Quincy, Mass. Historical and Architectural Survey

200 Quincy Avenue

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE
The Quincy Point neighborhood, once called the Old Fields District, is bounded by Quincy Avenue (west), Elm Street (north), Town River Bay (east) and the Weymouth Fore River and the Braintree Town Line (south). Two major early roads, now heavily commercialized, originate in Quincy Center and run the length of Quincy Point: Quincy Avenue, the old Braintree-Weymouth Turnpike and Washington Street, the old Quincy-Hingham Turnpike terminating in the massive Fore River Bridge (1934). Although some inhabitants of Quincy Point were associated with the nearby granite and other industries, one of prime reasons for the development of the Point was the commercial maritime industry located on the Town and Fore Rivers. Quincy Neck, the site of the giant Fore River Shipyard (now General Dynamics), is delineated by Haywards Creek, the Weymouth Fore River and Bent's Creek. Some boat yards still remain, but many others used to dot the Town River Bay shoreline. The other major industrial complex is the Proctor & Gamble Manufacturing Co. located at the Fore River Bridge. Many residential developments sprang up in Quincy Point; one was Edison Park, an area north of Washington Street developed in the 1890's.

One of the oldest houses in Quincy Point, the William Pratt-Charles N. Baxter House was built by Deacon William Pratt in 1832. Over fifty years later, this property, which was once a spacious estate with much land, was acquired by Charles Newcomb Baxter, a carpenter in 1875. The property stayed in the Baxter family until it was sold in 1920 to Nicolo Taddeo, a laborer.

BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES
H. Hobart Holly. Quincy: 350 Years, 1974, p. 49,51
H. Hobart Holly. "Quincy's Granite Hills Were Golden". Quincy History. Spring. 1980.

ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
This early Cape Cod cottage has had many additions to it from various architectural periods which gives it its picturesque look of today. It was built in 1832 with a Greek Revival entrance Which included sidelights to dado level, pilasters and a flat entablature. Probably during the 1860s, the peaked dormers of the Gothic Revival were added in the front slope of the roof and in the Queen Anne period, the late 19th century, the house was enlarged by the full length front porch with turneposts. As are most of the 19th century houses in Quincy, it is set on a granite foundation. Small chimneys pierce the gable ends of the roof. It is an interesting component of Quincy Avenue and a reminder of its early history.

Back