Round House (Somerville, Massachusetts)
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Parts of this article (those related to Renovation) are outdated. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. Please see the talk page for more information. (November 2010) |
The Round House is a cylindrical wood-frame residential structure at 36 Atherton Street in the Spring Hill neighborhood of Somerville, Massachusetts, USA. It was built in 1856 by hardware manufacturer Enoch Robinson, and is considered an offshoot of the Octagon House style popularized by phrenologist Orson Fowler.
The exterior of the Round House features two flush stories, with a third stepped back behind a series of battlements and embrasures. Inside, the three-story structure contains a central rotunda topped with a glass skylight, with interconnected rooms branching off on each level. There are 4 rooms on the first floor, 6 rooms on the 2nd floor and another 4 rooms on the third floor.
In the early 2000s, the privately-owned house was unoccupied, its windows removed to the interior of the house, and the openings are covered with plywood. Its ornamentation was largely removed, and all of the ceilings were severely damaged from water. In a 1986 restoration program, students from Boston's North Bennet Street School did a small amount of work rehabilitating the building's exterior, but the project fell apart and the house remained in a state of decay.
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Historic Massachusetts (now Preservation MASS) placed the building on its list of Endangered Historic Resources for 1997.
By April, 2007, the Round House had been purchased by a local man who is also president of a general contracting firm. Signs placed on the property in early January 2008 advertised nearby Diamond Edge Construction, and the thick brush filling the yard was largely removed. According to a letter[1] from Brandon Wilson, executive director of the Somerville Historic Preservation Commission, the building and property would be completely restored and would function as a single family residence when complete.
[edit] References
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This article's citation style may be unclear. The references used may be made clearer with a different or consistent style of citation, footnoting, or external linking. (November 2010) |
- Letter from Brandon Wilson, Director of the Somerville Historic Preservation Commission: http://community.livejournal.com/davis_square/736223.html?thread=5901535#t5901535
- Zellie, Carol (1982, rev. 1990). Beyond the Neck: The Architecture and Development of Somerville, MA. St. Paul, Minnesota: Landscape Research for City of Somerville.
- Fishman, Sarah. "Plea is issued for Round House." Boston Globe, October 12, 1997. City Edition, City Weekly section, Somerville Notes, p. 4.
- Inventory of octagon houses: http://www.octagon.bobanna.com
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Round House (Somerville, Massachusetts) |
- Article with historic floor plans, sections, and photographs of the original house
- [1] Image from a 1915 postcard of The Round House
Coordinates: 42°23′04″N 71°06′28″W / 42.384478°N 71.107671°W
