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[push-stars.livejournal.com]

Round House

" At 36 Atherton Street between Porter and Union squares, there is round house which dates from 1856. I am fascinated by its archirecture and history and saddened by its state of direpair.

According to the Somerville Public Library, the 40-foot diameter Round House was built as a curiosity by a prominent inventor and locksmith, Enoch Robinson. It contains a glass-domed central hall and two parlors: one circular and one oval. The Somerville Old House Organization (SOHO) has a nice write up on the place, including a rare picture of the interior, seen at right. In it you can see sections of the parlor walls, which Robinson covered with a French scenic paper depicting royalty in castles, gardens, and hunting scenes. The shape of the house itself has been traced to one built in the Desert de Retz in Chambourcy, France, in 1780 and 1781 by Francois Nicolas Henri Racine de Monville (1734–1797) in the shape of a huge, round, ruined, classical column."

    Here is more :   Round House

    Thanks for all of the replies and additional links!  Here are some more intersting links about the house as well as some other Somerville historic photos    Link one, house plans

Link two, Somerville Historic photos

Comments

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

Glad I'm not the only one who's noticed it. I was picking up someone who lives on that street for a few months, and started looking around because I couldn't figure out what it was. The covers they have over the windows look like windows, but aren't.

My digging leads me to believe that it should be designated as a national historic place, but that the family don't want to let it go and don't have the money to fix it.

[hakamadare.livejournal.com]

he family don’t want to let it go and don’t have the money to fix it.

frustratingly enough, conservationists have apparently tried to get the owner’s permission to work on it several times, but the owner refuses. i wonder if the argument could be made to the city that this would be a good opportunity for the exercise of eminent domain, given that i can’t imagine the owner gains any benefit from the house in its current condition?

-steve

[ron_newman]

Pretty much what the above two commenters said. This situation is very frustrating to Brandon Wilson and everyone else associated with the city's Historic Preservation Commission.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_meej_/]

Yes. Yes it is. (Alternate member of HPC here.) There are family-related issues.

I'm not certain, but it may already be designated as a Historic property at some level. Unfortunately, all that really gives in terms of protection are protections against active changes or demolitions that impact the historic character; Mother Nature is allowed to do all the demolition she likes without review. :(

And as far as money for the restoration goes, there are associations between the Roundhouse and... erm... some company that I think manufactures locks, or something like that (I should check my notes), who have expressed an interest in being involved in any restoration, should it take place.

Funky note: those "parapets" above the second floor, right above the windows? Those are for the windows themselves - which are single-hung - to go up into. The windows open all the way!

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

I doubt it. The city has money for its restoration?

I love the house--I really do. Some nights I have gone out of my way to drive by and park outside it for a while. But I can't help thinking the same amount of money to restore it might be more useful being dumped into our public library system, or something else. I wish someone could buy it and fix it up though. Even if it were privately owned it could be saved.

[ron_newman]

Perhaps we should start talking to private non-profit preservation groups such as SPNEA (Historic New England) and Preservation Mass (formerly Historic Massachusetts).

[agnosticoracle.livejournal.com]

I noticed it a couple years ago. Thanks for posting the details on it, I always wondered about its history. I keep hoping it goes up for sale in hopes of an open house.

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

I bet at this point it is ruined inside from leaky roof or from animals. It is very much not in good shape. :/

[julishka.livejournal.com]

you're on a very very long list of people hoping that it goes up for sale. hehe.

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

That's neat. :-) It would be nice to see it fixed up.

Photos of the interior

[ron_newman]

Someone sent me this link to photos of the inside of the Round House. I don't know anything more about them:

http://web.mit.edu/petern/www/roundhouse/

Re: Photos of the interior

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

The photos pretty much confirmed my suspiscions. It would take a heck of a lot of money to fix.

Re: Photos of the interior

[guxx.livejournal.com]

Where's Bob Vila when you need him?

Re: Photos of the interior

[spatch]

Didja catch the graffiti in this one?

[csbermack.livejournal.com]

It was up for rent for a while, or a part of it was. Out of my price range, though. I was surprised that it was a cat-friendly rental.

[hammercock.livejournal.com]

Based on those photos of the interior, I doubt a cat could do more damage than the human neglect already has. :-/

[csbermack.livejournal.com]

It's also possible there's more than one round house in the area. I don't remember the building being so... architectural.

[ron_newman]

I don't know of any other round houses in Somerville. The only other round buildings I can think of are non-residential: the Old Powder House in Nathan Tufts Park, and the Prospect Hill Tower.

[spatch]

I shudder to think of what the rent must've been listed as, because given the condition of that place, it shouldn't have been out of anybody's price range.

[ron_newman]

Here's a list of all local historic districts in Somerville. The Round House is on this list.

However, this kind of listing only protects the exterior against demolition or unauthorized renovation. It does nothing to protect it against neglect and abandonment.

To my knowledge, it is not listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Perhaps it should be, but again, this kind of listing would only provide limited protection (in this case, against any demolition or alteration using Federal funds). It also facilitates access to some historic preservation funds, and can provide tax credits -- but the property owner has to want these things.