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P Massachusetts Historical Commission 8 0 Boylston Street Boston, Massachusetts 0 2 1 1 6 Town-Winthrop Winthrop Center P l a c e ( n e i g h b o r h o o d or village) Address 214-224 Winthrop Street Historic N a m e Wadsworth Building Use: Present Original commercial commercial/club rooms D a t e of C o n s t r u c t i o n C. 1887-1895 Winthrop Map/Atlas Source Style/Form Queen Anne/Romanesque,rectangular Architect/Builder undetermined Exterior Material F o u n d a t i o n brick Wall R o o f brick w/rock faced brownstone trim flat-tar and gravel Outbuildings/Secondary Structures M a j o r A l t e r a t i o n s (with dates) N/A Modern store fronts appear to date to 1950's and 60's. Cornice hidden behind metal screen. Condition fair-good Moved | yes Acreage Recorded by Organization- Edward W. Gordon Winthrop CDO+Historic Comm c ... Setting [ |x | no less than one acre Overlooks Metcalfe Sguare and Methodist church; adjacent to Police Station; located at heart of Winthrop Center. ARCHITECTURAL Describe architectural the community. DESCRIPTION features. [X | see continuation Evaluate the characteristics sheet of this building in terms of other buildings within Architecturally, the Wadsworth Block at 214-224 Winthrop Street is a unique Winthrop example of a Late Victorian Era commercial block. In terms of historic architectural style, this building represents a restrained foray into the Queen Anne and Romanesque Revival styles. Blocks like the Wadsworth Building that combined space for professional offices, social and civic organizations as well as street level commercial concerns were built in considerable numbers in Massachusetts cities like Lynn and Boston and to a lesser extent in small towns like Winthrop. The Wadsworth Building , upon completion c.early 1890's , struck a decidedly urban note in a suburban town which was still rural in appearance in many areas. Evidently, Winthrop never again had a commercial block of this size and architectural pretention. The Wadsworth Building is characrerized by a boxy, rectangular, 11-bay x 3-bay form.This 3-story building is composed of yellow brick on the main facade, red brick on the side walls and is accented by rock faced brownstone trimmings. The ground floor exhibits four store fronts which have been modified overtime. The arched center entrance features a handsome rusticated and rock faced enframement. Above this entrance is a brown stone plaque which reads "Wadsworth Block".At either end of the main facade are rock faced brownstone piers. The 12 brick work piers of the upper floors temper this buildings overwhelming horizontality as vertical elements. Directly above the center entrance is a pair of arched windows flanked by small, square headed windows. The second floor windows rise from continuous brownstone sill courses that are interrupted by four piers at the (cont'd) ) NARRATIVE see continuation Discuss the history of the building. Explain its associations HISTORICAL the building and the role(s) the owners/occupants sheet with local (or state) history. played within the Include uses of community. The Wadsworth Building occupies the site of the old Charles Burrill House . The Burrill House was said to have been one of the oldest houses in Winthrop and judging by an old photograph appears to date to the late 18th or early 19th cenury. It was a 5-bay x 1-bay center hall plan farm house with 6/6 wood sash and a hip roof. The Burrill House actually faced Fremont Street. The 1886 Floyd map shows another T-shaped house and a stable on the Burrill lot.The Burrill House was said to have had the first coal-burning stove in Winthrop.This house's site is now occupied by the portion of the Wadsworth Building containing Brown's Drug Store. The Wadsworth Building is first shown on the 1896 Winthrop Atlas and was probably built c. 1890-95. Further research may identify the architect of this building. The 1896 Winthrop Atlas shows this building divided into 4 segments (indicating the four ground floor commercial spaces). At that time it was owned by a Susan Wadsworth. Winthrop Center was long associated with the Wadsworth family. This house is adjacent to Wadsworth Street. It is unclear as to how Susan Wadsworth, first owner of this commercial block, is related to this family, (over) 1 B I B L I O G R A P H Y and/or R E F E R E N C E S [ ) Winthrop Maps/Atlases-1886,1896,1906 and 1914 ChelseaAA/inthrop Directories-1890,1895/96,1906 Winthrop Directories-1911,1913,1916/17,1924,1936,1942 and 1947 Winthrop Library photo files | see continuation sheet Community: MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston Form No: P r o p e r t y N a m e : 214-224 Winthrop Street Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. Architectural Description continuedcenter of the main facade.The windows exhibit rock faced brown stone lintels and contain 1/1 wood sash. All of the main facade's piers culminated in brownstone urn and ball ornamentation which extended above the roof line and maybe still extant behind the c. mid 20th c. metal screen. In all probability, the cornice with its brownstone courses and vertical stretcher brick banding is still extant behind this metal screen. Still visible are the ornamental stone balls at either end of the main facade.This building is enclosed by a flat roof. The Wadsworth Building, at Metcalfe Square, would be an important component of anf future Winthrop Center Historic District. Historical Narrative c o n t i n u e d The Wadsworth Building, overtime, became an important focus of the town's commercial,social, and even religious life. From 1916 until 1922,the Wadsworth Building played an important role in the beginnings of Winthrop's first Christian Science church. Here, worship services and a Sunday School were conducted, additionally, a Christian Science Reading Room was established in one of the store fronts. During the early 1900's, this building housed Henry F. Rich and George F. Sweeney Grocers as well as Clarence A. Nevers, dentist and other unidentified commercial concerns. A more comprehensive picture of this commercial block's tenants is revealed in the 1916/17 Winthrop Directory. At that time, its occupants included the Winthrop Board of Trade, Christian Science Church, Coles Sisters Dry Goods, Rich and Co. Grocers, K.C.Brown, druggist, George W. Lane, jeweler, R.A. Lang, boots and shoes, Charles A. Nevers, dentist.the Children's Tailoring Co.,Columbia Hall (Metcalf Square was originally called Columbia Square), Wadsworth Hall, and H.W. Mayo, Dentist. During the 1920's, the Winthrop branch of the Red Cross was located here along with commercial concerns and proffessional offices. Underling the important role of this building in the life of the town was the fact that the Crystal Bay Lodge, IOOF and Carpenters Local 821 were located here during the 1920's.By the 1930's, tenants of the Wadsworth Block included K.C. Brown Druggist,Prosperity Cleaners and Dyers, San Lee Laundry, Spanish American War Veterans Hall, Clarence A. Nevers, dentist, Bernard G. Fitz, optomotrist., The Coles Sisters Dry Goods and Joseph Baresi, shoe repair.