Building at 38–48 Richardson Avenue facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Building at 38–48 Richardson Avenue
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | 38–48 Richardson Ave., Wakefield, Massachusetts |
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| Built | 1912 |
| MPS | Wakefield MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 89000709 |
| Added to NRHP | July 6, 1989 |
The building at 38–48 Richardson Avenue is a special historic home in Wakefield, Massachusetts. It was built around 1912. Many people believe it is one of the oldest rowhouses in the town. A rowhouse is a building with several homes joined together in a row. Solon O. Richardson, Jr., built these homes on land that belonged to his family. This building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. This means it's an important historical place.
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What Does This Historic Building Look Like?
This rowhouse is located on the south side of Richardson Avenue. It sits right at the corner of North Street. The building is two and a half stories tall. It is made of wood and has six separate homes inside.
Cool Architectural Styles
The building mixes different old architectural styles. For example, its porches look like Colonial Revival style. The pointed parts of the roof, called gable ends, have Tudor Revival decorations. The wide eaves (the parts of the roof that hang over the walls) show exposed purlins. This is a feature from the Rational Revival style.
How the Homes Are Arranged
The six homes are set up in three pairs. Each pair is a mirror image of the other. The two pairs on the outside look a bit different from the two homes in the middle. The outer homes have a porch with a sloped roof over their front doors. Above these doors, there is a row of nine-pane square windows. The middle homes have a flat-roof porch. They also have special bay windows that stick out on the first floor. These windows have small gabled roofs above them.
The Story Behind Richardson Avenue
The land where Richardson Avenue is now was once part of a large estate. This estate belonged to Dr. Nathan Richardson. He was famous for making and selling a product called Sherry Wine Bitters.
From Family Business to New Homes
Dr. Nathan Richardson's business was continued by his son and then his grandson. Both of them were also named Solon. The grandson, Solon O. Richardson, Jr., sold the family business in 1891. He noticed that there weren't enough homes in the center of Wakefield. So, he decided to develop his family's land. He moved the family's large mansion away from Main Street. Then, he planned out Richardson Street for new buildings.
Building New Homes for the Town
This rowhouse at 38–48 Richardson Avenue was built around 1912. Around the same time, Solon O. Richardson, Jr., also had other rowhouses built nearby. These were the homes at 35–37 Richardson Avenue. He helped create more housing for the growing town of Wakefield.
