MHC Reconnaissance Survey Town Report HOLLISTON Report Date: 1980 Reconnaissance Survey Town Reports, produced for MHC’s Statewide Reconnaissance Survey between 1979 and 1987, introduce the historical development of each of the Commonwealth’s municipalities. Each report begins with an historic overview, a description of topography, and political boundaries. For the purposes of the survey, the historic period has been subdivided into seven periods: Contact (1500–1620), Plantation (1620–1675), Colonial (1675– 1775), Federal (1775–1830), Early Industrial (1830-1870), Late Industrial (1870–1915), and Early Modern (1915–1940/55). Each report concludes with survey observations that evaluate the town’s existing historic properties inventory and highlight significant historic buildings, settlement patterns, and present threats to these resources. A bibliography lists key secondary resources. Town reports are designed for use together with a series of town maps that demarcate settlement patterns, transportation corridors and industrial sites for each historic period. These maps are in the form of color-coded, polyester overlays to the USGS topographic base map for each town on file and available for consultation at MHC. For further information on the organization and preparation of town reports, readers should contact MHC. Users should keep in mind that these reports are now two decades or more old. The information they contain, including assessments of existing knowledge, planning recommendations, understanding of local development, and bibliographic references all date to the time they were written. In some cases, information on certain topics was not completed. No attempt has been made to update this information. Electronic text was not available for digital capture, and as a result most of the reports have been scanned as PDF files. While all have been processed with optical character recognition, there will inevitably be some character recognition errors. The activity that is the subject of the MHC Reconnaissance Survey Town Report has been financed in part with Federal funds from the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. However, the contents and opinions do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of the Interior. This program receives Federal financial assistance for identification and protection of historic properties. Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended, the U.S. Department of the Interior prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability or age in its federally assisted programs. If you believe you have been discriminated against in any program, activity or facility as described above, or if you desire further information please write to: Office of Equal Opportunity, National Park Service, 1849 C Street, N.W., Washington, D.C., 20240. MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth Chair, Massachusetts Historical Commission 220 Morrissey Blvd. Boston, MA 02125 www.sec.state.ma.us/mhc [email protected] / 617-727-8470 WC RECONNAISSAYE SURVEY REPORT Date: Februaw 1980 Community: Holliston TOPOGRAPHY Located on r o l l i n g , occasionally rugged upland t e r r a i n . Several areas of exposed bedrock. Strong evidence of g l a c i a l reworking - - a d e f i n i t e N/S grain t o landscape, many g l a c i a l outwash features. A rocky, gravelly s o i l . Several streams cut through uplands, basically i n a southerly direction, i n t o Charles. Some ponds, notably Lake Winthrop. Large areas of upland cedar bog and swamp between elevations. POL1TICAL BOUNDARIES Area i n i t i a l l y composed of individual land grants, 1659-1670. Part of Town of Sherborn, 1674. Incorporated as Town of Holliston, 1724. HISTORIC OVERVIJ 3 Outlying suburban town of metropolitan Boston located on intermediate highlands between Charles and Sudbury Rivers. Set on main axis of native t r a i l s t o southwest i n t e r i o r with village s i t e s reported a t Lake Winthrop f o r Contact period. Zone of early English settlement during 17th century with agricultural economy and formation of town center by mid-18th century. Development of local c r a f t industries of shoes and straw bonnets with railroad connection during mid-19th century creates pre-urban v i l l a g e with variety of suburban housing forms and well-preserved examples of high-style brick and stone period houses. Restricted economic growth by early 20th century o f f s e t by increasing development of suburban landscape along main highways. IV . CONTACT PERIOD (1500-1620) A. Transportation Routes : Intermediate highland between Charles and Sudbury Rivers. Principal t r a i l s follow SW direction t o i n t e r i o r with documented t r a i l from Sherborn around Bogastow Brook t o Lake Winthrop (native s i t e ) around BullardCentral S t r e e t s and Strawberry H i l l portions apparently s t i l l i n t a c t Alternate route from Sherborn presumed t o follow Plorse, p. 273) Whitney-Washington S t r e e t s t o base of M t . Hollis (Route 16) with loop t o Lake Winthrop and continue as Washington S t r e e t t o Braggville (route 16). Conjectured branch around M t . Hollis and Chicken Brook followed axis of Hollis-Prentice S t r e e t s . I t is also l i k e l y t h a t a N/S t r a i l linked with Sudbury River along J a r Brook, but location is uncertain. . B. Settlement Pattern: Some s i t e s with probable period occupation. A major multi-component s i t e (called Mucksquit) on SW sided Lake Winthrop (Wennakeening) , both Woodland and contact material reported. Other s i t e s also noted around lake. Area between Fiske and Central S t r e e t s along Dopping Brook also reported t o contain period s i t e s (called chabboquasett) . MHC Reconnaissance Survey Town Report: Holliston C. Subsistence Pattern: Variety of resources available - - fresh water fishing i n Lake Winthrop, anadramus f i s h i n Charles, upland and marshland hunting/gathering, adequate agricultural land. Cleared f i e l d s reported along Dopping Brook by e a r l y s e t t l e r s . D. Observations: Though evidence i s patchy, an apparent area of semi-permanent native settlement, possibly the 'core area' f o r a Wipmuck group which ranged through the area between the upper Charles and upper Sudbury. FIRST SETTLEMENT PERIOD (1620-1675) A. T r a n s ~ o r t a t i o nRoutes : Native t r a i l s extended as highways by mid-17th century, notably route t o Mendon around Bogastow Brook t o Lake Winthrop used by E l i o t f o r praying towns i n 1650s, and t r a i l around M t . Hollis (Route 16). New Grant roads from Medway (1660) s e t around Lake Winthrop. Very small, perhaps two o r three inhabitants. C. Settlement: After 1660 single dwellings on M t . Hollis (Jasper Adams) and o f f Central S t r e e t above Dipping Brook (William Heffield?) . Economic Base: Limited agriculture and grazing (sheep) . E. Observations: More wilderness than f r o n t i e r , some inroads from Sherborn and Medf i e l d . Too exposed f o r much development t o occur. COLONIAL PERIOD (16 75 - 17 75 A. Transportation Routes : Trails remain from mid-17th century with s h i f t of main highway along Washington S t r e e t (Route 16) through Holliston center by 1680s. Location of meetinghouse by e a r l y 18th century prompts radial roads from Holliston center as Concord-Ashland-Highland and Winter Streets t o north and Norfolk and Fisk S t r e e t s t o south. Western roads around Cedar Swamp by mid-18th century include Gorwin Drive over Miller H i l l (portions abandoned) and Adams -Marshal 1 Streets . Steady growth a f t e r f i r s t decade of 18th century. MHC Reconnaissance Survey Town Report: Holliston By 1728 estimate of 150 inhabitants and 30 farms. By 1753, approximately 400 inhabitants (53 dead i n Great Sickness) . Census of 1765 l i s t e d 705 inhabitants i n 115 families and 103 houses. C . Settlement : After King P h i l i p ' s War, gradual settlement throughout eastern p a r t of town, especially along Washington S t r e e t and J a r Brook. Village center emerged on Washington S t r e e t between M t . Hollis and Bogastow Brook. Meetinghouse b u i l t and cemetary l a i d out, 1725-31. F i r s t schools b u i l t , 1738 -- one i n v i l l a g e center, another f o r western p a r t of town (South and Washington S t r e e t s ) . A t l e a s t two taverns i n village center by mid-18th century. Small farms throughout town by end of period. D. Economic Base: Agriculture and grazing, p a r t i c u l a r l y sheep. Processing of wool a cottage industry. Some lumbering, especially f o r cedar. Considerable milling: g r i s t and sawmill a t J a r Brook/Bogastow Brook, a f t e r 1680; a t l e a s t two additional mills on J a r Brook a f t e r 1720; sawmill on Chicken Brook, 1724; an ironworks, 1747 on Beaver Brook(?). Several taverns on Washington S t r e e t by mid-18th century, both i n village and outside. E. Architecture: Residential: High-style houses ( i f any were b u i l t ) would be l i k e l y t o e x i s t i n the v i c i n i t y of Washington S t r e e t , although none a r e apparent; vernacular building appears t o have been dominated by the use of the twostory, twin ( i n t e r i o r ) chimney house-plan followed by a s l i g h t l y smaller number of central chimney, two-storey houses; a small number of central chimney Cape Cod cottages may also have been b u i l t although few are evident. I n s t i t u t i o n a l : Meetinghouse b u i l t 1724-25; three schoolhouses b u i l t 1738 f o r three school d i s t r i c t s ; no other i n s t i t u t i o n a l buildings recorded. Commercial: No specialized commercial structures l i k e l y t o have been b u i l t with possible exception of taverns along Washington S t r e e t . Industrial: F. Grist and saw mills only. Observations: Gradual transformation from a routh, outlying f r o n t i e r community t o a prosperous r u r a l town. Combination of good resources and access (Washington Street) allowed community to develop. VII . FEDERAL PERIOD (1775-1830) A. Transportation Routes : Highways remain i n place from 18th century with main road through town center t o Boston as Washington S t r e e t (Route 16). MHC Reconnaissance Survey Town Report: Holliston Population declined 1775-1800; rose a f t e r 1800, rapid r i s e began a f t e r 1820; no new religious s o c i e t i e s formed. C. Settlement Location: Primarily l i n e a r development along Washington S t r e e t with small c l u s t e r s a t Braggville, Metcalf, Hollis ton Center and East Holliston. D. Economic Base: Boot and shoe manufacture as cottage industry by 1793 - - i n i t i a t e d by Ariel Bragg a t Braggville; elsewhere soon a f t e r . Cottage industry i n straw braid and bonnets i n i t i a t e d by Leland i n 1815. Small thread mill on Winthrop Brook (Linden S t r e e t ) . E. Architecture: Residential: Vernacular forms of preceding period probably continued t o be b u i l t t o 1800-1810; wide variety of Federalist s t y l e two-storey house plans employed, including end-wall chimney and rearwall chimney plans w i t h and without hip roofs; also present a r e a moderate number of high-style examples, generally with four room plans and end wall chimneys. A moderate number of central chimney cottages also e x i s t . A l l levels of house building contain pattern-book decorative d e t a i l s , especially e n t r i e s with semi-circular transoms and ornately leaded glass. I n s t i t u t i o n a l : New Federalist s t y l e meetinghouse b u i l t 1823; eight school d i s t r i c t s established 1801; f i r s t town h a l l b u i l t 1825. Commercial: No construction recorded, although small scale building of stores (possibly as p a r t s of houses) and taverns/inns l i k e l y . Industrial: Shoe-maker's workshops b u i l t a f t e r 1793; f i r s t m u facturing m i l l b u i l t 1814 (thread mill) - - appearance uncertain. VIII. EARLY INDUSTRIAL PERIOD (1830-18701 A. Transportation Routes : Highways remain from early 19th century. Branch r a i l r o a d from Framingham to Milford (1848) around Holliston center t o Braggville with stone viaduct over Bogastow Brook a t East Holliston. B. Population: Rapid growth t o 1860, a f t e r which population declined s l i g h t l y ; moderately large foreign-born population (primarily I r i s h ) present by ca. 1845-55; new religious s o c i e t i e s formed including Methodist (1831), Universalist (1836) , Baptist (1860) , Episcopal (1864) and Catholic (pre-1870) . MHC Reconnaissance Survey Town Report: Holliston C. Settlement Location: Continued l i n e a r development along Washington S t r e e t , particularly between Metcalf and East Holliston; side s t r e e t s developed a t Holliston Center marked by s l i g h t social segregation with cottage d i s t r i c t s e a s t of Washington S t r e e t ( i n the v i c i n i t y of railroad bed) and wealthier d i s t r i c t s along Washington S t r e e t and, t o a l e s s e r extent, on h i l l s i d e s i t e s northwest of Washington S t r e e t . D. Economic Base: East Holliston developed rapidly as small industrial center including sawmill, forge and auger factory, small cotton m i l l , and i n 1837, Houghton 6 Joslyn, manufacturer of copper pumps. I t s successor ( a f t e r 1851), South Wilder 6 Co. shipped hand pumps a l l over the world, surviving u n t i l a f t e r World War 11. Value of straw and leather goods produced continued t o r i s e . ?he town's single straw factory, erected i n 1862, by 1865 produced $100,000 worth of straw goods manufactured now from imported Chinese braid. The f i r s t large shoe factory is not believed t o have been erected u n t i l 1879 ( ~ e e s ) . E. Architecture: Residential: Wide variety present both i n the scale and s t y l e s of houses b u i l t during this period. Greek Revival s t y l e represented by temple f r o n t houses and cottages as well as by side h a l l houses, a l though the l a r g e s t number of examples of the s t y l e a r e side-hall cottages; a small number of carpenter Gothic cottages and houses (ca. 1840-60) e x i s t s ; exceptional examples of I t a l i a n a t e v i l l a s e x i s t of which the mst high-style have "L" plans and low hip roofs, other examples include a small number of center-entrance and side-hall houses; the l a r g e s t number of I t a l i a n a t e s t y l e houses a r e simple side-hall cottages. L i t t l e Second Empire architecture e x i s t s . An unusually large number of houses r e t a i n o r i g i n a l fences (iron and wood) , granite retaining walls and granite gate posts . I n s t i t u t i o n a l : Three new churches b u i l t (Methodist, 1833; Univers a l i s t , 1838-39; Baptist, 1866) , two remdelled (Universalist, 1854; Congregational, 1845, 1850, 1859), one begun but not completed (Episcopal, ca. 1870) ; churches of 1830s retained Federalis t/Greek Revival designs, while those a f t e r the mid-1840s were e i t h e r of Gothic o r I t a l i a n a t e design. Eight school d i s t r i c t s i n use throughout period; private high school(s) present a f t e r 1831, public high school i n s t i t u t e d 1850-51. I t a l i a n a t e s t y l e (architect-designed) Town Hall b u i l t 1851; possible firehouse a t Metcalf (ca. 1865-75) . Commercial: Probably limited t o one and two-storey wood-frame blocks a t current town center and a t East Holliston; a t l e a s t one twostorey temple front block b u i l t (ca. 1845) although much of commercial center was destroyed i n f i r e of 1875; t r a i n depots b u i l t by 1847-50. Industrial: Gradual passing of one-storey shops i n favor of two t o five-s torey wood- frame factories (straw and shoe making) located along r a i l r o a d bed, factories bore elements of I t a l i a n a t e s t y l e but were mostly a s t y l i s t i c . MHC Reconnaissance Survey Town Report: Holliston IX. LATE INDUSTRIAL PERIOD (1870 - 1915) A. Transportation Routes: Rail and road system i n t a c t from mid-19th century with s t r e e t railway route from Ashland-Framingham t o Milford through Town center over Concord-Washington S t r e e t s . Population : Peak reached i n 1875 a f t e r which population declined continuously u n t i l 1900; foreign-born population remained s t a b l e in number although I r i s h declined i n numbers, p a r t i c u l a r l y by the early twentieth century when Russians became the town's second l a r g e s t foreign-born group. No new religious congregations known. C. Settlement Location: No s i g n i f i c a n t expansion of built-up area; f i r e destroyed much of commercial center i n 1875. D. Economic Base: In addition t o straw and leather goods, the manufacture of woolens was added with the establishment i n 1881 of the Holliston Mills on the former cotton factory s i t e i n East Holliston. Also i n East Holliston was the Shawmut Waxed Paper Co. on Woodland S t r e e t , held t o be the f i r s t factory i n the country t o produce t h i s product (Rees) . (The company survived i n t o the 1960s when the increased use of aluminum f o i l and p l a s t i c films closed the business). In 1875 there were ten boot and shoe factories i n town. A t the very end of the period the l a r g e s t shoe factory i n town was erected, the landmark Goodwill Shoe Co. of Arthur Ashley W i l l i a m s . E. Architecture: Residential: Nearly no new building during period; it i s unlikely t h a t contemporary s t y l e s a r e represented by more than one o r two modest examples. I n s t i t u t i o n a l : New church building and remodelling were primarily i n Gothic Revival s t y l e (Catholic Church, 1873; Methodist Church r e modelled, 1874); grading introduced t o center school by 1890 when town had f i v e grammar, nine lower, one intermediate and one high school (some of these schools may have shared the same buildings); public l i b r a r y b u i l t 1903 (with Carnegie donation?). Commercial: Center r e - b u i l t with wood-frame, two-storey blocks (ca. 1875-95) , primarily of Second Empire and Queen Anne s t y l e s ; one brick bank block (Second Empire s t y l e ) b u i l t 1872; four railroad depots i n operation during period. Industrial: L i t t l e new construction seems t o have occurred a f t e r 1880s, e s s e n t i a l l y of same scale and materials a s i n d u s t r i a l construetion of preceding period. MHC Reconnaissance Survey Town Report: Holliston -7- W Y MODERN PERIOD (1915-1940) A. Transportation Routes : Rail and highway network remains i n t a c t with abandonment of t r o l l e y route i n 1920s. Regional auto highways through Holliston center by 1930s, E/W as Route 16 (Washington Street) and N/S as Route 126 (Concord-Washington-Summer S t r e e t s ) . B. Population: Small, steady increase i n population throughout period. C. Settlement Location: No basic change from preceding period. D. Economic Base: Though the town's manufactured output appears t o have peaked i n the 1870s o r early '80s, many of the town's established firms (with the exception of straw manufacture) continued well i n t o the Early Modern period. E. Architecture: Residential: New construction probably r e s t r i c t e d t o m d e s t Bungalows, l i t t l e evidence of Colonial Revival s t y l e . I n s t i t u t i o n a l : L i t t l e new building except f o r brick schoolhouses (Colonial Revival s t y l e ) probably following changeover t o a f u l l y graded school system (ca. 1915-25?) . Commercial : Some one-s torey frame structures (as t y l i s t i c ) and brick automobile service s t a t i o n s b u i l t along Fiske S t r e e t near town center and a t East Holliston. Indus t r i a l : No apparent new construction . XI. SOURCES Morse, Abner , A H i s tory of Sherborn and Hollis ton (1856) . Rees, Dorothy, Holliston, Massachusetts 1724-1974 (1974) . Bragg, Ernest A., The Origin and Growth of the Boot and Shoe Industry i n Holliston Where I t Began i n 1793 (1951). MHC Reconnaissance Survey Town Report: Holliston
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