Date of construction: 1886-1887 mentioned in published material, but no cited reference
Architect: not known, Shand-Tucci says possibly John Fox
This house appears in the 1889 atlas and was apparently built as a house to be sold or to be rented. John and Mary Phillips lived on Alban Street. They sold 19 Carruth to Charlotte Redfern in October of 1890.
The following is from: Ashmont: An Historical Guide to Peabody Square, Caruth’s Hill, and Ashmont Hill and the Architecture of Edwin J. Lewis, Jr. and John A. Fox. By Paul Douglass Shand-Tucci. Dorchester, Dorchester Historical Society, 1991. p. 62
… 19 Carruth, the Shapleigh-Burleigh House. Built for John and Mary Phillips ca. 1886-87, this house takes its name from the two most prominent families to live here: the John Shapleighs (he was head of Cedar Grove Cemetery) and the Frederick Burleighs. A real estate agent with offices both intown and at the Argyle, who sold ad resold nearly all these houses in his lifetime, Burleigh was the first of his family to live here and the first of three generations of the family to be lay leaders at All Saints’. Architecturally, the house, probably the second oldest on the street, reflects the mid-1880s fashion for picturesque, romantic cottages — and its charms are all the more valued today because this house has been liberated from its artificial siding as part of a complete and thorough restoration, the best alternative of all. Note the varying kinds of ornamental shingling here–square cut and staggered, with or without an intervening straight-cut course, wavy (high up in the gables), and scalloped (on the front-door hood). Observe, too, the picturesque front dormer — all evidence that this house may have been designed by John Fox.
The following is the Area Form from for Carruth Street/Peabody Square prepared as part of 1994 Survey of Dorchester, Boston Landmarks Commission..
Attributed to John A. Fox by Douglas Shand Tucci, 19 Carruth Street was built ca. 1886-87 for John and Mary Phillips. During the 1890s, it was owned by Charlotte H. Redfern. Early 20th-century owners included John Shapleigh, head of Cedar Grove Cemetery and Frederick Burleigh, a real estate agent active in the sale of Carruth’s Hill’s houses and for many years active as a lay leader at All Saints’.
Street history:
entry for Carruth Street in
A Record of the Streets, Alleys, Places, Etc., in the City of Boston. (Boston, 1910).
Carruth Street, Dor., 1869; from 239 Ashmont Street to 412 Codman Street [now Gallivan Boulevard]; laid out, Aug. 12, 1869. Plan in Boston Engineering Department L976.
Owners’ names from atlases
1884 Plate J
vacant lot owned among others by Robt Murray, lot size 7699 sq ft
1889 Plate 25
M. W. Phillips, lot size 7825 sq ft
1894 Plate 28
Charlotte H. Redfern
1898 Plate 28
Charlotte H. Redfern
1904 Plate 28
John F. Shapleigh
1910 Plate 28
John F. Shapleigh
1918 Plate 28
Fred W. Burleigh
1933 Plate 28
F. W. and L. A. Burleigh
Boston Directory
1889, 1890 John G. Phillips, treasurer Church Cleansing Co. 169 Tremont, h. Alban
1891 Edward C. Redfern, 435 Washington, bds. 19 Carruth
1892 Edward C. Redfern, bds. 19 Carruth
1893 Edward C. Redfern, bds. 19 Carruth
1894 Edward C. Redfern, bds. 19 Carruth
1895 Edward C. Redfern, bds. 19 Carruth
1896 Edward C. Redfern, bds. 19 Carruth
1897 Edward C. Redfern, bds. 19 Carruth
1898 Edward C. Redfern, bds. 19 Carruth
1899 no entry for Edward Redfern; Shapleigh lives on Malvern
1900 John F. Shapleigh, supt. Cedar Grove cemetery, h. 20 Malvern
residents from Blue Books
1894 Miss Lucy R. Cook
Francis Allen
Edward C. Redfern
1896 Mr. & Mr. Charles S. Kendall
Miss Lucy R. Cook
Edward C. Redfern
1898 Miss Lucy R. Cook
Edward C. Redfern
1900 no entry for 19 Carruth
1902 Mr. & Mrs. John F. Shapleigh
The Misses Shapleigh
1904 Mr. & Mrs. John F. Shapleigh
The Misses Shapleigh
1906 Mr. & Mrs. John F. Shapleigh
1908 Mr. & Mrs. John F. Shapleigh
1910 Mr. & Mrs. John F. Shapleigh
1913 Mr. & Mrs. John F. Shapleigh
1915 Mr. & Mrs. Fred W. Burleigh
Boston Residents Lists aged 20 and older as of April 1st
entries for [address]
Note that if there is no previous address, the list indicates the person lived at this address the year before
Census 1900 20 Malvern Street
John F. Shapleigh, 60, b. Maine, Supt Cemetery
Persis, 57, b. Maine
Gertrude, 25, b. Maine
Mabel, 23, b. Maine, saleswoman dry goods
Census 1910 19 Carruth Street
John F. Shapleigh, 71, b. Maine, Superintendent of a cemetery
Persis Shapleigh, 71, b. Maine
Mabel E Shapleigh, daughter, 34, b. NH, saleslady in a jewelry store
Census 1920 19 Carruth Street
Fred W. Burleigh, 48, b. Mass., real estate bus
Lida A. Burleigh, 47, b. Mass.
Frederick H. Burleigh, 13, b. Mass.
Philllip W. Burleigh, 10, b. Mass.
Hortense Burleigh, 8, b. Mass.
Pearl Addamson, servant, 19, b. Mass.
Census 1930 19 Carruth Street
Fred W. Burleigh, 58, b Mass., real estate agent
Lida Burleigh, 57, b. Mass.
Frederick Burliegh, 23, b. Mass.
Phillip Burleigh, 20, b. Mass.
Hortense Burleigh, 18, b. Mass.
deeds
May 31, 1882 from Lowell Five Cent Savings Bank to Mary W. Phillips, wife of John G. Phillips 1562.212 lot 105 plan 1097.266
parcel of land
Oct. 16, 1890 John G. Phillips & ux. to Charlotte H. Redfern Book 1962 Page 177 Dorch. Carruth St Lot 105 pl. 1097.266 purchased with a $5,000 mortgage Book 1962, p. 178
index screen 448
parcel with the buildings thereon