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Home My WebLink About103 River St-yar_336 Inventory No:YAR.336 Historic Name:Matthews, Capt. Ezekiel Sr. House Common Name: Address:103 River St City/Town:Yarmouth Village/Neighborhood:South Yarmouth Village; Bass River Local No:371 Year Constructed:r 1785 Architect(s): Architectural Style(s):Colonial; Federal Use(s):Secondary Dwelling House; Single Family Dwelling House Significance:Architecture; Recreation Area(s):YAR.H: South Yarmouth - Bass River Historic District Designation(s):Nat'l Register District (05/29/1990) Building Materials(s):Wall: Wood; Wood Shingle Foundation: Brick; Stone, Uncut The Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC) has converted this paper record to digital format as part of ongoing projects to scan records of the Inventory of Historic Assets of the Commonwealth and National Register of Historic Places nominations for Massachusetts. 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Commonwealth of Massachusetts Massachusetts Historical Commission 220 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, Massachusetts 02125 www.sec.state.ma.us/mhc This file was accessed on: Wednesday, April 11, 2018 at 3:30: PM MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, State House, Boston In Area no. Form no. -3-7T S3* ne Yarmouth (Bass River ) ress 103 River Street ssent use Summer residence sent owner Muriel Townsend cription: e c. 1770-1800 Source Sight Georgian 4. Map. Draw sketch of building location in relation to nearest cross streets and other buildings. Indicate north. Architect Exterior wall fabric Wood shinerles Willow Street D D \ N o D D R i v e r S t r e e t Bass • Judah Baker Mill Outbuildings (describe) See reverse Other features A house ih continual transition. Originally, perhaps a Cape house-and-a-half type w/ many additions that stretch through the centuries. 12/12, 9/6, 6/6 windows. ...CONTINUED 0*T SEPARATE SHEET... Altered ^tensivelv Date a Moved Date 5. Lot size: One acre or less Over one acre u > •rl 06 w w PI Approximate frontage 50' Approximate distance of building from street 2 0 * 6. Recorded by Don Blrick Yarmouth Historical Survey Organization Date February 1980 (over) c Captain Ezekiel Matthews, Sr. Homestead Subsequent uses (if any) and dates Summer residence since 1905 8. Themes (check as many as applicable) Aboriginal Agricultural Architectural The Arts Commerce Communication Community development Conservation Education Exploration/ settlement Industry Military Political Recreation Religion Science/ invention Social/ humanitarian Transportation -1 9. Historical significance (include explanation of themes checked above) . Host of the history of the Lower Village revolves around this house. This is not to say that important things did not happen elsewhere in ) this little section of Yarmouth, but to imply that the hub af activity must surely have been here in the earliest homestead of the Matthews family. Added to this, the house, seen as the central structure in a compound of buildings, served not only the Matthews, but also some of the more famous early summer visitors to the area. It can not be proven where Ezekiel Matthews Sr. lived, but considering circumstantial factors it seens likely that if his house still exists it is this one. At any rate successive members of his family came into possession of the house and maintained it through the 19th century. So, regardless of which Matthews is responsible for it,,the building in all its transitional forms, served the important purpose of housing this industrious family. The house appears massive, with numerous additions - most with mortise- tenon construction and Georgian style windows - and it is these features which lead one to assume it was built and built again by a man with eleven children. That was the number of births, (although the twins died in 1804), seen fay Ezekiel Sr. His wife Lydia (Hallett), had come with him, about 1790, to this area near the mouth of Bass River. Their first child, Edmund, was born that year and then one came almost every two years until 1809, when Howes H., (see form # 350), was born; the last of seven brothers and two "sisters. 10. Bibliography and/or references (such as local histories, deeds, assessor's records, early maps, etc.) A. 1858 Tri-County Map, Walling, Boston B. 1880 and 1907 atlases of Barnstable County, Walker, Boston C. Mrs. Muriel Townsend of 103 River Street D. "Yesterday's Tide", Florence W. Baker, 1941 E. History of Barnstable County, Simeon Deyo, 1890 F. Vol. VIII The collection of the Massachusetts Historic Society, Boston, 1802 / Comrnunit Form No: MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, J ton Yarmouth (B^ss River) 371 Property Name: Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. Ezekiel Sr. was a ship's master as were many, if not most of his sons. Although his sons' contributions are better known, Ezekiel was un- doubtedly in command of one of the 21 deep water and coastal vessles reported to have had their home port at Bass River in 1802. Little else is known of him, save that he died in 1849, followed three years later by his wife. His sons, however, and their sons are Ezekiel's greatest legacy. By the time of his death they were at their peak and constitxited the most powerful group in this sea-faring village. A number of them - Howes and Henry particularly and at least one grandson, Barzillai- were anchor dragger captains, (see form # 282). Barzillai's father, Ezekiel Jr., (see form # 358), did not go to sea, but instead manipulated the ocean's resources by building a wharf and acting as a merchant in the goods his brothers brought home on ships he had built at the foot of Willow Street. Another son of Ezekiel Jr., Braddock, went to sea and also later, became a merchant in partnership with his uncle David Matthews, b. 1801, (see form # 259). David was the sixth son of Ezekiel Sr. and like his brother Ezekiel Jr., he too manipulated the sea's resources. As a salt manufacturer he did quite well and his store, the D.B. Matthews CO. was prosperous from 1838 until after the Civil War. The house, itself, was passed on from one son to another and then to one another of the grandchildren until it was finally sold, in 1905, to Channing, Albert and Cheney Wells. Always when the land was trans- feree! there was stipulated a right of way for Tsaih Parker Matthews, who was the son of Enoch, the fifth child of Ezekiel Sr. On the 1858 map I.P. Matthews is shown living next door and likewise on the 1880 and 1907 maps. However since then the house has disappeared and presently no trace of it can be found; except if one wishes to guess that it is one of the other two structures now oh the original tract of land containing the house surveyed here. At one point prior to the 20th century one of these large houses was attached to this one, (103 River Street), but just as it had been byilt only to be moved once and attached so it was disattached and moved again. This time the move was away and back from 103 River Street; where it currently sits S.W. at 109 River Street, (see form # 3 72). Channing Wells who purchased the house and compound in 1903 was the founder of Sturbridge Village and President of the American Optical CO. His wealth and prestige drew people from all over the Cape to the parties he gave for visiting celebraties. In the disattached house mentioned above, then called the Field House, such notables as Katherine Cornell and Talula Bankhead stayed and partied with the other Wells guests. After Wells, President Raymond of the State Street Trust CO. continued the summer days and nights of opulence as did Dean Acheson when he lived there, still later in the century. The current owner Muriel Townsend MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL CCM-HSSION Office of the Secretary, ^ -on * Community. Form No: Yarmouth (Bass River) Property iName: Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. has been in the house, summers for twenty-five years and although she has carried on the tradition of fine living there, the larger com- pound has long since been broken up. The way it was when the Matthews were at their pinnacle is no where to be seen. That is unless one takes a close look and finds an old right of way where the grass still grows a little different and imagines the passing of the people, back and forth through the Matthews* land to the river's edge. The comolete Ezekiel Matthews Sr. family and some of their descendants: Captain Ezekiel Sr. Their children: Edmund b. 1790 Ezekiel Nancy Capt.Freeman Capt.Enoch b. 1792 b. 1794 b." 1797 b. 1799 (1765 - 1849) and his wife Lydia (Hallett) David b. twins b. Sally b. Capt.Henry b. Capt.Howes b. 1802 1804 d. 1805 1807 1809 1804 Ezekiel Jr. and Bethia (Cusa) Their children: Capt.Braddock b. 1812 Lydia Capt.Barzillai 1814 Argenette Delyra Freeman and Catherine Seleck Hedge b. 1819 Freeman b, Lavina Sally 1821 1825 1826 (Baker) Their children: Harriot George Elanor Edward 1826 1831 1835 183 7 Enoch's children: Isaiah Parker b. 1822 Laura David and Emiline (Hallett) Helbron Vincent b. 1835 Albert b. 1836 Elnathan b. 1838 Their children: Gideon b. 1840 Mary Jane b. 1842 LIST OF OTHER FEATURES CONTINUED: The main structure sits on a field stone foundation and brick is also used elsewhere. There is a full back extension of a full story which appears oldest. There are five fireplaces in the house and one is done in "Nantucket Blue Brick".