First Harrison Gray Otis House
First Harrison Gray Otis House | |
Contributing Property | |
Beacon Hill Historic District (ID66000130) | |
| NRHP reference No. | 70000539[1] |
|---|---|
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | December 30, 1970 |
| Designated NHL | December 30, 1970 |
| Designated NHLDCP | October 15, 1966 |
The First Harrison Gray Otis House is a
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.
Description and history
The house is the simplest of the three designed by Bulfinch for Otis. The design is said to be inspired by a
Palladian window, and above that a lunette. The third floor is very short; ceilings are just over 6 feet tall. The floor plan follows a typical central hall plan, with two rooms on either side of the central hallway. The kitchen was in an ell.[3]
The house was purchased in 1916 by the
Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities (now Historic New England) for use as its headquarters. It was originally located about 40 feet forward of its present location, but was moved in the 1920s after it was threatened by the widening of Cambridge Street. The original cellar was lost during this move. The house is now connected to a group of row houses on Lynde Street, which serve as office and program space for Historic New England. The house underwent a careful restoration in 1960, overseen by Abbott Lowell Cummings.[3]
It is open year-round for tours.
See also
- List of National Historic Landmarks in Boston
- National Register of Historic Places listings in northern Boston, Massachusetts
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
- ^ "MACRIS inventory record for First Harrison Gray Otis House". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved 2014-06-04.
- ^ a b "NHL nomination for First Harrison Gray Otis House". National Park Service. Retrieved 2015-02-22.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Harrison Gray Otis house (Cambridge Street, Boston).