60 Alban Street

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No. 6153 60 Alban Street, photograph April 22, 2005.

Date of construction: 1883

In the appendix to The Second Settlement, Shand-Tucci cites a building permit from 1925 for a cost of $900, so that must be for the carriage house. Harrision Atwood architect, D. McLean building, J. E. Burke owner

The following is from: Ashmont by Douglass Shand-Tucci, p. 94

Another well-known educator lived just along the street at the Nickerson-Burke House, 60 Alban.  Honored and remembered today in Boston’s Jeremiah Burke High School, Burke was a Maine native and graduate of Colby College who was superintendent of the Boston public schools from 1921 until his death in 1931.  One of his innovations was the junior high school.  The house at 60 Alban, however, was built many years before, in 1882-1883, for Augustus A. Nickerson.  A descendant of Elder William Brewster, who came over on the Mayflower, Nickerson was associated with F. Nickerson ad Company, sailing and steamship owners and general merchants, and rose to become treasurer of the Boston and Savannah Steamship Company in the 1880s.  He was also a leader in the field of certified public accounting.  One would dearly like to know who Nickerson’s architect was, for this elegantly painted gray and yellow-towered house (despite, alas, the red brick chimney painted gray) holds its commanding position at the crest of Alban with great panache.  Particularly striking is the three-story window motif on the north facade.

The following is from the area form for Ashmont Hill, Boston Landmarks Commission

60 Alban Street (architect undetermined) was built in 1882-1883 for Augustus A. Nickerson. A descendant of Elder Brewster who came over on the Mayflower, Nickerson was associated with F. Nickerson and Co., sai1l7g steamship owners and general merchants. Nickerson rose to become treasurer of the Boston and Savannah Steamship Company in the 1880s. He was also a leader in the field of public accounting. During the early 20th century. 6) Alban Street was the home of Jeremiah Burke, a Maine native and graduate of Colby College who was architect of the Boston Public Schools from 1921 until his death in 1931. The Jeremiah Burke High School on Washington Street in the Grove Hall section of Dorchester was named in his honor.

The following is from  the Dorchester Historical Society’s Dorchester House Tour Ashmont/Carruth Street Neighborhood, June 11, 2016

Year built: 1882/3

Architect: Unknown

Style: Queen Anne/Shingle Style

60 Alban Street is approached through one of the finest of Ashmont Hill’s many gardens; the lot is planted with more than 1,000 types of perennials, shrubs, and specimen trees. The spacious house was built for Augustus A. Nickerson, a Mayflower descendant and treasurer of the Boston & Savannah Steamship Company. In the 192os it was home to Jeremiah Burke, who was superintendent of the Boston public schools for a decade.

The unknown architect achieved a very fine design that effectively combines Queen Anne and Shingle Style fea­tures and commands its position at the top of the hill. Note the hexagonal turret with a bell-shaped roof; the tall brick chimney hugs the front-facing gable to its left and the projecting, multi-windowed single-story bay to its right. Clapboards on the first floor give way to shin­gles above; the current owners removed the aluminum siding that obscured this original fabric. Its original windows are one of the most remarkable features of the house; the upper sash of each has multiple square panes—as many as 24 in some windows.

The entry is tucked away in a porch under the turret. From the vestibule with its amber-colored windows, one enters the large entrance hall that spans the width of the house. Two parlors feature angled, back-to-back fire­places; both fireplaces have monumental surrounds, one a multi-tiered overmantel with shelves and a mirror, the other a broad mantel in a Classical style. A powder room tucked under the stairs is brightened by one of several stained glass windows commissioned by the owners.

The dining room has dark wood trim and high wainscot­ing; the ceiling is divided by a grid of dark moldings into panels with textured plaster finishes. Note the cozy inglenook with built-in benches flanking the fireplace; a small stained glass window admits light from the adja­cent pantry. The kitchen accommodates both serious cooking and casual entertaining.

The main staircase features fine woodwork, stained glass, and a window seat. One of the second-floor bed­rooms is now a yoga studio. The third-floor family room is large enough for both billiards and a media setup. Don’t miss the bedroom suite tucked into the turret. In a large house that might otherwise feel imposing, the owners have successfully melded their contemporary tastes and lifestyle with their antique surroundings to create an elegant and appealing environment.

The following is from: Codman Square House Tour Booklet 1997

Year Built: 1882-83

Architect: Unknown

Style: Queen Anne/Shingle Style

Sixty Alban Street has had several distinguished residents.  The well-known educator, Jeremiah Burke, the originator of the junior high school and superintendent of the Boston public schools for ten years lived here.  The house, however, was built originally for Augustus A. Nickerson, a descendant of Elder William Brewster, who came over on the Mayflower.

The present owners stripped the aluminum siding from the house and uncovered what may have been its original color—a dark red.  Now it more closely resembles its San Franciscan cousin, a “painted lady.”

Noteworthy features of the house include its large front hall, parlor pocket doors, and the fireplace firebox with its mythological figure.  In the dining room, notice the stuccoed coffered ceiling.  On the third floor there is a pool room containing a pool table which had to be brought up in three sections.  The photo above [in the booklet] shows the view looking up into the cupola with its newly restored woodwork.  The kitchen was remodeled seven years ago and has granite counter tops and an unusual Italian marble pastry table.

The following is from: Codman Square House Tour Booklet 1998

Year Built: 1883

Sixty Alban has been home to several distinguished residents.  The well-known educator Jeremiah Burke, who for ten years was superintendent of the Boston public schools and for whom the local high school is named, lived here from 1921 until his death in 1931.  The original owner of the house was Augustus A. Nickerson, a descendant of William Brewster of Mayflower fame, treasurer of the Boston & Savannah Steamship Company in the 1880s.

Deeply set back from the street amid handsome plantings, the house is distinguished by its polygonal turret, prominent chimney and slate roof.  The present owners stripped the aluminum siding from the exterior and painted the house to resemble its San Franciscan cousin, a “painted lady.”

Noteworthy features of the house include its large front hall, parlor pocket doors, and the fireplace firebox with its mythological figure.  In the dining room, notice the stuccoed coffered ceiling.  On the third floor there is a billiard room containing a pool table which had to be brought up in three sections.  Do not miss the view looking up into the cupola with its newly restored woodwork.  The kitchen was remodeled eight years ago and has granite counter tops and an unusual Italian marble pastry table.

The following is from: Codman Square House Tour Booklet 2000

Year Built: 1883

Architect: Unkown

Style: Queen Anne / Shingle

Sixty Alban Street has been home to several distinguished residents.  The original owner was Augustus A. Nickerson, a descendant of William Brewster of Mayflower fame, treasurer of the Boston & Savannah Steamship Company in the 1880s.  The educator Jeremiah Burke, a legendary superintendent of the Boston public schools for whom a local high school is named, lived here from 1921 until his death in 1931.

Deeply set back from the street amid handsome plantings, the house is distinguished by its polygonal turret, prominent chimney and slate roof.  The present owners stripped the aluminum siding from the exterior and painted the house its present scheme, which evokes the palette of the period.

Noteworthy features include the large front hall, double parlors (to the right) connected by pocket doors, and fireplaces with decorative cast-iron fireboxes.  In the dining room to the left of the hall, note the coffered ceiling and recessed fireplace inglenook.  The kitchen beyond has undergone a sympathetic renovation, with granite countertops and an unusual pastry table of Italian marble.  On the second floor are numerous large bedrooms, while a third-floor billiard room houses a pool table that had to be brought in three sections.  Don’t miss the view looking up into the turret, with its recently restored woodwork.

The following is from: Codman Square House Tour Booklet 2006

Year Built: 1883

Architect: Unknown

Style: Shingle Style

It seems perverse to describe 60 Alban Street as a Shingle-style house rather than Queen Anne: the first floor is sided in clapboards; shingles are confined to the upper floors.  Nonetheless, the compact massing and broader proportions are characteristic of the later style.  This house was built for Jeremiah Burke, a prominent Boston educator.  In viewing the exterior, one’s eyes follow a diagonal path from feature to feature: the hexagonal turret with a bell-shaped cap, the stone chimney, the half-round bay.  On a sunny day, sawtooth shingles at the “belt line” between the first and second floors cast intriguing zigzag shadows.

The entrance hall is unusual in that it extends across the house, dividing the two parlors from the dining room and kitchen.  In the first parlor, painted French blue, the brick fireplace has tall scrolls that support an overmantel with little shelves flanking a central mirror.  The screen and sideboard, recalling Boston’s role in the China Trade, seem at home in a house of this period.  In the second parlor, a deeper shade of blue, the fireplace surround is composed of transfer-printed tiles.  The Chinese note continues here in the flower painting, cabinet, and occasional tables.  A powder room is tucked under the stairs where once a passageway led to the kitchen.

The dining room’s dark-stained woodwork includes a high wainscot and an inglenook with built-in benches and fireplace.  On the ceiling, a grid of wood moldings frames plaster panels with combed patterns.  Hammered brass Arts and Crafts light fixtures fit in perfectly.  The pantry cabinets are original; note the little leaded-glass window that lets a bit of secondhand daylight into the inglenook.  The kitchen’s focal point is a big range with an iron hood.  The maple cabinets are the work of local craftsmen.. A breakfast counter of pearly marble is surrounded by a set of remarkable stools fabricated from stainless steel, with ball feet and leather cushions.

On the second floor are bedrooms for family, guests, and the resident iguana.  Up one more flight several surprises await: A spacious family room contains a pool table and extensive built-in cabinets.  And in the master suite which includes the top floor of the hexagonal tower, a cozy sitting room commands a panoramic view.  From top to bottom, the owners of 60 Alban have applied “tradition with a twist” to give their house a sense of freshness and originality.

Dorchester Atlases show owners:

1884 A. Nickerson

1889 Aug. Nickerson

1894 Augustus Nickerson

1898 Augustus Nickerson

1904 Augustus Nickerson

1910 Jereh E. Burke

1918 Jereh E. Burke

1933 Jereh E. Burke

Deed

May 24, 1883  from George Derby Welles to Augustus Nickerson  1598.522 lot 205 an d pt lots 204 & 206

Parcel of land

May 5, 1908  from State Street Trust Co., trustees and mortgagees to Allan Forbes 3278.405  under mortgage from Augustus Nickerson to trustees of Samuel A. Walker are selling the property to Forbes

May 5, 1908 from Allan Forbes to Samuel A. Walker, estate, 3278.408

Oct. 9, 1908 from State Street Trust Co. trustees under the will of Samuel A. Walker to Jeremiah E. Burke  3313.65

Boston Directory

1883 Augustus Nickerson, clerk, 114 State, bds. Hotel Cluny

1884 Augustus Nickerson, clerk, 114 State. h. Alban, Dor

Dorchester Blue Books

1885 There are no street numbers, but Augustus Nickerson is listed as a resident of Alban Street.


1894 Residents were Mr. & Mrs. Arthur L. Plimpton, Mr. & Mrs. Warren Richardson, Miss Emily Hall

1896 Residents were Mr. & Mrs. Augustus Nickerson
1900 Residents were Mr. & Mrs. Augustus Nickerson
1902 Residents were Mr. & Mrs. Augustus Nickerson
1904 Residents were Mr. & Mrs. Augustus Nickerson

1906 Residents were Mr. & Mrs. Augustus Nickerson

1908 Residents were Mr. & Mrs. Augustus Nickerson

1910 Residents were Mr. & Mrs. Jeremiah Burke
1913 Residents were Mr. & Mrs. Jeremiah E. Burke

1915 Residents were Mr. & Mrs. Jeremiah E. Burke

The following is from:  Bacon, Edward Monroe. The Book of Boston: Fifty Years’ Recollections of the New England Metropolis. (Boston, 1916).

Augustus Nickerson, C. P. A.

Augustus Nickerson, Certified Public Accountant, who has a large clientele among commercial concerns, was born in Boston, July 30, 180  He graduated from English High School in 1877, and after a post-graduate course he entered the employ Thomas Dana & Co, wholesale grocers, subsequently becoming associated with F. Nickerson & Co., sailing an steamship owners and general merchants, and treasurer of the Boston & Savannah Steamship Co., until 1886.  Mr. Nickerson began practice as a public accountant in 1893.  He is member of the Certified Public Accountants of Massachusetts and the American Society of Public Accountants, and has for two years served on the Examining Board for Certified Public Accountants.  Mr. Nickerson is descended from William Nickerson, who located in Chatham in 1630, and elder Brewster, who came over in the “Mayflower.”  He holds membership in the Society Mayflower Descendants.  His offices are at 60 Congress Street.

The following is from The Accountants’ Directory and Who’s Who    496

Augustus Nickerson, b. Boston, July 30, 1860; s. Frederic William and Lucy Blanchard (Howard); descendant of Elder Brewster of the Mayflower; grad. Eng. H.S., Boston, and followed post grad. course; C.P.A., Massachusetts, Jan. 1910.  Early experience in large mercantile house, importers, steamship owners, and treas. steamship and trolley cos. Established as pub. acct. in 1893. Pres. and general mgr. August Nickerson, Inc. m. Nellie S. Tarbell, June 12, 1883. Children: Mary Prsicilla, Howard T.   Recreation: Gardening. Home 144 Adams Street, Milton, Mass. Office: 131 State St., Boston.

Nellie S. Tarbell was probably the sister of the painter Edmund Tarbell.  The Tarbell family also lived on Alban Street.

Jeremiah Burke lived at 66 Alban for a couple of years as a tenant before buying this property.

60 Alban Street

Skills

Posted on

July 18, 2020