Auburndale's houses represent this Newton village's colonial agricultural period to the present. Though the men and women who contributed to the early growth of Auburndale are gone, their legacy remains with their homes. The eighteenth century farms owned by four families were divided by the mid-nineteenth century into spacious building lots on well-laid out streets. Several hundred people were attracted to this village because of its available building lots, rolling hills, forests and proximity to the Charles River. The slow and meandering nature of the river in Auburndale was not suited to industry, as in the neighboring communities of Newton Upper Falls and Waltham. Whittemore's Tavern is the only surviving structure to retain its historic features, south-facing orientation and original location common to New England farmhouses of the pre-Revolutionary period.

1. William Robinson, Jr. whose father is considered to be Auburndale's first white settler built the house at 473 Auburn St around 1724. Known as the Bourne House or Whittemore's Tavern, the house exhibits several features common to simple Pre-Revolutionary Massachusetts farmhouses. It is a south facing 2 1/2 story woodframe structure with two small wings projecting from the north wall. The main section of the house is only one room deep , and, rather than being organized around a massive central chimney, has a pair of interior chimneys visible from the street. Each room in the main portion of the house has a fireplace on the north (cold) wall, allowing sunlight to penetrate through windows on the remaining facades. The house was completely rebuilt ca. 1990.

 

 
 



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2. Shortly after Auburndale was opened for suburban development, the Greek Revival residence at 33 Woodland Road (ca. 1848) was constructed for Ebenezer Bradbury, the father of 21 children! Broad, flat pilasters at each corner of the house, a doorway with full sidelights and a transom window, and an ionic portico are among the elements which define the Greek Revival character of the house. The fretwork set in broad, shallow arches between the porch columns is a rare feature, wrought iron ornament fashionable on more elaborate houses of the time.

 

 
 



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3. Like the Bradbury house, the Greek Revival residence prominently sited at 59 Woodland Road was constructed in the late 1840's. Its first owner was Reverend Issac R. Worcester, editor of the Missionary Herald for many years. The symmetrically designed house was altered in the 1880's by the addition of bay windows on the north and south ends. An oriel window resting on pillars which frame the main entrance was also added at that time. The present doorway, with its elaborate leaded sidelights and transom, was installed at the turn of the century.

 

 
 



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4. Constructed in 1857 to a design by architect Charles E. Parker, the Romanesque Revival style Auburndale Congregational Church (United Parish of Auburndale) is a village landmark. The west doorway and south porch both feature richly carved moldings. Covered in patterned slate, the spire rests on a broach with clockfaces on each side. The open belfry below the clock carries the round-arched theme established by the church's window and door openings.

 

 
 



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103 Hancock

5. Mrs. Eliza Harding Walker began the Home for Missionaries Children in the house at 103-107 Hancock Street (ca. 1859). The widow of a missionary herself, Mrs. Walker devoted much of her life towards providing care for the children of missionaries stationed in outposts which lacked health care and educational facilities. Brackets at the eaves, chamfered porch posts, bay windows, and projecting cornices over the windows mark this house as an example of the Italianate style. Evidence of the Home's continuous expansion is seen in the three story addition at the south west corner.

 

 
 



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Williams School

6. The playfield across the street from Mrs. Walker's house was the site of the picturesque Queen Anne style Williams School (ca. 1883), demolished in 1950 when the present grammar school fronting Grove Street was constructed.

 

 
 



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7. New additions to old house need not be obtrusive. The recently constructed wing at the northwest corner of the Queen Anne style house at 119 Hancock Street (ca. 1881) matched the original section in scale and materials, yet has a distinctively modern character of its own.

 

 
 



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8. Charles E. Parker, the Boston architect who designed the Auburndale Congregation Church, lived at 7 Williston Road, (ca. 1850, addition ca. 1865). The original section of the house is the southerly portion seen to the left of the tower. It was built as a gardener's cottage on the 70-acre J.J. Walworth estate, which included the land to the west of Hancock St. Parker, who doubled the size of the house with the addition of the north wing, was the father of Horatio Parker, a noted composer of church music.

 

 
 



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9. The gambrel roofed brick building at 144 Hancock Street was constructed in 1913 for the Walker Missionary Home. The building's Colonial Revival style design blends well with the residential character of the neighborhood. The Walker Home provides living facilities to retired missionaries. A Walker tradition has been to maintain strong ties with the Auburndale community, and the involvement of its residents in church, school, and library activities reflects the vitality of that tradition.

 

 
 



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10. The five Mansard style houses along the west side of the intersection of Hancock and Grove Streets were built in the 1870's and 80's by Samuel F. Pickering, a real estate agent. Similar in plan and form, each house has distinctive trim and detailing. The generous spacing between each house is typical of the Victorian era, when a "garden setting" was a very desirable feature.

 

 
 



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11. The house at 176 Grove St exemplifies the hybrid character of many Mansard style residences. The design features a bellcast mansard roof combined with the paired brackets, ornate entrance porch, and double door associated with the Italianate style. Adjacent to the house is a picturesque carriage barn clad in board and batten siding.

 




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160 Grove


161 Grove

12. Simple and elaborate versions of the Italianate style which achieved great popularity among Auburndale's first suburban villagers stand across from each other at 160 and 161 Grove Street. Both constructed ca. 1850, these clapboarded houses feature the brackets, deep eaves and rounded accent windows which are the signature of the style. Several additions are apparent on 161 Grove Street, which is part of the Walker Home compound.

 




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Carter Hall/Yamawaki Center

13. Carter Hall is a Queen Anne style building that contained a swimming pool, gymnasium, and bowling alley when constructed for the Lasell Seminary in 1884. The polygonal corner tower, accented with patterned shingles, colored glass windows, and a tall cap is the focal point of the design. Originally linked by a covered bridge to Bradgon Hall, the Seminary's main building, Carter Hall now houses Lasell Junior College's art studios. The building was completely renovated about 1993 and is now know as the Yamawaki Center. The tower, and the entrance stairway were retained intact.

 




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14. Bragdon Hall (ca. 1850, demolished 1973). The original main hall with classrooms and dormitory space.

 




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150 Woodland

15. The house at 150 Woodland Road (Converse House) was built in 1896, and represents a blending of the Shingle and Colonial Revival styles. Classical detailing in the design of the doorway, the Palladian-style window, and the delicate, Adamesque mouldings is combined with a house form derived from the New England saltbox farmhouse. Shingled exterior walls and the 3-stroy turret-like bay on the Woodland Road facade are Shingle Style elements.

 




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174 Woodland

16. Both Converse House and the Colonial Revival style Carpenter Hall, located across Maple Street at 174 Woodland Road (ca. 1895) are used by Lasell College as dormitories. To accommodate twentieth century expansion the college has constructed new brick buildings and also acquired a large number of neighborhood residences. Today, the college is the guardian of a significant portion of Auburndale's 19th century architectural heritage.

 




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18 Hawthorne

17. Hawthorne Ave and several abutting streets were laid out by Abijah S. Johnson, a builder who was active in Auburndale's first phase of development. These streets respect and enhance the picturesque quality of the landscape. Many of the successful Boston businessmen who moved to Auburndale were raised on farms before moving to the city, and they sought an idyllic healthy environment in which to raise families. The railroad made Auburndale a highly desirable option. The residence at 18 Hawthorne Avenue (ca. 1936) represents a sensitive approach to reproduction Colonial style design, a marked contrast in form and character to the richly ornamented Victorian era residences on Woodland Avenue.

 




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39 Hawthorne

18. The house at 39 Hawthorne Avenue (ca. 1850) was formerly located at the southeast corner of Woodland Road and Hancock Street. When moved to this site in 1906, it was remodeled in the Colonial Revival style. The main door, windows, and front porch were probably installed at that time. The house was built for Reverend Jonathan Woodbridge, one of the several ministers who retired to Auburndale in the 1850's, earning it the nickname of "Saint's Rest." Like several of his colleagues, Woodbridge had a sharp eye for real estate and engaged in profitable speculative ventures in the village.

 




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51 Hawthorne

19. Abijah S. Johnson's house at 51 Hawthorne Avenue (ca. 1850) was probably crowned by a mansard roof when originally constructed. The hipped roof form did not achieve widespread popularity in Auburndale until the 1890's. The large six-over-six sash windows, doorway with sidelights and transom, and bracketed eaves are features found on many Johnson houses. The kitchen in this residence is located in the south wing. It was the custom to place the kitchen in an ell or wing until the late 1870's, when the new Queen Anne style integrated that room into the main body of the house.

 




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20. The Queen Anne style, commonly associated with large, expensive designs, was also suited to the 19th century counterpart of the tract house. The residence at 33 Aspen Avenue (ca. 1890) was an inexpensive, sidehall plan design dressed up by a two story bay window and a belt band of cut shingles The house was owned by William Clapstick, a florist whose greenhouses were behind his residence.  A note was recently found carved into the wall:  "HATHAWAY HARTMANN

BUILT 1894".
 




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55 Aspen


63 Aspen

21. Situated well back from Aspen Avenue, the setting of the Mansard cottage at No. 55 (ca. 1872) enhances its pavilion-like character. Its steep roof and shallow dormers create a full second floor. Patterned grey slates and quoins which frame the corners of the house are elegant details more often found on larger examples of the Mansard style. Next door at 63 Aspen Avenue (ca. 1888) is a large residence built as a speculative investment by Abijah Johnson's son Frederick. The broad veranda of this late Queen Anne style design extends along both the east and west sides, and is supported by Tuscan columns.

 




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74 Vista

22. The "Steamboat House" at 74 Vista Avenue was originally a square Mansard style residence constructed in the late 1870's. The elaborate porches and the semicircular south wing added in the 1890's give the house its imposing character. A large Mansard carriage barn is visible through the porte cochere, that section of the porch which extends over the driveway.

 




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62 Vista

23. The three story tower placed at the intersection of the two wings of the house at 62 Vista Avenue identifies the design as a rare example of the Italian Villa style. The tower is not only emphasized by its added height, but also by the wood ornament surrounded its paired, round-arched windows. A turreted carriage barn stands at the rear of the property.

 

 
 


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24. Atop Vista Hill sits "The Castle" as it is known locally. The mansion was built in 1870 in the High Victorian Gothic style. Its pattered slate roof, multi-colored cement brick walls, Gothic windows and vergeboards, and complex massing and roofline represent the fullest expression of picturesque architecture in the Victorian period. The Castle's most illustrious owner was Edwin B. Haskell, the owner and editor of The Boston Herald between 1865 and 1887. In this century, Lasell Junior College used the residence as classroom space before selling it for conversion to condominium housing in 1979. The exterior of the mansion has been restored to its original appearance.

 




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38 Vista

Poetess Louise Imogen Guiney moved to Auburndale with her widowed mother around 1885 to a house which stood on the site of 38 Vista Avenue. Miss Guiney was appointed postmistress of the Auburndale Post Office in 1894, a position she held for three years. Apparently, "the Irish-Catholic girl at the post office window became an anathema to WASPish orthodoxy," for Miss Guiney found the post office boycotted. This was a serious problem, because in the 19th century, stamp sales were the principle source of a postmaster's income. After the problem was solved, Miss Guiney wrote "...I had some rough sailing, thanks purely to my being a Catholic: i.e., one who might likely at any given moment give over the government mail, and the safe keys to the Pope!"
 




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15 Vista

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25. The house at 15 Vista Avenue (ca. 1872) was originally part of the Haskell estate. It is constructed of the same unusual concrete brick. Next door, 5 Vista Avenue was built in 1889 by Philip Butler, a fresco artist who worked with moulded plaster ornament as a means of interior decoration. The ground floor rooms of Butler's house are a showcase of his work, with floral cornices, star studded ceilings, and several varieties of moulded wainscoating. The Butler residence, now named Haskell House, is owned by Lasell Junior College and used for administrative offices.

 




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221 Woodland

26. A fine example of the Georgian Revival style, the house at 221 Woodland Road (ca. 1892) was purchased by Lasell in 1958, and is now the college president's house. The strictly symmetrical residence features an abundance of classical detailing, which includes a modillion cornice, fluted Roman Ionic pilasters, and a semicircular portico. The invention of machines able to carve intricate ornament made elements like the three swan's neck pediment window enframements on the main facade readily available, but still expensive.

 




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198 Woodland

27. A stone Mansard cottage (ca. 1885) stands just west of the Butler House at 198 Woodland Avenue. Random rubblestone is used in the walls, and sandstone quoins frame the corners of the 1 1/2 story house. A patterned slate roof and intricately gouged wood trim in the dormer windows and entrance porch complete the handsome design. Dr. Frank Donaldson practiced medicine for many years here.

 




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188 Woodland


204 Woodland

28. Across Woodland Road stand two houses of starkly contrasting character. The smaller house, No. 188, (ca. 1865) was built by Abijah S. Johnson for his son Frederick in the conservative Italianate style which he favored. Frederick Johnson achieved considerable financial success as a "weigher and inspector of hides" in Boston. In 1883 he erected a symbol of that success, the high style Queen Anne mansion at 204 Woodland Avenue. Symmetry was avoided in Queen Anne designs, as illustrated in the numerous projections, planes, and grouping of elements in this residence. Surface detail was also considered desirable, exhibited here in the use of clapboards, patterned shingles and belt coursing, and in the variety of window sizes and positions.

 




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29. Maple Terrace was created out of one large house lot in 1889. The original house, now located at 23 Maple Terrace, was sited near the shingled house at 150 Woodland Road. The 1889 sub-division laid out six houselots, three with frontage on Woodland Road, and three along the new dead-end street. William A. Alcott, author of scores of books of "counsel and instruction," was an early resident of the original house. Alcott's "avowed object in life was the prevention of vice, disease and poverty, but up to the time of his death, it remained unfulfilled."

 




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30. The house at 59 Maple Street was built (ca. 1896) by William Crane, an actor, for his two unmarried sisters. Like the "President's House," this hip roofed Colonial Revival style residence is symmetrically arranged around the central entry. Its wood shingle wall covering and lack of classical detailing creates a more informal tone than that of its pretentious cousin. The carriage house was remodeled for photographic purposes and attached to the house about 1980.

 




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31. Groveland Street was created in 1896 when the seven acre J. Willard Rice estate was subdivided. The main house stood where the street now runs, and it faced Grove Street. The steadily rising demand for houselots in Auburndale at the turn of the century rendered several of the village's largest estates vulnerable to development pressure. Cheswick Road, running between Woodland Road and Commonwealth Avenue, was created in the same manner. The arts and crafts house at 35 Groveland Street. was constructed in 1909 by E.C. Hammond using plans obtained from Gustav Stickley's "Craftsman" magazine issue of Oct 1905. A set of original blueprints are on display at "Craftsman Farms" museum in Morristown, NJ. The house features a steep 15 pitch roof, unusual for a bungalow, 16 over 1 paned windows, a tiled fireplace, and beamed ceilings in the living, dining and entrance hallway. The living and dining rooms as well as the newly renovated kitchen have wood paneling below an eye-level plate rail in the arts and crafts style. There are numerous hand-hammered copper light fixtures. The house has had only two owners.

 




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34 Groveland

32. Architect George D. Rand designed 34 Groveland Street for himself in 1902, when he was a partner in the firm of Rand and Taylor. The dark-stained wood shingle wall covering and deep gambrel roof identify this house as a late example of the Shingle Style, which achieved popularity in seaside resort towns such as Newport, Rhode Island and Bar Harbor, Maine, in the 1880's.

 




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60 Grove

33. The house at 60 Grove Street (ca. 1896) is another Shingle Style residence. Paired Tuscan columns and a deck balustrade are Colonial Revival style elements which were typically integrated with Newton's Shingle Style houses. Design features shared by this house and 34 Groveland Street suggest that it is the work of Rand and Taylor.

 




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49 Grove

34. The building at 49 Grove Street was known as the Nye Park Inn at the turn of the century. The south wall of the structure, identified by a pair of two-story bay windows, originally faced Grove Street. The Inn was turned 90 degrees in a clockwise direction (ca. 1910) to create room for Central Terrace. Steep gables and tall chimneys with corbeled caps emphasize the building's unusual height. It was converted to condominiums about 1988.

 




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35. Auburndale's Henry Hobson Richardson-designed railroad station (ca. 1881) stood just north of Central Street until its demolition to make way for the Massachusetts Turnpike Extension in 1962. The turnpike also claimed Nye Park, which was adjacent to the station, and Burr Park, which lay at the foot of Hancock Street.

 




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349 Auburn

36. The corner of Lexington and Auburn Streets has always been the center of Auburndale's commercial area. The business district first evolved to meet the needs of the residential population in the Civil War era. Two structures which date from that time are 452 Lexington Street and 293 Auburn Street. Both are woodframe buildings adapted for commercial use. Known as the Plummer block, 293 Auburn Street was capped by a mansard roof. Its "skirt" of storefronts is part of the original design, although the brick facing and angled plate glass windows are twentieth century alterations.

 






37. The next two houses are not shown on the tour map. This high Victorian Gothic style house is located at 203 Islington Road. The slate roof patterns and colored shingles over the windows are a feature.

 






38. The shingle style is represented at 405 Wolcott Street in this large fine example.

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