24 Beaumont Street - Dorchester Atheneum

No. 18777 24 Beaumont Street, photograph September 20, 2018.

No. 11888 24 Beaumont Street, photograph by Andrew Saxe, circa 2011

Located on the eastern corner of Beaumont Street and Barrington Road

Date of construction: 1883 mentioned in published material, but no cited reference other than MACRIS, which may have gotten the information from Ashmont cited below

Architect: – John A. Fox mentioned in published material, but no cited reference other than MACRIS, which may have gotten the information from Ashmont cited below

Style: Queen Anne

The development on Beaumont Street began with the Carruths building these four houses: on the left 24 Beaumont Street and 30 Beaumont and on the right 11 and 17 Beaumont Street.

24 Beaumont was designed by John A. Fox, a Victorian-era architect who was a gifted, imaginative designer of upscale suburban residences. Born in 1836, the son of Boston Transcript editor Thomas Fox, John Fox studied architecture under Ware and Van Brunt; after becoming an architect in 1870, Fox earned a regional practice, designing several Boston buildings as well as the Providence Opera House.

Published descriptions:

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. 60-61

The earliest of Fox’s three houses at this intersection is 24 Beaumont, the Nichols-McGill House, which takes its more recent name from the McGill family, who have lived here for nearly half a century, and its first name from the house’s original builder in 1883, Smith Nichols, whose family also lived here for nearly half a century. A graduate of Annapolis who saw duty in the South Atlantic and in the Asiatic squadron as well as in the South Pacific, Nichols had a distinguished record during the Civil War. He served on the U.S.S. Shenandoah during the bombardment of Fort Fisher in 1865 and commanded the naval end of the successful assault on the fort–one reason Nichols earned inclusion in Who’s Who in New England. A Boston native and scion of the Popes through his mother, Nichols married a Dorchester girl, Henrietta Estabrooks. He had 24 Beaumont built the year after his retirement in 1882, commissioning Fox (who like the captain and Carruth was connected to the Popes; Dorchester was a very small world then) to design for him a house that does seem, just above its entrance, to achieve something of the look of a ship’s bridge. And rather movingly, when one considers what the name would mean to a naval officer, he called it “The Moorings,” a name the McGills still happily acknowledge more than a hundred years later.

Fox’s design is distinguished; 24 Beaumont is a dream of a Queen Anne house. Particularly intriguing is the way Fox adroitly composed the principal facade around one triangular element after another: on the first and second floors dramatic triangular pediments surmount multiwindow groups that reflect the overall triangular gable crowning the facade, at the apex of which is yt another triangle, this time in the form of a geometric window. Notice the way Fox tucks under the corners of the lower pediments small-paned square windows that on the second floor (and also on a third-floor dormer) project outward so as to become almost free-standing boxes with small paned glazing on two sides–resembling a ship’s lantern or ship-cabin windows. Beautifully preserved today, though its porch has been partly enclosed and has lost the stylish second-floor balustrade that originally crowned it, the Nichols-McGill House is truly a gift to the street.

The following is from the Area Form from Boston Landmarks Commission for Carruth Street/Peabody Square prepared as part of 1994 Survey of Dorchester. Dated May, 1995 and recorded by Edward W. Gordon.

24 Beaumont Street is another Queen Anne house of considerable style and substance that depends on highly plastic surface treatments for interest with projecting open and enclosed porches, gable- and shed- roofed projections and end wall gables. Its first floor is covered with clapboards. Its upper floors are covered with scalloped shingles. Rising from its roof are tall corbelled chimneys, again displaying a distinctive medievalized sensibility that is so characteristic of the Queen Anne and Shingle style houses of this area.

Number 24 Beaumont Street was built for Smith Nichols in 1883. A graduate of Annapolis who saw duty in the South Atlantic, and in the Asiatic squadron as well as in the South Pacific, Nichols had a distinguished record during the Civil War. He served on the U.S.S. Shenandoah during the bombardment of Fort Fisher in 1865 and commanded the naval end of the successful assault on the fort. This house, as befitting the home of a Navy man, was and still is called “the Moorings”. The Nichols family lived here for almost fifty years followed by the McGills who continue to own this property. 24 Beaumont was designed by John A. Fox, a Victorian-era architect who was a gifted, imaginative designer of upscale suburban residences. Born in 1836, the son of Boston Transcript editor Thomas Fox, John Fox studied architecture under Ware and Van Brunt; after becoming an architect in 1870, Fox earned a regional practice, designing several Boston buildings as well as the Providence Opera House.

The following is from the Dorchester Historical Society’s Dorchester House Tour Ashmont/Carruth Street Neighborhood, June 11, 2017

Year built: 1883

Architect: John A. Fox

Style: Queen Anne

Beaumont commands its surroundings with its dramatic siting and architectural presence. “The Moorings” was designed for Capt. Smith Nichols, a Civil War veteran who in 1882 retired from a distinguished career as a naval officer. The Queen Anne architectural style is evident in the vigorously asymmetrical massing with projecting bays, gables, and porches, the requisite cut wood shingles and clapboard siding, and windows in a variety of sizes and muntin patterns. The second-floor bay above the front door contains a passageway between two rooms and recalls the bridge of a ship, from which the Captain could view his environs.

Inside, the multitude of bays and windows create bright, inviting spaces that flow into each other graciously. In a nod to the seafaring owner, nautical themes are cleverly incorporated in the details; note the staircase newel posts, capped with ringed features that resemble lighthouse glass, and the streamlined look of the clipped upper corners in doorways and bay openings. A spacious parlor with a fireplace and large bay has access to the front porch, originally open, through a door with striking colored glass. The dining room retains its pass-through to the kitchen. The beautifully renovated kitchen fits perfectly with the feel of the house; colorful tiles set into the center of the floor seem both period and modern.

A bedroom off the stair landing, now a sitting room, is said to have been intended for bachelor guests. The master suite, with a fireplace and luxuriously remodeled bath, connects across “the bridge” to another large bedroom; linger in this remarkable room and think of Capt. Nichols on his ship. Small interior windows in these rooms can be opened to let cross breezes blow through for natural air conditioning. In the rear bedroom, a built-in rope and pulley system, the latest in 188os fitness equipment, helped the Captain stay trim!

An early priority of the owners, when they moved in two years ago, was removal of the tired wallpaper throughout, a tedious task that took six months. The fresh color scheme they chose in its place, incorporating rich jewel tones, both complements the architecture of the house and provides a fine backdrop for their carefully chosen and uncluttered collection of furnishings and art. With a wonderful interior renovation complete, they are now gearing up to tackle the exterior. An early photo of the house exists will guide this work, likely to be every bit as painstaking and successful as their earlier efforts.

City of Boston Assessing On-Line 2017

Parcel id 1603274000

Lot size 11,800 sq ft; living area 3,596 sq ft

Building permit: not found

MACRIS (Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System) mhc-macris.net accessed 4/15/17

BOS.5669 Smith Nichols House

Second Settlement

Tucci, Douglass Shand. Second Settlement: A Case Study in the Development of Victorian Boston. 1974. Although this book is about Jones Hill, the appendix has a list of properties built in Dorchester in the 1880s and 1890s.

This property is not listed in the appendix.

Street history:

entry for Beaumont Street in

A Record of the Streets, Alleys, Places, Etc., in the City of Boston. (Boston, 1910).

Beaumont Street, Dor., 1877; from 697 Adams Street to 26 Carruth Street; laid out, Oct. 13, 1909. Plan in Boston Engineering Department L4177, L 4178

Owners from atlases

1884 house appears for the first time, owned by Henrietta Nichols, lot size 20,080 sq. ft.

1889 H. A. Nichols, Arundel Street (now Barrington Road) is in place, lot 19, 750 sq. ft.

1894 Henrietta Nichols, lot 19,750 sq. ft.

1898 Henrietta A. Nichols, lot 19,750 sq. ft.

1904 Henrietta A. Nichols, lot 19,750 sq. ft.

1910 Henrietta A. Nichols, lot 19,750 sq. ft.

1918 Henrietta A. Nichols, lot 19,750 sq. ft.

1933 Mary B. Chipman, side street now has the name Barrington Road

Blue Books

1884 Smith W. Nichols on Beaumont Street (no street number is given)

1894 no entry for Nichols or no. 24 on Beaumont Street

1896 no entry for Nichols or no. 24 on Beaumont Street

1898 no entry for Nichols or no. 24 on Beaumont Street

1900 no entry for Nichols or no. 24 on Beaumont Street

1902 Capt. & Mrs. Smith W. Nichols

1904 Capt. & Mrs. Smith W. Nichols

1906 Capt. & Mrs. Smith W. Nichols

1908 Capt. & Mrs. Smith W. Nichols

1910 Capt. & Mrs. Smith W. Nichols

1913 Capt. & Mrs. Smith W. Nichols

1915 Capt. & Mrs. Smith W. Nichols

Boston directories

1883 no entry for Smith Nichols

1884 Smith W. Nichols, U.S.N. h. Beaumont, Dor

1885 Smith W. Nichols, U.S.N. h. Beaumont, Dor

1886 Smith W. Nichols, U.S.N. h. Beaumont, Dor

1887 Smith W. Nichols, U.S.N. h. Beaumont, Dor

1888 Smith W. Nichols, U.S.N. h. Beaumont, Dor

1889 Smith W. Nichols, U.S.N. h. Beaumont, Dor

1890 Smith W. Nichols, U.S.N. h. Beaumont

1891 Smith W. Nichols, U.S.N. h. Beaumont

1892 Smith W. Nichols, U.S.N. h. Beaumont

1893 Smith W. Nichols, U.S.N. h. Beaumont

1894 no entry for Smith W. Nichols

Lists of residents

1909 Smith W. Nichols, retired, 66

1922 Adin V. Chipman, shoe dealer, 73

Mary B. Chipman, housewife, 72

Annie Cunnan, domestic, 40

1923 Annie A. Chipman, housekeeper, 46, formerly lived in Attleboro

Frederick V. Chipman, salesman, 50

Mary B. Chipman, housekeeper, 73

1924 Annie A. Chipman, housewife, 47

Frederick V. Chipman, merchant, 51

Frederick V. Chipman, Jr., student, 20

Mary B. Chipman, retired, 74

Priscilla Chipman, student, 21

1925 Annie A. Chipman, housekeeper, 48

Frederick V. Chipman, merchant, 52

Frederick V. Chipman, Jr., student, 21

Mary B. Chipman, none, 75

Priscilla Chipman, student, 22

1926 Annie A. Chipman, housewife, 49

Frederick V. Chipman, merchant, 53

Frederick V. Chipman, Jr., student, 22

Mary B. Chipman, housewife, 76

Priscilla Chipman, student, 23

1927 Ward 16 not available on line

1928 Annie A. Chipman, housewife, 51

Frederick V. Chipman, Jr., student, 24

Frederick V. Chipman, retired, 55

Mary B. Chipman, at home, 76

1929 not online

1930 Annie A. Chipman, housekeeper, 53

Frederick B. Chipman, salesman, 57

Mary B. Chipman, housekeeper, 80

Frederick V. Chipman, Jr., student, 24

Priscilla Chipman, Priscilla, librarian, 27, formerly lived in Michigan

1931 Annie A. Chipman, housewife, 54

Frederick B. Chipman, merchant, 58

Frederick V. Chipman, Jr., manager, 27, formerly lived in Georgia

Mary B. Chipman, housewife, 81

1932 Annie A. Chipman, housewife, 54

Frederick V. Chipman, Jr., clerk, 28

Frederick V. Chipman, shoe merchant, 59

Mary B. Chipman, retired, 82

1933 Annie A. Chipman, housewife, 57

Frederick Chipman, salesman, 60

Frederick Chipman, Jr., floorwalker, 29

Mary B. Chipman, housekeeper, 83

1934 Annie A. Chipman, housewife, 57

Frederick V. Chipman, Jr., clerk, 30

Frederick V. Chipman, salesman, 61

Mary B. Chipman, housekeeper, 84

1935 Annie A. Chipman, housewife, 58

Frederick V. Chipman, retired, 62

Frederick V. Chipman, Jr., clerk, 30

Mary B. Chipman, housewife, 84

1936 Annie A. Chipman, housewife, 59

Frederick V. Chipman, retired, 63

Frederick V. Chipman, Jr., accountant, 31

1937 Annie A. Chipman, housewife, 60

Frederick V. Chipman, retired, 64

Frederick V. Chipman, Jr., accountant, 33

1938 Annie A. Chipman, housewife, 61

Frederick V. Chipman, retired, 65

Frederick V. Chipman, Jr., accountant, 33

1939 Annie A. Chipman, housewife, 62

Frederick V. Chipman, retired, 66

Frederick V. Chipman, Jr., accountant, 34

1940 Annie A. Chipman, housewife, 62

Frederick V. Chipman, accountant, 35

Frederick V. Chipman, retired, 67

1941 Annie A. Chipman, housewife, 64

Frederick V. Chipman, retired, 68

1942 Annie A. Chipman, housewife, 65

Frederick V. Chipman, retired, 69

1943 Annie A. Chipman, housewife, 66

Frederick V. Chipman, retired, 70

1944 Annie A. Chipman, housewife, 67

Frederick V. Chipman, retired, 71

1945 no entry for 24 Beaumont

1946 Mary A. Dolan, housewife, 38, formerly of 61 Wrentham

Ralph F. Dolan, physician, 39, formerly of 61 Wrentham

1947 Mary A. Dolan, housewife, 39

Ralph F. Dolan, physician, 39

1948 Mary A. Dolan, housewife, 40

Ralph F. Dolan, physician, 41

1949 Mary Connell, at home, 68, formerly of Milton

Joyce McGill, teacher, 22, formerly of 68 Kenwood

Mollie J. McGill, supervisor, 48, formerly of 68 Kenwood

Walter McGill, student, 21, formerly of 68 Kenwood

1950 Joyce McGill, teacher, 24

Mary J. McGill, housekeeper, 43

Walter McGill, student, 22

1951 Joyce McGill, teacher, 25

Mary J. McGill, housekeeper, 44

Walter McGill, student, 23

1952 Donald McGill, U S C G, 21

Joyce McGill, teacher, 26

Mollie McGill, clerk, 48

1953 Donald McGill, student, 22

Joyce McGill, teacher, 26

Mollie McGill, clerk, 52

1954 Donald McGill, student, 23

Joyce McGill, teacher, 27

Mollie D. McGill, secretary, 54

1955 Donald McGill, student, 24

Joyce McGill, teacher, 28

Mollie D. McGill, supervisor, 54

1956 Donald McGill, student, 25

Mollie D. McGill, clerk, 55

1957 Donald M. McGill, student, b. 1930

Garth McGill, USAF, b. 1936

Mollie D. McGill, clerk, b. 1900

1958 Donald M. McGill, student, b. 1930

Garth McGill, USAF, b. 1936

Mollie D. McGill, clerk, b. 1900

1959 Garth McGill, USAF, b. 1936

Mollie D. McGill, clerk, b. 1900

1960 Garth McGill, USAF, b. 1936