Samuel Gridley and Julia Ward Howe House | |
Location | 13 Chestnut St., Boston, Massachusetts |
---|---|
Coordinates | 42°21′27.9″N71°4′0.5″W / 42.357750°N 71.066806°W Coordinates: 42°21′27.9″N71°4′0.5″W / 42.357750°N 71.066806°W |
Area | less than one acre |
Built | 1804 |
Architect | Bulfinch, Charles |
Architectural style | Georgian |
Part of | Beacon Hill Historic District (ID66000130) |
NRHP reference No. | 74002044 [1] |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | September 13, 1974 |
Designated CP | October 15, 1966 |
The Samuel Gridley and Julia Ward Howe House is a historic rowhouse at 13 Chestnut Street in the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1974 for its association with the social reform couple, Julia Ward Howe and Samuel Gridley Howe. The Howes lived in the house, which was likely designed by renowned Boston architect Charles Bulfinch, from 1863 to 1866. It has served as the temporary official residence of the British Consul General to New England since 2016.
The building is a four-story brick row house, one of three adjoining "Swan Houses" built by Hepzibah Swan, a wealthy widow, between 1804 and 1805 for her daughters. They are now accepted to have been designed by the noteworthy architect Charles Bulfinch, although documentary evidence supporting this notion is lacking, and the attribution has been attended with controversy. The house has a Georgian recessed doorway, windows recessed in arches on the first floor, and wrought iron railings on the second-floor windows. [2]
Samuel Gridley Howe (1801–1876) was a medical doctor and an early champion of support for the physically handicapped. He was a founder and the first head (for 44 years) of what is now called the Perkins School for the Blind. In 1843 he married Julia Ward (1819–1910), the daughter of a wealthy New York City banker. The two were influential forces in the social reform movements of the mid-to-late 19th century, working to advance the causes of the abolition of slavery, including actively heading the Boston Vigilance Committee, which assisted fugitive slaves in the 1850s. Julia Ward Howe became nationally famous after writing "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" while visiting Washington, D. C. not long after moving into this house. She was a supporter and organizer of reform movements which long outlived her, notably those that supported women's suffrage. [2]
The Howes lived for many years after their marriage at "Green Peace", a house which no longer stands, in South Boston. Thereafter they lived at a number of Boston addresses, of which this is the most significant. [2] The house was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1966 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. [1] It is a private residence and is not open to the public.
Julia Ward Howe was an American poet and author, known for writing the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" and the original 1870 pacifist Mother's Day Proclamation. She was also an advocate for abolitionism and a social activist, particularly for women's suffrage.
Samuel Gridley Howe was an American physician, abolitionist, and an advocate of education for the blind. He organized and was the first director of the Perkins Institution. In 1824 he had gone to Greece to serve in the revolution as a surgeon; he also commanded troops. He arranged for support for refugees and brought many Greek children back to Boston with him for their education.
Charles Bulfinch was an early American architect, and has been regarded by many as the first native-born American to practice architecture as a profession.
Laura Elizabeth Howe Richards was an American writer. She wrote more than 90 books including biographies, poetry, and several for children. One well-known children's poem is her literary nonsense verse "Eletelephony".
Beacon Hill is a historic neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts, and the hill upon which the Massachusetts State House resides. The term "Beacon Hill" is used locally as a metonym to refer to the state government or the legislature itself, much like Washington, D.C.'s "Capitol Hill" does at the federal level.
The Hancock–Clarke House is a historic house in Lexington, Massachusetts, that is a National Historic Landmark. Built in 1738, the house is notable as the only surviving house associated with statesman John Hancock, who lived here for several years as a child. It played a prominent role in the Battle of Lexington and Concord as both Hancock and Samuel Adams, leaders of the colonials, were staying in the house before the battle. The House is operated as a museum by the Lexington Historical Society. It is open weekends starting in mid-April and daily from May 30–October 31. An admission fee is charged.
There are three houses named the Harrison Gray Otis House in Boston, Massachusetts. All were built by noted American architect Charles Bulfinch for the same man, Federalist lawyer and politician Harrison Gray Otis.
The Peirce–Nichols House is a historic house museum located at 80 Federal Street in Salem, Massachusetts. Designed early in the career of noted Salem builder Samuel McIntire (1757–1811), and modified later by him, the building gives a unique view into the methods and styles of McIntire. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1973 for its significance as an early masterwork of one of the country's first recognized master builders. It is now owned by the Peabody Essex Museum.
St. Stephen's Church is a historic church in the North End of Boston, Massachusetts. It was built in 1802-04 as the New North Church or New North Meeting House, and was designed by the noted architect Charles Bulfinch. It is the only one of the five churches Bulfinch designed in Boston to remain extant. The church replaced one which had been built on the site in 1714 and enlarged in 1730. The Congregationalist church became Unitarian in 1813, and the church was sold to the Roman Catholic Diocese in 1862, and renamed St. Stephen's. It was restored and renovated in 1964-65 by Chester F. Wright, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
The General Federation of Women's Clubs Headquarters, also known as the Miles Mansion, is a social clubhouse headquarters in Washington, D.C. Built as a private residence in 1875, it has served as the headquarters of the General Federation of Women's Clubs (GFWC) since 1922. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1991 for its association with the federation, which serves as an umbrella organization for women's clubs, a social movement dating to the mid-19th century. Tours of the headquarters, available by appointment, provide information about the activities of the GFWC and several historic rooms, including the 1734 entryway, the Julia Ward Howe Drawing Room, the dining room, music room and the GFWC International President's office. The headquarters also features changing exhibits of art, photographs and artifacts from its collections.
Hamilton Hall is a National Historic Landmark at 9 Chestnut Street in Salem, Massachusetts. Designed by noted Salem builder Samuel McIntire and built in 1805–07, it is an excellent instance of a public Federal style building. It was built as a social space for the leading families of Salem, and was named for Founding Father and Federalist Party leader Alexander Hamilton. It continues to function as a social hall today: it is used for events, private functions, weddings and is also home to a series of lectures that originated in 1944 by the Ladies Committee.
The Bulfinch Triangle Historic District is a historic district roughly bounded by Canal, Market, Merrimac, and Causeway Streets in the West End of Boston, Massachusetts. The entire district was laid out by architect Charles Bulfinch on land reclaimed from the old Mill Pond, and is now populated by well-preserved commercial buildings from the 1870s through early 1900s. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
Custom House District is a historic district in Boston, Massachusetts, located between the Fitzgerald Expressway and Kilby Street and South Market and High and Batterymarch Streets. Named after the 1849 Boston Custom House located on State Street, the historic district contains about seventy buildings on nearly sixteen acres in Downtown Boston, consisting of 19th-century mercantile buildings along with many early 20th-century skyscrapers, including the 1915 Custom House Tower.
The B B Chemical Company is an historic office and industrial building at 784 Memorial Drive in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was built in 1937 for the Boston Blacking Company, an adhesive manufacturer whose most famous brand name was Bostik, to a design by Coolidge, Shepley, Bulfinch & Abbott, and is a prominent local example of Streamline Moderne architecture. From 1979 to 1996, it served as the headquarters of the Polaroid Corporation. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 under the incorrect name "B and B Chemical Company". It is now owned by The Bulfinch Companies of Needham, Massachusetts.
The First Harrison Gray Otis House is a historic house museum and National Historic Landmark at 141 Cambridge Street in the West End of Boston, Massachusetts. The house, built in 1795–96, was the first of three houses designed by Charles Bulfinch and built for Massachusetts politician Harrison Gray Otis. It is notable as one of the earliest three-story brick houses that came to represent the Federal style of architecture, and its interiors show the influence of Robert Adam. The house is now the headquarters of Historic New England, a regional preservation organization, and is open year-round for tours.
Howe House may refer to:
The House at 6 Adams Street in Wakefield, Massachusetts is one of the best examples of Shingle style architecture in the town. It was designed by Boston architect Robert Pote Wait and built in 1885–86 to be his own home. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.
The Cheshire County Courthouse, located at 12 Court Street in Keene, New Hampshire, is the center of government of Cheshire County, New Hampshire. Completed in 1859 to a design by Gridley James Fox Bryant, it is believed to be the oldest courthouse in regular use in the state. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 13, 1978.
The Robinson and Swan Blocks are a pair of mixed commercial-residential buildings at 104-108 Pleasant Street and 1-3 Irving Street in Worcester, Massachusetts. Built about 1884 to nearly identical designs by Fuller & Delano, the buildings are well-preserved examples of Victorian Gothic architecture executed in brick. They were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, but due to administrative lapses, are not listed in its NRIS database.