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Home My Public Portal AboutStonyBrookRd_770, BRE.304Follow Massachusetts Historical Commission Survey Manual instructions for completing this form.12/12 FORM B  BUILDING MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION MASSACHUSETTS ARCHIVES BUILDING 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD BOSTON,MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Photograph Locus Map N Recorded by: Eric Dray, Preservation Consultant, for Organization: Brewster Historical Commission Date (month / year): June 2017 Assessor’s Number USGS Quad Area(s) Form Number 35-3-0 Dennis C,G,J BRE.304 Town/City: BREWSTER Place:(neighborhood or village): West Brewster Address: 770 Stony Brook Road Historic Name: Wixon, Job and Eliza House Uses:Present: Residential Original: Residential Date of Construction: [1858-1860] Source:Deed research, vital records Style/Form: Greek Revival/Gothic Revival Architect/Builder: Unknown Exterior Material: Foundation: Brick Wall/Trim: Wood clapboard/ Wood Roof: Asphalt “fish scale” shingles Outbuildings/Secondary Structures: High fieldstone foundation of former barn (see Photo 3). Major Alterations (with dates): Condition: Good Moved: no yes Date: Acreage: 1.02 acres Setting: This large parcel is located on a hill west of Stony Brook and on the south side of Stony Brook Road. The parcel slopes up from the street. The house is set on a rise partially secured by a mortared fieldstone retaining wall. The house is surrounded by lawn with mature foundation plantings. Mature evergreen trees partially obscure the house from the street. A gravel driveway leads from the northwest corner of the property past the foundation of a former barn to the house. INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET BREWSTER 770 STONY BROOK ROAD MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD,BOSTON,MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Continuation sheet 1 C,G,J BRE.304 Recommended for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. If checked, you must attach a completed National Register Criteria Statement form. Use as much space as necessary to complete the following entries, allowing text to flow onto additional continuation sheets. ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION: Describe architectural features. Evaluate the characteristics of this building in terms of other buildings within the community. This is an interesting example of a 1 ½-story, gable-front house with side ell that is transitional in style between the Greek Revival and the Gothic Revival. This house form (gable-front block with side ell) is ubiquitous on Cape Cod but this is the only example on Stony Brook Road. The house is set on a brick foundation, and the walls are clad in wood clapboard siding with heavy corner pilasters with recessed panels. The roof is clad in asphalt shingles with a “fish scale” pattern. The roof has a prominent projecting molded box cornice with partial returns across the gable ends and broad trim boards below (a Greek Revival-style detail). However, the roof pitch is steeper than is usually found with Greek Revival-style houses. This is a one of the indications that this house began to incorporate some of the ideas of the Gothic Revival style, one of which was emphasizing verticality with steeper roof pitches. A small, corbelled brick chimney rises from the center of the main roof ridge. Fenestration consists primarily of wood, 6/6 double-hung sash – this is the muntin pattern commonly found on Greek Revival-style buildings. The front entrance is located off-centered on the front gable. The entrance surround has full sidelights and pilasters. An open porch with hipped roof spans the front elevation (which may be a later addition). The porch is supported by turned posts. In a 1997 photo, this porch was partially enclosed on the right side and the porch was supported by square posts. An interesting detail is the pointed window with diamond panes in the front gable peak – this window also suggests that this house design was influenced by the emerging Gothic Revival style. There is a complex series of rear additions (see Photo 2). Historic views show multiple barns and other outbuildings, no longer extant, but the high fieldstone foundation of a former barn is still visible (see Photo 3). This is likely the foundation of the barn that was moved and renovated into a house at 717 Stony Brook Road (BRE.300). HISTORICAL NARRATIVE Discuss the history of the building. Explain its associations with local (or state) history. Include uses of the building, and the role(s) the owners/occupants played within the community. This house is located in West Brewster, on a road that was originally part of Old King’s Highway. Laid out in 1665, Old King’s Highway, also historically referred to as King’s Highway and County Road, was the region’s major east/west corridor. In Brewster, the original route followed Stony Brook Road, avoiding the wetlands and marshes associated with Quivett Creek and Stony Brook. By the mid-19th century, causeways and bridges were built across tidal and wetland areas allowing for the straightening of Old King’s Highway, including northwest of this house near the Dennis town border. Mill sites on Stony Brook became an important economic engine and led to early development in West Brewster, including extant residential resources from the 18th and 19th century along Stony Brook Road. The name “Stony Brook Road” was in use by the early-20th century. This house appears to have been built by Job Wixon sometime between 1858 and 1860. Wixon acquired three parcels of land in West Brewster in 1858, and additional parcels of swamp and cranberry bog land into the 1860s. There is only one house shown on the 1858 map, which is for 786 Stony Brook Road (BRE.65). However, the 1860 Census records show Wixon with neighbors from this area which is evidence that the house was in place by 1860. Job Wixon was born in Dennis Port in 1822 and married Eliza Newcomb in Brewster in 1842. They had three children Jeremiah, Eliza and William. Job was a Master Mariner and, according to the first (undated) version of this Form B, they ran a grocery out of part of this house. Job’s wife, Eliza, died in 1885, and that same year he sold this property and other parcels of woodland and cranberry bog to his youngest son, William W. Wixon for $850 (Book 167/Page 27). The property included a dwelling house, barn and other outbuildings. William Wixon (1861-1938) was listed as a provisions dealer in the 1900 US Census and a grocer in Orleans in the 1920 US Census. This may refer to the same grocery business referenced in the older Form B. INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET BREWSTER 770 STONY BROOK ROAD MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD,BOSTON,MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Continuation sheet 2 C,G,J BRE.304 William Wixon was living in Orleans in 1913 when he conveyed a portion of what was conveyed to him by his father, including this house, to Agnes W. Foster of Brewster (Book 328/Page 233). Interestingly, this deed describes the property as including “land with dwelling house, barn, out buildings, and windmill thereon, together with all crops, fruit and wood, whether cut or gathered or not (with the exception of hay now stored in barn and fire-wood now stored in wood-shed), and all manure or dressing whether piled or not….” Agnes Foster (1871-1932) does not appear to have lived in the property, she is listed as living in Brewster Center and Upper Road in the 1920 and 1930 US Census. She never married and upon her death, the property was sold to Elmer A. and Helen T. Chadwick of Lexington, MA (Book 495/Page 390). Elmer (b. 1890) was a manufacturer of store supplies (1930 US Census). The property has subsequently been sold numerous times. This property is located within the Old King’s Highway Regional Historic District (adopted 1973) and the house, carriage house/barn foundation and stone wall are contributing resources in the Stony Brook/Factory Village National Register District (listed 2000). BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES 1858 Map, Map of Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, & Nantucket, Walling, Henry. 1880 Map, Atlas of Barnstable County, Boston, MA: George H. Walker & Co., 1880. 1910 Map, Atlas of Barnstable County, Boston, MA: Walker Litho. & Publishing Co., 1910. Barnstable County Registry of Deeds Stony Brook/Factory Village National Register District, 2000. www.ancestry.com - Vital records, US Census (1860, 1870, 1900, 1920) Brewster Assessor sketch. INVENTORY FORM B CONTINUATION SHEET BREWSTER 770 STONY BROOK ROAD MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Area(s) Form No. 220 MORRISSEY BOULEVARD,BOSTON,MASSACHUSETTS 02125 Continuation sheet 3 C,G,J BRE.304 Photo 2. View of west elevation and rear ells, looking southeast. Photo 3. View of barn foundation, looking south.