27 Carruth Street - Dorchester Atheneum

No. 4247 27 Carruth Street, circa 1890, photograph from the book Extravaganza King.

No. 6012 27 Carruth Street, photograph April 16, 2005.

Year Built: 1887 MACRIS suggests 1885 no documentation has been seen

Deed to Barnet in June, 1887, for parcel with the buildings thereon. Boston Directory for 1887 is the first to show Barnet on Carruth Street

Architect: Allen and Kenway no documentation has been seen although Shand Tucci in Second Settlement appendix givesa citation for: Building Intelligence column in American Architect and Building News AA, Aug. 6, 1887

Style: Queen Anne/Richardsonian Romanesque

The property is in the middle of the block of three houses on the west side of Carruth between Rowena Street and Radford Lane. The Barnet family is described in Barnet, Anne Alison. Extravaganza King. Robert Barnet and Boston Musical Theater. (Boston, Northeastern University Press, 2004).

MACRIS (Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System) mhc-macris.net accessed [date]

BOS.5713 Robert A. Barnet House

There is a reference in Shand Tucci, Douglass. The 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 the 1880s and 1890s. He cites

Building Intelligence column in American Architect and Building News AA, Aug. 6, 1887

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. 53-55

… Herbert Carruth clearly raised the stakes in the center house of this block, which effectively closes the vista from Beaumont — 27 Carruth, the Barnet-Houghton House. …

The Beacon pointed out when this house was begun that this was the finest lot on the whole plan [with] fine trees and . . . a beautiful view of the Blue Hils,” and Carruth rose to the occasion. He seems to have favored using several architects at the same time, but not mixing them upon the same blocks. Instead, he tended to group their work: Edwin J. Lewis on Radford, Bradford Hamilton, on Randolph, Whitney Lewis on Fairfax, and (though not apparently directly commissioned) John Fox and Joseph Greene on Beaumont. Similarly, he settled on Allen and Kenway for mid-Carruth, where the movement from the quaint cottages of Fairfax to the more substantial country houses on the high ground of Beaumont is now carried to the point of much grander mansions, the sort of thing these architects were well known for on Commonwealth Avenue and Bacon Street.

In his Houses of Boston’s Back Bay, Bainbridge Bunting observed that Allen and Kenway were the “the most consistent exponent of the Romanesque tradition in the Back Bay,” and it is as obvious on Carruth Street as on Beacon that they reveled in this massive, stony style of the 1880s This is the first time on Carruth’s Hill that we have seen that distinctly American Queen Anne variant indigenous to New England, the Richardsonian Romanesque, so named for H. H. Richardson. Like Whitney Lewis, Allen and Kenway seem better in the suburbs than intown. Bunting advanced one reason for tis when he observed that in the Back Bay Allen and Kenway gave up two critical aspects of the Romanesque–picturesque roofs and wide, Syrian entrance archways–and in the face or theirAshmont Work, he would seem to have been right: 27 Carruth has not only a picturesque roof profile but also a deeply recessed Syrian arch entrance porch that was inspired by the porch of Richardson’s Back Bay Trinity Church rectory. (Interestingly, Donlyn Lyndon also points out in Boston: The City Observed that one of Allen and Kenway’s Back Bay houses would probably “feel more at hime in the country.” In Built in Boston, I asserted, and would assert still, that 27 Carruth’s features are so nicely adjusted in every dimension that the architect has achieved a quality of repose,.” Alas, the upper stories are now painted much too light a color.

Carruth sold 27 “with the buildings thereon situated” in 1887 to Robert Barnet. A principal of Bates and Barnet, merchant brokers of Central Wharf, Barnet was apparently not the usual businessman but a composer and playwright whose talents as a librettist had begun to get the be better of his business career. Barnet’s work could be seen on many downtown stages and was so much admired in the most prominent circles that a newspaper story of 1901 reports that the venerable Somerset Club was the scene of a tribute to him. A parishioner of All Saints’ (and a member of the finance committee for the erection of the present church), Barnet lived for more than a decade on Carruth Street and made much music there, too. (From the Beacon, March 1892: ” A well attended and delightful children’s musicale was held Saturday afternoon i the parlors of Mrs. Robert Barnet on Carruth Street.:) There after, 27 was bought by Thomas and Mary Houghton, who, like, so many who settled along suburban rail lines, moved from the deteriorating South End to Ashmont. The Boudrots, the next generation of the family, and their children also lived here. This was the first Roman Catholic family to live on upper Carruth Street. A daughter of the house was a close friend of Rose Fitzgerald’s at Dorchester High School (then located almost within sight of the Fitzgerald House on Ashmont Hill), and 27 Carruth was undoubtedly one of the houses that figured in Rose’s long pre-engagement romance with Joseph Kennedy. Years later Mrs. Kennedy wrote in her memoirs:

Formal “dates” were very rare events among my age group [in the 1900s]. Regular dating was taboo and “going steady” was completely out of the question. This was a serious problem for Joe and me, and one we had to work out as best we could, through “innocent” stratagems. For instance, could anyone object if by concidence we happened to be at the same place at the same time? …at informal get-togethers with friends at somebody’s house, usually in the afternoons. …

We would push back the parlor furniture, lift the breakable bric-a-brac out of the way, make lemonade or punch and cookies and fudge, and someone would play the piano. We gathered around and we sang and we danced. Joe and I had many mutual friends. If I were invited, he would just drop in. … It took teamwork and conspiracy, because we needed reliable allies. Some were girl friends of mine in Dorchester…. They gave more “drop-in” parties — well planned ahead — than they would have otherwise. …

The Houghton/Boudrots held proudly on to this house for nearly three-quarters of a century, adding the unusually sensitive brick garage in 1951.

The following is from the Area Form for Carruth Street/Peabody Square prepared as part of 1994 Survey of Dorchester, Boston Landmarks Commission.

Number 27 Carruth Street’s land was part of the multi-lot tract owned by Robert Murray during the 1880s. Built between 1885 and 1888, its first owners were Sarah J. and Robert A. Barnet of Bates and Barnet, merchandise brokers of Central Wharf, Boston. In addition to being a businessman Barnet was also a talented composer and playwright. His work was much admired in the turn-of-the-century Boston theatre world. Like so many other Carruth’s Hill homeowners, Barnet was active in the affairs of All Saints’, serving on the finance committee for the erection of the present church. The second owners were Thomas and Mary Houghton who abandoned the deteriorating South End for the “garden suburb” charms of Carruth Street. By the 1930s, this house’s occupants included William A. Boudrot, mailing department employee and Mrs. Spencer Marie Houghton, vocal teacher. The Boudrots had the distinction of being the first Roman Catholic family to live on upper Carruth Street.

The following is from Codman Square House Tour Booklet 2003

Year Built: 1887

Architect: Allen and Kenway

Style: Queen Anne/Richardsonian Romanesque

On a street with many notable houses, 27 Carruth still stands out. Brick below and shingled above, the exterior incorporates towering gables, a variety of dormers, and a faceted corner bay. However, it is the entrance porch that draws our attention: brick, terra cotta, and red sandstone are marvelously integrated in the bold Richardsonian Romanesque arches.

Entering via a small vestibule, one is confronted by a breathtaking example of the stairhall/sitting room combination termed a “living hall.” The fireplace opening is spanned by a basket arch in red brick. On the gumwood mantelpiece, note the carved band, attenuated brackets, and faceted panels. Columns with vigorous spiral turning define a seating alcove at the foot of the stairs. A huge diamond-paned window follows the stepping of the stairs; the colored glass shades from hues of sunrise to those of sunset. Note the artistry of the original wrought-iron gaslights. The andirons match the sconces so closely, it is a surprise that they are an antique-shop find.

The adjoining parlor boasts a polygonal bay window with original sash and a built-in seat, and a corner fireplace whose mantelpiece includes spiral-turned colonnettes, a cyma-curved frieze, and a restrained (by late Victorian standards) overmantel. The unusual hearth is semicircular; glazed tiles are sage green and peacock blue—quintessential Aesthetic-Movement colors. In the dining room, painted woodwork gives way to stained quarter-sawn oak and another corner fireplace; the overmantel has shrunk to a fluted zone above the shelf. The large octagonal porch, with its original scalloped shingles and added windows for three-season use, serves as a summer living room.

The second-floor hall opens to a guest room, a winter sitting room, and the master bedroom, which enjoys expansive views and abundant light. Yellow walls and white trim enhance these natural advantages. The simple mantel has graceful brackets, a distinctively molded shelf, and a red-tiled semicircular hearth.

From the second floor a virtual symphony of stairs leads to the third floor—and the fourth. Once the domain of children and servants, these upper floors provide offices and workspaces for the current owners … further evidence of the adaptability of Victorian houses.

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

Year built: 1887

Architect: Allen and Kenway

STYLE: Queen Anne/Richardsonian Romanesque

On a street with many notable houses, 27 Carruth stands out. Brick below and shingled above, the exterior incorporates towering gables, a variety of dormers, and a faceted corner bay—a complicated composition unified by numerous windows with as many as 36 small panes in a single sash! Most notable, however, is the entrance porch, where brick, terra cotta, and red sandstone are integrated into bold Richardsonian Romanesque arches. This house would find many stylistic cousins in Boston’s Back Bay.

A small vestibule with velvet-upholstered walls opens to a fine example of a “living hall,” an architectural feature common in grand Queen Anne and Shingle Style houses of the 1880s. The mantelpiece is gumwood: note the carved band, attenuated brackets, and faceted panels. Columns with vigorous spiral turning define a seating alcove at the foot of the stairs; more spirals appear in the balustrade. Three tall, diamond-paned windows follow the stepping of the stairs, their glass graded in intensity from deep amber to almost clear. The original gaslights display outstanding artistry in wrought iron.

The parlor features a dramatic polygonal bay window with many-paned original sash and a built-in seat. The corner fireplace mantelpiece includes spiral-turned colonettes and a restrained (by late Victorian standards) overmantel. The tiles of the unusual semicircular hearth set into the parquet floor are sage green and peacock blue—quintessential Aesthetic-Movement colors.

Painted woodwork gives way to stained quarter-sawn oak in the dining room, where the fireplace mantel fea-tures more spiral-turned colonettes and the hearth is tiled in olive green and maroon. Casement windows added to the large octagonal porch make it usable in three seasons. The dining room connects to the remodeled kitchen, where the thoughtful design complements the quality and integrity of the house’s original features.

A virtual symphony of stairs can be seen from the second-floor landing. The bedrooms on the second floor all have windows on two walls, allowing for abundant light and delightful views. The third floor boasts three rooms and space for a planned bathroom, but its charming landing—with more stepped windows, a quirky balustrade, and a flight of stairs winding up to the fourth floor—makes the climb worth the effort.

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 from Atlases

Bromley plate 28

1889 this is the first time a building shows up on the lot

Owner: S. J. Barnet, lot size 12,935 sq ft

1894 Sarah J. Barnet

1898 Sarah J. Barnet

1904 Sarah J. Barnet

1910 Mary Houghton

1918 Mary Houghton

1933 Mary Houghton

see book by Anne Alison Barnet, Extravaganza king: Robert Barnet and Boston Musical Theater. (2004)

deed

June 24, 1887 Herbert S. Carruth to Robert A and Sarah J. Barnet Dorch. Carruth St Book 1778 p. 311 (microfilm page 163) $1.00 dollar plus mortgage of $9000 due to Edwin Howland et al. Trustees, April 10, 1886 at Book 1718 p. 462

Carruth had purchased the lot from Robert Murray Oct. 21, 1884 Book 1656 p. 362

also

Jan. 24, 1887 William R Gray to Robert A. Barnet Dorch Beale St, lot 92 plan 1097.266 Bok 1757 p. 319 this is now Radford Lane- could do further research if desired, possibly sold the lot after deciding to buy the house on Carruth

Residents from Blue Books

1894 Mr. & Mrs. Robert A. Barnet

1896 Mr. & Mrs. Robert A. Barnet

1898 Mr. & Mrs. Robert A. Barnet

1900 Mr. & Mrs. Robert A. Barnet

1902 Mr. & Mrs. Robert A. Barnet

1904 Mr. & Mrs. Robert A. Barnet

1906 Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Houghton

Mr. & Mrs. William Boudrot

1908 Mrs. Mary Houghton

Mr. & Mrs. William Boudrot

1910 Mrs. Mary Houghton

Mr. & Mrs. William Boudrot

1913 Mr. & Mrs. William Boudrot

Mrs. Marie Houghton Spencer

1915 Mrs. Mary Houghton

Mr. & Mrs. William Boudrot

Mrs. Marie Houghton Spencer

Boston Directory

1886 Robert A. Barnet (Bates & Barnet), merchandise broker, 24 Central, h. Fairfax, Dor.

probably renting one of the Carruth houses on Fairfax

1887 Robert A. Barnet, (Bates & Barnet), merchandise broker, 24 Central, h. Carruth, Dor.

1888 Robert A. Barnet, (Bates & Barnet), merchandise broker, 24 Central, and storage 308 Congress, h. Carruth

1889 Robert A. Barnet, (Bates & Barnet), merchandise broker, 24 Central, and storage 308 Congress, h. Carruth

1890 Robert A. Barnet, (Bates & Barnet), merchandise broker, 24 Central, and storage 308 Congress, h. 27 Carruth

1891 Robert A. Barnet, (Bates & Barnet), merchandise broker, 24 Central, and storage 308 Congress, h. 27 Carruth

1892 Robert A. Barnet, (Bates & Barnet), merchandise broker, 27 Broad, and storage 308 Congress, h. 27 Carruth

1893 Robert A. Barnet, (Bates & Barnet), merchandise broker, 27 Broad, and storage 308 Congress, h. 27 Carruth

1894 Robert A. Barnet, (Bates & Barnet), merchandise broker, 27 Broad, and storage 308 Congress, h. 27 Carruth

1895 Robert A. Barnet, (Bates & Barnet), storage 308 Congress, h. 27 Carruth

1896 Robert A. Barnet, (Bates & Barnet), storage 308 Congress, h. 27 Carruth

1897 Robert A. Barnet, (Bates & Barnet), storage 308 Congress, h. 27 Carruth

1898 Robert A. Barnet, (Bates & Barnet), merchandise broker, 27 Broad, and storage 308 Congress, h. 27 Carruth

1899 Robert A. Barnet, (Bates & Barnet), merchandise broker, 27 Broad, and storage 308 Congress, h. 27 Carruth

1900 Robert A. Barnet, (Bates & Barnet), merchandise broker, 27 Broad, and storage 308 Congress, h. 27 Carruth

Boston Resident Lists

1909 William A. Boudrot, secretary, 37

1922 Augustus H. Boudrot, clerk, 22

Esther G. Boudrot, housewife, 45

William A. Boudrot, manager, 50

William L. Boudrot, salesman, 24

Andrew Houghton, retired, 77

Cornelius E. Houghton, clerk, 23

Mary Houghton, housewife, 72

Marie H. Spencer, housewife, 36

1923 Augustus H. Boudrot, salesman, 22

Esther Boudrot, housewife, 45

William Boudrot, manager, 50

William L. Boudrot, electrician, 25

Cornelius E. Houghton, mailer, 24

Mary Houghton, housewife, 75

Marie H. Spencer, singer, 35

William Taylor, agent, 55, formerly of 7 Alpine Way

1924 Augustus H. Boudrot, salesman, 24

Esther A. Boudrot, housewife, 45

William A. Boudrot, manager, 51

Willilam L. Boudrot, manager, 26

Cornilius E. Houghton, clerk, 26

Mary Houghton, retired, 75

Marie H. Spencer, housekeeper, 40

1925 Augustus H. Bondrot [!], salesman, 26

Esther Boudrot, housewife, 43

William A. Bondrot, clerk, 50

Cornelius E. Houghton, clerk, 27

Mary Houghton, housekeeper, 44

Marie H. Spencer, vocalist, 39

1926 Augustus H. Boudrot, salesman, 26

Esther G. Boudrot, housewife, 49

William A. Bondrot, manager, 54

Cornelius E. Houghton, clerk, 27

Mary Houghton, housewife, 77

Mary H. Spencer, housewife, 44

1927 Ward 16 is not online

1928 Esther Boudrot, housewife, 50

William A. Boudrot, superintendent, 56

Mary Haughton, housewife, 80

Marie H. Spencer, vocalist, 34

1929 no wards online

1930 Esther G. Boudrot, housewife, 50

William A. Boudrot, superintendent, 58

Mary Houghton, at home, 79

Marie H. Spencer, teacher, 45

1931 Esther Boudrot, housewife, 50

William Boudrot, manager, 58

Mary Houghton, at home, 82

1932 Esther G. Boudrot, housekeeper 53

William A. Boudrot, superintendent, 60

Mary Houghton, housewife, 80

Mary H. Spencer, housekeeper, 47

1933 Esther Boudrot, housewife, 49

William Boudrot, inspector, 60

Mary Houghton, housewife, 82

Marie H. Spencer, housewife, 52

1934 Esther Boudrot, housewife, 53

William A. Boudrot, superintendent, 62

Mary T. Houghton, housekeeper, 84

Marie H. Spencer, teacher, 39

1935 Esther G. Boudrot, housewife, 50

William A. Boudrot, superintendent, 62

Mary T. Houghton, at home, 83

Marie H. Spencer, teacher, 45

1936 Esther Boudrot, housewife, 58

Mary Houghton, housewife, 85

Marie H. Spencer, singer, 50

1937 this is odd

Barbara Morton, housekeeper, 20

Eric G. Morton, laundryman, 38

Helen G. Morton, housewife, 36

William D. Morton, merchant, 64

Mildred N. Morton, housewife, 57 is listed at 29 Carruth [mistake?]

1938 Esther Boudrot, housewife, 50

Mary Houghton, housewife, 84

Marie Spencer, housewife, 45

1939 Esther Boudrot, housewife, 59

Mary Houghton, housewife, 86

Marie H. Spencer, housewife, 49

1940 Esther J. Boudrot, housewife, 58

Mary Houghton, at home, 88

Marie H. Spencer, teacher, 50

1941 Esther Boudrot, at home, 60

Mary Houghton, at home, 89

Marie H. Spencer, teacher, 50

1942 Esther Boudrot, at home, 61

Marie Spencer, housewife, 51

William F. Spencer, mortician, 56

1943 Esther G. Boudrot, at home, 60

Mary S. Spencer, at home, 50

1944 Esther Boudrot, housewife, 60

Mary S. Spencer, musician, 50

1945 Esther G. Boudrot, at home, 58

Mary H. Spencer, at home, 55

1946 Mary H. Spencer, housewife, 56

1947 Esther Boubrot [!], at home, 68

Louise Boubrot, housewife, 49

Louise Boubrot, student, 21

William L Boubrot, salesman, 47

1948 Esther Boudrot, at home, 65

Louise Boudrot, clerk, 21

Louise B. Boudrot, housewife, 51

William L Boudrot, electrician, 50

1949 Esther G. Boudrot, housewife, 72

Louise Boudrot, secretary, 23

Louise D. Boudrot, housewife, 52

William L Boudrot, salesman, 51

1950 Louise Boudrot, housewife, 53

William L Boudrot, salesman, 52

1951 Louise D. Boudrot, housewife, 54

William L Boudrot, salesman, 53

Charles G. Kelley, retired, 66, formerly lived at 4 Ely Rd

Mary L. Kelley, housewife, 61 formerly lived at 4 Ely Rd

1952 Louise D. Boudrot, housewife, 55

William L Boudrot, salesman, 54

Charles G. Kelley, retired, 66

Mary L. Kelley, housewife, 62

1953 Louise Boudrot, housewife, 56

William L. Boudrot, agent, 55

Mary Kelley, at home, 60

1954 Louise Boudrot, housewife, 56

William Boudrot, salesman, 55

Mary Kelley, at home, 64

1955 Louise D. Boudrot, housewife, 58

William L. Boudrot, salesman, 57

Mary L. Kelley, operator, 65

1956 Louise D. Boudrot, housewife, 59

William L. Boudrot, salesman, 58

Mary A. Kelley, housewife, 65

1957 Louise D. Boudrot, housewife, b. 1897