circa 1880-1881, 1896, 2014
HAV-01-403
GUSN-357428
Collection includes architectural materials, photographic materials, and ephemera. The architectural materials include framing plans; floor plans; elevations; working drafts; and one set of specifications. The architectural drawings are heavily annotated and amended in graphite, indicating that they were used by the carpenters as working drawings to construct the dwelling. All architectural materials are dated circa 1880. The photographic materials include three albumen prints on mount. All photographic materials are dated circa 1880 and 1896. The ephemera includes a letter received from Richard Heath with accompanying prints depicting the Albert M. Gardner house as it appeared in 2014. This collection is arranged in three series and four subseries. Original titles were maintained when possible. In instances where no title was found, they were assigned by the processor and are indicated by brackets in the container list.
architectural drawings (visual works)
correspondence
elevations (orthographic projections)
printed ephemera
floor plans
houses
photographs
specifications
architectural records
specifications
albumen prints
architectural drawings (visual works)
printed ephemera
1.7 linear feet (1 drop-front newsprint box)
An electronic finding aid is available through Historic New Englands Collections Access Portal. A paper finding aid is available in the Library & Archives.
The architectural and photographic materials were acquired by Historic New England in 2014. The ephemera was sent to Historic New England by Richard Heath in 2014 and were treated as an accrual to the original acquisition.
AR026
Albert M. Gardner house collection
2014
AR026
A collection of architectural materials, photographic materials, and ephemera related to the construction and history of the Albert M. Gardner house in Brookline, Massachusetts.
Gift of Richard Heath, 2014
Boston (Suffolk county, Massachusetts)
Roxbury (Boston, Suffolk county, Massachusetts) [neighborhood]
Waltham (Middlesex county, Massachusetts)
Besarick, John H., 1844-1925 (Architect)
S. M. Chesley & Co. (Carpenter)
architectural records
specifications
albumen prints
architectural drawings (visual works)
printed ephemera
Gardner, Albert M., 1844-1904
Besarick, John H., 1844-1925
Heath, Richard
Whitney, F. J.
Gardner & Chandler
S. M. Chesley & Co.
This collection is available for research.
The entire collection was rehoused for long-term preservation.
Specifications were flattened and placed in an acid-free folder
Albumen prints were rehoused in archival sleeves and placed in acid-free folders.
There are no physical on this collection.
There are no technical restrictions on this collection.
Collection
HAV-01-403
Accruals are not expected.
No materials have been removed from this collection.
Materials are entirely in English.
Item identification. Box #, folder #. Albert M. Gardner house collection (AR026). Historic New England, Library & Archives.
This collection was processed by Jordan Meyerl, Archives Cataloguer, 2021. Finding aid was updated by Jordan Meyerl, Senior Archives Cataloguer, 2024.
This finding aid is Second Edition DACS-compliant.
Albert Mellen Gardner (1844-1904) was born on September 15, 1844, in Vasselboro, Maine. By 1868, he was living in Boston, Massachusetts. In 1869, he married Georgianna "Anna" Weymouth (1849-1886), also of Maine. The couple had five children: Earl Clifford Gardner (1873-1927), Clarence M. Gardner (1877-1882), Russell Osgood Gardner (1879-1942), Flora M. Gardner (1883-1910), and Lincoln Albert Gardner (1886-1958). Upon Annas death, Gardner married Carrie Abbie Goodhue (1853-1930). He had a long career as a hardware dealer and was active in the New England Hardware Dealer's Association. He was a Freemason affiliated with the Revere Lodge of the Masons. He died on July 28, 1904, in Stockton Springs, Maine. In 1881, he commissioned a dwelling house to be built on his land in Montana Street, Ward 21, Boston, Massachusetts. The house was built in a style described in in issue 15, volume 1 of Historic New England Magazine as "Stick transitioning to Queen Anne." The house was erected according to the plans of architect John. H. Besarick (1844-1925).
Besarick was born June 20, 1844, in Canada, and died February 26, 1925, in Dorchester, Massachusetts. He designed numerous houses in Boston, particularly in Back Bay, and elsewhere. His work also includes St. John's Seminary, several churches, commercial buildings, hotels in Boston and Maine, and a summer estate on Long Island in Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire. He lived in Dorchester, on Virginia Street, close to Montana Street. His office was at 32 Pemberton Square in Boston. Also a Freemason, he was affiliated with the Joseph Warren Lodge.
Condon, L. (2014). Rediscovering a House on Montana Street. Historic New England Magazine, 15(1), 18-20.
The collection is arranged in 3 series, which are arranged into subseries as follows:
Series I. Architectural records, circa 1880
Subseries A: Elevations, circa 1880
Subseries B: Floor plans, circa 1880
Subseries C: Framing plans, circa 1880
Subseries D: Specifications, circa 1880
Series II. Photographic materials, circa 1881, 1896
Series III. Ephemera, 2014
Historic New England is committed to implementing reparative language description for existing collections and creating respectful and inclusive language description for new collections. If you encounter language in Historic England's Collections Access Portal that is harmful or offensive, or you find materials that would benefit from a content warning, please contact [email protected].
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