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Inventory No: HRV.32   

Historic Name: Bull, Trumbull House

Common Name: Whitney, S. W. House

Address: 9 Old Littleton Rd

City/Town: Harvard

Village/Neighborhood: Harvard Center

Local No: 17D-24.01; 239

Year Constructed: C 1840

Architect(s):

Architectural Style(s): Greek Revival

Use(s): Single Family Dwelling House

Significance: Architecture

Area(s):HRV.A: Harvard Common Historic DistrictHRV.O: Harvard Center Historic District

Designation(s):Local Historic District (3/27/1975); Nat'l Register District (9/22/1997)

 

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FORM B - BUILDING as s e s s o r ' s # 17D-24.01

usgs quad a r e a Ayer Common

Massachusetts H i s t o r i c a l Commission 80 B o y l s t o n S t r e e t Boston MA 02116

Sketch Map

Recorded by: C l a i r e W. Dempsey

O r g a n i z a t i o n : H a r v a r d H i s t o r i c a l Commission

Date: May 1993 R E C E I V E D

JUL ' 5 1993 -

WASS. HIST, COMM

Town

f o r m # 3 2 .

H a r v a r d

P l a c e Common

Address 09 O l d L i t t l e t o n Road

H i s t o r i c Name: B u l l House

Use P r e s e n t r e s i d e n c e

O r i g i n a l r e s i d e n c e

Date o f c o n s t r u c t i o n : ca.1840?

Source r e v e r s e

S t y l e Greek R e v i v a l

Form 3 bay by 4 bay

A r c h i t e c t N/A

E x t e r i o r M a t e r i a l :

W a l l / T r i m wood

Roof a s p h a l t

F o u n d a t i o n s t o n e

O u t b u i l d i n g s barns e t c See r e a r o f f o r m f o r more

d e t a i l e d d e s c r i p t i o n

A l t e r a t i o n s modest See r e a r o f f o r m f o r more

d e t a i l e d d e s c r i p t i o n .

C o n d i t i o n good

Moved no

Acreage 6.76 ac r e s

S e t t i n g v i l l a g e See r e a r o f f o r m f o r d e t a i l e d d e s c r i p t i o n

c B U I L D I N G FORM

ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION

The B u l l House a t 9 Old L i t t l e t o n Road i s l o c a t e d on a l a r g e p a r c e l of n e a r l y seven acres on Old L i t t l e t o n Road. The house i s set w i t h i n a l a r g e open lawn, w i t h a new screen of trees along the road side. The l o t slopes down to the rear, w i t h t e r r a c i n g and foundation w a l l s of stone. I n a d d i t i o n to the Greek Revival house, the p a r c e l i n c l u d e s a barn and garage, both attached to the house, and a small gable block house a t #7. The main house i s a two-and-a-half s t o r y block, w i t h a r e g u l a r f i v e bay gable end f a c i n g the s t r e e t . The e n t r y i s on the perpendicular west side of the house, a three bay e l e v a t i o n w i t h the e n t r y i n bay one. The east w a l l has a s i m i l a r c o n f i g u r a t i o n of three bays, and the plane extends along the lower one-and-a-half s t o r y r ear e l l of the house. The clapboarded house has a porch across the facade, supported by simple columns, screening an e n t r y f l a n k e d by p i l a s t e r s and side l i g h t s . The house has simple t r i m of boxed cornice and cornerboards. Extending from the r e a r e l l to the west i s a two car garage t h a t appears modern or r e c e n t l y remodelled. I t extends across the rear of the e l l and takes a carriagehouse/barn form of two l e v e l s w i t h a broad door i n the center of the gable block.

HISTORICAL NARRATIVE

The earliest-known owner of t h i s house, probably b u i l t i n the 1840s, i s b e l i e v e d to be Trumbull B u l l . B u l l was one of several mid-century store-keepers, operating w i t h h i s p a r t n e r i n several of the s t o r e s t h a t stood on the Common. B u l l was a founder of the Odd Fellows i n 1845, served as selectman i n 1855, as town c l e r k i n 1857-59, on the l i b r a r y committee i n 1865-69, and as j u s t i c e of the peace a f t e r 1872. By 1898 the house was owned by Mrs. S.W. Whitney.

REFERENCES

Anderson, D i r e c t i o n s of a Town, 1976. Nourse, H i s t o r y of Harvard, 1894. Holman Map of 18 31. Beers A t l a s of 1870. Richardson A t l a s of 1898.

_x_ Recommended f o r l i s t i n g i n the National R e g i s t e r of H i s t o r i c P l a c e s . See NR C r i t e r i a Statement form f o r the Harvard Common Area

INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET Massachusetts H i s t o r i c a l Commission 80 Boyleston S t r e e t Boston MA 02116

Community Harvard Address 9 Old L i t t t l e t o n Area Harvard Common Form #

F O R M B - B U I L D I N G

MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, State House. Boston

other buildings. Indicate north.

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3. Description:

Date

Source

Style

Arch i t ec t

Ex te r io r wal l fabr ic __̂ G4̂ fc1JL___! Outbuildings ( d e s c r i b e ) ^ Q_

I f

Other features

Al te red j p - ( . . .

Moved "~L

Date / «

Date

5. Lot size:

One acre or less Over one acre

Approximate frontage S& '

Approximate distance of bui lding f r o m street

6. Recorded by '

Organization-

Date