The Final Landmark Designation Report for the Hovey & Markham Cottages as follows: Property located at 44 Cottage Street. See renumbered Agenda item #2 and #8 on 2/12/2018, formerly Agenda item #1A and #1B on 2/12/2018

The Hovey & Markham cottages at 40 and 44 Cottage Street are importantly associated with the eco- nomic and social history of Cambridge. Architect William Hovey and Boston housewright Leonard Mark- ham’s completion of the cottages, the first homes built in this block, prompted additional high quality de- velopment on this street. Their construction in 1839 was the start of a period of rapid development in the Cambridgeport neighborhood, which was growing and industrializing in the middle of the nineteenth cen- tury.

The families that resided in these homes were and are leaders in local businesses and social and ser- vice organizations. The cottages are also architecturally significant examples of the Greek Revival style. The pattern of development set by these homes for this side of the block maximized the usable yard space by positioning the homes on the far west side of the lots.

If implemented by the City Council, landmark designation would allow the Commission to review and approve publicly-visible exterior alterations with the goal of protecting the historic integrity of the build- ings and their setting. The designation would not regulate use, plant materials, or alterations to interior features.

Susan Maycock and Sarah Burks

Cambridge Historical Commission

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I.

Location and Status

A.

Address and Zoning

The Hovey & Markham cottages at 40 and 44 Cottage Street are located on the south side of Cot- tage Street between Pleasant and Magazine streets. No. 40 Cottage Street occupies a 4,846 square foot lot (Map 104/Lot 92) and 44 Cottage occupies a 4,537 (Map 104/Lot 91). The lots are located in a Residence C zoning district, which allows single to multi-family dwellings with a 0.60 Floor Area Ratio (FAR) limit, 35-foot height limit, and a density of 1,800 square feet per dwelling unit. The houses both have non-conforming west side and rear setbacks due to a historic pattern of placement of houses on their lots to maximize yard space.

Environs of 40 and 44 Cottage Street (top) and detail lot plans (right). Cambridge GIS, Assessor’s database.

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Aerial view of Cottage Street. ConnectExplorer ™ https://explorer.pictometry.com

B.

Ownership and Occupancy

The two properties are separately owned. Robin M. Chase and Roy P. Russell, Jr., leased 40 Cot- tage Street with an option to purchase beginning in June 1989. They completed the purchase of from William H. Chafe in July 1994. The deed is recorded in the Middlesex South Registry of Deeds in Book 24,692/Page 516. Charles E. Allen Jr. became a co-owner of number 44 with Anne M. Strong in December 1994 as recorded in a deed at Middlesex South Registry of Deeds in Book 25,092/Page 464. Ms.

Strong had purchased number 44 from Georgianna C. Blasi in June 1992 (Book 22089/Page 78). The assessed value for land and buildings in 2018 was $1,247,600 for 40 Cottage Street and $1,420,000 for 44 Cottage Street. Both were originally built as single-family houses but 44 Cottage Street is currently assessed as a two-family and the renovation proposal for 40 Cottage Street would result in a two-family residence.

C.

Area Description

Cottage Street runs one way from east to west. The First Korean Church (formerly the Pilgrim Congregational Church) anchors the northwest corner of Cottage and Magazine streets. All the other structures in this block are residential, two-thirds of which were constructed between 1839 and 1846. A few infill structures dating from 1881 to 1914 complete the block. The houses here are generally in very good condition.

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View of 36-44 Cottage Street, looking west.

D.

Context of this Designation Report

A demolition permit request for 40 Cottage was received on February 9, 2016 (Case D-1390). The house was found significant and preferably preserved in March 2016, causing a six-month delay in issuance of a demolition permit. 1 During the delay period the owners revised their plans so that only the ell would be demolished, a new ell built, and the front of the house renovated. The Commission waived the remainder of the delay, subject to receiving the other necessary ap- provals for a building permit for the replacement project. However, the owners withdrew their application for zoning relief and the project did not proceed.

In February 2017, a month before the expiration of the demolition delay, abutter Charles Allen submitted a petition for a landmark designation study of both 40 and 44 Cottage Street. The Commission voted to initiate landmark study of both properties. Acceptance of the petition initi- ated a one-year period in which the Historical Commission would regulate the property as if it were already designated.

In August 2017, the owners of 40 Cottage Street filed an application for a certificate of appropri- ateness for a project that included renovation of both the existing house and the ell, demolition of the garage, and construction of a new foundation and an addition on the east side of the house.

1 The owners later explained that the demolition request and replacement project was intended to show the possibili- ties of a zoning as-of-right project and to encourage their neighbors’ support for a renovation and addition to the ex- isting house that would require zoning relief. 5

Design refinements were reviewed by the Commission in September and October and the certifi- cate approved at the October 5, 2017 hearing for plans dated September 20, 2017 (see renderings below). Both a zoning as-of-right design and a preferred design option, which would require a special permit from the Board of Zoning Appeal, were approved by the Commission. The main differences in the as-of-right and special permit designs are the location of the egress door and stair for the front unit, number of parking spaces, and window changes on the west elevation.

Rendering by Boyes-Watson Architects, 9/20/17 of approved preferred (requires zoning special permit)

Comparison of Existing, Preferred, and As of Right Site plans by Boyes-Watson Architects, 9/20/17. 6

II.

Architectural Description

40 Cottage Street. North/front elevation (left) and west elevation (right). CHC photos 2017, 2018.

Forty Cottage Street is a 1½-story single-family frame house oriented with its gable end to the street. The three-bay side hall house was executed in the Greek Revival style with a broad gable, a temple front porch with four Doric columns, symmetrically placed 6-over-6 windows, a combi- nation of flush board and clapboard siding, wide pilasters, and sidelights flanking the front door. The large shed roof dormer on the east side is a later addition, as is the rear porch and ell exten- sion.

The main block of the house measures 23’ wide by 28’ deep. The 2-story ell extends another 34’ to the rear of the lot and measures 16’ wide. The house consists of approximately 2, 284 square feet of living space (per assessment), not counting any finished space in the basement.