beers 1871, Walker 1883). It is unclear who owned the property when the current building was erected.
Map evidence shows a property on this location before 1850 built by Captain Hezekiah and Wealthy Wilson (Walling 1850, 1958). Hezekiah Wilson and his father, David Wilson, constructed Wilson’s Wharf on the Taunton River in the early nineteenth century, and Hezekiah ran a boat carrying wood products to various markets such as Newport (Philips 1890, 89). The D. Wilson, otherwise known as David Wilson, is who Wilson Road was named after (Rigby, 1979). The property was in the hands of the Wilson family, descendants of the Mayflower until 1940
Hezekiah Wilson died in 1861, and from 1864 to 1882, Joel B. Arnold lived in the house, working as a machinist (Sampson & Murdock Co., 1864-1882). The Wilson/Arnold building footprint appears on an 1871 Fall River Bristol County Map. The footprint of the building in 1883 changes, appearing either as though the building was rotated 90 degrees (the long side of the building rectangle had been facing North Main Street prior, and now the shorter side of the building rectangle faces North Main Street) or that the building was demolished and a new building was built (Walker, 1883).
From 1884-1895, Hezekiah B. Wilson lived on the property. He was first a painter in 1884, and then a fisherman in 1885 (Sampson and Murdock, 1884-1885). His father, Job T. Wilson, owned Wilson’s Wharf at the end of Wilson Road, only one house over from the property at 3248 North Main Street (Rigby, 1979). Hezekiah may have worked as a fisherman on one of his father’s boats, but this is unclear.
In 1895, Hezekiah’s brother, James H. Wilson, moved into the property (Everts and Richards, 1895; Ancestry Directory, 1895). James was an entrepreneur, having his own livery stable at 420 North Main Street, at the rear of the Sagamore Mill. Here he also dealt with coal, wood, hay, grain, and masons’ supplies (Ancestry Directory, 1895). Prior to living on the property, in 1875, James also started a steam and electric-powered omnibus service, bringing people to and from Steep Brook to Fall River (Phillips). James H. Wilson continued to live in the house here until he was moved to the Butler Asylum in Providence, RI, where he passed away in 1922 (Ancestry Mayflower Birth and Death Records, Volume 2).
In 1910, James’ daughter Emma G. lived in the house as well, with her husband, David B. Corey. They continued to live here after James’ death until 1930 (Ancestry Directory, 1910-1920; Polk, 1922-1930). David B. Cored worked as a salesman from 1915-1922 (Ancestry Directory, 1915-1920; Polk, 1922).
The deed that was obtained by James H. Wilson in 1892 was still held in his name until 1940; along with his daughter Lorina Tower’s heirs (since she passed in 1917): Walter Sheldon Tower, Walter S. Tower Jr., and James W. Tower, and Robert W. Cushman, Ruth Cushman Hill, and Alice Eleanor Cushman. In 1940, James H. Wilson Jr. (James’ son) was presumably the one to sign and grant the deed to Jesse L. and Gertrude L. Campbell, as his father was deceased, and the deed is signed by James H. Wilson (Bristol Fall River Registered/Recorded Land, Deed, 2-187/188; 435-241)
The Codega Family
The Campbell’s lived in the house until 1945, but they granted the deed to Wilfred J. Gingras in 1944, who in the same year t he granted it to Joseph St. Pierre. In 1949, St. Pierre granted the property to Plinio Codega and his wife Zilia (Bristol Fall River Registered/Recorded Land, Deed, 514-116). Plinio and Zilia Codega were Portuguese immigrants who came to Steep Brook looking for work. They bought many properties around the area, renting them out. This property was no different, and they turned it from a single-family home into apartment housing. When they purchased this property, they rented it to Geo H. Worsley and his wife Elsie who lived in apartment 2-R, and to Norman Lizotte from 1950-1955. Worsley worked as a plater, while Lizotte worked as an insurance agent (Polk, 1950-1955).
In 1955, the Codega’s moved into the property as well. Worsley and his wife were still living here, but now Emile G. LaPointe, Enrica Chiabrandi, Viola Fairhurst, and Alice M. Ainsworth also lived here ( Polk, 1955). It is unclear whether any of them were related, or whether they all lived in separate apartments or roomed together as roommates. Regardless, it can clearly be seen that the Codega’s had transformed the property from a single-family home into apartment housing for 4-8 people. This form of renting apartments within the house was continued by the Codega’s son, Vincent, and his wife Judith, who they granted the deed to in 1965 (Bristol Fall River Registered/Recorded Land, Deed, 844-64).
Steep Brook is a neighborhood located in Fall River, within Bristol County, Massachusetts. Steep Brook was initially inhabited by the Pocasset and Wampanoag tribes, but they were virtually exterminated and forced to relocate during King Phillip’s War. The Europeans then settled in Steep Brook soon after the settlement of Fall River in 1680 due to the location on the Taunton River and because of the three ponds in the area that were perfect for harvesting ice, as well as being used for the entertainment of the townspeople, such as for swimming and ice skating. The land of Steep Brook was fertile and rich, creating an early econom y of agriculture (Stuart, 2012). By the mid-18th century, commercial buildings began to develop around the intersection of North Main Street and Wilson Road due to there being a transportation stop here through various eras of travel. There was the “Gree n Dragon Inn” on the southwest corner of Wilson and Main Streets, a Post Office on the northwest corner of the before mentioned streets, a town hall on the northeast corner of the before mentioned streets, a church on the west side of North Main Street to the south of Wilson Road, and a school located on the west side of North Main Street to the south of Wilson Road (Rigby, 1979).
Steep Brook was also known for its maritime commerce due to its location on the Taunton River. There were many wharves built in the neighborhood from 1738 to the early 19th century, such as the one built by Job T. Wilson that transported local wood and clay products to Newport and other cities. Ships traded goods from Steep Brook to Cape Cod, New Bedford, and Providence. The wharves were also sites for the building of ships as well (“Steep Brook Was Important,” 1978).
BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES
Ancestry.com. [1880-1930] United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
Ancestry.com [1895-1920] U.S. City Directory [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
Bill Goncalo. “Harvesting the Other Crop: The Cook -Durfee Ice House and the Natural Ice Industry in Fall River.” The Hatchet: A Journal of Lizzie Borden and Victorian Studies. PearTree Press. July 14, 2018. https://lizzieandrewborden.com/HatchetOnline/harvesting-the-other-crop-the-cook-durfee-ice-house-and-the-natural-iceindustry-in-fall-river.html.
Beers. Bristol County Atlas of 1871 Original 1871 F all River Map 27”x19”. Atlas: Bristol County 1871. https://www.ebay.com/itm/274996450760.
Bristol Fall River Registered/Recorded Land. “Fall River Deeds,” 1856, 1877, 1883, 1892, 1940, 1944, 1949, 1965, 2010. https://www.fallriverdeeds.com/MA/BristolFallRiver/D/Default.aspx.
Everts & Richards, Fall River City 7, Steep Brook, 1895. Fall River City 7, Steepbrook, Atlas: Bristol County 1895, Massachusetts Historical Map (historicmapworks.com)
Fall River, MA Board of Election Commissioners, Chairman Francis J. O’Neil, Clerk Louis R. Bouchard, Lucien J. Dion, Angelo Fusaro.
Fall River Building Department, Fall River, Massachusetts. Building Permit for 3247 North Main Street
Google Maps. “Google Maps,” 2023. https://www.google.com/maps/@41.7446689,-71.1267961,19z?entry=ttu.
List of Persons 3 Years of Age and Over, 1977.
Madeiros, Dan. “Train timeline: Tracking Fall River's history from Old Colony Railroad to South Coast Rail”. Fall River, MA: The Herald News. 2021.
Massachusetts Historical Commission, William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth, Chair of the Massachusetts Historical Commission. Historic and Archaeological Resources of Southeast Massachusetts, A Framework for Preservation Decisions. June, 1982.
Massachusetts Historical Commission, William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth, Chair of the Massachusetts Historical Commission. MHC Reconnaissance Survey Town Report, Fall River. 1982.
Newspapers.com by Ancestry. “Fall River Public Library Newspapers.” Archive, 2023. https://fallriverpubliclibrary.newspapers.com/search/.
Norman B. Leventhal Map and Education Center. “Map of the County of Bristol, Massachusetts - Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center.” Digital Collections, 1858. Accessed November 9, 2023. https://collections.leventhalmap.org/search/commonwealth:wd376642s.
Northern Bristol County Registry of Deeds. “Taunton Deeds.” Accessed November 9, 2023. https://search.tauntondeeds.com/Default.aspx.
Phillips, Arthur Sherman. The Phillips History of Fall River. Fall River, MA: Dover Press, 1944.
Polk. “Digital Archives of the Fall River Public Library.” 1922, 1925, 1930, 1935, 1940, 1942, 1945, 1950, 1955, 1960, 1965, 1970, 1974. Community History Archive. Accessed November 9, 2023. https://fallriver.advantage-preservation.com.
Sampson & Murdock Co. Fall River (Bristol County, Mass.) City Directory 1864, 1866, 1871, 1873, 1874, 1882, 1884, 1885. Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River Mass.
“Steep Brook Was Important”. Fall River, MA: Herald News. October 17, 1978.
Stuart, Q. et al. Massachusetts Historical Commission Form B – North Main Street Area. Boston: Massachusetts Historical Commission, 2012.
United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Fall River Multiple Resource Area National Register Nomination. October, 31, 1984.
Walker. George H. and Company. Fall River City. 27.24”x17.28”. Atlas: Fall River City 1883, Historic Map Works Rare Historic Maps Collection. https://www.historicmapworks.com/Map/US/18414/Fall+River+City/Fall+River+1883/Massachusetts/.
Walling, Henry Francis. "Fall River Village ; Map of the town of Fall River, Bristol County, Massachusetts." Map. New York: A.G. Gillet,, 1850. Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center, https://collections.leventhalmap.org/search/commonwealth:4m90fn438 (accessed May 28, 2024).
Walling, Henry Francis. "Map of the county of Bristol, Massachusetts." Map. New York: John L. Smith & Co., 1858. Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center, https://collections.leventhalmap.org/search/commonwealth:wd376642s (accessed May 28, 2024).
Walling, Henry Francis. "Fall River Village ; Map of the town of Fall River, Bristol County, Massachusetts." Map. New York: A.G. Gillet,, 1850. Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center, https://collections.leventhalmap.org/search/commonwealth:4m90fn438 (accessed May 28, 2024).
Walling, Henry Francis. "Map of the county of Bristol, Massachusetts." Map. New York: John L. Smith & Co., 1858. Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center, https://collections.leventhalmap.org/search/commonwealth:wd376642s (accessed May 28, 2024).
Steep Brook Area of Fall River in 1871, showing J.B.A. as Steep Brook Area of Fall River in 1883, showing the the owner. The property is a block away from the school to D.Wilson Heirs as the owner. The property is a block the south and a block away from the M.E. Church to the away from the school to the south and from the church to north. The Old Colony and Newport Railroad runs right the north. The Old Colony Railroad runs right along the along the back of the building. Source: Beers. Bristol County back of the property, with the Steep Brook Station. The Atlas of 1871. Original 1871 Fall River Map. 27”X19”. Atlas: Post Office is only a building away to the north. Source: Bristol County 1871. Walker, George H. and Company. Fall River City. 27.24”x17.28”. Atlas: Fall River City 1883, Historic Map Works Rare Historic Maps Collection.
Steep Brook Area of Fall River in 1895, showing J. H. Wilson as the owner. The property is a block away from the school to the south and from the church to the north. The Post Office is a building away, on the corner of Wilson Road and North Main Street. The Old Colony Railroad runs right along the back of the property, with the Steep Brook Station behind the Post Office. Source: Everts & Richards. Fall River City 7, Steep Brook, 1895. Fall River City 7, Steepbrook, Atlas: Bristol County 1895, Massachusetts Historical Map.
Building as it appeared in 2009. Source: Google Maps, Building as it appeared in 2012. Source: Google Maps, September, 2009. September, 2012.
Building as it appeared in 2021. Source: Google Maps, June, 2021.
FORM B BUILDING
MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION
MASSACHUSETTS ARCHIVES BUILDING
220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125
Photograph
Locus Map
Recorded by: Cameron Cutler
Organization: Roger Williams University
Date (month / year): September 2023
Town/City: Fall River
Place: (neighborhood or village): Steep Brook
Address: 3262 North Main St
Historic Name: Green Dragon Inn
Uses: Present: Multiple Family Dwelling
Original: Hotel or Inn
Date of Construction: ca. 1880
Source: MHC
Style/Form: French Second Empire
Architect/Builder: unknown
Exterior Material:
Foundation: stone w/ concrete skim
Wall/Trim: wood shingles
Roof: asphalt and rubber shingles
Outbuildings/Secondary Structures: shed west of main block
Major Alterations (with dates):
Building reroofed (1994) Siding changed to wood shingles (after 1977)
Condition: Extant/Good
Moved: no yes Date:
Acreage: 0.167 acres
Setting: The North Main Street area of the Steep Brook neighborhood originally developed as part of the village of Steep Brook. The area today is used for both commercial and residential purposes and still contains many of the structures built during the 18th and 19th centuries.
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.
3262 North Main Street is a multi-family dwelling on the west side of North Main Street. It is a 2½ story wood- framed, center entry house in the Second Empire style. The building sits on a stone foundation and is separated from the street by a small lawn. There are two small, two-storied wings centered on the north and south elevations of the main block and a 2½ story wing that projects from the center of the main block. The whole building is clad in wood shingles and the roof has rubber shingles on its first slope and slate shingles on the second.
The front elevation faces east and is composed of five bays. The main entrance sits in the center bay. The main entrance is covered by a shed-roofed portico supported by four squared columns, two of which are engaged with the building. The main entrance has a single leaf, six-paneled door with half-length side lights and a simple cornice. There is another entrance on the rear wing. The rear entry is covered by a projecting gable supported by two columns covering.
The windows on the first and second story are symmetrically placed in line, with four on the first story and five on the second. The mansard roof has three gabled dormers on the front elevation: two on each side and one off-center. The other elevations, including the wings, have a regular fenestration pattern of window, dormers and otherwise. All windows are 1/1, replacement, double-hung vinyl.
Based on photographic evidence, the siding was changed to square wood shingles sometime after 1977. In 1994 the building was reroofed.
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.
Summary
The house at 3262 North Main Street has been at the center of Steep Brook life for at least 150 years. Likely constructed sometime before 1858, the house is believed to have been heavily altered in the 1880s to its existing footprint. Situated at the junction of Wilson Road and North Main Street, the house was at the center of commercial activity in the neighborhood. Likewise, the house was home to a number of prominent citizens in Steep Brook.
3262 North Main Street
Known as the Green Dragon Inn, the residence at 3262 North Main Street has had a variety of owners throughout the decades. 1 The earliest available maps for Steep Brook show Job T. Wilson at the site from 1850s through 1871. In 1855, Job lived on the site with his wife and eight children. He and his sons worked as farmers and fishermen for much of his life. Census records show there was another unit within the house. In the 1850s and 1860s this unit was occupied by a small family named Bliffins, who also worked as fishermen. 2
1 George Oliver Rigby, Steep Brook (Danvers, MA: Bett’s, 1979), 20. Ellen Rosebrock, Historical Commission Form B - Building for 3063 North Main Street. Boston: Massachusetts Historical Commission, November 17, 1981.
2Ancestry.com, 1850-1880 United States Federal Census [database on-line] (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010)
Job T. Wilson was an active member of the Steep Brook community. Wilson was a founder of and donated the land for the neighborhood’s North Methodist Episcopal Church. 3 In 1859, Wilson petitioned the local government to construct a new road “from New Boston road northerly to the road running easterly from Steep Brook.” 4 Apart from this he was likely also a successful farmer, as he was granted permission in 1856 to construct a wharf on his property. 5 Located at the center of Steep Brook’s commercial district, this wharf was undoubtedly used as a loading point for members of the community.
Sometime before 1871 the property was purchased by Barnabas Clark. Clark was a prominent citizen of the area who owned multiple properties and ran several businesses. He operated a blacksmith, was a fireclay and ice dealer, and also owned a grist mill nearby. 6 Clark bought the property to export his goods out of Steep Brook more easily. The property eventually passed to Clark’s daughter, Harriet Shaw, who owned the property until around 1925. 7 Harriet Shaw was a prominent member of the North Methodist Episcopal Church for over seventy-five years. 8
Going into the middle of the 20th century the house begins to be a three-family residence. Most notably the residence was owned by the Hartford family, who worked manual labor jobs, for around twenty-five years. 9 These occupants all tend to be among the working class, employed as laborers and machine/press operators in the community.
Steep Brook
Any history of Fall River is incomplete without a brief history of Steep Brook. The early settlers of the area followed the patterns of the Native Americans in the area, who settled along the eastern side of the Taunton and Quequechan Rivers. What would eventually be known as Fall River originally broke off from the town of Freetown due to its distance from residents in the southwesterly corner of the area. 10 North Main Street became the main postal road that ran from Freetown in the north to Fall River in the south, with Steep Brook roughly in the middle. Residential settlement was concentrated in Steep Brook by the late 18th century, and its importance is evident in the establishment of Fall River’s first townhall there, as well as the temporary placement of the post office. 11 12
The life of the 18th century Steep Brook farmer was likely one of relative prosperity, as they were “practically independent. Abundant fish and game in the woods, and streams nearby, and his own cattle, sheep, swine, and poultry, added to the vegetables raised on his land, and a bounteous supply of butter, eggs, and milk, enabled him to set a generous table.” 13 Besides providing for themselves, the farmers of Steep Brook would also sell their goods in other places, using the many wharves built at most farms in the area or one of the six grocery stores in Steep Brook. 14 Although the censuses of the time mark the women as ‘keeping house,’ they too played a role in the early prosperity of Steep Brook. A 1928 article stated that “as each family kept
3 “Diamond Jubilee of North Methodist Episcopal Church.” Fall River Herald News, May 25, 1929. http://fallriver.advantagepreservation.com/viewer/?k=%22steep%20brook%22&t=43468&i=t&d=0101180012312021&m=between&ord=k1&fn=fall_river_herald_news_usa_massachusetts_fall_river_19290525_english_5&df=11&dt=20&cid=2892 4 “75 Years Ago Today - Aug. 17, 1859.” Fall River Herald News, August 17, 1934. http://fallriver.advantagepreservation.com/viewer/?k=%22job%20t%20wilson%22&i=f&d=0101180012312021&m=between&ord=k1&fn=fall_river_herald_news_usa_massachusetts_fall_river_19340817_english_12&df=21&dt=28&cid=2892 5 “75 Years Ago Today - May 7, 1856.” Fall River Herald News, May 7, 1931. http://fallriver.advantagepreservation.com/viewer/?k=%22job%20t%20wilson%22&i=f&d=0101180012312021&m=between&ord=k1&fn=fall_river_herald_news_usa_massachusetts_fall_river_19310507_english_14&df=21&dt=28&cid=2892
6 “Early Days of Steep Brook Pictured by Mrs. R.N. Allen.” Fall River Herald News, January 30, 1934. http://fallriver.advantagepreservation.com/viewer/?k=brook&t=43468&i=t&d=0101180012312021&m=between&ord=k1&fn=fall_river_herald_news_usa_massachusetts_fall_river_19340130_english_3&df=1&dt=10&cid=2892 7Sampson & Murdock, The Fall River Directory Massachusetts 1925 (Boston: Sampson & Murdock Company), Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA.
8 “Diamond Jubilee,” Fall River Herald News, May 25, 1929.
9R.L. Polk & Co. Polk’s Fall River (Bristol County, Mass.) City Directory 1930, 1935, 1940, 1945, 1950 (Boston: R.L. Polk & Co., 930, 1935, 1940, 1945. 1950), Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA.
10 Vivienne Lasky et al. "Fall River Multiple Resource Area," National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form (Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 1984), Section 8, 0.
11 “MHC Reconnaissance Survey Town Report: Fall River,” January, 1982. Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Commission, Boston, MA, 7.
12 Henry M. Fenner, History of Fall River Massachusetts (Fall River, Ma: The Munroe Press, 1911), 17.
13 Henry M. Fenner, History of Fall River (New York: F.T. Smiley, 1906), 10.
sheep up on the hillside, so each housewife spun the yarn, wove the cloth, and fashioned garments for their household.” 15 With these factors considered, it is unsurprising that Steep Brook was the “center of business, social, and political activity of Fall River” in the early 19th century. 16 The occupants of the Green Dragon Inn would have been directly involved in the community, selling their goods to their neighbors and neighboring communities abroad.
By 1850, the population of Fall River had risen to over 11,000 people, up from just under 7,000 in 1840. 17 While mill workers and their housing was concentrated closer to the Quequechan and the mills, other citizens likely sought alternatives to the denser areas of the city. Steep Brook had always been a central hub of transportation, and by the mid-19th century that had not changed. The Taunton River had been established as a highway for river travel in the colonial period, and that trend continued even after the establishment of the railroad. 18 Steep Brook maintained itself as a transportation hub between land north, Fall River to the south, and New York and other cities even further than that. “While other areas in Fall River increased in density with textile industry worker housing, the North Main Street Area saw an increase in general residential construction.” 19 The expansion of properties into multi-family units reflects the increased demand for more housing, while the occupants of those units likewise reflect the demand for new jobs in the community.
Building Type
It is believed by some that the Green Dragon Inn underwent drastic physical changes at some point in its history. 20 While its appearance today is in line with the French Second Empire style of the 1880s, those characteristics were possibly added at that time. More research is needed at this time to investigate the original form/structure of the building.
BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES
“75 Years Ago Today - Aug. 17, 1859.” Fall River Herald News, August 17, 1934. http://fallriver.advantagepreservation.com/viewer/?k=%22job%20t%20wilson%22&i=f&d=0101180012312021&m=between&ord=k1&fn=fall_river_herald_news_usa_massachusetts_fall_river_19340817_english_12&df=21&dt=28 &cid=2892
“75 Years Ago Today - May 7, 1856.” Fall River Herald News, May 7, 1931. http://fallriver.advantagepreservation.com/viewer/?k=%22job%20t%20wilson%22&i=f&d=0101180012312021&m=between&ord=k1&fn=fall_river_herald_news_usa_massachusetts_fall_river_19310507_english_14&df=21&dt=28 &cid=2892
Ancestry.com. 1850, 1855, 1860, 1870, 1880, United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. DePaoli, Neil, Maxine Farkas, Peter Stott, Sarah Zimmerman, James W. Bradley. “Historic and Archaeological Resources of Southeast Massachusetts: A Framework for Preservation Decisions,” June, 1982. Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Commission, Boston, MA.
“Diamond Jubilee of North Methodist Episcopal Church.” Fall River Herald News, May 25, 1929. http://fallriver.advantagepreservation.com/viewer/?k=%22steep%20brook%22&t=43468&i=t&d=0101180012312021&m=between&ord=k1&fn=fall_river_herald_news_usa_massachusetts_fall_river_19290525_english_5&df=11&dt=20& cid=2892
15 W. Irving Pierce, “Historic Freetown,” Fall River Herald News, January 12, 1928, http://fallriver.advantagepreservation.com/viewer/?k=&i=f&d=0101180012312021&m=between&ord=k1&fn=fall_river_herald_news_usa_massachusetts_fall_river_19280112_english_16&df=1&dt=10&cid=2892 16Rigby, Steep Brook, 22.
17 Benjamin Earl & Son, Fall River: Its Rise and Progress (Fall River, MA: Benjamin Earl & Son, 1875), 40.
18 Neil DePaoli et al. “Historic and Archaeological Resources of Southeast Massachusetts: A Framework for Preservation Decisions,” June, 1982. Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Commission, Boston, MA, 67.
19 Q. Stuart, K. Miller, and A. Cahoon, “Massachusetts Historical Commission Form A – Area for North Main Street Area, Fall River, MA, [FLR.BD],” December, 2020, Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Commission, Boston, MA, cont. 1.
20 Ellen Rosebrock, Historical Commission Form B - Building for 3063 North Main Street. Boston: Massachusetts Historical Commission, November 17, 1981.
Earl, Benjamin & Son. Fall River: Its Rise and Progress. Fall River, MA: Benjamin Earl & Son, 1875.
“Early Days of Steep Brook Pictured by Mrs. R.N. Allen.” Fall River Herald News, January 30, 1934. http://fallriver.advantagepreservation.com/viewer/?k=brook&t=43468&i=t&d=0101180012312021&m=between&ord=k1&fn=fall_river_herald_news_usa_massachusetts_fall_river_19340130_english_3&df=1&dt=10&c id=2892
Fenner, Henry M. History of Fall River. New York: F.T. Smiley, 1906.
Fenner, Henry M. History of Fall River Massachusetts. Fall River, MA: The Munroe Press, 1911.
Lasky, Vivienne, Peter Stott, Wendy Frontiero, and Sarah Zimmerman. "Fall River Multiple Resource Area," National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form (Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 1984)
“MHC Reconnaissance Survey Town Report: Fall River,” January, 1982. Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Commission, Boston, MA.
Pierce, W. Irving. “Historic Freetown.” Fall River Herald News, January 12, 1928. http://fallriver.advantagepreservation.com/viewer/?k=&i=f&d=0101180012312021&m=between&ord=k1&fn=fall_river_herald_news_usa_massachusetts_fall_river_19280112_english_16&df=1&dt=10& cid=2892
Rigb y, George Oliver. Steep Brook. Danvers, MA: Bett’s, 1979.
R.L. Polk & Co. Polk’s Fall River (Bristol County, Mass.) City Directory 1930, 1935, 1940, 1945, 1950. Boston: R.L. Polk & Co., 1930, 1935, 1940, 1945. 1950, 1960. Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA.
Rosebrock, Ellen. Historical Commission Form B - Building for 3063 North Main Street. Boston: Massachusetts Historical Commission, November 17, 1981.
Sampson & Murdock. The Fall River Directory Massachusetts 1925. Boston: Sampson & Murdock Company. Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA.
Stuart, Q., K. Miller, and A. Cahoon “Massachusetts Historical Commission Form A – Area for North Main Street Area, Fall River, MA [FLR.BD].” December, 2020. Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Commission, Boston, MA
1. 1895 map showing the location of 3126 North Main Street. Harriet Shaw is labeled as the property owner. Harriet’s husband Fred Shaw ran several shops in the building. Source: Everts & Richards, Atlas of Surveys Bristol Co. Massachusetts 1895. State Library of Massachusetts. https://archives.lib.state.ma.us/handle/2452/206017
2. 1883 map showing the location of 3126 N Main St. Barnabas Clark was listed in the 1884 city directory with “blacksmith, ice dealer, and grist mill” beside his name. Source: George H. Walker, Atlas of Fall River City, Massachusetts, 1883. State Library of Massachusetts. https://archives.lib.state.ma.us/handle/2452/127853
3. 1871 map showing B. Clark living at the property of 3262 North Main Street. Source: F.W. Beers & Co., Bristol County 1871, 1871. https://historicmapworks.com/Map/US/7988/Steep+Brook+Town/Bristol+County+1871/Massachusetts/
4. 1858 map showing J.T. Wilson as the owner of 3126 N Main St. The city directory lists Job T. Wilson as a farmer with a house in Steep Brook. Source: H.F. Walling, Map of the County of Bristol, Massachusetts , 1858.
7. Late 70s photograph of 3126 N Main St. View looking northwest. Source: Ellen Fletcher Rosebrock, Historic Fall River, 1978.
FORM B BUILDING
MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION
MASSACHUSETTS ARCHIVES BUILDING
220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125
Photograph
Locus Map
Recorded
by:
Charles L. McGowan
Organization: Roger Williams University
Date (September / 2023): 9/2023
Town/City: Fall River
Place: (neighborhood or village): Steep Brook
Address: 3282-3286 North Main Street
Historic Name: Read and Winslow Grocery
Uses: Present: Multiple Family Dwelling
Original: Single and Multiple Family Dwelling
Date of Construction: ca. 1865 (3282); unknown (32843286)
Source: Historic maps
Style/Form: Altered beyond recognition
Architect/Builder: unknown
Exterior Material:
Foundation: Granite; Stone, Uncut
Wall/Trim: Aluminum Siding, Wood clapboard
Roof: Asphalt Shingles
Outbuildings/Secondary Structures: None
Major Alterations (with dates): Resided, windows reduced in size on first story of south block, connector between buildings constructed, window replacement on north block, aluminum siding, porch removed on south block (mid-late 20th century)
Condition: Good
Moved: no x yes Date:
Acreage: 0.448
Setting: The property is situated on the corner of North Main Street and Wilson Road in a neighborhood of single family and multi-family dwellings.
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.
3282-3286 North Main Street is composed of two buildings: 3282 North Main constructed ca. 1865 and a two-flat dwelling at 3284-3286 North Main constructed sometime in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century. The joined properties are located at the corner of Wilson Road and North Main Street. Both buildings, which are connected via a small addition visible from the front façade are currently multifamily dwellings facing. 3282 North Main, located at the southern portion of the property, is a two and a half story, wood-frame dwelling with an end gable roof. A two-story ell with a shallow hipped roof is set flush with the south elevation of the main block. The entirety of the structure is clad in aluminum siding and is roofed in asphalt shingles. Three brick chim neys extend above the roofline, two at the ridge of the main block and one set on the rear hip slope of the ell. The building has no discernible style. The main block is a two-bay wide, end gable building with a with a roof clad in asphalt shingles and a fieldstone and granite foundation. Some portions of the foundation, specifically on the southern elevation, have deteriorating parging. The primary entrance is centered on the main elevation and is fitted with modern door and simple wooden surround. The entrance is flanked by two eight-over-eight double hung wood windows. The rest of the front façade fenestration is symmetrical, with two double-hung, two-over-two wood windows on the second story and a single identical window in the half story. The windows on the ell are also identical to the windows on the main elevation. The addition which joins 3282 to 32843286 North Main also has a small entrance set about six feet back from the sidewalk with a modern panel door and wooden door surround.
3284-3286 North Main Street is a two-story, two-flat multiple-family dwelling with a hipped roof and a granite ashlar foundation The building is clad in aluminum siding and has an asphalt shingle roof. A single brick chimney is set off -center on the front (east) roof slope. A defining trait of the property is the two-story partial length porch attached to the front facade with wooden columns and decorative ironwork railings, simple plain wood skirting and a shed roof clad in asphalt shingles. The main entrance is set off-center to the north on the first story. The front façade has a somewhat symmetrical fenestration, with a double hung one over one vinyl and 2/1 double-hung wood windows. Two windows on the southern portion of the front elevation facing North Main are noticeably smaller in scale than the remaining windows and appear to be replacements. A door accessing the second story of the porch is visible on the second story set above the main entrance.
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 difficult to determine an exact date for the construction of 3282 North Main Street, however property has long been a prominent center for commercial activity in Steep Brook. 3282 North Main Street was built, or possibly rebuilt, between 1858 1 and 1871 2 according to its appearance on historic atlases In the 1900 US Census, Walter D. Read, owned the property and ran a grocery store on the first floor of 3282 North Main Street.
The intersection of Wilson Road and North Main Street has long been the commercial heart of Steep Brook. George O. Rigby wrote that the intersection was “a favorite stopping place for the four horse stage coaches that carried mail and passengers from Newport to Boston.” 3 In the early nineteenth century, Steep Brook was considered the “center of business, social and political activity of Fall River.” 4 At this time, a general store was located on the southwest corner of the junction of N. Main St. and Wilson
1Walling, H.F. Steep Brook from Map of the County of Bristol Massachusetts, 1838 wwwokd.mans.com
2 Everett and Richards, 1871 Atlas Map of Fall River curtesy of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River Room Archives & Special Collections.
Road Charles Pittman, the first Steep Brook postmaster, operated the post office out of the building by 1813. 5 At this time, Steep Brook was the only post office for Fall River. 6 The early nineteenth-century history of the site is somewhat clouded. According to a hand drawn map by local historian George O. Rigby, a structure greatly resembling the post office is included with a construction date of 1803. 7
The late nineteenth and early twentieth-century history of the site is better documented. Clear property ownership of 3282/3284 North Main Street begins in the 1890s when Walter D. Read owns, operates, and lives at on the site 8 Rigby wrote that “In the early 1900s Walter D. Read’s general store was located on the site of Fall River’s original Post Office, more specifically the corner of the junction of Wilson Road and North Main Street.” 9 The importance of this store cannot be understated within the local context; locals relied upon the store as “they needed a place like Walter Read’s to supply the raw essentials. The store wasn’t large but Walter accommodated the residents of the community by providing their household needs.” 10 The 1900 US Census records Walter D. Read as the head of the household at 3282 North Main Street, living with his wife and two sons, Frank D. Read and Herbert W. Read, both of whom worked in the family store. 11 Walter D. Read was a businessman of note, operating within the local community selling hay and grain to livestock from his personal barn along with wood from his own personal wood lot. 12 Evidence of this barn can be seen in a historic photograph of the property from an article in the Herald News which also depicts the properties connection to transportation with an early trolly car parked outside the store. Walter D. Read is listed in city directories as the Steep Brook Postmaster and grocer from 1897 until the 1910s. 13 An 1871 atlas for Fall River records 3282 North Main Street as Read & Winslow. 14
By 1920, 3282 North Main Street is owned and occupied by Josephus Perry who is listed in directory and census records as a grocer. 15 By 1920, the adjacent 3284/3286 two flat is occupied by the Sherman family. Charles E. Sherman Jr. is listed as the head of the household and works as a paving inspector. 16 He lives on the property with his wife Yvonne Sherman, and six children. 17 He is cited by the census as renting the property, presumably from Josephus Perry. By 1921, the commercial site of 3282 North Main Street is being operated by Earl Davis, who is labeled in the 1921 directory as a clerk. 18 This indicates the property is still functioning as a post office at this time. By 1930, the Wallace family is living at 3284 North Main Street. The head of the household, David Wallace, who rents 3284 from James A. Blak e. Wallace is a boiler maker and odd-job man by trade. 19 James A. Blake is the second most influential owner of 3282 North Main Street, holding the property for a considerable period and owning the market. According to an advertisement in the 1930 city directory, James A. Blake Markets have four locations across Fall River. 20 By 1949, 3282 North Main Street becomes the Wilson Road Market, which operated until the late 1950s when the property becomes fully residential. 21
The Railway and Steep Brook Depot
The proximity of 3282 North Main Street to the Old Colony and Newport Railroad is also notable. As described in 1853, “The Fall River Railroad connects with the Old Colony Railroad, and at Fall River with the boats of the Bay State Steamboat Company,
thus forming a line for passenger and merchandise transportation between the cities of Boston and New York. Passengers are also taken to and from that most popular of all watering places, Newport, R.I.” 22 Steep Brook was connected to this railroad via a depot which occupied the rear of the site of 3282 North Main Street. The earlier depot can be seen in the 1871 atlas map where it is labeled next to the ‘Read and Winslow’ store. 23 At some point the railway depot location moved closer to the railway tracks. A historic photograph exists of this railway depot, which has been digitized by the Keeley Library and displays a difference in size and form from its predecessor. 24Due to its proximity to the nearby depot, and function as a commercial site, 3282 North Main Street represents the local connection between Steep Brook and the much larger Old Colony Railroad which was crucial in the transportation of people and merchandise throughout the 19th century.
BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES
Adams, George. The Fall River Directory 1853. (Boston: R. J. Adams, 1853).
Ancestry.com. [1930] United States Federal Census [database on- line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
Ancestry.com. [1920] United States Federal Census [database on- line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
Everts and Richards, 1871 Atlas Map of Fall River. Fall River Room Archives & Special Collections, Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA.
Everts & Richards, Atlas of Surveys Bristol Co. Massachusetts 1895. State Library of Massachusetts. https://archives.lib.state.ma.us/handle/2452/206017
R.L. Polk & Co. Fall River (Bristol County, Mass.) City Directory 1949. Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River MA
Rigby, George Oliver. Steep Brook. Danvers, MA: Bett’s, 1979.
Sampson & Murdock Co. Fall River (Bristol County, Mass.) City Directory 1897. Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA.
Sampson & Murdock Co. Fall River (Bristol County, Mass.) City Directory 1930. Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA
Steep Brook Station, as referenced. From the Keeley Library-Fall River Local History Slides “Steep Brook – Railway Station.
Walker. George H. and Company. Fall River City. 27.24”x17.28”. Atlas: Fall River City 1883, Historic Map Works Rare Historic Maps Collection. https://www.historicmapworks.com/Map/US/18414/Fall+River+City/Fall+River+1883/Massachusetts/.
22 Adams, George. The Fall River Directory 1853. (Boston: R. J. Adams, NO. 23 South Main Street) Page 121 of Fall River directory Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River Mass. 1853
23 Everett and Richards, 1871 Atlas Map of Fall River curtesy of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River Room Archives & Special Collections.
24 Steep Brook Station, as referenced. From the Keeley Library-Fall River Local History Slides “Steep Brook – Railway Station.
Everts and Richards, 1871 Atlas Map of Fall River curtesy of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River Room Archives & Special Collections.
Everts & Richards, Atlas of Surveys Bristol Co. Massachusetts 1895. State Library of Massachusetts. https://archives.lib.state.ma.us/handle/2452/206017
Image (no date given) from an article in the Herald News of Fall River Massachusetts titled “Steep Brook was Important”, published on October 17, 1978 showing 3282 North Main Street on the left behind the horses.
FORM B BUILDING
MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION
MASSACHUSETTS ARCHIVES BUILDING
220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125
Photograph
Locus Map
Recorded
by:
Charles L. McGowan
Organization: Roger Williams University
Date (September / 2023): 9/2023 Assessor’s
Town/City: Fall River
Place: (neighborhood or village): Steep Brook
Address: 3300-3202 North Main Street
Historic Name: Walter D. Read House
Uses: Present: Multiple Family Dwelling House
Original: Multiple Family Dwelling House
Date of Construction: Circa 1900
Source: City of Fall River GIS
Style/Form: Colonial Revival
Architect/Builder:
Exterior Material:
Foundation: Granite, Stone, Uncut
Wall/Trim: Vinyl Siding, Wood
Roof: Asphalt Shingle
Outbuildings/Secondary Structures: none
Major Alterations (with dates): Vinyl sided, windows replaced; dates unknown.
Condition: Good
Moved: no x yes Date:
Acreage: 0.174
Setting: 3300/3302 faces North-East towards North Main Street by the intersection of North Main Street and Wilson Road. The property is set within a semi-dense residential neighborhood which extends on either side of North Main Street.
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.
3300-3302 North Main Street is a 1.5-story, two-family, wood-frame dwelling with a gambrel roof The building has a centered rear ell with a gambrel roof. The property is clad in vinyl siding, rests on a cut stone foundation, and has a roof clad in asphalt shingles. The main entrances to the side-by-side units are centered on the main elevation and sheltered under a partial-length attached porch with hipped roof. The entrances are fitted with wood, single light doors The porch has squared, tapered posts and a replacement wood balustrade. The front elevation has paired, 1/1, double- hung vinyl replacement windows with decorative shutters in the bays flanking the main entrances. The front gambrel roof slope features a centered, cross-gambrel projection with two windows. There are shallow shed dormers with paired windows to the north and south of the center gambrel projection. All window openings on the dormers and secondary elevations are 1/1, double-hung vinyl replacement windows. Secondary entrances to the units are set on the north and south ends of the rear elevation, sheltered by porches with hipped roofs set at the intersections of the main block and ell. The north rear entrance also has a wood deck extending along the ell. Two brick, interior chimneys are set at each end of the ridge of the main block.
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.
3300-3302 North Main Street was built circa 1898 by Walter D. Read on a lot he purchased from the widow Josephine Read 1 Walter D. Read lived next door at 3282 North Main Street (FLR.2236), where he operated a general store. 2 By 1908, Read’s two sons, Herbert W. Read and Frank D. Read, are living at 3300 and 3302 North Main Street, respectively 3 Both sons spent at least ten years working in their father Walter D. Read’s store as salesmen. 4 The property is owned or lived in by a member of the Read family until the early 1930s. In 1932, the Reads sold the property to Sarah E. Holland 5 The property is then sold multiple times, most prominently to the Codega family who pass the property down through family members until 1985. 6
Walter D. Read General Store
3300 North Main Street is connected through family association to the larger commercial center of Steep Brook. The Read family, most prominently Walter D. Read, was the owner and operator of the most prominent commercial center in Steep Brook . In the Fall River City Directory of 1900, Walter D. Read’s store features in an advertisement, selling “Groceries and Provisions” 7 especially “Hay, Grain and Flour.” 8 Local historian George O. Rigby cites that “one could get almost anything from a common pin
1 Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts. “(Josephine Read) to (Walter D. Read)”, 03/17/1898, Deed Book 72, Page 129
2 Ancestry.com. [1900] United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
3 Sampson & Murdock Co. Fall River (Bristol County, Mass.) City Directory 1908. Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River Mass.
4 Ancestry.com. [1931] United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
5 Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts. “(Joseph R. Holland) to (Able and Henry Codega)”, 08/24/1938, Deed Book 430, Pages 433-434; Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts. “(Joseph R. Holland) to (Abel and Henry W. Codega)”, 08/18/1932, Deed Book 395, Page 91
6Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts. “(Abel and Jeanne Codega) to (Robert and Vincent Codega)”, 03/17/1898, Deed Book 1601, Page 60
7 Sampson & Murdock Co. Fall River (Bristol County, Mass.) City Directory 1900. Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River Mass.
8 Sampson & Murdock Co. Fall River (Bristol County, Mass.) City Directory 1900. Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River Mass.
to a bale of hay.” 9 Furthermore Rigby states that the residents of Steep Brook “needed a place like Walter Read’s to supply the raw essentials. The store wasn’t large but Walter accommodated the residents of the community by providing their household needs.” 10
Walter D. Read was more than just the operator of the general store, but a man who owned multiple commercial holdings. His barn, which was adjacent to both 3300 and 3282 North Main Street, was used to supply hay and grain to the local farming industry for livestock. 11 Additionally, Walter D. Read is cited as having his own personal wood lot, from which he sold cordwood. 12 3300 and 3302 North Main Street can be seen as a further extension of Walter D. Read’s commercial enterprises for two primary reasons. Firstly, it was the site on which Walter D. Read’s children and employees lived, working in the adjacent property at 3282 North Main Street. Secondly, Walter D. Read rented the property and used it as an investment, making it part of his commercial dealings.
BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES
Ancestry.com. [1900] United States Federal Census [database on- line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
Ancestry.com. [1931] United States Federal Census [database on- line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts. “(Josephine Read) to (Walter D. Read)”, 03/17/1898, Deed Book 72, Page 129
Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts. “(Joseph R. Holland) to (Abel and Henry W. Codega)”, 08/18/1932, Deed Book 395, Page 91
Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts. “(Joseph R. Holland) to (Able and Henry Codega)”, 08/24/1938, Deed Book 430, Pages 433-434
Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts. “(Abel and Jeanne Codega) to (Robert and Vincent Codega)”, 03/17/1998, Deed Book 1601, Page 60
Rigby, George Oliver. Steep Brook Danvers, MA: Bett’s, 1979
Sampson & Murdock Co. Fall River (Bristol County, Mass.) City Directory 1908. Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River Mass.
Sampson & Murdock Co. Fall River (Bristol County, Mass.) City Directory 1900. Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River Mass.
9 Rigby, George Oliver. Steep Brook, 1979, Bett’s Danvers, MA 49
10 Rigby, George Oliver. Steep Brook, 1979, Bett’s Danvers, MA 49
11 Rigby, George Oliver. Steep Brook, 1979, Bett’s Danvers, MA 49
12 Rigby, George Oliver. Steep Brook, 1979, Bett’s Danvers, MA 50
MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No.
View of the property looking Southwest from North Main St showing the North and East façade with gambrel roof with shed dormers and front porch.
FORM B BUILDING
MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION
MASSACHUSETTS ARCHIVES BUILDING
220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125
Photograph
Locus Map
Town/City: Fall River
Place: (neighborhood or village): Steep Brook
Address: 3301 North Main St.
Historic Name: William and Ella Lannigan House
Uses: Present: Single Family Dwelling
Original: Single Family Dwelling
Date of Construction: ca.1930
Source: Fall River Assessor’s database
Style/Form: Bungalow
Architect/Builder: Unknown
Exterior Material:
Foundation: Concrete block
Wall/Trim: Brick veneer, Vinyl Siding
Roof: Asphalt Shingle
Outbuildings/Secondary Structures: None
Major Alterations (with dates): Since 2000; Vinyl siding, octagonal window replacement, modern, center, arch light wood door, metal balustrade, brick veneer porch
Condition: Good
Moved: no yes
Acreage: 0.200
Date:
Setting: Set back on a low rise above the street on a wooded lot in a primarily residential neighborhood.
Recorded by: Chloe Fortner
Organization: Roger Williams University
Date (month / year): September 2023
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.
3301 North Main Street is a one and a half story bungalow in the Steep Brook neighborhood. It is slightly set back from the street, with the main elevation of the house facing west. The property includes a center, concrete path set at grade with the sidewalk leading to the stairs of the front porch and a concrete driveaway on the south side, elevation set at grade with the street. This wood-frame building includes vinyl siding, an east elevation ell, and an attached, full-width, front porch on the west elevation with what appears to be brick veneer. The roofs of this house include asphalt shingle with the main block of the house having a side gable roof, and the ell and attached front porch having a gable roof.
The façade is three bays wide. The center entrance has a modern, seven-panel, center arch lite, wood door. All windows of this house appear to be vinyl with vinyl sills and casings. Windows on the west elevation include two, one over one, double-hung, sash, vinyl windows on either side of the door and an octagonal fixed window in the center of the gable above the porch. This porch includes a wide eave overhang, decorative metal balustrade and two, unelaborated, squared, brick, support columns and two half-height, squared, brick piers flanking the porch entry.
The south elevation includes a square bay window, ganged windows and an asphalt shed roof. This elevation includes one over one, double-hung sash windows on the basement level, the first story, and the second, half story. The north elevation mirrors the south elevation, but has a low pitched, gable-end roof and features three one over one, double-hung, sash windows on the second half, story.
3301 North Main Street was significantly remodeled 2000. 1 An online realty photo from before that date shows that the house previously had a Craftsman ornamentation and finish scheme with wood shingle siding, porch with solid balustrade and grouped tapered column supports, exposed rafter tails, and a fanlight window in the center of the gable above the porch. 2
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.
3301 North Main Street is located in the Steep Brook neighborhood of Fall River. This property is associated with the immigration history and mill history of Fall River, which greatly contributed to the development of the city.
Property History
3301 North Main Street appears to have been built by William H. and Ella Lannigan in the late 1920s. The 1930 US Census lists the couple, both in their 60s, living at the site. Neither have occupations listed, and are presumably retired. The 1920 US Census lists William Lannigan as the keeper of a bath house and living just short distance away at 43 Baldwin Street with Ella and their three children. Their children, all in their 20s at that time, were working as a weaver, book keeper at the Fall River Water Works, and a clerk at a cloth printing facility. William Lannigan was born in the Irish Free State to Welsh parents and immigrated to the US in 1871. He became an American citizen in 1892. Ella was born in New Hampshire to Irish parents. Their children were born in Massachusetts, indicating their path of immigration migration to and within the US. 3
1 3301 North Main Street Property Card. Fall River Assessor Fall River, MA. Assessor Massachusetts Land Records.
2 Redfin photo of 3301 North Main Street. Redfin.com, 2000. 3301 North Main St, Fall River, MA 02720 | MLS# 30765468 | Redfin
3 Ancestry.com, 1920, 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line] (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010).
The Lannigans’ son, William, inherited the house in 1945 after his mother passed away. 4 According to the 1950 US Census, 3301 was a multigenerational household with William Lannigan, his daughter, Janice; son, William III; and son-in-law, James all residing there. 5 In 1981, William Lannigan sold the house to his daughter, Janice, the current owner 6
Steep Brook
As an outlying and less developed section of Fall River, Steep Brook experienced infill development in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as streetcar service and automobiles made it less necessary to live in the dense urban center closer to places of employment. Previous survey of the area notes the increasing presence of bungalow form houses in the Steep Brook area in the early twentieth century as the city. 7
BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES
Ancestry.com. Massachusetts, U.S., State and Federal Naturalization Records, 1798-1950 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.
Ancestry.com, 1920, 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line] Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
Fall River, Multiple Resource Area National Register Nomination, February 16, 1983, Fall River, MA, Continuation-Sheet 6.
Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts, “Ella Lannigan to William H. Lannigan,” February 3, 1945, Deed Book 473, Page 119.
Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts, “William H. Lannigan to Janice Lannigan,” February 24, 1981. Deed Book 1341, Page 190.
Fall River Herald News, Fall River, MA,1978
Galvin, William Francis, Historic and Archaeological Resources of Southeastern Massachusetts: A Framework for Decision Making,” The Massachusetts Historical Commission, June 1982, Fall River, MA (pg. 102).
Healey, Ann Macari “North End residence try to retain rural character; developers knock on doors.” The Providence Journal, June 27, 1988, Providence, Rhode Island, (pg. 1)
“H. H. Lannigan was a Native Son.” Fall River Herald New, December 26, 1930, Fall River, MA (pg. 4). https://fallriver.advantagepreservation.com/viewer/?k=professor%20henry%20lannigan&t=43468&i=t&d=122619301231 1939&m=between&ord=k1&fn=fall_river_herald_news_usa_massachusetts_fall_river_19301226_english_4&df=1&dt=1 0&cid=2892
Q. Stuart, K. Miller, A. Cahoon. “Massachusetts Historical Commission Area Form -Steep Brook, Fall River, MA [FLR.BD].” December 2012. Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Commission, Boston, MA (Continuation- Sheet 12).
Redfin photo of 3301 North Main Street. Redfin.com, 2000. 3301 North Main St, Fall River, MA 02720 | MLS# 30765468 | Redfin
4 Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts, “Ella Lannigan to William H. Lannigan,” February 3, 1945, Deed Book 473, Page 119
5 Ancestry.com, 1950, United States Federal Census, Bristol County, Massachusetts.
6 Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts, “William H. Lannigan to Janice Lannigan,” February 24, 1981. Deed Book 1341, Page 190
7 Q. Stuart, K. Miller, A. Cahoon. “Massachusetts Historical Commission Area Form-Steep Brook, Fall River, MA [FLR.BD].” December 2012. Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Commission, Boston, MA (Continuation-Sheet 12).
MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125
Sampson & Murdock Co., Fall River (Bristol County, Mass.) City Directory 1930, Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA.
3301 North Main Street Property Card. Fall River Assessor Fall River, MA. Assessor Massachusetts Land Records
1. Northeast view facing the front (west) and side (south) elevations
2. East view facing the front (west) elevation
4. This Redfin photo of 3301 North Main Street of the Northeast view facing the front (west) and side (south) elevations, shows how the house has changed since the exterior was remodeled in the year 2000. Source: 3301 North Main St, Fall River, MA 02720 | MLS# 30765468 | Redfin
3. Southeast view facing the front (west) and (side) north elevation
FORM B BUILDING
MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION
MASSACHUSETTS ARCHIVES BUILDING
220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125
Photograph
Locus Map
Recorded by: Chloe Fortner
Organization: Roger Williams University
Date (month / year): September 2023
Town/City: Fall River
Place: (neighborhood or village): Steep Brook
Address: 3320 North Main St.
Historic Name: Philip Wilbur House
Uses: Present: Multiple family dwelling
Original: Single family dwelling
Date of Construction: ca. 1870
Source: Historic map research
Style/Form: None
Architect/Builder: Unknown
Exterior Material: Foundation: Stone (not visible) with parging
Wall/Trim: Vinyl
Roof: Asphalt shingle
Outbuildings/Secondary Structures: Detached concrete block garage, above ground pool
Major Alterations (with dates): Since 1977: vinyl sash windows, vinyl siding, 30 X 30 garage (1978)
Condition: Good
Moved: no yes Date:
Acreage: 0.467
Setting: Set back from street on open lot in residential neighborhood; rear of lot abuts train tracks and Taunton River
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.
3320 North Main Street is a one-and-three-quarter story, Colonial house in the Steep Brook neighborhood. It is set back from the street within a rectangular lot, with the main elevation of the house facing east, towards the street. There is a one-story wing on the south elevation. The house includes vinyl siding, and the foundation is mostly concrete, with only the porch having a brick foundation. The east elevation of the main house has a brick chimney set off-center near the ridge, and the south wing has a brick chimney set off-center to the north on the ridge. The property includes one outbuilding in the backyard and a center concrete pathway leading to the main entrance and the south wing porch. Enclosing the front yard is a metal chain link fence.
The main elevation is five bays wide and includes a center entrance with a six-panel wood door. The door surround is composed of a simple wood entablature, cornice, frieze, and smooth pilasters. The east elevation of the main block has one over one, double-hung, vinyl sash windows with vinyl sills. The first story windows include wood shutters, which were a later addition. In a photo of this property from a 1977 MACRIS B Form, recorded by Ellen Rosebrock, the first story windows feature wood casing and lintels, which have been removed, and do not include shutters. The main block includes a gambrel roof and a projecting eave with a curved eave board. The front roof slope is interrupted with two, evenly spaced, hipped dormers with one over one double-hung, vinyl sash windows on the second story. The north elevation is only partially visible and includes a first-story, semihexagonal bay window with a hipped asphalt shingle roof. Each story includes symmetrically placed one over one, double-hung, vinyl sash windows, with three on the bay window, and with two on the second story and one on the third, half -story, which are mirrored on the south elevation.
The east elevation of the wing includes a secondary entrance with a screen modern door with simple wood casing. This elevation includes a side gable roof and a full-length attached porch, with a flat corniced roof supported by three, unelaborated, rounded columns. This elevation has one sliding window and one bay window, which has a fixed, picture window in the center flanked by two, one over one, double-hung, vinyl sash windows.
Based on the 1977 photo on the original survey form for 3320 North Main Street, the property has undergone window replacement with vinyl sash and shutters have been added. 1 This photo also shows the lower front slope of the roof clad in wood shingles, which has since been re-cladded with asphalt shingles. According to a 1978 building permit, a 30 x 30 garage for storage was constructed southwest of the house. A permit from 2000s shows that an above ground pool was installed in the far southwest corner of the lot 2
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.
Property History and Historic Context in Steep Brook
3320 North Main Street is closely tied with prominent nineteenth century residents of the Steep Brook area. The house appears to have been built ca. 1870 by Philip H. Wilbur, a carpenter. 3 A deed dated February 28, 1868, shows the land of 3320 North Main Street first being granted to Philip H. Wilbur from Job T. Wilson. 4 Job T. Wilson was one of the founders of the North
1 Ellen Rosebrock, “Massachusetts Historical Commission Form B – Building for 3320 North Main Street, Fall River, MA, [FLR.278],” October 21, 1977, Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Commission, Boston, MA.
2 Fall River Building Department, Fall River, Massachusetts. “Building Permit for 3320 North Main Street. 1978 & 2000.
3 Sampson & Murdock Co., City Directory, 1884 &1890. Fall River, MA, Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA.
4 North Bristol County Registry of Deeds, Taunton, Massachusetts, “Job T. Wilson to Philip H. Wilbur,” February 28, 1868, Deed Book 291, Page 295.
Methodist Episcopal Church at 3338 North Main St. (FLR.2243), purchased the land associated with the church and this property in 1858. Philip Wilbur was the superintendent of the Sabbath School at the church. With one exception, the house appears to have had a string of owners associated with the North Methodist Episcopal Church. The exception is William M. Arnold, an architect, who boarded at the house per city directory records from 1887 to 1900 and appears (perhaps erroneously) as the owner on the 1895 atlas 5 By the 1890s, the house had passed back to the North Methodist Episcopal church, and Cyrus S. Lothrop rented the house them from that period through the 1920s. Lothrop was the sexton for the church and lived here with his wife Harriet E. Lothrop, son Howard Lothrop who worked as a civil engineer, and his two daughters, Julia S. Lothrop, a teacher, and Mary C. Lothrop. 6 7 Deed records show that Cyrus Lothrop’s son, Howard, took over ownership of the house in 1922. 8 Howard Lothrop played a major role in the City of Fall River, serving as the Fall River parks superintendent from 1904 to around 1950. 9 The Lothrops owned the house until 1956 when they sold it to Manuel and Teresa Mello. 10
BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES
Ancestry.com, 1900, 1910, & 1920, United States Federal Census, Bristol County, Massachusetts
Beers. “The Bristol County Atlas of Fall River,” Bristol County, Massachusetts: Beers, 1871.
Ellen Rosebrock, “Massachusetts Historical Commission Form B – Building for 3320 North Main Street, Fall River, MA, [FLR.278],” October 21, 1977, Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Commission, Boston, MA.
Everts and Richards. “Bristol County Atlas of Surveys.” Bristol County. Massachusetts: Everts and Richards, 1895 (pg. 13). https://archives.lib.state.ma.us/handle/2452/206017
Fall River Building Department, Fall River, Massachusetts. “Building Permit for 3320 North Main Street. 1978 & 2000.
Fall River Herald News, Fall River, MA,1978.
Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts., “Mary E. Lothrop to Manuel Mello,” August 9, 1950, Deed Book 634, Page 247.
Galvin, William Francis, Historic and Archaeological Resources of Southeastern Massachusetts: A Framework for Decision Making,” The Massachusetts Historical Commission, June 1982, Fall River, MA (pg. 102-103).
North Bristol County Registry of Deeds, Taunton, Massachusetts, “Job T. Wilson to Philip H. Wilbur,” February 28, 1868, Deed Book 291, Page 295.
North Bristol County Registry of Deeds, Taunton, Massachusetts, “Mary E. Lothrop to Howard Lothrop,” July 25, 1922, Deed Book 300, Page 26.
North Bristol County Registry of Deeds, Taunton, Massachusetts, “Philip H. Wilbur to Steep Brook Methodist Episcopal Society of Fall River,” February 25, 1874, Deed Book 338, Page 40.
Q. Stuart, K. Miller, A. Cahoon. “Massachusetts Historical Commission Area Form-Steep Brook, Fall River, MA [FLR.BD].” December 2012. Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Commission, Boston, MA (Continuation-Sheet 12).
5 Sampson & Murdock Co., City Directory, 1887 & 1900. Fall River, MA, Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA.
6 Sampson & Murdock Co., City Directory, 1892. Fall River, MA, Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA.
7 Ancestry.com, 1900, 1910, & 1920, United States Federal Census, Bristol County, Massachusetts
8 North Bristol County Registry of Deeds, Taunton, Massachusetts, “Mary E. Lothrop to Howard Lothrop,” July 25, 1922, Deed Book 300, Page 26.
9 Sherman, Arthur. “The Phillips History of Fall River.” 1945, Dover Press. Fall River, Massachusetts (pg. 99).
10Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts., “Mary E. Lothrop to Manuel Mello,” August 9, 1950, Deed Book 634, Page 247.
Sampson & Murdock Co., City Directory, 1870, 1884, 1886, 1887, 1890, & 1892. Fall River, MA, Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA.
Sherman, Arthur. “The Phillips History of Fall River.” 1945, Dover Press. Fall River, Massachusetts (pg. 99).
“Diamond Jubilee of North Methodist Episcopal Church,” Fall River Herald News, May 25, 1929, Fall River, MA (pg.15).
1895 map of Steep Brook showing the approximate location of 3320 North Main Street (outlined with a red box), which is labeled with the name “Wm. M. Arnold”. Source: Atlas of Surveys Bristol County, Massachusetts 1895, published by Everts and Richards, Philadelphia, pg. 13. https://archives.lib.state.ma.us/handle/2452/206017
1871 map of Steep Brook showing the approximate location of 3320 North Main Street (outlined with a red box), which is labeled with the name “P. Wilbur”. Source: the Bristol County Atlas of Fall River, Bristol County, Massachusetts, 1871.
Major Alterations (with dates): 15x18’ addition to rear elevation (1918); bay window added to south elevation (1933); 34c24’ addition to north elevation for secondary dwelling unit (1954); since 1977: door replaced; windows replaced
Condition: Good
Moved: no yes Date:
Acreage: 0.246
Setting: Set up on a rise above street with stone retaining wall and garage at grade. Linear village setting with primarily residential use.
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.
3325 North Main Street is a Federal style house in the Steep Brook neighborhood. This property is split into two parcels. The southernmost parcel on the right is 3325 Right North Main Street, which includes the two-and-a-half story main block of the house. In the property’s northernmost parcel, 3325 Left North Main Street, is a raised, two-story, cross-gable ell addition attached to the northeast corner of the main block with a single-story wing addition on the north elevation, set flush with the east elevation of the ell. The house is located on top of a low-rise and set back from the street with the main elevation of the house facing west. Bordering the main block of the house is a field stone retaining wall. There is also a centered concrete stair, pathway leading up to the front entrance and a concrete driveway on the south side of the southernmost parcel. This house includes wood clapboard siding, a stone foundation.
The center entrance of the west, primary, elevation includes a flush wood door with a center lite near the top and an entabla ture with projecting cornice extending past the wood header and casing. This entrance has had some alterations. In a 1977 B Form for MACRIS of this property, recorded by Ellen Rosebrock, a photo reveals that the house originally had a wood double hipraised, four panel door with sidelights. This elevation is five bays wide with the windows being spaced in a 2-1-2 rhythm. These are all one over one, double-hung, wood sash windows in nonadjacent pairs, which have plain window surrounds with simple wood frames, casings, and sills. The window centered above the door on the second story is a six over six, double-hung, wood sash window, with a similar window surround. On the first story of the south elevation, towards the east elevation, is an attached semi-octagonal deep bay window, with a flat, semi-octagonal roof, which includes a wood cornice and frieze. On the south side elevation, there are nine, one over one, double-hung, wood sash windows wood surrounds. On the north elevation, towards the west elevation, the first and second story each have a single, one over one, double-hung, sash wood window with wood surrounds. This main block includes a side gable roof of asphalt shingle with a central brick chimney. The roof includes a slight eave overhang and has cornice dentils.
The addition of the northernmost parcel is not in the 1977 B Form photo of the property, which provides evidence supporting that it was a later addition. The addition includes wood clapboard siding and two asphalt shingle roofs. The north side of the add ition is single story in height with a side gable orientation. The portion at the intersection with the north elevation main block is a twostory cross gable form with a projecting second-story overhang on the west elevation that shelters a secondary entrance to the main block. The roof also has decorative wooden features, including a slight eave overhang, cornice, and frieze. Below the overhang is the secondary entrance with a nine-lite, wood door with a simple wood surround. This entry way includes a wood landing, which is in alignment with the projected second-story overhang. There are seven, evenly spaced, one over one, doublehung, sash wood windows with plain wood surrounds visible addition. Also included in 3325 Left North Main Street, is a detached, end gable, two-car garage with wood clapboard siding and an asphalt shingle roof at the northwest corner of the lot, which opens directly onto the street, set at grade with the street.
There is a photo from the Keeley Library “Fall River Local History Slides” of the Jael Hathaway Homestead that could be 3325 North Main Street based on the form and location. 1 Based on the 1977survey photo, the house previously had a wood fourpanel door with sidelights, which has been replaced with a flush wood door with a center lite and an entablature with project ing cornice. In 2019, a detached shed was added to the far southeast corner of the lot. Permit records show that in 1918, a 15 X 18 addition was constructed onto the east (rear) elevation to make room for storage. In 1933, the first-story, deep bay window on the south elevation was added to create additional bedroom space. The garage on the northwest corner of the lot was
1 “Jael Hathaway Homestead.” The Keeley Library Fall River Local History Slides. Fall River, Massachusetts. https://www.sailsinc.org/durfee/cdpictures/steepbrook3.jpg
constructed in 1948. In 1954, the 34 by 24 ell addition projecting from the north elevation was constructed to be a second family dwelling. 2
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.
Property History
Title research on 3325 North Main Street indicates that the building may have been constructed as early as 1800. That year, Jael Hathaway inherited this portion of land previously owned by his father, Jael Hathaway. 3 Map evidence available starting in 1858 indicates that the building consistently housed two households: that of A. Read and F.A. Hathaway. F.A. Hathaway is likely Francis A. Hathaway, listed as a farmer in the 1860 US Census along with his wife, Elizabeth, their six young children, and a live-in servant named Lucretia W. Pierce. A. Read appears to be Aram Read, who made his living farming and fishing per the 1860 census. He lived at 3325 with his wife, Olive. A third household may also have been in residence, consisting of Anson Davis, his wife, Sarah, and Anna E. Davis (likely Anson’s sister), a domestic worker. 4 Both Francis Hathaway and Aram Read appear to have died by 1895; the atlas for that year lists the property as being owned by their heirs. The heirs sold the property in 1900 to Fred M. Shaw, a fire clay dealer, and his wife, Florence. 5 The Shaws did not appear to live in the house for the first twenty years of ownership, residing instead nearby at 3262 North Main Street (FLR.277). 6 The 1920 census lists the widowed Florence M. Shaw, as the partial owner of 3325 along with Ralph Beaudreau, a textile mill worker. The Beaudreau Family included his wife, Sarah, and their three children. 7 Florence Shaw sold her ownership stake in the house to James Cleveland in 1922.
8 In 1930, Edna Cleveland is listed as the owner of the property, living with a boarder, Lucia Whitehouse. She is renting the second unit to the Joseph and Sarah Bernardo, Portuguese immigrants, and their five grown children, all employed in local mills. 9 In the 1940s, Joseph and Mary Souza purchased one of the units in the house and Robert and Bertha Kierstead purchased the other from Edna Cleveland. Mary Souza continues to own the property after her remarriage to Antonio Arruda in the late 1940s. By 1950, three households were in the building: new owners Robert and Bertha Kierstead, the Arrudas, and the Mells. 10
BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES
Ancestry.com. United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2022. [1860, 1900, 1920, 1930, 1940, 1950]
Beers. “The Bristol County Atlas of Fall River,” Bristol County, Massachusetts: Beers, 1871 Original 1871 Fall River Map,Matted,Ready-To-Frame,MA Mass,Old,Steep Brook | eBay
Everts and Richards. “Bristol County Atlas of Surveys.” Bristol County. Massachusetts: Everts and Richards, 1895 (pg. 13). https://archives.lib.state.ma.us/handle/2452/206017
Fall River Building Department, Fall River, Massachusetts. “Building Permit for 3320 North Main Street. 2019, 1918, 1933, 1948, & 1954.
2 Fall River Building Department, Fall River, Massachusetts. “Building Permit for 3320 North Main Street. 2019, 1918, 1933, 1948, & 1954.
3 North Bristol County Registry of Deeds, Taunton, Massachusetts, “Noah Chace to Jail Hathaway,” November 12, 1800, Deed Book 79, Page 325.
4 Ancestry.com, 1860, United States Federal Census, Bristol County, Massachusetts.
5 Fall River Registry of Deeds, Book 68, Page 423; April 28, 1900.
6 Ancestry.com, 1900, 1910, United States Federal Census, Bristol County, Massachusetts
7 Ancestry.com, 1920, United States Federal Census, Bristol County, Massachusetts
8 Fall River Registry of Deeds, Book 301, page 476, September 20, 1922.
9 Ancestry.com, 1930, United States Federal Census, Bristol County, Massachusetts
10 Ancestry.com, 1950, United States Federal Census, Bristol County, Massachusetts
Walling, H.F. “Map of the County of Bristol,” Bristol County, Massachusetts: H. F. Walling, 1858.
“Jael Hathaway Homestead.” The Keeley Library Fall River Local History Slides. Fall River, Massachusetts. https://www.sailsinc.org/durfee/cdpictures/steepbrook3.jpg
North Bristol County Registry of Deeds, Taunton, Massachusetts, “Noah Chace to Jail Hathaway,” November 12, 1800, Deed Book 79, Page 325.
Rosebrock, Ellen “Massachusetts Historical Commission Form B – Building for 3325 North Main Street, Fall River, MA, [FLR.278],” 1977, Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Commission, Boston, MA.
Stuart, Q. et al. “Massachusetts Historical Commission Area Form -Steep Brook, Fall River, MA [FLR.BD].” December 2012. Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Commission, Boston, MA (Continuation- Sheet 12).
1858 map of Steep Brook showing the approximate location of 3325 North Main Street, which is outlined with a red box and labeled with the names “A. Read and F.A. Hathaway”. Source: Map of the County of Bristol, Massachusetts 1858 by H.F. Walling.
1871 map of Steep Brook showing the approximate location of 3325 North Main Street (outlined with a red box), which is labeled with the names “A. Read” and “F. Hathaway”. Source: the Bristol County Atlas of Fall River, Bristol County, Massachusetts 1871, published by Beers.
1895 map of Steep Brook showing the approximate location of 3325 North Main Street (outlined with a red box), which is labeled with the names “F. R. Hathaway” and “A. Reed”. Source: Atlas of Surveys Bristol County, Massachusetts 1895, published by Everts and Richards, Philadelphia, pg. 13. https://archives.lib.state.ma.us/handle/2452/206017
This photo of the “Joel Hathaway Homestead” could potentially be 3325 North Main Street based on the form and location. Other possible evidence of this is that the approximate location marked on historic maps of 3325 North Main St. often include the last name “Hathaway”. This photo is from the Keeley Library Fall River Local History Slides. https://www.sailsinc.org/durfee/cdpictures/steepbrook3.jpg
This 1977 photo of 3325 North Main Street from the Northeast view facing the front (west) and side (south) elevations, shows that changes have been made to the house. Source: Rosebrock, Ellen Fletcher, Historic Fall River (Fall River, 1978), 80.
FORM B BUILDING
MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION
MASSACHUSETTS ARCHIVES BUILDING
220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125
Photograph
Locus Map
Recorded by: Chloe Fortner
Organization: Roger Williams University
Date (month / year): September 2023
Town/City: Fall River
Place: (neighborhood or village): Steep Brook
Address: 3326 North Main St.
Historic Name: N/A
Uses: Present: Single Family Dwelling
Original: Singel Family Dwelling
Date of Construction: ca. 1900
Source: Historic map research
Style/Form: No Style
Architect/Builder: Unknown
Exterior Material:
Foundation: Stone, Uncut
Wall/Trim: Wood Shingle
Roof: Asphalt Shingle
Outbuildings/Secondary Structures: Shed, above ground pool
Major Alterations (with dates): Rear deck (1995)
Condition: Good
Moved: no yes
Acreage: 0.309
Date:
Setting: Set on a rear lot in a linear village setting with primarily residential uses.
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.
3326 North Main Street is a two-and-a-half story, side gable house set on a rear lot behind 3338 North Main Street. The house consists of a main block, an ell addition that extends the full length of the rear (north) elevation, and a second ell extending north from the first ell and set flush with the east elevation of the building. The lot includes a concrete driveway the width of the house set a at grade with the street leading to the house.
The property has two partially visible elevations: the main elevation, facing south, and the east gable end, facing the street. The house is clad in wood shingle siding and has a roof clad in asphalt shingles The foundation is not visible. The house has interior brick chimneys set at either end of the ridge. The main elevation has a center entrance with an entry porch with a gable roof clad in asphalt shingles. The porch features a triangular-pedimented portico with entablature, including a cornice, frieze, and architrave, supported by columns.
The east elevation has four, six over six, double-hung, sash vinyl windows with wood shutters with two evenly spaced on each story. The second story windows are larger than the first story windows. A scroll work ornament is set at the apex of the east gable.
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.
Property History and Historic Context in Steep Brook Map evidence suggests that 3326 North Main Street was built ca. 1900 According to the 1900 U.S. Federal Census, the earliest known occupants of this property are Steven Poole, a night watchman, and his son, Taylor Poole. 1 Steven Poole is also listed in city directors as a carpenter.
3326 North Main Street has a long history of being rented to Fall River mill workers in the twentieth century U.S. Federal Census records show that when William B Waring, a slasher-tender at Sagamore Mill, rented this property between 1920 and 1950. 2 Manuel D. and Mary Moreira, Portuguese immigrants, rented the house in the late 1960s 3 Manuel Moreira was employed at the Firestone Mill.
BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES
Ancestry.com, 1900, 1920, & 1950 United States Federal Census, Bristol County, Massachusetts
Everts and Richards. “Bristol County Atlas of Surveys.” Bristol County. Massachusetts: Everts and Richards, 1895 (pg. 13). https://archives.lib.state.ma.us/handle/2452/206017
1 Ancestry.com, 1900, United States Federal Census, Bristol County, Massachusetts.
2 Ancestry.com, 1920 to 1950, United States Federal Census, Bristol County, Massachusetts; Sampson & Murdock Co., City Directory, 1920 &1892. Fall River, MA, Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA; R.L Polks and Co., City Directory, 1950. Fall River, MA, Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA
3 R.L Polks & Co., City Directory, 1969. Fall River, MA, Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA.
Fall River Building Department, Fall River, Massachusetts. “Building Permit for 3320 North Main Street. 1995.
Galvin, William Francis, Historic and Archaeological Resources of Southeastern Massachusetts: A Framework for Decision Making,” The Massachusetts Historical Commission, June 1982, Fall River, MA (pg. 102).
Healey, Ann Macari “North End residence try to retain rural character; developers knock on doors.” The Providence Journal, June 27, 1988, Providence, Rhode Island, (pg. 1)
Polks and Co., City Directory, 1950 & 1969. Fall River, MA, Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA.
Sampson & Murdock Co., City Directory, 1920 &1892. Fall River, MA, Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA.
1895 map of Steep Brook showing the approximate location of 3326 North Main Street (outlined with a red box), Source: Atlas of Surveys Bristol County, Massachusetts 1895, published by Everts and Richards, Philadelphia, pg. 13. https://archives.lib.state.ma.us/handle/2452/206017
1871 map of Steep Brook showing the approximate location of 3326 North Main Street (outlined with a red box), which is labeled with the initials “M.E. CH.”, for the Methodist Church, just as in the 1895 map. Source: the Bristol County Atlas of Fall River, Bristol County, Massachusetts 1871, published by Beers.
MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION
MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125
Northwest view facing side (east) elevation
FORM B BUILDING
MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION
MASSACHUSETTS ARCHIVES BUILDING
220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125
Photograph
Locus Map
Recorded by: Nathaniel Oldenburg
Organization: Roger Williams University
Date (month / year): September 2023
Town/City: Fall River
Place: (neighborhood or village): Steep Brook
Address: 3338 North Main Street
Historic Name: North Methodist Episcopal Church
Uses: Present: Single Family Dwelling
Original: Church
Date of Construction: 1854
Source: Fall River Directories and Secondary Sources
Style/Form: Altered beyond recognition
Architect/Builder: Unknown
Exterior Material:
Foundation: Stone; Uncut;
Wall/Trim: Vinyl
Roof: Asphalt Shingle
Outbuildings/Secondary Structures: Metal, changeable sign with pediment on front lawn; wooden fence around portion of rear of lot
Major Alterations (with dates): New entry vestibule (1883); spire removed (after 1954); vinyl sided, windows replaced, doors replaced (unknown)
Condition: Good
Moved: no yes Date:
Acreage: 0.146 acres
Setting: Linear village with primarily residential uses
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:
The property at 3338 North Main Street is a 1.5-story, wood-frame, end-gable building originally constructed as a church and now in residential use The building consists of a rectangular main block, full-length rear ell, and centered entry vestibule, all with gable roofs. The building rests on a stone foundation and is clad in vinyl siding.
The main entrance is centered on the projecting entry vestibule and has a modest pediment. The entrance is fitted with a wooden, single leaf door Tall, double-height window openings flank the entry vestibule. Each opening is fitted with two sets of vinyl, double-hung sash, with one set of sash set above a second set. A small semicircular window is centered on the half story. Side elevations of the main block feature double-height, paired window openings with identical sash to those on the front elevation. The rear ell features a paired set of standard height window openings on the south elevation. The north elevation is not visible.
A metal sign with pediment used for changeable announcements remains on the front lawn of the lot. A chain link fence runs along the property frontage and a wood privacy fence encloses part of the south yard.
HISTORICAL NARRATIVE
The property at 3338 North Main Street was built in 1854 as the North Methodist Episcopal Church. Steep Brook resident Job Wilson began a Sunday school for local children in the Steep Brook schoolhouse several years previous, and then expanded the programming to adults. A Methodist congregation was organized in 1852. Wilson was previously affiliated with Steep Brook’s North Christian Church and. 1 The North Methodist Episcopal Church was one of only two churches in the Steep Brook neighborhood, the other being the North Christian Church at 3538 North Main Street (FLR.241, NRIND, NRMRA), and one of around ten Methodist Episcopal churches in Fall River in the historic period. The adjacent property at 3350 North Main Street, built ca. 1897, (FLR.2245) served as the church parsonage.
In 1883, Mr. A.J. Marble, acting as architect, and Mr. Joseph Darling, acting as contractor and builder, renovated the church ’s front façade, adding an entry vestibule that replaced rotted stairs into the building The church also added the rear ell at this time, enlarging the auditorium space and adding seventy-nine “modern style” pews. 2
The North Methodist Episcopal Church disbanded on May 15th, 1970 and the congregation sold the property to when it was Aime A. Deslisle and Jacqueline Mathieu. The building was used as office and program space by a series of social service organizations in the 1970s, including the Satellite Workshop and the Greater Fall River Association for Retarded Children, which was overseen by trustees of the North Methodist Episcopal Church. Deslisle, who appears to have directed the organization, also lived next door in the former parsonage. In 1980, the Greater Fall River Association for Retarded Citizens transferred the building to AIM Attachments & Sewing Machine Co, a family business associated with Norman Almeida. The building appears to have shifted to a residential rental property after that date.
BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES
Baldwin, Eric. “‘The Devil Begins to Roar’: Opposition to Early Methodists in New England.” Church History 75, no. 1 (2006): 94–119. http://www.jstor.org/stable/27644713. “Centennial Fete to Be Held by North Methodist Church.” Fall River Herald News, April 24, 1954, page 9.
1 “Diamond Jubilee of North Methodist Episcopal Church.” Fall River Herald. May 25th 1929, accessed 11/19/23. https://fallriver.advantagepreservation.com/viewer/?t=43468&i=t&by=1929&bdd=1920&bm=5&bd=25&d=0525192905251929&fn=fall_river_herald_news_usa_massa chusetts_fall_river_19290525_english_5&df=1&dt=10&cid=2892
2 “Fall River’s Early Days From Fall River Evening News Files,” Fall River Herald News, June 26, 1933, page 10.
“Center Of City Swept By Devastating Fire.” Fall River Herald. February 3rd, 1928. URL: https://fallriver.advantagepreservation.com/viewer/?t=43468&i=t&by=1928&bdd=1920&d=0203192802031928&e=north%20methodist%20episcopal%20church&m=between&ord=e1&fn=fall_river_herald_news_usa_massach usetts_fall_river_19280203_english_2&df=1&dt=1&cid=2892 Accessed November 19th 2023.
“Diamond Jubilee of North Methodist Episcopal Church.” Fall River Herald. May 25th 1929, accessed 11/19/23. https://fallriver.advantagepreservation.com/viewer/?t=43468&i=t&by=1929&bdd=1920&bm=5&bd=25&d=0525192905251929&fn=fall_river_herald_ne ws_usa_massachusetts_fall_river_19290525_english_5&df=1&dt=10&cid=2892. Everts and Richard. “Fall River City 7, Steepbrook. [Bristol County 1895.] Massachusetts, Everts and Richards, 1895, Historic Map Works Rare Historic Maps Collection. URL: https://www.historicmapworks.com/Map/US/8016/Fall+River+City+7++Steepbrook/ Earl, Henry Hillard. A Centennial History of Fall River, Mass: Comprising A Record of Its Corporate Progress From 1656 To 1876, With Sketches Of Its Manufacturing Industries, Local And General Characteristics, Valuable Statistical Tables, Etc New York, NY: Atlantic Pub. and Engraving Co., 1877.
Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts. “[North Methodist Church] to [Greater Fall River Association for Retarded Children, Inc.]” [October 17th, 1968.] Deed Book 00941, Page 162.
Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts. “[North Methodist Church] to [Jacqueline Matthieu] and [Aime A. Deslisle.]” [May 21st, 1970.] Deed Book 00980, Page 22.
Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts. “[Jacqueline M. Matthieu] to [Aime A. Deslisle.]” [December 15th, 1976.] Deed Book 01155, Page 1.
Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts. “[Aime A. Deslisle] and [Joan A. Deslisle] to [Marie V. Payer] and [Robert J. Payer.]” [June 19th, 1991.] Deed Book 02334, Page 256.
Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts. “[Marie V. Payer] and [Robert J. Payer] to [Marie V. Payer.] [June 24th, 2021.] Book Deed: 10617, Page: 26.
“Fall River’s Early Days From Fall River Evening News Files,” Fall River Herald News, June 26, 1933, page 10.
Fenner, Henry M, and Fall River Merchants Association. History of Fall River, Massachusetts . Fall River, Mass: Fall River Merchants Association, 1911.
Jones, Charles Edwin. Perfectionist persuasion: A social profile of the national holiness movement within American Methodism , 1867-1936. Meutchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1974.
Fall River: The Spindle City of the Country. Fall River, Mass. R.J. Lawton. 1909.
Lasky, Vivienne, Peter Stott, Wendy Frontiero, and Sarah Zimmerman, October 31st, 1984. National Register of Historic Form Nomination Form. Washington D.C.: National Park Service.
McAlester, Virginia Savage. A Field Guide to American Houses: The Definitive Guide to Identifying And Understanding America’s Domestic Architecture. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 2021.
Permit No. 185 Fall River Building Department, Fall River, Massachusetts, “Building Permit 185 for [North Methodist Episcopal Church], [June 19th, 1902].
Permit No. 280 Fall River Building Department, Fall River, Massachusetts, “Building Permit 280 for [North Methodist Episcopal Church], [October 10th, 1961].
Phillips, S. Arthur. The Philips History of Fall River Fascicle 2. Fall River, MA: Dover Press, 1944.
R.L. McCammon and B.J. Keating, United States Geographical Survey Map 1944, 1944, accessed 11/19/23.
R.L. McCammon and B.J. Keating, United States Geographical Survey map 1949, 1949, accessed 11/19/23.
R.L. Polk & Co. Publishers. 1898 Fall River Directory. Boston, MA: R.L. Polk & Co. Publishers, 1898.
R.L. Polk & Co. Publishers. 1973 Fall River Directory. Boston, MA: R.L. Polk & Co. Publishers, 1973.
R.L. Polk & Co. Publishers. 1977 Fall River Directory. Boston, MA: R.L. Polk & Co. Publishers, 1977.
Rosebrock, Ellen. “Massachusetts Historical Commission Form B – Building for 3320 North Main Street, Fall River, MA [FLR.278].” October 21, 1977. Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Commission, Boston, MA. United States Geographical Survey, United States Geographical Survey map 1967, 1967,accessed 11/19/23
Walker, George H., and Company, Fall River Atlas 1883, “page 72 and 73”, 1883, accessed 11/19/23
The North Methodist Episcopal Church at 3338 North Main Street is marked red. The parsonage at 3350 North Main Street is not here. Walker, George H., and Company, Fall River Atlas 1883, “page 72 and 73”, 1883, accessed 11/19/23.
The North Methodist Episcopal Church at 3338 North Main Street is marked in red. Its parsonage at 3350 North Main Street is not here. Everts and Richard. “Fall River City 7, Steepbrook. [Bristol County 1895.] Massachusetts, Everts and Richards, 1895, Historic Map Works Rare Historic Maps Collection. URL: https://www.historicmapworks.com/Map/US/8016/Fall+River+City+7++Steepbrook/
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:
The property at 3350 North Main Street is a 1.5- story, single family, wood-frame, sidehall dwelling with a single-story rear ell set flush with the north elevation. A single-story addition with a shed roof is set on the south elevation of the ell. The house is situated on the corner of Clark and North Main Street facing North Main. The building is clad in vinyl siding and rests on a randomly coursed stone foundation.
The main entrance is situated on the north end of the main elevation, sheltered beneath a partial-length, attached porch with a hipped roof. The porch has turned posts and a replacement turned balustrade. The main entrance is fitted with a modern replacement door. A semi-hexagonal bay window is set opposite the entrance on the main elevation. Two windows are evenly set on the half story. All windows are fitted with double- hung, vinyl replacement sash. Side elevations feature asymmetrical fenestration with varying sized windows, all fitted with vinyl replacement sash. There is a secondary entrance on the south end of the rear elevation accessing a small deck.
The property includes a single-story detached garage with a gable roof. It is set slightly above grade with access to Clark Street. The garage is clad in vinyl siding and has a modern overhead door.
HISTORICAL NARRATIVE
3350 North Main Street was constructed ca. 1897 as the parsonage for the North Methodist Episcopal Church at 3338 North Main Street (FLR.2243).
The building at 3350 North Main Street ceased to be used as a parsonage on in 1968, when the North Methodist Episcopal Church granted it to the Greater Fall River Association for Retarded Children, also known as the Greater Fall River Association for Retarded Citizens, operated by trustees of the North Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1970, association trustees granted the property to Jacqueline Mathieu and Aime A. Deslisle. Aim e Deslisle sold the house to Marie V. Payer and Robert J. Payer in 2021.
BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES
Baldwin, Eric. “‘The Devil Begins to Roar’: Opposition to Early Methodists in New England.” Church History 75, no. 1 (2006): 94–119. http://www.jstor.org/stable/27644713.
“CENTER OF CITY SWEPT BY DEVASTATING FIRE.” Fall River Herald. February 3rd, 1928. URL: https://fallriver.advantagepreservation.com/viewer/?t=43468&i=t&by=1928&bdd=1920&d=0203192802031928&e=north%20methodist%20episcopal%20church&m=between&ord=e1&fn=fall_river_herald_news_usa_massach usetts_fall_river_19280203_english_2&df=1&dt=1&cid=2892 Accessed November 19th 2023.
“Diamond Jubilee of North Methodist Episcopal Church.” Fall River Herald. May 25th 1929, accessed 11/19/23. Everts and Richard. “Fall River City 7, Steepbrook. [Bristol County 1895.] Massachusetts, Everts and Richards, 1895, Historic Map Works Rare Historic Maps Collection. URL: https://www.historicmapworks.com/Map/US/8016/Fall+River+City+7++Steepbrook/ Earl, Henry Hillard. A centennial history of Fall River, Mass: comprising a record of its corporate progress from 1656 to 1876, with sketches of its manufacturing industries, local and general characteristics, valuable statistical tables, etc . New York, NY: Atlantic Pub. and Engraving Co., 1877.
Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts. “[North Methodist Church] to [Greater Fall River Association for Retarded Children, Inc.]” [October 17th, 1968.] Deed Book 00941, Page 162.
Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts. “[North Methodist Church] to [Jacqueline Matthieu] and [Aime A. Deslisle.]” [May 21st, 1970.] Deed Book 00980, Page 22.
Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts. “[Jacqueline M. Matthieu] to [Aime A. Deslisle.]” [December 15th, 1976.] Deed Book 01155, Page 1.
Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts. “[Aime A. Deslisle] and [Joan A. Deslisle] to [Marie V. Payer] and [Robert J. Payer.]” [June 19th, 1991.] Deed Book 02334, Page 256.
Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts. “[Marie V. Payer] and [Robert J. Payer] to [Marie V. Payer.] [June 24th, 2021.] Book Deed: 10617, Page: 26.
Fenner, Henry M, and Fall River Merchants Association. History of Fall River, Massachusetts. Fall River, Mass: Fall River Merchants Association, 1911.
Jones, Charles Edwin. Perfectionist persuasion: A social profile of the national holiness movement within American Methodism , 1867- 1936. Meutchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1974.
Fall River: The Spindle City of the Country. Fall River, Mass. R.J. Lawton. 1909.
Lasky, Vivienne, Peter Stott, Wendy Frontiero, and Sarah Zimmerman, October 31st, 1984. National Register of Historic Form Nomination Form. Washington D.C.: National Park Service. McAlester, Virginia Savage. A field guide to American houses: The definitive guide to identifying and understanding America’s domestic architecture. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 2021.
Permit No. 185 Fall River Building Department, Fall River, Massachusetts, “Building Permit 185 for [North Methodist Episcopal Church], [June 19th, 1902].
Permit No. 280 Fall River Building Department, Fall River, Massachusetts, “Building Permit 280 for [North Methodist Episcopal Church], [October 10th, 1961].
Phillips, S. Arthur. The Philips History of Fall River Fascicle 2. Fall River, MA: Dover Press, 1944.
R.L. McCammon and B.J. Keating, United States Geographical Survey Map 1944, 1944, accessed 11/19/23.
R.L. McCammon and B.J. Keating, United States Geographical Survey map 1949, 1949, accessed 11/19/23
R.L. Polk & Co. Publishers. 1898 Fall River Directory. Boston, MA: R.L. Polk & Co. Publishers, 1898.
R.L. Polk & Co. Publishers. 1973 Fall River Directory. Boston, MA: R.L. Polk & Co. Publishers, 1973.
R.L. Polk & Co. Publishers. 1977 Fall River Directory. Boston, MA: R.L. Polk & Co. Publishers, 1977.
Rosebrock, Ellen. “Massachusetts Historical Commission Form B – Building for 3320 North Main Street, Fall River, MA [FLR.278].” October 21, 1977. Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Commission, Boston, MA.
United States Geographical Survey, United States Geographical Survey map 1967, 1967,accessed 11/19/23
Walker, George H., and Company, Fall River Atlas 1883, “page 72 and 73”, 1883, accessed 11/19/23
The North Methodist Episcopal Church at 3338 North Main Street is marked red. The parsonage at 3350 North Main Street is not here. Walker, George H., and Company, Fall River Atlas 1883, “page 72 and 73”, 1883, accessed 11/19/23
The North Methodist Episcopal Church at 3338 North Main Street is marked in red. Its parsonage at 3350 North Main Street is not here. Everts and Richard. “Fall River City 7, Steepbrook. [Bristol County 1895.] Massachusetts, Everts and Richards, 1895, Historic Map Works Rare Historic Maps Collection. URL: https://www.historicmapworks.com/Map/US/8016/Fall+River+City+7++Steepbrook/
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.
3417 N. Main Street in Steep Brook, MA is a 1 ½ story, wood framed, single-family residence built in 1902. It is located on the corner of North Main Street and Dewey Street. The building has a rectangular footprint with the main elevation, facing east toward North Main Street. The building is set back from the street by a mid-sized, grassed and landscaped area. The side hall plan building has an end gabled roof and rests on a raised ashlar stone foundation.
The house has a semi-wrap around porch, which is built across the eternity of the west elevation of the house. The porch slightly wraps onto the south elevation, which is where the stairs to the porch and main entrance are located. The porch has an asphalt shingle shed roof with the lower portion of the porch being covered in a dense wooden lattice skirting. Under the roof of the porch is a cutaway, semi-hexagonal bay window with three, one-over-one double-hung, vinyl sash windows. There are faux wooden shutters on the center window. Located on the west elevation underneath the front porch, the main entrance is a single leaf door with a storm door in front of it. On the side of the door are faux-wooden shutters. On the half story on the front facade there are two, one-over-one double-hung, vinyl sashed windows with faux wooden shutters on either side of the windows. The entire building is clad in vinyl siding.
On the north elevation there are four, one-over-one double-hung, vinyl sash windows all in line with each other on the first story. On the half story above there is a small one-over-one double-hung, vinyl sashed window just below the eave of the roofline. On the south elevation, there is an entry porch on the west end of the elevation that shelters the rear entrance of the building. The porch has a hipped roof with asphalt shingles and is made of wood with a wood lattice to cover the bottom of the porch. The rear entrance is a single leaf door covered by a storm door. On the west end of the elevation, there are two parallel, one-over-one double-hung, vinyl sash windows with a smaller, single vinyl sliding window just to the left of the rear entrance. On the half story above there is a small one-over-one double-hung, vinyl sash window just below the eave of the roofline. On the east elevation there is a single, one-by-one, vinyl sash sliding window on the first story on the northeast corner. On the half story there are two parallel one-over-one double-hung, vinyl sash windows.
The roof is sheathed in asphalt shingles. On the roof there is a single, concrete, interior chimney located on the southwest corner of the roof. There is a single-story, single car, detached garage in the rear of the building on the southwest corner of the lot which leads out onto Dewey Street. The garage has asbestos siding and a gable roof sheathed in asphalt shingles.
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 history of 3417 North Main Street begins in 1900 with the purchase of the land by Francis B. O’Neil 1 from Jacob W. Wilbur. Prior to the construction of the house in 1902 this lot was vacant 2
1 Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts. “(Jacob W. Wilbur) to (Francis B. O’Neil)”, 05/21/1900, Deed Book 68, Pages 486,487
2 Everts & Richards, Fall River City 7, Steep Brook from Bristol County 1895, Massachusetts
Francis B. O’Neil was a carpenter and evidence suggests he built the house for himself in 1902. The address first appears in the Fall River Directory of 1903 3, which shows Francis B. O’Neil living there with his family. He and his family lived there until 1905 when he sold the property to Mary Murray. Mary and her husband John lived in the house until it was sold again in 1909. They sold it to Anna H. Mullaly, who lived in the house for only three months with her husband John until they sold it to Charles N. Palmer and his family 4
Charles N. Palmer was an overseer at a cotton mill 5. He lived in the house with his wife and his six children who would grow up and get jobs around Fall River in many different industries. Charles worked in the cotton mill until the late 1930s when he f inally retired. His eldest daughter, Kathryn F. Palmer continued to live in the house with her father even after the passing of Charles’ wife Margaret. In the early 1930s, Kathryn married Raymond C. Richardson. Raymond was a salesman and a street laborer in the 1930s and early 1940s. In 1942 Raymond, at the age of 43, was drafted into the United States Naval Service at the United States Naval Torpedo Station in Newport, Rhode Island. He continued to work there into the 1950s. In 1947, Charles deeded the house to Raymond and Kathryn 6, but continued to live there until the 1960s. Raymond and Kathryn, who changed her first name to Mary in the 1950s, lived in the house until 1975 when she sold it to Ruth and Robert Lima 7. Robert was a spinner and Ruth was retired. They lived there with their daughter Rose. In 2000 they resided the exterior of the house with vinyl siding. In 2008 Ruth died and the house was then sold in 2009 to Joseph and Irene Koroshofsky. They have continued to live in the house since 2009 and sometime between 2012 and 2019 they added a new front porch.
Contextual History
The Steep Brook neighborhood was home to many factory workers who would move or build homes in the neighborhood once the trolley system was added in the 1800s. The structure can be seen as an example of Steep Brook’s industrial roots through its inhabitants. Francis B. O’Neil was a carpenter and the original builder of the house and the majority of families that lived there have all been related to a factory industry in one way or another. What also allowed workers to move to this area was the introduction of the trolley system to Steep Brook in 1880. The trolley was originally pulled by horses until it was electrified in 1892. These trolley lines were used by factory workers and Fall River residents to get into downtown Fall River from Steep Brook and allowed for people to live further away from where they worked, in this case being in Steep Brook. The building is another example of this trend in the Steep Brook area.
BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES
Everts & Richards, Fall River City 7, Steep Brook from Bristol County 1895, Massachusetts
Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts. “(Anna H. Mullaly) to (Charles N. Palmer)”, 10/05/1909, Deed Book 150, Page 114
Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts. “(Charles N. Palmer) to (Raymond C. Richardson)”, 09/20/1947, Deed Book 492, Page 58
Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts. “(Jacob W. Wilbur) to (Francis B. O’Neil)”, 05/21/1900, Deed Book 68, Pages 486, 487
Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts. “(Mary Kathryn Richardson) to (Robert and Ruth Lima)”, 10/24/1975, Deed Book 1119, Page 933
3 Sampson & Murdock Co. Fall River (Bristol County, Mass.) City Directory 1903. Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River Mass, pg. 717
4 Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts. “(Anna H. Mullaly) to (Charles N. Palmer)”, 10/05/1909, Deed Book 150, Page 114
5 Sampson & Murdock Co. Fall River (Bristol County, Mass.) City Directory 1930. Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River Mass, pg. 651
6 Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts. “(Charles N. Palmer) to (Raymond C. Richardson)”, 09/20/1947, Deed Book 492, Page 58
7 Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts. “(Mary Kathryn Richardson) to (Robert and Ruth Lima)”, 10/24/1975, Deed Book 1119, Page 933
Major Alterations (with dates): Front ell and porch addition, lifting of rear roofline, window replacement, asbestos siding; converted to multifamily use (dates unknown)
Condition: Good
Moved: no yes Date:
Acreage: 0.154 acres
Setting: Linear village of primarily residential uses.
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.
3456-3458 North Main Street in Fall River, Massachusetts, is a 1 ½ story, wood framed, single-family residence built around 1900. It is located on the corner of North Main Street and Winslow Street. The building has a T-shaped footprint with the small end, the east elevation, of the T facing towards the road with the main mass of the house being behind the ell. The building is set back from other houses by a mid-sized, grassed and landscaped area. The front setback includes a concrete driveway leading to a detached single-car garage. The building's foundation is a raised concrete foundation. The house is banked slightly into a slope and the basement story is exposed on the south face of the building.
The main entrance is located on the northeast corner of the building at the junction of the main mass and the ell underneath a small, uncovered semi-attached wooden porch. The main entrance is a single leaf door with a storm door in front of it. Above the main entrance, at the intersection of the main mass of the house and extending ell, there is a single leaf, half -light door with a storm door in front of it leading out onto the semi-attached porch. The main mass of the building has an asymmetrical side gable roof and the projecting cross-gable, which rises to two stories in height, has a symmetrical gable roof. The roof is sheathed with asphalt shingles. On the roof there is a single, concrete, interior chimney located at the intersection of the main mass of the building and the ell of the house. Additionally, the entire building is clad in asbestos shingles.
On the eastern elevation, at the bottom of the T, there are two parallel, one-over-one double-hung, vinyl sashed windows on the first story. On the second story there is a single centered, one-by-one, vinyl sash sliding window. The west elevation could not be seen from the road. On the north elevation there are two parallel, one-over-one double-hung, vinyl sash windows on the first story. On the south elevation there is also a secondary entrance with a single leaf door with a storm door in front of it. On the second story there are three, one-over-one double-hung, vinyl sash windows all in line with each other. The overall fenestration of the windows is irregular on this side. On the south elevation of the main mass of the building there are three, one-over-one double-hung, vinyl sash windows on the first story with another three located on the half story above directly above the other windows. On the east side of the main mass there is a single, one-over-one double-hung, vinyl sash window on the first story. On the south side of the T there is a one-over-one double-hung, vinyl sash window on the first story with another located in the same location on the second story. There is a single-story, single car, detached garage on the north side of the building, which leads out onto North Main Street. The garage has asbestos siding and a gable roof sheathed in asphalt shingles.
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 history of 3458 North Main Street, Fall River, Massachusetts begins in 1887 when the land the house sits on was bought by Mrs. Mary M. Holt 1 The site appears to have remained vacant until sometime between 1895 and late 1899
Property Ownership
Mary M. Holt, a widow, built 3456-3458 North Main sometime between 1895 and 1900. The house does not appear on the Fall River Atlas of 1895 2 and the address appears for the first time in the Fall River city directories in 1900 3 The house was built as a single-family home and appears to have been intended as a rental property The known resident was David Lown, a cotton mill
1 Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts. “(John Burgess) to (Mary M. Holt)”, 07/11/1877, Deed Book 454, Page 25
2 Everts & Richards, Fall River City 7, Steep Brook from Bristol County 1895, Massachusetts
3 Sampson & Murdock Co. Fall River (Bristol County, Mass.) City Directory 1900. Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River Mass, pg. 484
worker, 4 and his family. David was known to have lived there until at least 1910 5 The same year, Mary M. Holt moved into the house and lived there until 1938 when she passed away.
Sometime after Mary M. Holt's death the property was purchased by Mary Rogers, though it is not clear through the research what year the change in ownership happened as there is a gap in the deeds. The house was sold by Mary Rogers to Joseph and Mary Raposa in 1943 6. Joseph worked at the Raposa Richfield Service Station 7 located a few blocks away from the house The Raposas continued to rent out the space for the next couple years before moving in themselves for a few years in the late 1940s. In 1956 the house was sold by the Raposas to Leo and Beatrice Manchester 8. Leo was a factory worker and a laborer for the city works while Beatrice was a machine operator. In 1957 the house was vacant, but still owned by the Manchesters. They eventually moved into the house and lived in the house with their three children. In 2016 Leo died and deeded the house to Beatrice who still currently lives there.
Contextual History
The structure can be seen as an example of Steep Brook’s industrial roots as the majority of families that have lived there h ave been related to a factory industry in one way or another. Steep Brook was known for being an area where factory workers would move or build homes outside of the downtown area of Fall River. What allowed this was the introduction of the trolley system to Steep Brook in 1880. The trolley was originally pulled by horses until it was electrified in 1892. These trolley lines were used by factory workers and Fall River residents to get into downtown Fall River from Steep Brook and allowed for people to live further away from where they worked, in this case being in Steep Brook. It also shows that people would begin to rent out housing to factory workers or city workers.
BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES
Everts & Richards, Fall River City 7, Steep Brook from Bristol County 1895, Massachusetts
Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts. “(John Burgess) to (Mary M. Holt)”, 07/11/1877, Deed Book 454, Page 25
Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts. “(Mary Rogers) to (Mary Raposa)”, 09/2/1943, Deed Book 458, Pages 242, 243
Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts. “(Mary Raposa) to (Leo W Manchester)”, 10/10/1956, Deed Book 661, Page 3
Sampson & Murdock Co. Fall River (Bristol County, Mass.) City Directory 1900. Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River Mass, pg. 484
Sampson & Murdock Co. Fall River (Bristol County, Mass.) City Directory 1909. Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River Mass, pg. 349
R.L. Polk & Co. Fall River (Bristol County, Mass.) City Directory 1950. Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River Mass, pg. 467
4 Sampson & Murdock Co. Fall River (Bristol County, Mass.) City Directory 1900. Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River Mass, pg. 484
5 Sampson & Murdock Co. Fall River (Bristol County, Mass.) City Directory 1909. Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River Mass, pg. 349
6 Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts. “(Mary Rogers) to (Mary Raposa)”, 09/2/1943, Deed Book 458, Pages 242,243
7 R.L. Polk & Co. Fall River (Bristol County, Mass.) City Directory 1950. Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River Mass, pg. 467
8 Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts. “(Mary Raposa) to (Leo W Manchester)”, 10/10/1956, Deed Book 661, Page 3
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
3472 North Main Street is a 1 ½ story wood framed house with a concrete block foundation, on the north corner of Winslow Street and North Main Street in the Steep Brook Neighborhood of Fall River, MA. The house is setback from both North Main Street and Winslow Street. The building has a rectangular plan and gable roof with the end gable oriented toward North Main Street. The house sits on a concrete block foundation and the whole house (excluding the roofs and foundation) is sheathed in white asbestos shingling. All the roofs are sheathed with asphalt shingles.
The main (south) elevation faces Winslow Street and has a partial length attached porch with a hopped roof on the east end sheltering a semi hexagonal window and the main entrance. The entrance is set facing North Main Street in an enclosed area at the west end of the porch. The railing and porch roof support are slightly ornamental metal railings. The entrance appears to have a single leaf, half lit, paneled door with a plain green door surround. Other windows on the east elevation consist of double-hung wood windows with plain green window surrounds. The first-floor windows have a 2/2 division pattern and windows on the second floor have a 6/1 pattern.
A second attached entry porch with a hipped roof is situated at the west end of the south elevation. The porch has the same type of metal railing as the front porch and shelters a secondary entrance. All windows on this elevation match the windows of the front elevation, they are all double-hung wood windows with the windows on the first floor being 2/2 and the second-floor windows being 6/1. There are 2 windows on the first floor that are equally spaced in between the two porches. There are 4 windows on the second floor with one window closer to the southeast corner, 2 windows splitting center and the last window closer to the southwest corner. The roof slope on the south elevation has a full-length wall dormer with a shed roof.
The west facade contains two small, 6/1 double-hung wood windows, one on the first floor and one on the second floor, centered in the middle of elevation.
The north elevation has a semi hexagonal bay window out on the first floor with a half-hipped roof. and 6/1 double-hung wood windows on side facets and a fixed rectangular ornamental sash set high in the wall on the north facet. On the roof slope of the north elevation there are three separate wall dormers with shed roofs each containing one double-hung wood window. Two of the second-floor windows are 6/1 windows and the other is a smaller 1/1 window. Finally, there is an interior brick chimney set just north of the ridgeline.
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.
Context
The Steep Brook area was first inhabited by the Pocasset and Wampanoag, but due to the King Philip's War the tribes suffered massive losses and were forced to relocate 1. After the war, Europeans took over and settled in the Steep Brook Neighborhood which became the basis of what today we consider the city of Fall River 2. The neighborhood was initially agricultural in terms of its industry, but with time, this will change 3. The original town hall for Fall River was in the Steep Brook
1George Oliver Rigby, Steep Brook, (Danvers, MA: Bett’s, 1979), 16-19
2Massachusetts Historical Commission. MHC Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River. Boston, MA. 1982.
3George Oliver Rigby, Steep Brook, (Danvers, MA: Bett’s, 1979), 19.
neighborhood and center of political, business, and social activity for Fall River according to George Oliver Rigby 4. During the mid-1800s, this downtown shifted from up north in Steep Brook to further south to where the Fall River’s downtown is today, when the industrial revolution took over 5. This was of course due to the large number of mills that were built and produced immense wealth and jobs for Fall River. Steep Brook to a lesser degree also industrialized, at a smaller scale and had an increase in residential development 6. There was a small business district that developed in Steep Brook with such businesses as the green dragon inn (mid 1800s), a black smith shop, a railroad station in 1870 and a wharf 7
3472 North Main Street appears to have been constructed in the late 1890s if the address of the property remained consistent in the Fall River Directories. 8 The property changed hands many times and was primarily owned and occupied by blue collar workers 9 The residents worked for a wide range of businesses to contribute to the working community. According to city directory research residents included a miller, a janitor at City Hall, a draughtsman (draftsman), a foreman carpenter, a decorator, and a brakeman on the railroad 10 According to the city directories, Mrs. Ada Ward, the widow of William G. Ward, seemed to have lived there the longest, living in the property from at least 1937 to 1947 11. According to William Ward’s obituary, he was in the insurance business. 12 After his death in 1930, Ada moved to this house with her three children 13 According to the 1940 census, Ada Ward, age 69, lived there with her son Harold, age 23, a radio repairer 14. According to her obituary, Ada died at this house in 1947 15
4George Oliver Rigby, Steep Brook, (Danvers, MA: Bett’s, 1979), 22.
5Massachusetts Historical Commission. MHC Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River. Boston, MA. 1982.
6Stuart, Q. et al. Massachusetts Historical Commission Form B – North Main Street Area. Boston: Massachusetts Historical Commission, 2012.
7Healey, Ann Macari. “North End Residents Try to Retain Rural Character; Developers Knock on Doors”. Providence, RI: Providence Journal. June 27, 1988.
8 Sampson & Murdock Company. Fall River Directory, 1896, 1898, 1899, 1902, 1908, 1912, 1917, 1922, 1927, 1932, 1937. Boston: Sampson & Murdock Company, 1896, 1898, 1899 1902, 1908, 1912, 1917, 1922, 1927, 1932, 1937. Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA.
R.L. Polk & Co. Polk’s Fall River City Directory, 1942, 1947, 1952, 1957, 1962, 1967, 1972. Boston: R.L. Polk & Co. 1942, 1947, 1952, 1957, 1962, 1967, 1972. Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA.
9 Ibid Ancestry.com. [1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940, 1950] United States Federal Census [database on-line]. (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.)
10Sampson & Murdock Company. Fall River Directory, 1896, 1898, 1899, 1902, 1908, 1912, 1917, 1922, 1927, 1932, 1937. Boston: Sampson & Murdock Company, 1896, 1898, 1899 1902, 1908, 1912, 1917, 1922, 1927, 1932, 1937. Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA.
R.L. Polk & Co. Polk’s Fall River City Directory, 1942, 1947, 1952, 1957, 1962, 1967, 1972 Boston: R.L. Polk & Co. 1942, 1947, 1952, 1957, 1962, 1967, 1972. Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA. Ancestry.com. [1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940, 1950] United States Federal Census [database on-line]. (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.)
11 Sampson & Murdock Company. Fall River Directory, 1896, 1898, 1899, 1902, 1908, 1912, 1917, 1922, 1927, 1932, 1937. Boston: Sampson & Murdock Company, 1896, 1898, 1899 1902, 1908, 1912, 1917, 1922, 1927, 1932, 1937. Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA.
R.L. Polk & Co. Polk’s Fall River City Directory, 1942, 1947, 1952, 1957, 1962, 1967, 1972. Boston: R.L. Polk & Co. 1942, 1947, 1952, 1957, 1962, 1967, 1972. Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA.
12“William G. Ward,” Fall River Herald News, May 31, 1930.
13Sampson & Murdock Company. Fall River Directory, 1896, 1898, 1899, 1902, 1908, 1912, 1917, 1922, 1927, 1932, 1937. Boston: Sampson & Murdock Company, 1896, 1898, 1899 1902, 1908, 1912, 1917, 1922, 1927, 1932, 1937. Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA.
R.L. Polk & Co. Polk’s Fall River City Directory, 1942, 1947, 1952, 1957, 1962, 1967, 1972. Boston: R.L. Polk & Co. 1942, 1947, 1952, 1957, 1962, 1967, 1972. Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA. Ancestry.com. [1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940, 1950] United States Federal Census [database on-line]. (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.)
“William G. Ward,” Fall River Herald News, May 31, 1930.
14 Ancestry.com. [1940] United States Federal Census [database on-line]. (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.)
15 “Ward,” Fall River Herald News, September 19, 1947.
Ancestry.com. [1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940, 1950] United States Federal Census [database on-line]. (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.)
Fenner, Henry M. History of Fall River. New York: F.T. Smiley, 1906.
“MHC Reconnaissance Survey Town Report: Fall River,” January 1982. Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Commission, Boston, MA.
R.L. Polk & Co. Polk’s Fall River City Directory, 1942, 1947, 1952, 1957, 1962, 1967, 1972 . Boston: R.L. Polk & Co. 1942, 1947, 1952, 1957, 1962, 1967, 1972. Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA.
Sampson & Murdock Company. Fall River Directory, 1896, 1898, 1899, 1902, 1908, 1912, 1917, 1922, 1927, 1932, 1937 Boston: Sampson & Murdock Company. Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA.
Rigby, George Oliver. Steep Brook. Danvers, MA: Bett’s, 1979.
“Ward,” Fall River Herald News, September 19, 1947.
“William G. Ward,” Fall River Herald News, May 31, 1930.
Façades facing Northeast.
FORM B BUILDING
MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION
MASSACHUSETTS ARCHIVES BUILDING
220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125
Photograph
Locus Map
Recorded by: Oliver Sherry
Organization: Roger Williams University
Date (month / year): 12/2023 Assessor’s
Town/City: Fall River
Place: (neighborhood or village): Steep Brook
Address: 3484/3494 North Main Street
Historic Name: William Z. and Ida Canedy House
Uses: Present: Multiple Family Dwelling
Original: Multiple Family Dwelling
Date of Construction: ca. 1895
Source: 1895 Map of Fall River and Directory Research
Style/Form:
Architect/Builder: Unknown
Exterior Material:
Foundation: Not visible
Wall/Trim: Vinyl siding
Roof: Asphalt shingles
Outbuildings/Secondary Structures: Shed in Southwest corner of property and above ground pool.
Major Alterations (with dates):
3/29/1922 Wood Garage with Stone Foundation
3/4/1937 Cottage at R3494
3/27/1972 Installation of Pool 3494
7/2/2001 2nd Floor Northwest Rear Addition
8/21/2015 Removal of wood siding, wood trim around windows, and wood brackets at the cornice. Installation of vinyl siding.
Condition: Good
Moved: no yes
Acreage: 0.205 acres
Date:
Setting: Linear village with primarily residential uses.
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
3484 North Main Street is a 2 ½ story wood framed multi-family dwelling located on the south corner of North Main Street and Glendale Street in the Steep Brook neighborhood of Fall River, MA. The building is set back from both North Main Street and Glendale Street.
The L-plan building is made up of the 2.5-story, side-gable main block with a center, projecting gable bay, and a 2-story wood framed ell extension containing a garage set flush with the north elevation of the main block There is also a 1 story bump out closer to the south of the west facade of the main block with a shed roof. The main block has a stone foundation with cement covering it. All the roofs on the building and the rear extension have asphalt shingles. The cladding on the whole house is vinyl siding.
The east or front elevation, can be split up into 3 bays. There is a full length 1 story shed roof porch that runs the entire front facade. The porch has spindle work balusters and spindles work supports which hold up the shed roof. The outer bays both have an entrance into the house and are covered under the porch. Within the entries are single leaf, modern doors with fanlights at the top. The outer bays have two double- hung 1/1 vinyl windows adjacent to the entries and three additional, identical windows on the second story. The center bay projects slightly and has an end gable roofline. The center bay has a three part picture window on the first floor with two double-hung one over one vinyl side sash and a large picture window in the middle. There are two evenly spaced, double-hung 1/1 vinyl windows and smaller, 1/1 double- hung vinyl windows, on the exposed north and south sides of the projection on the second floor. There is a single, double-hung 1/1 vinyl window centered under the gable.
The fenestration on south elevation of the main block is irregular with one sliding window and two double-hung1/1 wood windows. The south elevation for the rear extension is not visible from the street. The west elevation of the main block cannot be seen from the house. The rear (west) roof slope has 2 skylights. There is also a small, interior, brick chimney set just west of the ridge near the center of the main block. By the northwest corner is a pair of ganged double-hung 1/1 wood windows. On the second floor, just a little south of center is a pair of ganged double-hung 1/1 wood windows. There is a wrap-around hipped roof, between the first and second floor, that starts on this elevation and continues on the north elevation of the extension.
Similar to the south elevation the north elevation has a basement sliding window in the foundation however this window is close to the west corner of the main block. On the first floor there are two double-hung 1/1 wood windows equally spaced. On the second floor there is one double-hung 1/1 wood window directly above the first-floor window that is closer to the northeast corner of the main block. On the half story there are two double-hung 1/1 wood windows evenly spaced with the window closer to the northeast corner having an attached metal fire escape.
On the north elevation of the rear extension, on the first floor, there is a large garage door closer to where the extension meets the main block. On the second floor there is a full- length wall dormer with a shed roof. In this wall dormer there are 3 double-hung 1/1 wood windows, 2 of them are ganged and centered above the garage door opening and the last is close to the northwest corner of the extension.
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 Canedy Family appears to have constructed 3484/3494 North Main Street and lived in it for much of its history. William Z. Canedy, a mate of the Old Company Steam Boat Co., and his wife, Ida, appear at the property in the 1898 city
directory along with their son William S. and daughter Florence L 1 William Canedy worked for the Fall River steamship company for more than forty years, retiring in 1922. William Z. Canedy would remain the head of the house until his death at the age of 75 on December 12th 1928 Flags on the Fall River line steamers flew at half-mast on the day after his death. 2 Ownership passed to Ida, who lived there with Florence, and later, Florence’s husband Raymond E. Lewin. Florence took ownership of the house after Ida’s death and lived there until 1982. 3 The second unit in the house was rented, including to Florence and Raymond Lewin just after their marriage. 4
Context
The Steep Brook area was first inhabited by the Pocasset and Wampanoag, but due to the King Philip's War the tribes suffered massive losses and were forced to relocate 5. After the war, Europeans settled the Steep Brook neighborhood which became the basis of what today we consider the city of Fall River 6. The neighborhood was initially agricultural in terms of its production 7. The original town hall for Fall River was in the Steep Brook neighborhood and it was the community’s center of political, business, and social activity 8. During the mid-1800s, this political and commercial center shifted from up north in Steep Brook to further south to where the Fall River’s downtown is today, during the industrial revolution due to mills being built along the Quequechan River 9. This was of course due to the large number of mills that were built and produced immense wealth and jobs for Fall River. Steep Brook to a lesser degree also industrialized not with the construction of textile mills but rather with the building of the railroad, trolley lines and shipping 10. Steep Brook became a place to live for those who worked downtown but could afford to build their own home 11. There was a small business district that developed in Steep Brook with such businesses as the green dragon inn (mid 1800s), a black smith shop, a railroad station in 1870 and a wharf 12. Once the railroad station was built, it provided a place where both goods and people could be shipped along the railroad 13. In addition, the wharves provided another way in which goods could be shipped from Steep Brook to places along the Taunton River 14. A closely related industry is the steamers, that employed residents of Steep Brook such as the residents of 3484 North Main Street. For example, according to the 1910 Census, residents William Z. Canedy and at one point his son William S. Canedy were employed by the Fall River Line of Steam ships. William Z. Canedy was the First mate, and his son was a life saver on the steamboat 15
BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES
Fall River Herald News. “On Fall River Line 40 Years.” December 13, 1928.
1 Sampson & Murdock Company. Fall River Directory, 1898. Boston: Sampson & Murdock Company, 1898. Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA.; Ancestry.com. [1900] United States Federal Census [database on-line]. (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.)
2 “On Fall River Line 40 Years,” Fall River Herald News, December 13, 1928, 2.
3 Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts. “[Florence L. Lewin] to [Michael J. Horan and Sandra J. Horan].” [6/17/1982]. Deed Book 1395, Page 173.
4 Ancestry.com. [1910, 1920, 1930] United States Federal Census [database on-line]. (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.)
5George Oliver Rigby, Steep Brook, (Danvers, MA: Bett’s, 1979), 16-19
6Massachusetts Historical Commission. MHC Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River. Boston, MA. 1982.
7George Oliver Rigby, Steep Brook, (Danvers, MA: Bett’s, 1979), 19.
8George Oliver Rigby, Steep Brook, (Danvers, MA: Bett’s, 1979), 22.
9Massachusetts Historical Commission. MHC Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River. Boston, MA. 1982.; Fenner, Henry M. History of Fall River. New York, NY: F. T. Smiley Publishing Company. 1906, 22.; History of the Old Colony Railroad : A Complete History of the Old Colony Railroad from 1844 to the Present Time in Two Parts (Boston: Hager & Handy, 1893), http://archive.org/details/historyofoldcolo00bost. 317.
10 George Oliver Rigby, Steep Brook, (Danvers, MA: Bett’s, 1979)
11Stuart, Q. et al. Massachusetts Historical Commission Form B – North Main Street Area. Boston: Massachusetts Historical Commission, 2012.
12Healey, Ann Macari. “North End Residents Try to Retain Rural Character; Developers Knock on Doors”. Providence, RI: Providence Journal. June 27, 1988.
13 Massachusetts Historical Commission. MHC Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River; Phillips, Arthur Sherman. The Phillips History of Fall River.
14“Steep Brook Was Important”. Fall River, MA: Herald News. October 17, 1978; Massachusetts Historical Commission. MHC Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River; Healey, Ann Macari. “North End Residents Try to Retain Rural Character; Developers Knock on Doors”. 15Ancestry.com. [ 1910] United States Federal Census [database on-line]. (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.)
Ancestry.com. [1900,1910, 1920, 1930,1940, 1950] United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
Fall River Building Department, Fall River, Massachusetts, “Building Permit [159] for [R3484], [3/29/1922].
Fall River Building Department, Fall River, Massachusetts, “Building Permit [615] for [3494], [3/27/1972].
Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts. “[Charles D. Millard] to [George H. Allen].” [1/23/1892].
Deed Book 1, Page 156-158.
Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts. “[Rose H. Forczyk] to [Florence L. Lewin and Albert W. Canedy].” [7/11/1945]. Deed Book 470, Page 349.
Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts. “[Albert W. Canedy Mary H. Canedy] to [Florence L. Lewin].” [2/09/1949]. Deed Book 508, Page 40-41.
Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts. “[Florence L. Lewin] to [Michael J. Horan and Sandra J. Horan].” [6/17/1982]. Deed Book 1395, Page 173.
Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts. “[Micheal J. Horan and Sandra J. Horan] to [Sandra J. Horan and Micheal J. Horan Jr.].” [8/2/1985]. Deed Book 1588, Page 346.
Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts. “[Sandra J. Horan] to [Micheal J. Horan Jr.].” [4/11/1988].
Deed Book 1943, Page 44
Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts. “[Micheal J. Horan Jr.] to [Micheal J. Horan Jr. and Patricia A. Horan].” [10/6/1992 Deed Book 2535, Page 59.
McAlester, Virginia Savage, and Lee McAlester. A Field Guide to American Houses : The Definitive Guide to Identifying and Understanding America’s Domestic Architecture. Second edition. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2013.
R.L. Polk & Co. Polk’s Fall River City Directory, 1942, 1947, 1952, 1957, 1962, 1967, 1972 . Boston: R.L. Polk & Co. 1942, 1947, 1952, 1957, 1962, 1967, 1972. Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA.
Highlighted property owned by P. Wilbur will eventually be split into four parcels with the two parcels fronting on North Main Street being the future sites of 3472 North Main Street (FLR.2253) and 3484/3494 North Main Street reside today. Source Geo. H. Walker, Atlas of Fall River City, 1883, Digital Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Site of 3484/3494 North Main Street in 1895. Source Everts & Richards, “Part of City of Fall River Plate 7.” Topographical Atlas of Surveys Bristol County, Massachusetts, Everts & Richards, 1895 HistoricMapWorks.com.
Historic Name: North Christian Congregational Church
Uses: Present: Church/Syn
Original: Church/Syn
Date of Construction: 1842
Source: US Census and Fall River City Directory research
Style/Form: Greek Revival & Gothic Revival
Architect/Builder:
Exterior Material:
Foundation: Stone with concrete parging
Wall/Trim: Vinyl Siding
Roof: Asphalt Shingles
Outbuildings/Secondary Structures: n/a
Major Alterations (with dates):Rear addition (1936); accessibility ramp (1996); vinyl sided, windows replaced, main entry doors replaced (after 1977)
Condition: Good
Moved: no yes
Acreage: 0.271
Date:
Setting: Linear village with primarily residential uses.
INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET
MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION
220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 FALL RIVER 3538 NORTH MAIN ST
MRA 2/16/1983; NRIND 2/16/1983
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.
3538 N. Main St. in Steep Brook neighborhood of Fall River is a 2-story, end gable church set back 14’ from the sidewalk on a sloping lot The wood-frame building consists of a main block with square bell tower set at the east end of the ridge and a 1story rear ell set below grade The building is clad in vinyl clapboard siding and has a stone and concrete foundation. The roof is clad in asphalt shingles.
The entrance of the building is positioned on the centerline of the facade. To approach the entrance three steps are necessary to ascend, or an ADA accessible ramp curves to the right towards the sidewalk. The entrance is fitted with doubleleaf, half lit replacement doors and has a simple door surround. The entrance is sheltered by an attached entry porch with gable roof and fluted column supports. The entrance is flanked on the first story with windows with a semi-circular blind transom with fan pattern and 1/1 double hung vinyl sash windows with wide surrounds The second story of the façade features a centered, three-part window with narrow side sash, all fitted with vinyl replacement 1/1 sash. The end bays feature plain window openings set symmetrically over the first-story windows. The façade ends in a pediment with fan ornament at the apex. The bell tower has rectangular, louvered vents on all four sides. And a shallow hipped roof with projecting cornice.
The north and south elevations of the building are mirrored and symmetrical in their respective components. The main block features evenly set, paired, double-height windows with arched transom lights. The raised basement, which is exposed as the lot slopes toward the west, have single window openings set under the first-story windows. All windows are fitted with 1/1 double-hung vinyl replacement sash.
The rear ell has a secondary entrance fitted with a modern door set off center on the north elevation. Windows are unevenly set around the side elevations and are also fitted with 1/1 double hung vinyl sash
There are no detached buildings visible on the property, though it is noteworthy that the entire remaining area of the lot appears to be paved to act as additional parking. A modern sign is situated at the lot frontage on North Main Street and the entirety of the front lot area is paved for parking.
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 North Christian Church, although not incorporated as a Society until 1842, had its beginning in 1832 when local residents gathered in their homes for the study of the Bible. In 1835 Capt. John Read and C. C. Dillingham of the First Congregational Church organized a Sunday School and meetings were held in the school house until Mrs. Caroline Boomer donated the land and the church was built in 1842. Over the ensuing decades the affiliation of the church would shift from Christian to Congregationalist, and then finally to the United Church of Christ as the denominations merged. In 1936, the society added the rear ell of the building sized to 34’4” by 40’ to allow for more space within the building.1 The church was renovated again in 1974. In 1995, the church transferred the property to a Seventh-Day Adventist congregation, which continues to own the property.2
The North Christian Congregational Church is one of the few remaining public buildings that survive into the twenty-first century in Steep Brook.
1 Fall River Building Department, Fall River, Massachusetts. Building Permit for 3538 North Main Street
2 Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts. Book:Page 3020/281
BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES
Rigby, George Oliver. Steep Brook. 1st ed. Bett’s, Danvers, MA., 1979. Rosebrock, Ellen Fletcher. Historic Fall River. Natick, MA: The Preservation Partnership, 1979. Fall River Building Department, Fall River, Massachusetts. Building Permit for 3538 North Main Street Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts. Book:Page 3020/281 Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts. Book:Page 584/199 Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts. Book:Page 81/422
Northern Bristol County Registry of Deeds, Taunton, Massachusetts. Book:Page 79/203 Northern Bristol County Registry of Deeds, Taunton, Massachusetts. Book:Page 75/313
Sampson & Murdock Company, Sampson & Murdock Fall River (Bristol County, Mass.) City Directory 1930, (Boston: Sampson & Murdock Co., 1930). Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA.
R.L. Polk & Co., Polk’s Fall River (Bristol County, Mass.) City Directory 1940, (Boston: R.L. Polk & Co., 1940). Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA.
R.L. Polk & Co., Polk’s Fall River (Bristol County, Mass.) City Directory 1950, (Boston: R.L. Polk & Co., 1950). Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA.
R.L. Polk & Co., Polk’s Fall River (Bristol County, Mass.) City Directory 1960, (Boston: R.L. Polk & Co., 19660). Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA.
R.L. Polk & Co., Polk’s Fall River (Bristol County, Mass.) City Directory 1970, (Boston: R.L. Polk & Co., 1970). Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA. Google earth, 2000. https://earth.google.com/. “Steepbrook.” Town of Fall River. Fall River, MA, n.d. United States Geological Survey, Fall River Quadrangle [Map] 1:24,000. 7.5 Minute Series (Topographic), 1967 Walker, George H. “Part of Ward 9.” Map. Fall River 1883. Fall River, MA: Walker, George H. and Company, 1883. https://www.historicmapworks.com/Map/US/18427/Pages+72+and+73/ Everts, and Richards. “Fall River City 7, Steepbrook.” Bristol County 1895. Fall River, MA: Everts & Richards, 1895. https://www.historicmapworks.com/Map/US/8016/Fall+River+City+7++Steepbrook/ Ancestry.com. 1900 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Fall River, MA, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2023. Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Fall River, MA, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2023. Ancestry.com. 1940 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Fall River, MA, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2023. Ancestry.com. 1950 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Fall River, MA, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2023. Ancestry.com. 1960 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Fall River, MA, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2023. Ancestry.com. 1970 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Fall River, MA, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2023. Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Fall River, MA, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2023.
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
3548 N. Main St. is a single-story, 5x2-bay, wood-frame, side gable dwelling set back 8’ from the sidewalk. The building consists of a main block with two single-story additions extending across the entire length of the rear (west) elevation. The building rests on a rubble stone foundation, is clad in vinyl clapboard siding, and has a roof clad in asphalt shingles. An interior chimney is set just off center to the south on the ridge line. A detached single-car garage (1969) with shed addition (1990) is located south of the house and set back 10’ from the sidewalk.
The entrance to the building centered on the main elevation and fitted with a modern replacement door. The entry surround has a modest entablature surround. The entrance is flanked by evenly set windows in each bay with similar modest entablature surrounds. All window openings on the façade and the building have 1/1 vinyl replacement sash. A large hipped dormer is set on the north end of the front roof slope. It has paired windows on the east elevation. The north elevation is empty with the exception of a 1/1 double hung sash window in line with the gable apex, giving light into the second floor.
The south elevation has a single-story addition with a stone foundation on the rear (west) bay with a hipped roof (1907). A secondary entrance is set on the west elevation of the projecting bay with a modern door and entablature surround identical to the front entrance. The south elevation also features windows in the east bay and centered on the half story.
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.
3458 North Main was primarily owned by the same family for much of its history. Map evidence in the 1850s indicates that this was the house of Joseph Davis, a carpenter, aged 65 in 1850. In the later decades of the nineteenth century, a Mrs. Davis (1871) and Mrs. Elizabeth Davis (1883) resided in the house. It is unclear if these are the same women. Elizabeth Davis is listed in the 1880 census as aged 75 and a widow. In 1895, the house is shown on atlases as belonging to Charles Thurston, though the 1900 census indicates that Thurston (a carpenter) is boarding in the house and it is actually owned by Barnabas Blossom, a land surveyor. By 1910, the census shows Charles and Sarah Thurston own the house, and the next owner, Merrill Gammon, residing with them as a boarder. Later census listings reveal that Gammon is Sarah Thurston’s child from a previous marriage. Gammon continues to live with the family in the 1930s, along with his daughter Miriam. By 1940, Charles Thurston has died, and Sarah Thurston, Merrill Gammon, Merrill’s wife Velora Gammon, and Miriam make up the household. Merrill Gammon appears to have worked in sales for various companies, and Miriam is listed as training as a nurse in 1940. 1
Between the 1960s and 1970s, there was a shift in home ownership over to Mrs. Nancy L. Arruda. She worked as an instructor in a school of business.
1 Henry Francis Walling, "Fall River Village ; Map of the town of Fall River, Bristol County, Massachusetts." Map. (New York: A.G. Gillet, 1850); Henry Francis Walling, "Map of the county of Bristol, Massachusetts." Map. (New York: John L. Smith & Co., 1858); F. W. Beers, "Atlas of Bristol Co., Massachusetts." Map. (New York: F.W. Beers & Co., 1871); George H. Walker, “Part of Ward 9.” Map. Atlas of Fall River (Fall River, MA: Walker, George H. and Company, 1883); Everts, and Richards. “Fall River City 7, Steepbrook.” Bristol County 1895 (Fall River, MA: Everts & Richards, 1895); Ancestry, [1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940, 1950] United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Fall River, MA, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2023.
Ancestry.com. 1900 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Fall River, MA, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2023.
Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Fall River, MA, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2023.
Ancestry.com. 1940 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Fall River, MA, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2023.
Ancestry.com. 1950 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Fall River, MA, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2023.
Beers, F. W. (Frederick W.), Sanford, G. P. (George P.), Neumann, Louis E., and F.W. Beers & Co. "Atlas of Bristol Co., Massachusetts." Map. New York: F.W. Beers & Co., 1871. Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center, https://collections.leventhalmap.org/search/commonwealth:9306wn39z (accessed March 17, 2024).
Everts, and Richards. “Fall River City 7, Steepbrook.” Bristol County 1895. Fall River, MA: Everts & Richards, 1895. https://www.historicmapworks.com/Map/US/8016/Fall+River+City+7++Steepbrook/
Fall River Building Department, Fall River, Massachusetts. Building Permit for 3548 North Main Street
R.L. Polk & Co., Polk’s Fall River (Bristol County, Mass.) City Directory 1940, (Boston: R.L. Polk & Co., 1940). Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA.
R.L. Polk & Co., Polk’s Fall River (Bristol County, Mass.) City Directory 1950, (Boston: R.L. Polk & Co., 1950). Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA.
R.L. Polk & Co., Polk’s Fall River (Bristol County, Mass.) City Directory 1960, (Boston: R.L. Polk & Co., 19660). Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA.
R L. Polk & Co., Polk’s Fall River (Bristol County, Mass.) City Directory 1970, (Boston: R.L. Polk & Co., 1970). Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA.
Rosebrock, Ellen Fletcher. Historic Fall River. Natick, MA: The Preservation Partnership, 1979.
Sampson & Murdock Company, Sampson & Murdock Fall River (Bristol County, Mass.) City Directory 1930, (Boston: Sampson & Murdock Co., 1930). Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA.
Walker, George H. “Part of Ward 9.” Map. Atlas of Fall River 1883 Fall River, MA: Walker, George H. and Company, 1883. https://www.historicmapworks.com/Map/US/18427/Pages+72+and+73/
Walling, Henry Francis. "Fall River Village ; Map of the town of Fall River, Bristol County, Massachusetts." Map. New York: A.G. Gillet,, 1850. Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center, https://collections.leventhalmap.org/search/commonwealth:4m90fn438 (accessed March 17, 2024).
Walling, Henry Francis. "Map of the county of Bristol, Massachusetts." Map. New York: John L. Smith & Co., 1858. Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center, https://collections.leventhalmap.org/search/commonwealth:wd376642s (accessed March 17, 2024).
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.
3555 North Main Street is a 1.5-story, wood-frame, side gable dwelling set back approximately 15 feet from the street on a low rise The building is a cape form with five bays across the main elevation, sheltered under a full-length, attached front porch. The house rests on a stone foundation and is clad in replacement wood clapboard siding. The side gable roof is clad in asphal t shingles and features a slightly off-center (to the south) brick chimney on the ridge. The centered entrance has been enlarged to accommodate modern, wood, double-leaf glazed doors and half-length sidelights. The door frame and the frames of the windows on the m ain elevation feature a dentil cornice. Windows on all elevations of the building are double- hung, vinyl replacement windows. The porch appears to be a modern construction and features squared posts and a modest wood balustrade. Side elevations feature window openings in each of the two bays with simple surrounds and replacement vinyl double-hung sash. The rear elevation features a shed dormer centered on the rear roof slope and a shallow addition set off center to the north along part of the elevation
The lot includes a storage shed at the rear (east border) of the property as well as a plastic greenhouse set along the south property border
There have been numerous changes and additions to the home since construction Historic maps indicate that the house previously had an ell set flush with the north elevation that is no longer extant.The first recorded is a dormer window added in 1921. In 2000, owners undertook a significant renovation which included addition of the front porch, new roofing, and replacement of the exterior siding.
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 role of this home in the community of Steep Brook historically is tied to crafts that require a hands-on approach. Its residents have operated as blacksmiths, railroad engineers, teachers, and machinists. The earliest documented owner of the property is George R. Hathaway (b. 1790), a carpenter, who lived on site with his wife Mehitable, daughter Irene, son George, aged 16 and a blacksmith, and a five-year-old boy named Williah S. Cannady (US Census 1850). By 1860, the household was composed of George, now listed as a ship’s carpenter, Mehitable, daughter Irene Winslow, and son-in-law Gilbert Winslow, a farmer and laborer (US Census 1860). The Hathaway family appears to have lived at the site through the early 1870s (Beers 1871). By the early 1880s, Richard F. Parlow (or Barlow, b. 1818) and his wife, Ruby lived on site. Parlow worked as a blacksmith (Walker 1883, 1895, US Census 1880). In 1900, he is listed living at the address with Ruby, and his daughter and son-in-law John and Emma Simmons. Parlow was retired in 1900, and his son-in-law worked as a painter (US Census 1900). By 1930, the property had passed to Charles and Rosella Sunderland. Charles Sunderland worked as a railroad fireman, and later railroad engineer (US Census 1910-1930). The couple had at least six children, one of whom, Helene Sunderland, spent most of her life as a teacher in the Fall River public schools. During their ownership, the Sunderlands kept chickens on the property, as evidenced by building permits for animal and chicken sheds. By 1950 the household had shrunk to Rosella, now widowed, her daughter Helene, still teaching, and son Paul, an oil filter lab technician (US Census 1950) Directory research shows that Helene Sunderland took over ownership of the house after Rosella’s death sometime before 1970 (Polk 1970). By 1990, city directories record the home as being vacant (Polk 1990)
Ancestry.com. 1860-1950 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Fall River, MA, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2023.
Beers, F. W. (Frederick W.), Sanford, G. P. (George P.), Neumann, Louis E., and F.W. Beers & Co. "Atlas of Bristol Co., Massachusetts." Map. New York: F.W. Beers & Co., 1871. Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center, https://collections.leventhalmap.org/search/commonwealth:9306wn39z (accessed May 20, 2024).
Everts, and Richards. “Fall River City 7, Steepbrook.” Bristol County 1895. Fall River, MA: Everts & Richards, 1895. https://www.historicmapworks.com/Map/US/8016/Fall+River+City+7++Steepbrook/
Fall River Building Department, Fall River, Massachusetts. Building Permit for 3555 North Main Street
Polk & Co., Polk’s Fall River (Bristol County, Mass.) City Directory 1940-1990, (Boston: R.L. Polk & Co). Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA.
Rosebrock, Ellen Fletcher. Historic Fall River Natick, MA: The Preservation Partnership, 1979.
Sampson & Murdock Company, Sampson & Murdock Fall River (Bristol County, Mass.) City Directory 1930, (Boston: Sampson & Murdock Co., 1930). Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA.
“Steepbrook.” Town of Fall River. Fall River, MA, n.d.
United States Geological Survey, Fall River Quadrangle [Map] 1:24,000. 7.5 Minute Series (Topographic), 1967
Walker, George H. “Part of Ward 9.” Map. Fall River 1883. Fall River, MA: Walker, George H. and Company, 1883. https://www.historicmapworks.com/Map/US/18427/Pages+72+and+73/
Walling, Henry Francis. "Fall River Village ; Map of the town of Fall River, Bristol County, Massachusetts." Map. New York : A.G. Gillet,, 1850. Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center, https://collections.leventhalmap.org/search/commonwealth:4m90fn438 (accessed May 20, 2024).
Walling, Henry Francis. "Map of the county of Bristol, Massachusetts." Map. New York: John L. Smith & Co., 1858. Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center, https://collections.leventhalmap.org/search/commonwealth:wd376642s (accessed May 20, 2024).
INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET
MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION
220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 FALL RIVER 3555 NORTH MAIN ST
Walling, Henry Francis. "Fall River Village ; Map of the town of Fall River, Bristol County, Massachusetts." Map. New York: A.G. Gillet,, 1850. Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center, https://collections.leventhalmap.org/search/commonwealth:4m90fn438 (accessed May 20, 2024).
Walling, Henry Francis. "Map of the county of Bristol, Massachusetts." Map. New York: John L. Smith & Co., 1858. Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center, https://collections.leventhalmap.org/search/commonwealth:wd376642s (accessed May 20, 2024).
Beers, F. W. (Frederick W.), Sanford, G. P. (George P.), Neumann, Louis E., and F.W. Beers & Co. "Atlas of Bristol Co., Massachusetts." Map. New York: F.W. Beers & Co., 1871. Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center, https://collections.leventhalmap.org/search/commonwealth:9306wn39z (accessed May 20, 2024).
W alker, George H. “Part of Ward 9.” Map. Fall River 1883. Fall River, MA: Walker, George H. and Company, 1883. https://www.historicmapworks.com/Map/US/18427/Pages+72+and+73/
Everts, and Richards. “Fall River City 7, Steepbrook.” Bristol County 1895. Fall River, MA: Everts & Richards, 1895. https://www.historicmapworks.com/Map/US/8016/Fall+River+City+7++Steepbrook/
3555 North Main Street, front (west) and side (east) elevations
FORM B BUILDING
MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION
MASSACHUSETTS ARCHIVES BUILDING
220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125
Photograph
Locus Map
Recorded by: Jayson Schlosser and Elaine Stiles
Organization: Roger Williams University
Date (month / year): 12/2023
Town/City: Fall River
Place: (neighborhood or village): Steep Brook
Address: 3562 North Main Street
Historic Name:
Uses: Present: Single-family dwelling
Original: Single-family dwelling
Date of Construction: c. 1853
Source: US Census and Fall River City Directory research
Style/Form:
Architect/Builder:
Exterior Material:
Foundation: Rubble Stone
Wall/Trim: Asbestos Siding
Roof: Asphalt Shingles
Outbuildings/Secondary Structures: n/a
Major Alterations (with dates): n/a
Condition: Good
Moved: no yes Date:
Acreage: 0.127
Setting: Linear village with primarily residential uses
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
3562 North Main Street in Steep Brook neighborhood of Fall River is a 1.5-story, side gable, wood frame dwelling measuring three bays wide and two bays deep. The house has full-width rear addition set flush with the north elevation and extending past the south elevation in the form of an enclosed porch. The entire building is clad in asbestos shingles. The roof is clad in asphalt shingles and has a parged brick interior chimney set off center to the north on the ridge. The building sits atop a rubble stone foundation. The main entrance is set in the northernmost bay, accessible via two concrete steps and a concrete landing with ramp. The entrance is fitted with a single-leaf, half-lit historic wood door and has a plain board surround. Windows are set in the remaining bays on the main elevation, fitted with 6/6 double hung wood sash with a plain board surrounds
Beneath the overhang of the gable is painted ornamentation. A secondary entrance is situated on the south side of the building, set on the extended east elevation of the enclosed porch and accessible via four concrete steps. Windows on secondary elevations of the main block include one in each bay on the first story and a centered window in the half story. All windows and trim on secondary elevations of the main block are identical to those on the main elevation. The ell has a single-pane, rectangular fixed or awning sash on the north elevation. The enclosed porch is fitted with 1/1 double- hung wood sash.
The northern elevation consists of three windows on the first floor and one on the second. The left two windows are ground level are 6/6 double hung sash whereas the right window is a 1 pane operable window. The window on the second floor positioned between the end gable is 6/6 double hung sash. All windows have a simple window surround.
The house has a shallow setback from the sidewalk. A paved driveway is set north of the building and the lot includes a small, modern storage shed west of the driveway. (A shingled shed building visible from the property belongs to the adjacent property at 3548 North Main Street.)
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 “half house” or two-room deep, three bay-wide house form, was one of the most common house forms built in New England from the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries (before 1830). Because of their small size and easy adaptability into larger forms, few examples remain compared to other popular housing types in the period (Hubka 33-34; 4748). Though more comparative survey is needed, 3562 North Main Street appears to be a rare remaining example of this house form, particularly in Fall River.
The occupancy history of 3562 North Main Street has largely been one of couples with no children, some elderly and past working age, and single householders. The original owner of 3562 North Main Street is unknown, but documentary evidence from the 1850s indicates that the property was owned by a C. Collins (Walling 1850). By 1858, Stephen and Hanna Dolly (or Dolley) occupied the dwelling (Walling 1858). Dolly was a day laborer, and later worked as a seamer into his late 60s (US Census 1860, 1870). By 1900, Cornelia M. Simmons, a widow, occupied the property (US Census 1900). She lived her as late as 1910 (US
Census 1910). The next occupants were renters Joseph W. and Sarah Gifford, bot in their 70s. They lived on the premises until sometime after 1935, when Carrie Thurston took ownership of the property (US Census 1920, 1930). She lived there until the 1950s (US Census 1940, 1950). Ethel M. Lawton purchased the property in the 1960s.
BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES
Ancestry.com. 1860-1950 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Fall River, MA, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2023.
Beers, F. W. (Frederick W.), Sanford, G. P. (George P.), Neumann, Louis E., and F.W. Beers & Co. "Atlas of Bristol Co., Massachusetts." Map. New York: F.W. Beers & Co., 1871. Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center, https://collections.leventhalmap.org/search/commonwealth:9306wn39z (accessed May 20, 2024).
Everts, and Richards. “Fall River City 7, Steepbrook.” Bristol County 1895. Fall River, MA: Everts & Richards, 1895. https://www.historicmapworks.com/Map/US/8016/Fall+River+City+7++Steepbrook/
Fall River Building Department, Fall River, Massachusetts. Building Permit for 3555 North Main Street
Hubka, Thomas C. Big House, Little House, Back House, Barn : The Connected Farm Buildings of New England. Hanover [NH.]: University Press of New England, 1984.
Polk & Co., Polk’s Fall River (Bristol County, Mass.) City Directory 1940-1990, (Boston: R.L. Polk & Co). Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA.
Rosebrock, Ellen Fletcher. Historic Fall River Natick, MA: The Preservation Partnership, 1979.
Sampson & Murdock Company, Sampson & Murdock Fall River (Bristol County, Mass.) City Directory 1930, (Boston: Sampson & Murdock Co., 1930). Collection of the Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA.
“Steepbrook.” Town of Fall River. Fall River, MA, n.d.
United States Geological Survey, Fall River Quadrangle [Map] 1:24,000. 7.5 Minute Series (Topographic), 1967
Walker, George H. “Part of Ward 9.” Map. Fall River 1883. Fall River, MA: Walker, George H. and Company, 1883. https://www.historicmapworks.com/Map/US/18427/Pages+72+and+73/
Walling, Henry Francis. "Fall River Village ; Map of the town of Fall River, Bristol County, Massachusetts." Map. New York: A.G. Gillet,, 1850. Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center, https://collections.leventhalmap.org/search/commonwealth:4m90fn438 (accessed May 20, 2024).
Walling, Henry Francis. "Map of the county of Bristol, Massachusetts." Map. New York: John L. Smith & Co., 1858. Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center, https://collections.leventhalmap.org/search/commonwealth:wd376642s (accessed May 20, 2024).
INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET
MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION
220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 FALL RIVER 3562 NORTH MAIN ST
Walling, Henry Francis. "Fall River Village ; Map of the town of Fall River, Bristol County, Massachusetts." Map. New York: A.G. Gillet,, 1850. Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center, https://collections.leventhalmap.org/search/commonwealth:4m90fn438 (accessed May 22, 2024).
Walling, Henry Francis. "Map of the county of Bristol, Massachusetts." Map. New York: John L. Smith & Co., 1858. Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center, https://collections.leventhalmap.org/search/commonwealth:wd376642s (accessed May 22, 2024).
Beers, F. W. (Frederick W.), Sanford, G. P. (George P.), Neumann, Louis E., and F.W. Beers & Co. "Atlas of Bristol Co., Massachusetts." Map. New York: F.W. Beers & Co., 1871. Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center, https://collections.leventhalmap.org/search/commonwealth:9306wn39z (accessed May 22, 2024).
Walker, George H. “Part of Ward 9.” Map. Fall River 1883. Fall River, MA: Walker, George H. and Company, 1883. https://www.historicmapworks.com/Map/US/18427/Pages+72+and+73/
Everts, and Richards. “Fall River City 7, Steepbrook.” Bristol County 1895. Fall River, MA: Everts & Richards, 1895. https://www.historicmapworks.com/Map/US/8016/Fall+River+City+7++Steepbrook/
INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET
MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION
220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125 FALL RIVER 3562 NORTH MAIN ST Area(s) Form No.
3562 North Main Street, front (east) and side (south) elevations
3562 NO Main Street, front (east) and side (north) elevations
National Register of Historic Places Criteria Statement Form
Check all that apply:
Individually eligible Eligible only in a historic district
Contributing to a potential historic district Potential historic district
Criteria Considerations:
Criteria: A B C D
Statement of Significance by Jayson Schlosser
The criteria that are checked in the above sections must be justified here.
This building may be eligible for the National Historic Nomination under Criterion C. This building holds significance due to its type of construction. The homestead was built in the form of a half house and is a rare survival of this typology. While the property has lost some integrity of materials, feeling, and workmanship, the half house form remains clear and intact.
FORM B BUILDING
MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION
MASSACHUSETTS ARCHIVES BUILDING
220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125
Photograph
Locus Map
Recorded by: Georgia Seehaus
Organization: Roger Williams University
Date (month / year): December 2023
Town/City: Fall River
Place: (neighborhood or village): Steep Brook
Address: 3576 North Main Street
Historic Name: None
Uses: Present: Single Family Dwelling
Original: Single Family Dwelling
Date of Construction: 1791
Source: Fall River Geological Information System
Database
Style/Form: Cape
Architect/Builder: Unknown
Exterior Material:
Foundation: Rubble stone and mortar
Wall/Trim: Wood shingle
Roof: Asphalt shingle
Outbuildings/Secondary Structures: One outbuilding and one secondary residential structure.
Major Alterations (with dates): The roof was re-cladded with asphalt shingles in 2021.
Condition: Average
Moved: no yes Date:
Acreage: 0.633 acres
Setting: Linear 18th, 19th , and 20th century mixed residential and commercial village with semi-dense building spacing
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.
3576 North Main Street is a wood-framed, 1.5 story, single family, cape form dwelling located on the west side of North Main Street in the Steep Brook section of Fall River. The building features a rectangular plan composed of a 5-by-2 bay main block and an ell extension attached to the length of its west elevation. The house is set close to the road and has a narrow, slightly raised stone and concrete terrace with pipe railing stretching the length of the front elevation. The building is set on a rubble stone and mortar foundation and is clad in painted wood shingles. The side gable roof is clad in asphalt shingles.
The main east elevation features a centered entrance fitted with a single leaf, 4-paneled door that is partially-lit with small lites in the top panel spaces. The door has thick, plain wood jambs. The windows in the two bays on each side of the door are fitted with vinyl 1/1 double hung sash and have simple wood side jambs, headers, and sills. The windows on all other visible elevations are identical. The main block has a brick and concrete interior chimney located at the center of the ridge of the gable roof.
The north and south side elevations each have two windows on their first story and one window centered on the half story. The one-story rear addition has the same windows and a shed roof as well as a secondary entry on the south elevation. The entry features a single leaf paneled door with a simple wood surround. A modern deck with modern slatted railing surrounds the addition. The addition features a brick exterior chimney on the west end of its north elevation.
Outbuildings include a small square building with an end gable roof to the west of the main block and a large, modern, L-shaped, secondary residential structure located further west of the main block. The larger outbuilding has a modern deck surrounding the building on its west, north, and east elevations with a similarly constructed ramp extending from the east elevation.
Early building changes can be seen in the series of atlas maps listed above from 1871, 1883, and 1895. Changes in the simple footprints of the house over the course of these 24 years indicate the removal of a rear ell extension and the construction of a secondary structure, both on the west side of the main block. The property has two secondary structures: a small outbuilding, likely a garage, located southwest of the main block as well as a residential structure to the west of the main block that was constructed in 2003. 1 3576 North Main Street’s roof was re-cladded with asphalt shingles in 2021, and it likely faced other cladding replacements at various times in the structure’s 230- year history. What can be seen through documentation is the consistencies in the general structure of the main block as well as its location on its parcel in relation to the parcels and landmarks around it. 2
HISTORICAL NARRATIVE
Discuss the history of the building. Explain its associations with local (or stale) history. Include uses of the building, and the role(s) the owners/occupants played within the community.
1 Tax Assessor’s Card. Fall River GIS.
2 Fall River Building Department, Fall River, Massachusetts. “Building Permit for 3576 North Main St. [2021].; Walling, H.F. “Map of the County of Bristol, Massachusetts 1858 [map].” Boston, MA: H.F. Walling, 1858.; Sanford, General P. “Atlas of Bristol Co. Massachusetts [map].” New York, NY: F.W. Beers and Co., 1871.; C.E.O. H. Walker and Co. “Atlas of Fall River City, Massachusetts [map].” Boston, MA: C.E.O. H. Walker, 1883.; Everts and Richards. “Fall River City 7, Steep Brook [map].” Boston, MA: Everts and Richards, 1895. Historic Map Works Rare Historic Maps Collection.
3576 North Main Street is a cape form dwelling that is reported to be built in 1791. 3 Historically, the house has been occupied by agrarian families and later working class people in a variety of industries. The property is a part of the Steep Brook corridor of 17th and 18th century colonial settlements and businesses interspersed with later buildings resulting from industrial sprawl in the 19th to early 20th centuries. 4
Property History
3576 North Main Street’s 1791 construction was the product of Steep Brook’s pre-industrial growth as a linear service station for the surrounding agricultural lands 5 Its architectural style is an example of the vernacular domestic homes built in northern Fall River during its early agricultural period 6
Throughout its history, the building has been used as a single-family residence. One of the earliest documented residents of the property was a farmer named Peleg Thurston owned and resided on the property from 1817 to 1871 7 In the early to mid-19th century, Peleg Thurston ran a grist mill and farm in a region then known as Lawton’s Valley that became Thurston’s Farm after he took over its operations from his father-in-law, Job Lawton. 8 The property was transferred multiple times between several families who all owned several properties in the vicinity: the Simmons, Davis, Allen, and the Miller families. 9 The next generation of Thurstons acquired the property in 1895 and held it until about 1960. The Thurston family consisted of a farmer named Arthur W. Thurston and his many home-making sisters, his first and second wives, and his children. During this time, the Thurston’s also owned and occupied 3779 North Main Street (FLR.2264), located directly across the street. 10 Since the Thurstons, the property has been owned and occupied by two working class couples who held job titles such as cook, bartender, and nurse. Some of the other careers that the house’s owners held were furniture painter, mason, railroad steward, minister, and optician, which speaks to the diversity in skill sets possessed by Steep Brook residents. 11 Though 3576 North Main Street saw frequent property sales in the last quarter of the 19th century, the property has mainly been owned and occupied by families for large stretches of time. Its ownership history also reflects the economic and social status of the typical Steep Brook citizen as working class, primarily serving as the home to farmers.
Steep Brook History: Pre-Industrial Agriculture was the base of the early Steep Brook economy, where its community members were primarily farmers tending the land surrounding the post road running through the area. The house on 3576 North Main Street is an example of a pre-Industrial building built in the linear, agricultural neighborhood of Steep Brook along the fertile banks of the Taunton River. 12 The property and its owners had early ties to agriculture in Steep Brook, as many of its early as well as more modern owners were farmers, so Steep Brook’s agrarian developments were crucial to the property’s construction and occupancy prior to the Industrial
3 Massachusetts Cultural Resource and Information System. 2023.
4 Stuart, Q. et al. Massachusetts Historical Commission Form B – North Main Street Area. Boston: Massachusetts Historical Commission, 2012.
5 Massachusetts Historical Commission. MHC Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River. Boston, MA. 1982.
6 Frontiero, Wendy and Vivienne Lasky, Peter Stott, and Sarah Zimmerman, “Fall River Multiple Resource Area National Register Nomination Form,” United States Department of the Interior, 1983.
7 Bristol County, Massachusetts, Recorded Lands 102:416, Nathan Simmons, Lucy Simmons & Peleg Thurston, James Thurston, June 13, 1817; Northern Bristol County Registry of Deeds, Taunton, MA; Bristol County, Massachusetts, Recorded Lands 314:468-469, Peleg G. Thurston, Susan Thurston & William H. Simmons, August 18, 1871; Northern Bristol County Registry of Deeds, Taunton, MA.
8 North Bristol County Registry of Deeds, Taunton, Massachusetts, “Nathan Simmons to Peleg Thurston,” 6/13/1817, Deed Book 102, Page 416; Dwyer, W.D. “The Original Man About Town”. Fall River Herald News: Fall River, MA. 1928.
9 Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts, “William H. Simmons to Robert H. Miller,” 10/31/1889, Deed Book 28, Page 55-56. 10 Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts, “Ann Eliza Davis to Carrie B. Thurston,” 4/30/1895, Deed Book 30, 151-152; Sampson and Murdock Co. Fall River Directory, 1930, 1935. Boston, MA: Sampson and Murdock Co.; R.L Polk and Co. Fall River Directory, 1940, 1945, 1950, 1957. Boston, MA: R.L. Polk and Co.; Ancestry.com. [1910, 1920, 1930, 1940, 1950] United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
11 Sampson and Murdock Co Fall River Directory, 1874, 1882, 1890 Boston, MA: Sampson and Murdock Co ; R.L Polk and Co Fall River Directory, 1967 Boston, MA: R.L. Polk and Co ; Ancestry.com. [1950] United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
12 Massachusetts Historical Commission. MHC Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River.
Revolution The neighborhood’s agrarian roots continued well into the 19th century, despite its growth into industrial and trades work, although the Thurston family continued their familial tradition of agricultural practices until the 1930s. 13
Soon after Fall River was settled by European colonists in 1680, Steep Brook was also settled due to its prevalence of tributaries leading to the Taunton River, making it a great place to establish grist mills, blacksmith shops, and shipbuilding sites in addition to farms. 14 Steep Brook’s topography is closely linked to its pattern of physical and social development. The pattern of European settlement post-1680 along the Taunton River and its tributaries was due to their reliance on the rivers for marine food sources, transportation, and fertile agricultural land on the riverbanks. 15 At the intersection of Wilson Road and North Main Street in Steep Brook, the first Town House was constructed in 1805 and the first post office arrived in the area in 1811, demonstrating the linear development along the post road. The location of these staple community buildings in the heart of Steep Brook illustrates how Steep Brook was the first economic center of Fall River before industrialization shifted the power and wealth to downtown Fall River to the south of Steep Brook that contributed to the neighborhood’s slow decline into obscurity. 16
Steep Brook History: Industrial Era
Early 3576 North Main Street owner Peleg Thurston’s role in agriculture and mill work as a farmer and grist mill owner exemplifies two pillars of production in Fall River’s economy during the transitional period between pre-industrial and industrial Fall River. 17 The house’s residents between the two Thurston farming families demonstrated the diversification of skills and labors that allowed Steep Brook to shift away from agriculture as its primary source of production in favor of mill work and other skilled jobs. The diverse range of roles that 3576 North Main Street’s owners played within Steep Brook, such as minister, mason, and optician, is a testament to the diversity of social classes and skills that allowed for the neighborhood to be a selfsustaining community for most of its earlier history before its industrial decline in the end of the 19th century. The house at 3576 North Main Street having been resided by a railroad steward was possible due to the arrival of the railroad in 1844 as well as the arrival of the Steep Brook railroad station by the year 1870. 18 The prominence of industrialization created differentiation between financial and commercial districts with residential districts in Fall River, influencing suburban sprawl that saw the new construction of housing for the working class as well as the wealthy class that can be seen in the surviving dwellings lining North Main Street in Steep Brook ranging from modest to stately 19
In 1836, the Town House was moved from its original site in Steep Brook to downtown Fall River as a result of the changing center of commerce due to the growth of textile mills downtown, though Steep Brook remained commercially productive in its own right. 20 Steep Brook hosted two wharves where ships were constructed and where local materials and products were shipped out to nearby cities for commerce. 21 The neighborhood had other business ventures, such as resource extraction, blacksmithing, and carpentry, which is reflected in the trades of Steep Brook’s residents. 22 The expansion of railroads to Fall River and through Steep Brook in 1844 strengthened Steep Brook’s commercial transportation of goods, though steam power also created faster steam -powered boats that aided commerce on the Taunton River from Steep Brook wharves 23
13 Fall River Directory, Boston, MA: Samson & Murdock Company, 1930 entry for 3576 North Main Street.
14 MASSACHUSETTS HERITAGE LANDSCAPE INVENTORY PROGRAM FALL RIVER RECONNAISSANCE REPORT
15 DePaoli, Neill et. al. Historic & Archaeological Resources of Southeast Massachusetts: The Massachusetts Historical Commission. 2007.
16 MASSACHUSETTS HERITAGE LANDSCAPE INVENTORY PROGRAM. FALL RIVER RECONNAISSANCE REPORT: Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, 2005.
17 Dwyer, W.D. “The Original Man About Town”
18 Sampson and Murdock Co. Fall River Directory, 1874, 1882, 1890; Madeiros, Dan. “Train timeline: Tracking Fall River's history from Old Colony Railroad to South Coast Rail”. Fall River, MA: The Herald News. 2021; Phillips, Arthur Sherman. The Phillips History of Fall River. Fall River, MA: Dover Press. 1946; F.W. Beers and Co., Atlas of Bristol Co. Massachusetts, 1871.
19 DePaoli, Neill et. al. Historic & Archaeological Resources of Southeast; FALL RIVER RECONNAISSANCE REPORT
20 Fenner, Henry M. History of Fall River. New York, NY: F. T. Smiley Publishing Company. 1906; Massachusetts Historical Commission. MHC Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River
21 Healey, Ann Macari. “North End Residents Try to Retain Rural Character; Developers Knock on Doors”. Providence, RI: Providence Journal. June 27, 1988.
22 Phillips, Arthur Sherman. The Phillips History of Fall River
23 DePaoli, Neill et. al. Historic & Archaeological Resources of Southeast; Ancestry.com. [1850-1950] United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
Successful industrial-era production and commerce saw a large population growth of both immigrants and Americans, resulting in the construction of institutional buildings, business districts, and eventually mills for production. 24 Immigrants from Western Europe had a growing prevalence in industrial and post-industrial Steep Brook. Though 3576 North Main Street was owned and occupied primarily by farmers, other residents of the house held a multitude of skilled occupations that reflected Fall River and Steep Brook’s new industries, population growth, and growing needs for new services. 25 The development of the street rail system in 1892 supported sprawl and allowed Fall River residents to live further from the city center and their places of work in neighborhoods such as Steep Brook. 26 This sprawl can be seen in the densification of buildings on atlases depicting Steep Brook in the second half of the 19th century. 27 Since its initial European settlement, Steep Brook saw its natural resources and transportation shape its initial agrarian economy to an industrialized one that both invited and accommodated a growing population of immigrants and American-born residents.
BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES
Ancestry.com. [1850-1950] United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
C.E.O. H. Walker and Co. “Atlas of Fall River City, Massachusetts [map].” Boston, MA: C.E.O. H. Walker, 1883. https://collections.leventhalmap.org/book_viewer/1/4
DePaoli, Neill et. al. Historic & Archaeological Resources of Southeast Massachusetts: The Massachusetts Historical Commission. 2007.
Dwyer, W.D. “The Original Man About Town). Fall River Herald News: Fall River, MA. 1928.
Everts and Richards. “Fall River City 7, Steep Brook [map].” Boston, MA: Everts and Richards, 1895. Historic Map Works Rare Historic Maps Collection. https://www.historicmapworks.com/Map/US/8017/Fall+River+City+Index+Map/Bristol+County+1895/Massachusetts/
Fall River Building Department, Fall River, Massachusetts. “Building Permit for 3576 North Main St. [2021].
Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts.
Fenner, Henry M. History of Fall River. New York, NY: F. T. Smiley Publishing Company. 1906.
Frontiero, Wendy and Vivienne Lasky, Peter Stott, and Sarah Zimmerman, “Fall River Multiple Resource Area National Register Nomination Form,” United States Department of the Interior, 1983.
Healey, Ann Macari. “North End Residents Try to Retain Rural Character; Developers Knock on Doors”. Providence, RI: Providence Journal. June 27, 1988.
Madeiros, Dan. “Train timeline: Tracking Fall River's history from Old Colony Railroad to South Coast Rail”. Fall River, MA: The Herald News. 2021
MASSACHUSETTS HERITAGE LANDSCAPE INVENTORY PROGRAM FALL RIVER RECONNAISSANCE REPORT: Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, 2005.
24 DePaoli, Neill et. al. Historic & Archaeological Resources of Southeast; FALL RIVER RECONNAISSANCE REPORT.
25 MASSACHUSETTS HERITAGE LANDSCAPE INVENTORY PROGRAM. FALL RIVER RECONNAISSANCE REPORT; Sampson and Murdock Co. Fall River Directory, 1874, 1882, 1890. Boston, MA: Sampson and Murdock Co.
26 Moniz, William A. “Horses, Trolleys Kept Fall River Moving in Early Days”. New Bedford, MA: Standard-Times. 2012.
27 Sanford, General P. “Atlas of Bristol Co. Massachusetts [map].” New York, NY: F.W. Beers and Co., 1871.; Everts and Richards. “Fall River City 7, Steep Brook [map].” Boston, MA: Everts and Richards, 1895. Historic Map Works Rare Historic Maps Collection.; DePaoli, Neill et. al. Historic & Archaeological Resources of Southeast.
Massachusetts Historical Commission. MHC Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River. Boston, MA. 1982.
Moniz, William A. “Horses, Trolleys Kept Fall River Moving in Early Days”. New Bedford, MA: Standard-Times. 2012.
North Bristol County Registry of Deeds, Taunton, Massachusetts
Phillips, Arthur Sherman. The Phillips History of Fall River. Fall River, MA: Dover Press. 1946.
Preservation Society of Fall River. “Fall River Register of Significant Structures". 2017.
R.L. Polk and Co. Fall River City Directory, 1976, Boston, MA: R.L. Polk and Co., 1967. Collection holding directory, Fall River, MA.
Sampson and Murdock and Co. Fall River Directory, 1874-1935. Boston, MA: Sampson and Murdock and Co., 18741935. Collection holding directory, Fall River, MA.
Sanford, General P. “Atlas of Bristol Co. Massachusetts [map].” New York, NY: F.W. Beers and Co., 1871.
Stuart, Q. et al. Massachusetts Historical Commission Form B – North Main Street Area. Boston: Massachusetts Historical Commission, 2012.
W alling, H.F. “Map of the County of Bristol, Massachusetts 1858 [map].” Boston, MA: H.F. Walling, 1858. https://historicmapworks.com/Map/US/8016/Fall+River+City+7++Steepbrook/.
A map view of 3576 North Main Street in 1858 Steep Brook, owned by P.
Thurston and outlined in red. Source: H.F. Walling, Map of the County of Bristol, Massachusetts, 1858.
(Peleg)
A map view of 3576 North Main Street in 1871 Steep Brook highlighted in yellow, owned by P. (Peleg) Thurston and outlined in red Source: F.W. Beers and Co., Atlas of Bristol Co. Massachusetts, 1871.
A map view of 3576 North Main Street in 1883 Steep Brook highlighted in yellow, owned by W. (William) Simmons. Source: C.E.O. H. Walker and Co., Atlas of Fall River City, Massachusetts, 1883.
An aerial map view of 3576 North Main Street in 1895 Steep Brook, owned by Elisa Davis and outlined in red. Source: Everts & Richards, Fall River City 7, Steep Brook, 1895.
[If appropriate, cut and paste the text below into an inventory form’s last continuation sheet.]
National Register of Historic Places Criteria Statement Form
Check all that apply:
Individually eligible
Eligible only in a historic district
Contributing to a potential historic district
Criteria:
Criteria Considerations: A
Potential historic district
Statement of Significance by _____________Georgia Seehaus_____________ The criteria that are checked in the above sections must be justified here.
Statement of Significance (Contributing to a Historic District)
The house at 3576 North Main Street may qualify for the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing property to a potential historic district under criterion A for its association with the pre-industrial agrarian development of Steep Brook in the 18th century. Considering the rarity of the survival of 18th century Steep Brook properties, the survival of 3576 North Main Street, though not in its entirety, is significant as evidence of Steep Brook’s early history of European-American settlement. The house’s absence of style and simple cape form serves as an example of the vernacular houses built when Steep Brook’s agrarian economy produced modest means before industrial wealth arrived in Fall River. A majority of the buildings constructed during Steep Brook’s pre-industrial, agriculture-based settlement did not survive, so its surviving buildings hold higher importance to the early history of the neighborhood as visual evidence Additionally, the property’s contribution to the service station along the post road that provisioned the surrounding agricultural land gives it a significant association with Steep Brook’s agricultural practices as its earliest economic source and therefore qualifies the property’s contribution to a historic district’s National Register nomination under criterion A.
3576 North Main Street may qualify for the National Register as a contributor to a potential historic district under criterion C due to the rarity of its survival from Steep Brook’s early pre-industrial development in the 18th century. A majority of the structures built before the 19th century have been demolished, so 3576 North Main Street is one of several surviving buildings that exemplify the architectural styles employed during that time. The property has undergone many construction changes, including being fitted with vinyl windows and doors, the addition of asphalt roofing, and the addition of a modern wraparound deck that demonstrate the building’s lack of preservation of its materials and overall appearance. Despite these changes, the main block still illustrates a strong cape form that is unique to Steep Brook Though its modernized features and material updates diminish the historic integrity of the house as an 18th century vernacular house with a Cape form, the survival of its form alone is compelling evidence of the early development of Steep Brook and the building forms that accompanied it, designating the property as significant only in the context of Steep Brook’s early agrarian settlement.
FORM B BUILDING
MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION
MASSACHUSETTS ARCHIVES BUILDING
220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125
Photograph
Locus Map
Locus map of 3579 North Main Street from the Fall River GIS.
Recorded by: Georgia Seehaus
Organization: Roger Williams University
Date (month / year): December 2023
Town/City: Fall River
Place: (neighborhood or village): Steep Brook
Address: 3579 North Main Street
Historic Name: Anson Davis House
Uses: Present: Single family dwelling
Original: Single family dwelling
Date of Construction: ca. 1870
Source: Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System
Style/Form: Folk Victorian
Architect/Builder: unknown
Exterior Material:
Foundation: Stone and mortar
Wall/Trim: Vinyl
Roof: Asphalt Shingle
Outbuildings/Secondary Structures: Barn located to the east of the main block and a secondary structure obscured from view
Major Alterations (with dates): New roofing (asphalt shingles) in 2020, vinyl siding and trim added in 1996, piazza added in 1925, garage added in 1922, addition to barn made in 1902
Condition: Excellent
Moved: no yes
Acreage: 0.68 acres
Date:
Setting: Linear 18th, 19th , and 20th century mixed residential and commercial village with semi-dense building spacing
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.
3579 North Main Street is a wood-framed, 1.5 story, single family house on the east side of North Main Street in the Steep Brook section of Fall River. The property is moderately set back from the road and from its neighboring properties, creating a sizable yard around all elevations. The main block has a rectangular plan and has a large east ell extension and a small south extension. The building rests on a rubble stone and mortar foundation, is clad in vinyl siding, and has a roof clad in asphalt shingles. The main block has a side gable roof with a fascia cornice. The building has a rear addition extending off the full length of the main block’s east elevation and a south addition extending off the full length of the main block’s south elevation.
The centered entryway on the main west elevation consists of a set of half-lit double leaf doors with paneling. The door surround features two channeled pilasters, a simple header, and an eared gable door hood supported by ornamented, scrolled-brackets. Below is a small set of granite steps. The west elevation’s fenestration pattern includes 5 distinct bays on its first story and 3 symmetrical windows on its half story. Most windows on the building are fitted with vinyl, 1/1, double-hung sash. The openings feature a simple header, sill, thick side jambs, and a projecting cornice, all vinyl. On the outer sides of the second story, there are two smaller horizontal awning windows with the same casings and projecting cornices as well as a centered pair of elongated windows under an eared gable header mimicking the door hood on the story below. There are two concrete interior chimneys sitting symmetrically on either side of the ridge of the main block’s roof.
The north and south elevations have an irregular fenestration pattern of windows identical to those on the first story of the west elevation. On the south elevation, there is a partial-length attached porch with lattice screening, a balustrade with turned balusters, and square Doric column supports. The porch contains a secondary entry on the east end of the porch and concrete steps directly in front of the entryway that lead to a concrete pathway that extends west to the road and east to the back yard. Between the porch columns are simple arches with keystones at their centers. The east end of the porch extension has been enclosed and incorporated into living space. The porch and enclosed section of the south addition share a half -hipped roof clad in asphalt shingles.
The addition off the east elevation has an end gable roof clad in asphalt shingles that adjoins to the eave wall of the main block. The first story windows are identical to those on the main block, but the windows directly above them on the second story are smaller with the same surrounds.
Outbuildings include a rectangular barn that has a 1.5 story massing with an end gable roof on its south end and a single story massing with a shed roof on its north end. Both roofs are clad in asphalt shingles. The west elevation of the single story massing features a set of double-leaf broad batten doors. The 1.5 story massing has one batten door on its first story and a similar door directly above it within the gable wall of the west elevation.
The Fall River Building Department permit records for 3579 North Main Street show that in the past few decades, update alterations were made such as vinyl siding and trim replacing wood in 1996 and the roof was re-sheathed with asphalt shingles in 2020. A piazza and garage were added to the property in 1925 and 1922, respectively. A barn was erected off the north elevation of the main block in 1902 and is likely the barn that still stands today to the north of the building’s main block. 1 Chronologically through the 1871, 1883, and 1895 atlas maps listed above, the building blueprint has evolved from a simple
1 Fall River Building Department, Fall River, Massachusetts. “Building Permit for 3579 North Main St. [1902, 1922, 1925, 1996, 2020].
MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION
rectangular plan in 1871, a rectangular house with a barn in 1883, and finally in 1895 a rectangular house with small east and south ell extensions as well as the same barn. 2
HISTORICAL NARRATIVE:
Discuss the history of the building. Explain its associations with local (or stale) history. Include uses of the building, and the role(s) the owners/occupants played within the community.
3579 North Main Street was constructed in approximately 1870. 3 Since its construction, the house was owned and lived in by primarily farmers, but also a minister and teachers. The property is a part of the Steep Brook corridor of 18th and 19th century colonial settlements and businesses interspersed with later buildings, such as this one, resulting from the sprawl created by industrial era population and building growth in the mid-19th to early 20th centuries. 4
Property History
3579 North Main Street’s ca. 1870 construction during a time of rapid population growth and commercial development in Fall River and Steep Brook associates the home with the industrial era of Fall River and the sprawl that resulted from that growth at the time. 5 The house’s architectural style is an example of the more ornamented Victorian domestic homes built on North Main Street during the industrial economy that brought the town more wealth. Houses were constructed at various scales and in various Victorian styles, such as Greek Revival and Italianate, due to the increase in textile wealth as well as industrial-era population growth, as is exemplified by 3579 North Main Street. 6
3579 North Main Street’s earliest residents were Anson Davis, a farmer, and his family that resided on this parcel from the building’s construction date in 1870 until about 1895 when the family’s name is last seen on maps of Steep Brook. 7 The property was owned and lived in by the Thurston family from approximately 1900 to 1940. The head of the household was a farmer by the name Arthur W. Thurston until his relocation in the early 1920s and his sister, Carrie B. Thurston, became the head of the household. Several generations of Thurston’s lived on this property, some of whom would spend some years across the street at 3576 North Main Street (FLR.2263), another Thurston residence. It is assumed that the adult Thurston women were homemakers. 8 The Thurston’s sold their property after 1940 to the O’Brien family, which consisted of a mother and her four adult children who worked as teachers and mill workers. The O’Brien’s held their title until Emily O’Brien sold the property in 1993. 9 The occupancy history of 3579 North Main Street reveals a string of working-class family families and multi-generational households. The roles performed by the residents of the house demonstrate the transitional period between Steep Brook’s agriculture-centered economy and its industrialized economy.
2 Sanford, General P. “Atlas of Bristol Co. Massachusetts [map].” New York, NY: F.W. Beers and Co., 1871.; C.E.O. H. Walker and Co. “Atlas of Fall River City, Massachusetts [map].” Boston, MA: C.E.O. H. Walker, 1883.; Everts and Richards. “Fall River City 7, Steep Brook [map].” Boston, MA: Everts and Richards, 1895. Historic Map Works Rare Historic Maps Collection.
3 Massachusetts Cultural Resource and Information System. 2023.
4 Stuart, Q. et al. Massachusetts Historical Commission Form B – North Main Street Area. Boston: Massachusetts Historical Commission, 2012; Ancestry.com. [1850-1950] United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010
5 MASSACHUSETTS HERITAGE LANDSCAPE INVENTORY PROGRAM FALL RIVER RECONNAISSANCE REPORT: Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, 2005
6 Frontiero, Wendy and Vivienne Lasky, Peter Stott, and Sarah Zimmerman, “Fall River Multiple Resource Area National Register Nomination Form,” United States Department of the Interior, 1983; Fall River Building Department, Fall River, Massachusetts. “Building Permit for 3579 North Main St. [1996].
7 Sanford, General P. “Atlas of Bristol Co. Massachusetts [map].” New York, NY: F.W. Beers and Co., 1871.; C.E.O. H. Walker and Co. “Atlas of Fall River City, Massachusetts [map].” Boston, MA: C.E.O. H. Walker, 1883.; Everts and Richards. “Fall River City 7, Steep Brook [map].” Boston, MA: Everts and Richards, 1895. Historic Map Works Rare Historic Maps Collection.
8 Ancestry.com. [1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940] United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.; Sampson and Murdock Co. Fall River Directory, 1902, 1910, 1921, 1925, 1930, 1935. Boston, MA: Sampson and Murdock Co., 1902-1935
9 Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts. “Carrie B. Thurston to Emily O’Brien.” [10/9/1943]. Deed Book 458, Page 366.; R.L. Polk and Co. Fall River City Directory, 1945, 1950, 1957, 1962, 1967, 1972, 1977. Boston, MA: R.L. Polk and Co., 19451977.; Ancestry.com. [1950] United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
Having been owned for long periods of time by two farmers, Anson Davis and Arthur Thurston, 3579 North Main Street is associated with Steep Brook’s agrarian practices that extended from the Colonial Era and far past the Victorian Era when the house was built. 3579 North Main Street did not coexist with Steep Brook’s time as an agrarian village, as it was constructed well into the onslaught of the Industrial Revolution; however, it exemplifies continuation of agriculture into the 20th century through the farming practices of the first two generations of residents. Before the industrial revolution diversified Steep Brook’s economy and the economic roles of its residents, agriculture was the base of the early Steep Brook economy, where its members were primarily farmers tending the land surrounding the post road running through the area. 10
Almost two centuries before the house’s construction, Steep Brook’s early pattern of European settlement created a linear development of houses in which 3579 North Main Street was later constructed. Steep Brook’s topography is closely linked to its pattern of physical and social development. The pattern of European settlement post-1680 along the Taunton River and its tributaries resembled that of local native populations hundreds of years before Steep Brook was settled because both groups relied on the river for marine food sources, transportation, and fertile agricultural land on the riverbanks. Steep Brook’s proximity to the Quequechan River and later the Taunton River, along which existed several water-powered mills, is inextricably linked to the role of its residents in farming and mill work. 11 At the intersection of Wilson Road and North Main Street in Steep Brook, the first Town House was constructed in 1805 and the first post office arrived in the area in 1811, demonstrating this development along the post road and Steep Brook’s position as the Fall River town center when agriculture was the economic base of Fall River 12
Steep Brook History: Industrial Era
The O’Brien family residence parallels the influx of immigrants after the onslaught of the Industrial Revolution, as the O’Brien matriarch, Delia O’Brien immigrated from Ireland while others in Steep Brook immigrated from countries like Portugal, England, and Canada to pursue work in the bustling industrial town of Fall River 13 At the time when 3579 North Main Street was constructed around 1870, industrialization had already shifted the Fall River town center away from Steep Brook and into downtown Fall River. This change shifted the role of Steep Brook from a service road to the surrounding agricultural land into a suburban setting allowing for sprawl away from Fall River’s industrial town center. 14 Successful industrialization beginning in the early 19th century saw a large population growth resulting in the construction of institutional buildings, business districts, and eventually steam -powered mills for production. This prominence of industrialization created differentiation between financial and commercial districts with residential districts, leading to the construction of modest dwellings for lower classes to stately homes for wealthy classes in the northern neighborhoods of Fall River 15 The development of the street rail system in 1892 in addition to the influx of workers in the final quarter of the 19th century supported this sprawl and allowed for Fall River residents to live further from the city center and their places of work in neighborhoods such as Steep Brook. 16 Railroad lines had already been extended to Fall River and through Steep Brook in 1844, so the movement of people between the town center, Steep Brook, and beyond were well-established at the time of 3579 North Main Street’s construction. 17 This sprawl can be seen in the densification of buildings on atlases depicting Steep Brook in the second half of the 19th century. 18
10 Ancestry.com. [1870-1920] United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
11 MASSACHUSETTS
13 Ancestry.com. [1900-1950] United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
14 MASSACHUSETTS HERITAGE LANDSCAPE INVENTORY PROGRAM FALL RIVER RECONNAISSANCE REPORT
15 DePaoli, Neill et. al. Historic & Archaeological Resources of Southeast Massachusetts; 15 Frontiero, Wendy et. al., “Fall River Multiple Resource Area National Register Nomination Form”.
16 Moniz, William A. “Horses, Trolleys Kept Fall River Moving in Early Days”. New Bedford, MA: Standard-Times 2012.
17 DePaoli, Neill et. al. Historic & Archaeological Resources of Southeast Massachusetts: The Massachusetts Historical Commission. 2007.; MASSACHUSETTS HERITAGE LANDSCAPE INVENTORY PROGRAM FALL RIVER RECONNAISSANCE REPORT. 2005; Madeiros, Dan. “Train timeline: Tracking Fall River's history from Old Colony Railroad to South Coast Rail”. Fall River, MA: The Herald News. 2021.
18 Sanford, General P. “Atlas of Bristol Co. Massachusetts [map].” New York, NY: F.W. Beers and Co., 1871.; C.E.O. H. Walker and Co. “Atlas of Fall River City, Massachusetts [map].” Boston, MA: C.E.O. H. Walker, 1883.; Everts and Richards. “Fall River City 7, Steep Brook [map].” Boston, MA: Everts and Richards, 1895. Historic Map Works Rare Historic Maps Collection.
Fall River became one of the most prominent economic centers of the Industrial Revolution, as its position on the Taunton River made trade possible between Boston and New York and also provided water power to its mills. Though Steep Brook was no longer the economic center of Fall River after the Industrial Revolution, the neighborhood was productive in its own right. Some industries that flourished specifically in Steep Brook during industrialization textiles, resource extraction, and wood. 19 Steep Brook hosted two wharves where ships were constructed and where materials harvested and products made were shipped out to nearby cities for commerce. 20 The neighborhood had other business ventures, such as clay and ice mining, blacksmithing, and carpentry, which is reflected in the trades of Steep Brook’s residents. 21 The introduction of railroads to Fall River strengthened Steep Brook’s commercial transportation of goods, though steam power also created faster steam -powered boats that aided commerce on the Taunton River from Steep Brook wharves 22 Since its initial European settlement, Steep Brook saw its natural resources and transportation shape its initial agrarian economy to an industrialized one that both invited and accommodated a growing population of immigrants and American-born residents.
BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES
Ancestry.com. [1850-1950] United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
C.E.O. H. Walker and Co. “Atlas of Fall River City, Massachusetts [map].” Boston, MA: C.E.O. H. Walker, 1883. https://collections.leventhalmap.org/book_viewer/1/4
DePaoli, Neill et. al. Historic & Archaeological Resources of Southeast Massachusetts: The Massachusetts Historical Commission. 2007.
Everts and Richards. “Fall River City 7, Steep Brook [map].” Boston, MA: Everts and Richards, 1895. Historic Map Works Rare Historic Maps Collection. https://www.historicmapworks.com/Map/US/8017/Fall+River+City+Index+Map/Bristol+County+1895/Massachusetts/
Fall River Building Department, Fall River, Massachusetts. “Building Permit for 3579 North Main St. [1902, 1922, 1925, 1996, 2020].
Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts.
Frontiero, Wendy and Vivienne Lasky, Peter Stott, and Sarah Zimmerman, “Fall River Multiple Resource Area National Register Nomination Form,” United States Department of the Interior, 1983.
Madeiros, Dan. “Train timeline: Tracking Fall River's history from Old Colony Railroad to South Coast Rail”. Fall River, MA: The Herald News. 2021.
MASSACHUSETTS HERITAGE LANDSCAPE INVENTORY PROGRAM FALL RIVER RECONNAISSANCE REPORT: Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, 2005.
Moniz, William A. “Horses, Trolleys Kept Fall River Moving in Early Days”. New Bedford, MA: Standard-Times. 2012. Phillips, Arthur Sherman. The Phillips History of Fall River. Fall River, MA: Dover Press. 1946.
19 “Steep Brook Was Important”. Fall River, MA: Herald News. October 17, 1978; Phillips, Arthur Sherman. The Phillips History of Fall River Fall River, MA: Dover Press. 1946.
20 Healey, Ann Macari. “North End Residents Try to Retain Rural Character; Developers Knock on Doors”. Providence, RI: Providence Journal. June 27, 1988.
21 Phillips, Arthur Sherman. The Phillips History of Fall River
22 DePaoli, Neill et. al. Historic & Archaeological Resources of Southeast; Ancestry.com. [1850-1950] United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
Preservation Society of Fall River. “Fall River Register of Significant Structures”. 2017.
R.L. Polk and Co. Fall River City Directory, 1945, 1950, 1957, 1962, 1967, 1972, 1977. Boston, MA: R.L. Polk and Co., 1945-1977. Collection holding directory, Fall River, MA.
Sampson and Murdock Co. Fall River Directory, 1902, 1910, 1921, 1925, 1930, 1935. Boston, MA: Sampson and Murdock Co., 1902-1935.
Sanford, General P. “Atlas of Bristol Co. Massachusetts [map].” New York, NY: F.W. Beers and Co., 1871.
“Steep Brook Was Important”. Fall River, MA: Herald News. October 17, 1978.
Stuart, Q. et al. Massachusetts Historical Commission Form B – North Main Street Area. Boston: Massachusetts Historical Commission, 2012.
A map view of 3579 North Main Street in 1871 Steep Brook, owned by A. (Anson) Davis and outlined in red. Source: F.W. Beers and Co., Atlas of Bristol Co. Massachusetts, 1871.
A map view of 3579 North Main Street in 1883 Steep Brook, owned by Ansen (Anson) A. Davis and outlined in red. Source: C.E.O. H. Walker and Co., Atlas of Fall River City, Massachusetts, 1883.
An aerial map view of 3579 North Main Street in 1895 Steep Brook, owned by Mrs. Anson A. Davis and outlined in red. Source: Everts & Richards, Fall River City 7, Steep Brook, 1895.
National Register of Historic Places Criteria Statement Form
Check all that apply:
Individually eligible Eligible only in a historic district
Contributing to a potential historic district
Potential historic district
Criteria: A B C D
Criteria Considerations:
Statement of Significance by: Elaine Stiles
The criteria that are checked in the above sections must be justified here.
The Anson Davis House appears eligible to be a contributing property in a National Register Historic District in the Steep Brook area should one be identified. The property is associated with the agricultural history of the Steep Brook area before the twentieth century and is a well-preserved example of a late nineteenth century dwelling with eclectic Italianate and Gothic ornament. The property has lost some integrity of association with the agricultural context and materials and workmanship with window replacement, but retains sufficient integrity to convey its significance in the scope of a historic district.
FORM B BUILDING
MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION
MASSACHUSETTS ARCHIVES BUILDING
220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125
Photograph
Locus Map
Locus Map of 3775 North Main St. from the Fall River GIS
Recorded by: Georgia Seehaus
Organization: Roger Williams University
Date (month / year): December 2023
Assessor’s Number USGS Quad Area(s) Form
Town/City: Fall River
Place: (neighborhood or village): Steep Brook
Address: 3775 North Main Street
Historic Name: William Collins House
Uses: Present: Single family dwelling
Original: Single family dwelling
Date of Construction: Circa 1800
Source: Fall River Register of Significant Structures
Style/Form: Federal, cape
Architect/Builder:
Exterior Material:
Foundation: Concrete, stone, and mortar
Wall/Trim: Wood clapboard
Roof: Asphalt shingle
Outbuildings/Secondary Structures: Shed located off the rear of the main block
Major Alterations (with dates): Shed built in 1907, shed altered in 1911, garage added to the shed in 1922, addition was constructed in the rear of the cottage in 1933 to allow for a 2nd story bedroom, wood and cement garage was added 1939, re-roofed with asphalt shingles in 2015, solar panels added to the west side of the gable roof in 2016.
Condition: Good
Moved: no yes
Date:
Acreage: 0.31 acres
Setting: Linear 18th, 19th, and 20th century mixed residential and commercial village with semi-dense building spacing
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 William Collins House is a wood-framed, 1.5 story, Federal style house with a cape form located on the east side of North Main Street in the Steep Brook section of Fall River. The building has an L-shaped plan created by two ell extensions off the north end of the rectangular main block’s east elevation. The house rests on a concrete foundation and is clad in wood clapboard. The main block’s side gable roof is clad in asphalt shingles. Centered on the side gable roof is a brick interior chimney with a series of solar panels below it on the east and west slopes of the roof. The house is set back from the road and the front yard is lined by a rubble stone retaining wall as well as a modern fence. Concrete steps lead from the sidewalk to the front yard and are centered with the front door on the west elevation.
The centered entryway on the west elevation is fit with a single leaf door with a semi-circle window and a simple wood door surround featuring a cornice with dentils and two concrete steps leading to the entryway. The five bay front elevation includes two windows on each side of the entryway that are fitted with vinyl 1/1 double hung sash and have simple wood casings and protruding dentil cornices. Lining the west elevation under the eave of the side gable roof is dentil cornice matching that of the door.
The south and north elevations of the main block each have three windows on their first story and two windows centered on the gable wall of the half story, all the same form as those on the front windows sans the dentil hoods. The ell extension has an end gable roof and features a dormer with a shed roof on the north elevation, both clad in asphalt shingles. The dormer contains two centered windows identical to those on the north and south elevations of the main block.
The earliest significant recorded alteration to the William Collins House was an addition constructed in 1933 on the rear ell extension of the main block to allow for another bedroom on the second story. A garage was constructed in 1939, though it is unknown where this structure is located and if it has survived. Many of the alterations in the first half of the 20th century were made by carpenter and owner Harry Holt. The roof was re-cladded with asphalt shingles in 2015 and solar panels were added to the west side of the gable roof in 2016. 1 Other alterations, such as the first story of the rear ell extension, occurred sometime in the 19th century before building permits were common practice, as the footprint of 19th century maps shows the presence of this extension. 2
HISTORICAL NARRATIVE:
Discuss the history of the building. Explain its associations with local (or stale) history. Include uses of the building, and the role(s) the owners/occupants played within the community.
3775 North Main Street is a vernacular Federal style house with cape form that was built circa 1800 The property is named the William Collins House after William Collins, a master mariner in Fall River. 3 The property is a part of a corridor of 17th
1 Fall River Building Department, Fall River, Massachusetts. “Building Permit for 3775 North Main Street. 1907; 1911; 1922; 133; 1939; 2015; 2016.
2 Walling, H.F. “Map of the County of Bristol, Massachusetts 1858 [map].” Boston, MA: H.F. Walling, 1858.; Sanford, General P. “Atlas of Bristol Co. Massachusetts [map].” New York, NY: F.W. Beers and Co., 1871.; C.E.O. H. Walker and Co. “Atlas of Fall River City, Massachusetts [map].” Boston, MA: C.E.O. H. Walker, 1883.; Everts and Richards. “Fall River City 7, Steep Brook [map].” Boston, MA: Everts and Richards, 1895. Historic Map Works Rare Historic Maps Collection.
3 Massachusetts Cultural Resource and Information System. 2023.
MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No.
and 18th century colonial settlements and businesses interspersed with newer buildings resulting from industrial sprawl in the 19th to early 20th centuries. Since 1980, the property has been on the National Register of Historic Places. 4
Property History
The William Collins House’s 1800 construction was the product of Steep Brook’s pre-industrial agrarian settlement as a linear service station for the surrounding agricultural lands. 5 Its architectural style is an example of the vernacular domestic homes built in northern Fall River during its agricultural economy. Houses were constructed simply due to the economic limitations of an agrarian economy, as is exemplified by the William Collins House’s minimally ornamented Federal style and simple cape form. 6 The house has been occupied mainly by a mariner and carpenters over its existence. William Collins, a master mariner, and his family lived on the property from the 1850s until its sale at the end of the 19th century 7 The next owner that lived on the property for a significant period of time was Harry Holt, a carpenter, and his wife Carrie, a schoolteacher, who resided there until about 1950 In the first few decades of the Holt’s residence, they also housed boarders, working as tradespeople and a school janitor, in the house’s rear ell extension. After the Holt’s ownership, a string of owners who also worked various roles in the construction field occupied the house. 8 The owners and occupants of the property over its 220- year history exemplify Steep Brook’s ties to maritime occupations as well as trades work that defines the diversity of class and occupational roles that existed within the neighborhood.
Steep Brook History: Pre-Industrialization
Agriculture was the base of the early Steep Brook economy at the time of the William Collins House’s construction, where its members were primarily farmers tending the land surrounding the post road running through the area The houseis an intact example of pre-industrial housing construction in the agrarian village of Steep Brook. 9 The houses in pre-industrial Steep Brook were built linearly along the post road that connected Newport with Boston, the structure of which survives along North Main Street. 10 Though the William Collins House is not directly linked to Steep Brook’s early agricultural practices, the sparseness of the built environment during its early years exemplifies the rural landscape of the neighborhood at the time. The early environment of this section of Steep Brook was shown through 19th century atlases in addition to 3775 North Main Street’s 1980 National Register nomination to be sparse in buildings, contrasting the thick density of buildings that exist today. 11 The house instead is associated with Steep Brook’s early residential development in the era of its agrarian economy that housed maritime workers and workers of various trades, as Steep Brook residents were known early on as diligent workers. 12
Soon after Fall River was settled by European colonists in 1680, Steep Brook was also settled due to its prevalence of tributaries leading to the Taunton River, making it a great place to establish grist mills, blacksmith shops, and shipbuilding sites. 13 Steep Brook’s topography is closely linked to its pattern of physical and social development. Its steep-graded terrain created early indigenous patterns of lateral roads that oriented settlements along the Taunton River, which is resembled by the orientation of
4 Mendonca, Wayne. Massachusetts Historical Commission Form B – 3775 North Main Street. Boston: Massachusetts Historical Commission, 1980.
5 Massachusetts Historical Commission. MHC Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River. Boston, MA. 1982.
6 Frontiero, Wendy and Vivienne Lasky, Peter Stott, and Sarah Zimmerman, “Fall River Multiple Resource Area National Register Nomination Form,” United States Department of the Interior, 1983.
7 Walling, H.F. “Map of the County of Bristol, Massachusetts 1858 [map].” Boston, MA: H.F. Walling, 1858.; Sanford, General P. “Atlas of Bristol Co. Massachusetts [map].” New York, NY: F.W. Beers and Co., 1871.; C.E.O. H. Walker and Co. “Atlas of Fall River City, Massachusetts [map].” Boston, MA: C.E.O. H. Walker, 1883; Ancestry.com.1860, 1870, 1880, 1900. United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
8 R.L. Polk and Co. Fall River City Directory, 1962, 1967, 1972, 1977 Boston, MA: R.L. Polk and Co., 1962-1977. Collection holding directory, Fall River, MA.; Ancestry.com. 1910; 1920; 1930; 1940. United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
9 Mendonca, Wayne. Massachusetts Historical Commission Form B – 3775 North Main Street.
10 “Steep Brook Was Important Early”. Fall River Herald News: Fall River, MA. 1978.
11 Walling, H.F. “Map of the County of Bristol, Massachusetts 1858 [map].” Boston, MA: H.F. Walling, 1858.; Sanford, General P. “Atlas of Bristol Co. Massachusetts [map].” New York, NY: F.W. Beers and Co., 1871.; C.E.O. H. Walker and Co. “Atlas of Fall River City, Massachusetts [map].” Boston, MA: C.E.O. H. Walker, 1883.; Everts and Richards. “Fall River City 7, Steep Brook [map].” Boston, MA: Everts and Richards, 1895. Historic Map Works Rare Historic Maps Collection.; Mendonca, Wayne. Massachusetts Historical Commission Form B – 3775 North Main Street.
12 Herald News. “Steep Brook Was Important Early”.
13 MASSACHUSETTS HERITAGE LANDSCAPE INVENTORY PROGRAM FALL RIVER RECONNAISSANCE REPORT: Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, 2005.
Steep Brook parallel to the river along North Main Street. This linear settlement allowed early settlers to rely on the river for marine food sources, transportation, and fertile agricultural land on the riverbanks. Steep Brook’s proximity to the Quequechan and Taunton Rivers, along which existed several mills, is inextricably linked to the role of its residents in farming, shipbuilding, and mill work. 14 At the intersection of Wilson Road and North Main Street in Steep Brook, the first Town House was constructed in 1805 and the first post office arrived in the area in 1811, demonstrating this linear development along the post road as well as Steep Brook’s status as the early economic center of Fall River 15
Steep Brook History: Industrial Era
Fall River became one of the most prominent economic centers of the Industrial Revolution, as its position on the Taunton River made trade possible between Boston and New York and also provided water power to its mills. In 1836, the Town House was moved from its original site in Steep Brook to downtown Fall River as a result of the changing center of commerce due to the growth of textile mills downtown, though Steep Brook remained commercially productive in its own right. 16 Steep Brook hosted two wharves where ships were constructed and where materials harvested and products made were shipped out to nearby cities for commerce. 17 With the advent of steam -power, a number of Steep Brook residents became steamboat captains and maritime workers, such as master mariner William Collins of 3775 North Main Street, further connecting the neighborhood with maritime activity. 18 The neighborhood had other business ventures, such as clay and ice mining, blacksmithing, and carpentry, which is reflected in the trades of Steep Brook’s residents. 19 Steep Brook residents held a multitude of skilled occupations that reflected Fall River and Steep Brook’s new industries, population growth, and growing needs for new services 20
Successful industrial-era production and commerce saw a large population growth of both immigrants and Americans, resulting in the construction of institutional buildings, business districts, and mills for production. 21 Immigrants from Western Europe had a growing prevalence in industrial and post-industrial Steep Brook. Though The William Collins House was owned and occupied primarily by American-born residents, the buildings surrounding it in Steep Brook housed a growing number of Canadian and Western European immigrants from the industrial era into the mid-20th century who sought to perform mill work and other skilled jobs. 22 The expansion of railroads into Fall River and through Steep Brook in 1844 as well as the 1870 construction of the Steep Brook Station strengthened the neighborhood’s industrial success, though steam power also created faster steam -powered boats that aided commerce on the Taunton River from Steep Brook wharves 23 This prominence of industrialization created differentiation between financial and commercial districts with residential districts, influencing suburban sprawl that included the construction of both modest and stately homes on North Main Street. 24 The development of the street rail system in 1892 supported sprawl and allowed for Fall River residents to live further from the city center and their places of work in neighborhoods such as Steep Brook. 25 This sprawl can be seen in the densification of buildings on atlases depicting Steep Brook in the second half of the 19th century. 26 Since its initial European settlement, Steep Brook saw its natural resources and
14 MASSACHUSETTS HERITAGE LANDSCAPE INVENTORY PROGRAM FALL RIVER RECONNAISSANCE REPORT: Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, 2005.
15 MASSACHUSETTS HERITAGE LANDSCAPE INVENTORY PROGRAM FALL RIVER RECONNAISSANCE REPORT
16 Fenner, Henry M. History of Fall River. New York, NY: F. T. Smiley Publishing Company. 1906.
17 Healey, Ann Macari. “North End Residents Try to Retain Rural Character; Developers Knock on Doors”. Providence, RI: Providence Journal. June 27, 1988.
18 Sampson and Murdock and Co. Fall River Directory, 1890. Boston, MA: Sampson and Murdock and Co., 1874-1935. Collection holding directory, Fall River, MA.
19 Phillips, Arthur Sherman. The Phillips History of Fall River
20 MASSACHUSETTS HERITAGE LANDSCAPE INVENTORY PROGRAM FALL RIVER RECONNAISSANCE REPORT; Sampson and Murdock Co Fall River Directory, 1874, 1882, 1890 Boston, MA: Sampson and Murdock Co
21 DePaoli, Neill et. al. Historic & Archaeological Resources of Southeast; FALL RIVER RECONNAISSANCE REPORT
22 MASSACHUSETTS HERITAGE LANDSCAPE INVENTORY PROGRAM FALL RIVER RECONNAISSANCE REPORT; Sampson and Murdock Co. Fall River Directory, 1874, 1882, 1890. Boston, MA: Sampson and Murdock Co.
23 F.W. Beers and Co., Atlas of Bristol Co. Massachusetts, 1871; Phillips, Arthur Sherman. The Phillips History of Fall River
24 Frontiero, Wendy et. al. “Fall River Multiple Resource Area National Register Nomination Form”.
25 DePaoli, Neill et. al. Historic & Archaeological Resources of Southeast Massachusetts: The Massachusetts Historical Commission. 2007; Moniz, William A. “Horses, Trolleys Kept Fall River Moving in Early Days”. New Bedford, MA: Standard-Times 2012.
26 Walling, H.F. “Map of the County of Bristol, Massachusetts 1858 [map].” Boston, MA: H.F. Walling, 1858.; Sanford, General P. “Atlas of Bristol Co. Massachusetts [map].” New York, NY: F.W. Beers and Co., 1871.; C.E.O. H. Walker and Co. “Atlas of Fall River City, Massachusetts [map].” Boston, MA: C.E.O. H. Walker, 1883.; Everts and Richards. “Fall River City 7, Steep Brook [map].” Boston, MA: Everts and Richards, 1895. Historic Map Works Rare Historic Maps Collection.
INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET
MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION
Area(s) Form No. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125
NRMRA (1983) NRIND (1983)
transportation shape its initial agrarian economy to an industrialized one that both invited and accommodated a growing population of immigrants and American-born residents.
BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or RESOURCES:
Ancestry.com. 1910; 1920; 1930; 1940. United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
C.E.O. H. Walker and Co. “Atlas of Fall River City, Massachusetts [map].” Boston, MA: C.E.O. H. Walker, 1883. https://collections.leventhalmap.org/book_viewer/1/4.
DePaoli, Neill et. al. Historic & Archaeological Resources of Southeast Massachusetts: The Massachusetts Historical Commission. 2007.
Everts and Richards. “Fall River City 7, Steep Brook [map].” Boston, MA: Everts and Richards, 1895. Historic Map Works Rare Historic Maps Collection. https://www.historicmapworks.com/Map/US/8017/Fall+River+City+Index+Map/Bristol+County+1895/Massachusetts/
Fall River Building Department, Fall River, Massachusetts. “Building Permit for 3775 North Main Street 1907; 1911; 1922; 133; 1939; 2015; 2016
Fenner, Henry M. History of Fall River. New York, NY: F. T. Smiley Publishing Company. 1906.
Frontiero, Wendy and Vivienne Lasky, Peter Stott, and Sarah Zimmerman, “Fall River Multiple Resource Area National Register Nomination Form,” United States Department of the Interior, 1983.
Herald News. “Steep Brook Was Important Early”. Fall River Herald News: Fall River, MA. 1978.
MASSACHUSETTS HERITAGE LANDSCAPE INVENTORY PROGRAM. FALL RIVER RECONNAISSANCE REPORT: Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, 2005.
Massachusetts Historical Commission. MHC Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River. Boston, MA. 1982.
Mendonca, Wayne. Massachusetts Historical Commission Form B – 3775 North Main Street. Boston: Massachusetts Historical Commission, 1980.
Moniz, William A. “Horses, Trolleys Kept Fall River Moving in Early Days”. New Bedford, MA: Standard-Times. 2012.
Preservation Society of Fall River. “Fall River Register of Significant Structures”. 2017.
R.L. Polk and Co. Fall River City Directory, 1962, 1967, 1972, 1977. Boston, MA: R.L. Polk and Co., 1962-1977. Collection holding directory, Fall River, MA
[Photographer (Rosebrock, Ellen)]. “Survey Photo for 3775 North Main Street.” [1980]. MHC B Form for 3775 North Main Street, Fall River MA
Sanford, General P. “Atlas of Bristol Co. Massachusetts [map].” New York, NY: F.W. Beers and Co., 1871.
“Steep Brook Was Important Early”. Fall River Herald News: Fall River, MA. 1978.
Stuart, Q. et al. Massachusetts Historical Commission Form B – North Main Street Area. Boston: Massachusetts Historical Commission, 2012.
Walling, H.F. “Map of the County of Bristol, Massachusetts 1858 [map].” Boston, MA: H.F. Walling, 1858. https://historicmapworks.com/Map/US/8016/Fall+River+City+7++Steepbrook/
1980 photo of the west and south elevations of the William Collins House in the Steep Brook Neighborhood of Fall River, MA. Ellen Rosebrock, MHC B Form for 3775 North Main Street, 1980.
A map view of the William Collins House in 1858 Steep Brook, owned by W . (William) Collins and outlined in red. Source: H.F. Walling, Map of the County of Bristol, Massachusetts, 1858.
A map view of the William Collins House in 1871 Steep Brook, owned by W. (William) Collins and outlined in red. Source: F.W. Beers and Co., Atlas of Bristol Co. Massachusetts, 1871.
A map view of the William Collins House in 1883 Steep Brook, owned by Mrs. Captain Collins and outlined in red. Source: C.E.O. H. Walker and Co., Atlas of Fall River City, Massachusetts, 1883.
A map view of the William Collins House in 1895 Steep Brook, owned by Adeline Crapo and outlined in red. Source: Everts & Richards, Fall River City 7, Steep Brook, 1895 `
West elevation of the William Collins House, looking east, Fall 2023.
North and west elevations, looking southeast.
FORM B BUILDING
MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION
MASSACHUSETTS ARCHIVES BUILDING
220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125
Photograph
Locus Map
Locus Map of 4042 North Main Street from the Fall River GIS
Recorded by: Georgia Seehaus
Organization: Roger Williams University
Date (month / year): December 2023
Town/City: Fall River
Place: (neighborhood or village): Steep Brook
Address: 4042 North Main Street
Historic Name: Jael and Elizabeth Hathaway House
Uses: Present: Multiple family residence
Original: Single family residence
Date of Construction: 1785
Source: Fall River Register of Significant Structures
Style/Form: Federal
Architect/Builder: N/A
Exterior Material:
Foundation: Granite, Concrete
Wall/Trim: Wood Clapboard, Asbestos Shingle
Roof: Asphalt Shingle
Outbuildings/Secondary Structures: Carriage house to the north of the main block and another building that looks to be a barn to the west of the carriage house
Major Alterations (with dates): Pool added off the west elevation of the main block in 1971. Other alterations were recorded in the property’s previous B Form from 2012.
Condition: Excellent
Moved: no yes Date:
Acreage: 2.5 acres
Setting: Linear 18th, 19th, and 20th century mixed residential and commercial village with semi-dense building spacing
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 Jael and Elizabeth Hathaway House is a wood-framed, 2.5 story, three-family, Federal style house located on the west side of North Main Street in the Steep Brook section of Fall River. The building’s main block has a rectangular plan, and its rear west elevation branches off into several massings created by several additions. The house is set back slightly from the road and has a modern wood fence separating the property from the sidewalk. The building is set on a granite foundation on the main block with a concrete foundation under later additions The main block is clad in asbestos shingles and its side gable roof is clad in asphalt shingles.
The 5-bay east elevation of the main block features an entry porch with a concrete foundation and hipped roof supported by unfluted columns. The roofline of the porch has a simple architrave and cornice. The centered entryway is fitted with a single leaf paneled door with full length side lites and a simple surround. The east elevation has a symmetrical fenestration pattern with two windows on each side of the central bay and one directly above the centered entryway on the second story. Each window is fitted with a vinyl, 1/1, double hung sash and is flanked by louvered shutters. The elevation has a dentil cornice under the eave of the side gable roof.
The south elevation consists of a regular fenestration pattern of slightly recessed openings with vinyl, 1/1, double hung sash windows. The North elevation has an irregular fenestration pattern and has the same window types as those on the south elevation. The offset wing to the south is clad in wood clapboard and features shorter windows of the same form and material and a secondary recessed entry with a half-lit paneled door and transom light. The 1.5 story rear ell extension to the west is clad in asbestos shingles and features a side gable roof, a single-story west extension with a shed roof and a front gable roof connecting the ell to the main block. The ell has an irregular fenestration pattern of various vinyl window fittings, including single pane casement and 1/1 double hung sash with simple wood casings. To the west of the ell extensions is a large rectangular swimming pool oriented longways along the building’s west elevation and is surrounded by a pool deck that boarders the west elevation.
Outbuildings include a carriage house with a rectangular-plan to the north of the main block that is clad in wood clapboards and has an asphalt side gable roof and two gable dormers centered on the east and west slopes of the roof. The outbuilding features a centered, diagonal wood-paneled garage door with a simple wood surround and cornice on the east elevation that is flanked symmetrically by two deadlight windows with simple wood casings. Above the garage door is a smaller bay opening with the same form and material above it, and a 4-pane fixed sash window with louvered shutters and the same surround above the bay opening within the gable wall. There is a second outbuilding to the west of the carriage house that has a square plan and an end gable roof but is otherwise not visible from public view.
Initially, the Jael and Elizabeth Hathaway House was designated as a single-family residence that was home to large households; however, as additions and outbuildings were added to the property it became a multi-family residence and today is classified as a three-family residence. Map evidence from 1895 depicts an ell extension off of the main block’s south elevation, implying that this was the first addition to the house and the remainder of the extensions were constructed in the 20th century. 1 The earliest significant recorded alteration to the building was a pool that was added in 1971, though the property’s small front porch was added in the early 20th century and modern wood and asbestos cladding was added in the mid to late 20th century. 2
1 Everts and Richards. “Fall River City 7, Steep Brook [map].” Boston, MA: Everts and Richards, 1895. Historic Map Works Rare Historic Maps Collection 2 Fall River Building Department, Fall River, Massachusetts. “Building Permit for 4042 North Main Street. [1971].; Miller, K. et. al. Massachusetts Historical Commission Form B – 4042 North main Street. Boston: Massachusetts Historical Commission, 2012.
HISTORICAL NARRATIVE:
Discuss the history of the building. Explain its associations with local (or stale) history. Include uses of the building, and the role(s) the owners/occupants played within the community.
4042 North Main Street, known as the Jael and Elizabeth Hathaway House, exemplifies the Federal style that characterizes early agrarian Steep Brook at the time of its 1785 construction. The house was considered home to many kinds of Fall River citizens: a local military captain, prominent farmers, mill workers, and tradespeople. The property is a part of the Steep Brook corridor of 17th and 18th century colonial settlements and businesses interspersed with later buildings resulting from industrial era population growth and sprawl from the Fall River city center in the 19th to early 20th centuries. 3
Property History
The Jael and Elizabeth Hathaway House’s 1785 construction was the product of Steep Brook’s pre-industrial growth as a linear service station for the surrounding agricultural lands. 4 Its architectural style is an example of the vernacular domestic homes built in northern Fall River during its agricultural economy. Houses were constructed simply due to the economic limitations of an agrarian economy, as is exemplified by the Hathaway House’s vernacular, unornamented, Federal style construction. 5
The Hathaway House is located in the northernmost part of Steep Brook on the west side of North Main Street and extends towards the Taunton River Jael Hathaway reportedly ordered the construction of and resided in the house that now stands at 4042 North Main Street in approximately 1785. 6 Hathaway served as a loyalist captain of the Freetown Battalion during the Revolution Era, and turned to farm ing in the latter part of the century 7 Property deeds show that after Jael Hathaway’s death, the property remained in the Hathaway family well over one hundred years until 1918, housing farmers like Russell Hathaway and later railroad telegrapher Albert M. Hathaway 8 From 1918 onwards, several Canadian and Portuguese working class families lived on the property with their families and often boarders. The members of these households held jobs as weavers, wharf builders, construction workers, salesmen, nurses, and similar working-class occupations. 4042 North Main Street tended to have large households occupying it, either multiple generations of a family or a combination of family, servants, and later boarders. 9 Throughout the building’s almost 250 years, its occupants have been tied to Fall River’s mill as well as agrarian and maritime industries, therefore exemplifying the city’s economic and cultural identities. The diversity in skills of the owners and occupants of this property is a testament to the diversity of Steep Brook’s community members as well as the neighborhood’s ability to be relatively self-sufficient throughout much of its history.
Steep Brook History: Pre-Industrialization
The Jael and Elizabeth Hathaway House stands as an example of a pre-Industrial Federal style house constructed in the linear neighborhood of Steep Brook in the late 18th century. The property’s location in the more rural northern section of Steep Brook as well as its abundant acreage made it an ideal location for agrarian families in Colonial Fall River. 10 The Hathaway House and its initial ownership by farmer Jael Hathaway in the late demonstrates how vital Steep Brook’s agrarian economy was to its European settlement along the Taunton River, which occurred as a response to the surrounding agricultural lands Steep Brook’s topography is closely linked to its pattern of physical and social development. Its steep-graded terrain created early
3 Stuart, Q. et al. Massachusetts Historical Commission Form B – North Main Street Area. Boston: Massachusetts Historical Commission, 2012; Massachusetts Cultural Resource and Information System. 2023.
4 Massachusetts Historical Commission. MHC Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River. Boston, MA. 1982.
5 Frontiero, Wendy and Vivienne Lasky, Peter Stott, and Sarah Zimmerman, “Fall River Multiple Resource Area National Register Nomination Form,” United States Department of the Interior, 1983.
6 Rosebrock, Ellen Fletcher. Historic Fall River. The Preservation Partnership: Natick, MA. 1978.
7 Benton, Lewis H. “Assonet House of 1748 Rich in Colonial History, Before and During Revolution”. Fall River Herald News: Fall River, MA. 1935.
8 Fall River Registry of Deeds, Fall River, Massachusetts. “Albert M. Hathaway to Alfred Messier.” [9/15/1919]. Deed Book 259, Page 192-193 ; Ancestry.com. [1880, 1900, 1910] United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
9 Sampson and Murdock Co. Fall River Directory, 1925, 1930,1935. Boston, MA: Sampson and Murdock Co., 1925-1935. Collection holding directory, Fall River, MA.; R.L. Polk and Co. Fall River City Directory, 1940, 1945, 1950, 1957, 1962, 1967, 1972. Boston, MA: R.L. Polk and Co., 1940-1972. Collection holding directory, Fall River, MA.; Ancestry.com. [1900-1950] United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
indigenous patterns of lateral roads that oriented settlements along the Taunton River and can be seen in the orientation of Steep Brook parallel to the river along North Main Street due to the community’s reliance on the river for marine food sources, transportation, and fertile agricultural land on the riverbanks. 11
Subsistence farming defined Steep Brook at the time of its construction, though shipbuilding, blacksmithing, wood, and grain production thrived as well. Fall River as a whole served as a major port on the Taunton River after its settlement due to its navigability Soon after Fall River was settled by European colonists in 1680, Steep Brook was also settled due to its prevalence of tributaries leading to the Taunton River, making it a great place to establish grist mills, blacksmith shops, and shipbuilding sites. 12 Steep Brook’s proximity to the Quequechan and Taunton’s Rivers, along which existed several industrial mills, is inextricably linked to the role of its residents in farming, shipbuilding, and mill work later on.
Steep Brook History: Industrial Revolution
4042 has a long history of housing farmers such as Jael and Russell Hathaway, but also many mill workers later in the building’s history due to its proximity to the mills that were constructed further south on the Taunton River. Downtown Fall River became one of the most prominent economic centers of the Industrial Revolution, as its position on the Taunton River made trade possible between Boston and New York and provided water and steam power to its mills. In 1836, the Town House was moved from its original site in Steep Brook to downtown Fall River as a result of the changing center of commerce from agrarian Steep Brook to industrial downtown Fall River with its growth of textile mills. Despite losing its status as Fall River’s economic center, Steep Brook remained commercially productive in its own right. 13 Steep Brook hosted two wharves where ships were constructed and where local materials and products were shipped out to nearby cities for commerce. 14 The neighborhood had other business ventures, such as resource extraction, blacksmithing, and carpentry, which is reflected in the trades of Steep Brook’s residents. 15 The extension of railroads to Fall River and through Steep Brook in 1844 as well as the construction of the Steep Brook Station by 1870 strengthened the neighborhood’s industrial success, though steam power also created faster steam -powered boats that aided commerce on the Taunton River from Steep Brook wharves 16
This prominence of industrialization created differentiation between financial and commercial districts with residential districts in Fall River, influencing suburban sprawl that included the construction of both modest and stately houses on North Main Street 17 As the textile and grist mills arrived with the Industrial Revolution as well as improved transportation, Steep Brook became a convenient place to live for the mill workers and working-class people who later resided at the Jael and Elizabeth Hathaway House The railroad lines through Fall River included a stop in Steep Brook at the Steep Brook Station, connecting Steep Brook with downtown Fall River as well as neighboring cities 18 The development of the street rail system in 1892 supported sprawl and allowed for Fall River residents to live further from the city center and their places of work in neighborhoods such as Steep Brook. 19 This sprawl can be seen in the densification of buildings on atlases depicting Steep Brook in the second half of the 19th century. The influx of immigrants and workers who sought to fill the many roles of industrial Fall River also saw the densification of Steep Brook around the Hathaway House throughout the mid-19th century and early 20th centuries, as seen on the maps below 20 The French Canadian and Portuguese owners of the property throughout the 20th century also demonstrate the rise of
11 Massachusetts Historical Commission. MHC Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River
12 MASSACHUSETTS HERITAGE LANDSCAPE INVENTORY PROGRAM FALL RIVER RECONNAISSANCE REPORT: Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, 2005.
13 Fenner, Henry M. History of Fall River. New York, NY: F. T. Smiley Publishing Company. 1906.
14 Healey, Ann Macari. “North End Residents Try to Retain Rural Character; Developers Knock on Doors”. Providence, RI: Providence Journal. June 27, 1988
15 Phillips, Arthur Sherman. The Phillips History of Fall River. Fall River, MA: Dover Press. 1946.
16 Madeiros, Dan. “Train timeline: Tracking Fall River's history from Old Colony Railroad to South Coast Rail”. Fall River, MA: The Herald News 2021; “Steep Brook Was Important”. Fall River, MA: Herald News. October 17, 1978.
17 DePaoli, Neill et. al. Historic & Archaeological Resources of Southeast Massachusetts.; MASSACHUSETTS HERITAGE LANDSCAPE INVENTORY PROGRAM FALL RIVER RECONNAISSANCE REPORT; Frontiero, Wendy et. al. Fall River Multiple Resource Area National Register Nomination Form
18 DePaoli, Neill et. al. Historic & Archaeological Resources of Southeast Massachusetts: The Massachusetts Historical Commission. 2007.
19 DePaoli, Neill et. al. Historic & Archaeological Resources of Southeast Massachusetts.; MASSACHUSETTS HERITAGE LANDSCAPE INVENTORY PROGRAM FALL RIVER RECONNAISSANCE REPORT; Moniz, William A. “Horses, Trolleys Kept Fall River Moving in Early Days”. New Bedford, MA: Standard-Times 2012.
20 Walling, H.F. “Map of the County of Bristol, Massachusetts 1858 [map].” Boston, MA: H.F. Walling, 1858.; Sanford, General P. “Atlas of Bristol Co. Massachusetts [map].” New York, NY: F.W. Beers and Co., 1871.; Everts and Richards. “Fall River City 7, Steep Brook [map].”
Steep Brook’s immigrant population. Their diverse economic roles in mills and other skilled jobs highlight the evolution of Steep Brook’s cultural and economic identity from a rural agrarian village to a dense, industrialized village. 21 Since its initial European settlement, Steep Brook saw its natural resources and transportation shape its initial agrarian economy to an industrialized one that both invited and accommodated a growing population of immigrants and American-born residents.
BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES
Ancestry.com. [1900-1950] United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
Benton, Lewis H. “Assonet House of 1748 Rich in Colonial History, Before and During Revolution”. Fall River Herald News: Fall River, MA. 1935.
DePaoli, Neill et. al. Historic & Archaeological Resources of Southeast Massachusetts: The Massachusetts Historical Commission. 2007.
Everts and Richards. “Fall River City 7, Steep Brook [map].” Boston, MA: Everts and Richards, 1895. Historic Map Works Rare Historic Maps Collection. https://www.historicmapworks.com/Map/US/8017/Fall+River+City+Index+Map/Bristol+County+1895/Massachusetts/
Fall River Building Department, Fall River, Massachusetts. “Building Permit for 4042 North Main Street. [1971].
Fall River Registry of Deeds Fall River, Massachusetts.
Fenner, Henry M. History of Fall River. New York, NY: F. T. Smiley Publishing Company. 1906.
Frontiero, Wendy and Vivienne Lasky, Peter Stott, and Sarah Zimmerman, “Fall River Multiple Resource Area National Register Nomination Form,” United States Department of the Interior, 1983.
Healey, Ann Macari. “North End Residents Try to Retain Rural Character; Developers Knock on Doors”. Providence, RI: Providence Journal. June 27, 1988.
Madeiros, Dan. “Train timeline: Tracking Fall River's history from Old Colony Railroad to South Coast Rail”. Fall River, MA: The Herald News. 2021.
MASSACHUSETTS HERITAGE LANDSCAPE INVENTORY PROGRAM FALL RIVER RECONNAISSANCE REPORT: Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, 2005.
Massachusetts Historical Commission. MHC Reconnaissance Survey Town Report for Fall River. Boston, MA. 1982.
Miller, K. et. al. Massachusetts Historical Commission Form B – 4042 North main Street. Boston: Massachusetts Historical Commission, 2012.
Moniz, William A. “Horses, Trolleys Kept Fall River Moving in Early Days”. New Bedford, MA: Standard-Times. 2012.
North Bristol County Registry of Deeds, Taunton, Massachusetts
Phillips, Arthur Sherman. The Phillips History of Fall River. Fall River, MA: Dover Press. 1946.
Boston, MA: Everts and Richards, 1895. Historic Map Works Rare Historic Maps Collection.; DePaoli, Neill et. al. Historic & Archaeological Resources of Southeast Massachusetts 21 Ancestry.com. [1850-1950] United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
MORRISSEY BOULEVARD, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02125
Preservation Society of Fall River. “Fall River Register of Significant Structures”. 2017.
R.L. Polk and Co. Fall River City Directory, 1940, 1945, 1950, 1957, 1962, 1967, 1972. Boston, MA: R.L. Polk and Co., 1940-1972. Collection holding directory, Fall River, MA.
Rosebrock, Ellen Fletcher. Historic Fall River. The Preservation Partnership: Natick, MA. 1978.
Sampson and Murdock Co. Fall River Directory, 1925, 1930,1935. Boston, MA: Sampson and Murdock Co., 1925-1935. Collection holding directory, Fall River, MA
Sanford, General P. “Atlas of Bristol Co. Massachusetts [map].” New York, NY: F.W. Beers and Co., 1871.
“Steep Brook Was Important”. Fall River, MA: Herald News. October 17, 1978.
Stuart, Q. et al. Massachusetts Historical Commission Form B – North Main Street Area. Boston: Massachusetts Historical Commission, 2012.
W alling, H.F. “Map of the County of Bristol, Massachusetts 1858 [map].” Boston, MA: H.F. Walling, 1858. https://historicmapworks.com/Map/US/8016/Fall+River+City+7++Steepbrook/
A map view of the Jael and Elizabeth Hathaway House in 1858 Steep Brook, owned by R. (Russell) Hathaway and outlined in red Source: H.F. Walling, Map of the County of Bristol, Massachusetts, 1858.
A map view of the Jael and Elizabeth Hathaway House in 1871 Steep Brook, owned by J. (Job) Hathaway and outlined in red. Source: F.W. Beers and Co., Atlas of Bristol Co. Massachusetts, 1871.
A map view of the Jael and Elizabeth Hathaway House in 1883 Steep Brook, owned by J. (Job) Hathaway and outlined in red. Source: C.E.O. H. Walker and Co., Atlas of Fall River City, Massachusetts, 1883.
A map view of the Jael and Elizabeth Hathaway House in 1895 Steep Brook, owned by Joseph Hathaway and outlined in red. Source: Everts & Richards, Fall River City 7, Steep Brook, 1895.
East and south elevations, facing northwest.
East and north elevations of the Jael and Elizabeth Hathaway, facing southwest, Fall 2023.
East elevation of the visible outbuilding, facing west
[If appropriate, cut and paste the text below into an inventory form’s last continuation sheet.]
National Register of Historic Places Criteria Statement Form
Check all that apply:
Individually eligible
Eligible only in a historic district
Contributing to a potential historic district
Criteria:
Criteria Considerations: A
Potential historic district
Statement of Significance by _____________Georgia Seehaus_____________
The criteria that are checked in the above sections must be justified here.
Statement of Significance
The Jael and Elizabeth Hathaway House is a candidate for the National Register of Historic Places as an individual listing as well as a contributor to a potential historic district under criterion A and C. The property’s qualification falls under criterion A for its association with the pre-industrial European-American development of Steep Brook alongside the neighborhood’s strong agricultural practices. It serves as an example of the early linear development of Steep Brook around the former post road that we still see evidence of today on and around North Main Street, strengthening its criterion A eligibility. The house’s unornamented Federal style serves as an example of the vernacular houses built when Steep Brook’s agrarian economy produced modest means before industrial wealth arrived in Fall River. A majority of the buildings constructed during Steep Brook’s pre-industrial, agriculture-based settlement did not survive, so its surviving buildings hold higher importance to the early history of the neighborhood as visual evidence Additionally, the property’s contribution to the service station along the post road that provisioned the surrounding agricultural land gives it a significant association with Steep Brook’s agricultural practices as its earliest economic source and therefore qualifies the Jael and Elizabeth Hathaway House’s National Register nomination under criterion A.
The property can also qualify for the National Register under criterion C for its rare surviving example of a pre -industrial building in Steep Brook A majority of the structures built before the 19th century have been demolished, mak ing the Jael and Elizabeth Hathaway House one of only a handful of surviving buildings that exemplify the Federal architectural style that was commonly employed in the late 18th century when the house was constructed. Apart from a few out-of-kind material replacements such as the introduction of vinyl windows, modern replacement cladding, and a porch, the building holds a majority of its historical integrity, and the form of its main block is almost entirely unchanged since its construction in 1785. Despite these changes, the main block still illustrates a strong Federal style that defines the early settlement of Steep Brook The Hathaway House’s simple Federal style is distinctive to Steep Brook’s vernacular building practices during its early settlement that serves as a visual representation of that early history, therefore strengthening a possible criterion C qualification for the National Register as an individual property and a contributing property to a potential historic district
