Belmont’s historic houses can be quirky, appealing, expensive to maintain, or all of the above. Still, they also serve as time capsules offering glimpses into the town’s impressive past.
To honor and learn more about those special buildings, a group of residents gathered on Dec. 8 to discuss their homes and other town structures during the Belmont Historical Society’s 10-year anniversary celebration of its Historic Plaque Program.
“There’s so much diversity in the architecture” in town, said society President Viktoria Haase at the beginning of the presentation, held at the William Flagg Homer House, the first building in town to receive a plaque. The monumental Pleasant Street location was an important place to artist Winslow Homer and is now owned by the Belmont Woman’s Club.
- 1853 William Flagg Homer House 661 Pleasant St
- c 1853 Reverend Daniel Butler House 36 Sycamore St
- 1896 All Saints Church 69 Common St
- 1922 Viola E. McNeil House 36 Harriet Ave 2014
- 1930 Tobey-Packard Road 26 Tobey Rd 2014
- c 1693 Abraham Hill House 388 Pleasant St
- 1856 “Widow” Brown House 81 Clark St
- 1845 Henry Frost Farmhouse 307 Pleasant St
- 1850 Albert Higgins House 30 Somerset St
- 1836 Samuel Orlando Mead House 346 Concord Ave
- 1889-1910 Underwood Greenhouses 20 School St 2015
- 1895 Amos Taylor House 117 School St 2015
- 1887 Eleazer Bartlett Homer House 634 Pleasant St
- c 1840 Samuel O. Mead Carriage House 346 Concord Ave
- 1896 Bartlett House 90 School St
- 1774 Josiah Shattuck House 981 Concord Ave
- 1895 Daniel House 93 School St
- 1910 Armstrong Firenze House 3 Clover St
- 1897 Bathrick House 29 Oak St
- 1895 Brown House 57 Unity Ave
- 1877 McDonald House 618 Pleasant S
- 1863 Mahoney House 653 Concord Ave
- 1851 James Brown House 710 Pleasant St
- 1850 Alexander House 592 Pleasant St
- 1897 Worth House 35 Oak St
- 1889 Frost-Ahern House 308 Lake St
- 1920 John V. McCarthy House 232 Trapelo Rd
- 1895 Alfred B. Parker House 17 Myrtle St
- 1900 Payne House 135 School St
- 1904 Grace P. Jones House 97 School St
- 1929 Cotswold Cottage 4 Essex Rd
- 1916 Wigglesworth House 1 Colonial Terrace
- 1896 Saniford House 9 Goden St
- 1781 Capt Joseph Bright House 306 Washington St
- 1807 Thomas Richardson House 336 Washington St
- 1916 Wigglesworth House 1 Colonial Ter
- 1898 Miss Howe’s School 23 Myrtle St
- 1894 Mary Ford House 11 Oak St
- 1841 Edwin Locke Farmhouse 5 Somerset St
- 1881 George & Anna Prentiss House 206 Prospect St
- 1827 Thaddeus Frost House 291 Brighton St
- 1908 Fred C. Garmon House 34 Cushing Ave
- 1895 Graham-Floyd House 12 Goden St
- 1896 Lucy Sherman House 12 Goden St
- 1927 “Doc” Edgerton-Ellenport House 205 School St
During the event, history buffs learned more about some of the decades- or centuries-old homes and buildings awarded plaques, with insight from the society and the homeowners themselves.
“Participation in [the plaque] program helps to raise awareness of and provide information about the town’s architectural and historical development and builds a sense of pride in our community,” according to the Historical Society.
To be eligible for a plaque, a building must be at least 50 years old, retain its original integrity and design, and have a clear chain of title, according to the society.
Glimpses Into the Past
According to Haase, about 44 homes and buildings in Belmont have received plaques. They were built between 1693 and 1930 and retain much of their original exterior character.
Owners often need to invest a lot of time, energy, and money to maintain their properties and make them functional on the inside. The plaque program does not require interiors to remain as they were decades or centuries ago.
“These homes do take a lot of TLC,” said Haase during the slide presentation.
Several owners described unusual and revealing discoveries made during renovations, including long-lost Valentine’s cards, old medicine bottles, corn cobs used as insulation, and even a hidden pocket door, to name a few.
John Beaty and his wife Evanthia Malliris have owned the William McDonald House at 618 Pleasant St. since the 1980s.
“All of these old houses have a story,” said Beaty, whose house was built in 1877.
Surprisingly, the 147-year-old structure wasn’t always located on Pleasant Street. According to Beaty, the house was built where the Town Hall Annex is located. More than a century ago, the McDonalds bought the home, which was condemned at the time, and moved it to its current location. They could make the move because the family owned a drayage – or transportation – company. They excavated underneath the building, elevated it, and placed it on buckboards to move it to 618 Pleasant St.
“It’s astonishing,” said Beaty, whose home wasn’t the only one that shifted locations in Belmont.
The Frost-Ahern House, built in 1889 and located at 308 Lake St., started its life as part of a larger home, which was divided in half, Haase noted in her presentation. According to the Historical Society, the back section of the original structure is now located at 15 Albert Ave.
Although the plaques have mostly been given to homes, a few other buildings applied for and received the hand-painted signs, including All Saints Church, built in 1896 and located at 69 Common St., and the Underwood Greenhouses, described as being built between 1889 and 1910 and located at 20 School St. They are still used as greenhouses.
Most of the homeowners who spoke during the event described a deep love and respect for their homes’ often fascinating histories and were proud to have a plaque.
“The historic district in Belmont is really important,” said Malliris. “It keeps us aware of the past.”
“It’s a part of this country’s history,” said Beaty.
To learn more about the Belmont Historical Society’s Historic Plaque Program, visit belmonthistoricalsociety.org/historic-house-plaques/.
