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THEME: Scientific Discovery an x
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Form 10-700 UNI1 ED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR sT�ATI'" S -:i
(Rev. 6-72) _ NATIONAL PARK SERVICE I Massachusetts
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COUIJ iYa
NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES Ecsex _
;(NATIOTIAT HISTORIdNVENTORY — NOMINATION FORM FOR NPS USE ONLY
LMIDYARKS) ENTRY DATE
t111L (Type all entries complete applicable sections)
1. NAIAE '
' 777777777777.
COMMON:. -E+ 5
Nathaniel Bowditch House
AND/OR HISTORIC:
Nathaniel Bowditch House
2. LOCATION .
STREET AND NUMBER!
9 North Street
CITY OR TOWN: CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT:
Salem Sixth
STATE CODE COUH TY: CODE
Massachusetts 025 Essex 00
3. CLASSIFICATION
N CATEGORY OWNERSHIP STATUS ACCESSIBLE
(Check One) I - TO THE PUBLIC „
❑ District N Building Public Public Acquisition: I4Z Occupied Yes: re
El Site ❑ Structure ro
Private ❑ In Process I❑ Unoccupied Ql Restricted
❑ Object Both ❑ Being Considered ❑ Preservation work ❑ Unrestricted
in progress ❑ No
U PRESENT USE (Check One or More ea Appropriefe)
M ❑ Agricultural ;K Government ❑ Pork ❑ Transportation ❑Comments
W ❑ Commercial ❑ Industrial ❑ Private Residence ❑Other (Specify) -
F„�- ❑ Educational ❑ Military ❑ Religious — -
N
❑ Entertainment - - ❑ Museum ❑ Scientific
Z4. OWNER 0F..PROPERTY''-
OWNER'S NAME:
City of Salem Office of the "t_a10r
LU
STREET AND NUMBER: N
ul City Hall 93 Washington Street :r
H CITY OR TOWN: TATF- CODF G
m
Salem ssachusett R I
S. LOCATION OF LEGAL DESCRIPTION
COURTHOUSE. REGISTRY OF DEEDS, E u� O
0 1
Essex Registry ut ll _aa , _./ern District i
STREET AND NUMBER:
32 Federal Street x <
CITY OR TOWN: STATE - CODE
Salem Massachusetts 025
6.;REPRESENTATION IN EXISTING SURVEYS
TITLE OF SURVEY: m
ZII I
None n1r
DATE OF SURVEY: ❑ Federal ❑ state ❑ County ❑ Local 2 I
DEPOSITORY FOR SURVEY RECORDS: C N; -~�'-'"*
IS 1
In r-I
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STREET AND NUMBER: m
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CITY OR TOWN: STATE: CODE I � '
D
y I
Zs DESCRIPTION
(Check One) -Jt
CONDITION
E] Excellent X Good E] Fair E3Dete,ioroted ElRuins Ele
P Unex sed
(Check One) (Check Ona)
50 Altered ❑ Unolte'ed Moved -
❑ Ori ginoi sit.
DESCRIBE THE PRESENT AND ORIGINAL (It known) PHYSICAL APPEARANCE -
If
P..
The Nathaniel Bowditch House was constructed early in .the 19th century ons
Essex Street in Salem, Massachusetts; it was moved to its present location a
at 9 North Street, Salem, c. 1945 to prevent its demolition in a street-
widening project. A frame and clapboard structure in the Federal style,
the house consists of a 3-story main block with a low hipped roof and a
2z-story rear .ell with a half-gambrel roof, both on a low stone foundation.
The outstanding exterior feature of the Bowditch House is the "frontis-
piece" entrance in the center of its five=bay front (east) facade. This
entrance is flanked by engaged Corinthian columns which support a full
entablature. The doorway itself, reached by 3 risers and recessed behind
paneled reveals, is flanked by vertical lights above paneled insets and
topped by a four-light transom. Windows throughout the house are 6/6 sash
with louvered blinds. Brackets set beneath the first-floor-front windows
support flower boxes during the spring and summer months. '^
- rrt p
The interior of the Bowditch House follows a standard four-room, center ;n
hall plan. Original fabric includes simple moldings around windows and
doors, cornice moldings, shutters in the parlor and dining room, and some
fireplaces.
When moved, the Bowditch House was badly deteriorated and required major -q
repair of walls and floors, removal of post-Bowditch partitions, and re-
placement of window lights, doors, and the roof. Despite the extensive
work done, the exterior appearance of the house remains essentially as it
was when constructed (with the exception of the original 'roof balustrade, n
removed at an unkni,,n date and not replaced) . The, interior has been -I
altered somewhat--primarily through the removal of some fireplaces and
decorative detail--and its original character is further obscured by its p
office furnishings. 3
J !a+-
Just south of the Bowditch House across a narrow lawn is the "Witch house",
a 17th century structure, also owned by the City of Salem and operated as
a museum. Immediately north of the Bowditch.House is a side-street, Eaton
Place. That portion of the Bowditch property behind the main house --
between Eaton Place and the north- side of the ell has been hard-topped to
provide-a parking area.
Boundary
The Landmark designation for the Bowditch House includes the building
itself and approximately one-tenth acre of land; boundaries are outlined
in red on the attached plat map, recorded in the Essex Registry of Deeds,
Southern District (Book 3585, Page 340), describing property conveyed by
Historic Salem, Inc. to the City of Salem on January 38, 1948.
.'SIGNIFICANCE
PERIOD. (Check One or h1ore as Appropriate)
❑ Pre-Columbionl ❑ 16th Century" ❑ 18th Century ❑ 20th Century
❑ 15th Century ❑ 17th Century 2% 19th Century
1811-1823 p 8O
SPECIFIC DATE(S) (Il ye
Appficpble end Known) ll-1B23
AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE (Check One *rMore Me Appropriate) �4t_
Aboriginal - ❑ Education ❑ Political ❑ Urban Planning
❑ Prehistoric ❑ Engineering ❑ Religion/Phi. ❑ Other (Specify) sAssfi
❑ HistoricIndustr ...t?•�
❑ Y losophy
❑ Agriculture 10 Invention 54 Science
❑ Architecture ❑ Landscape ❑ Sculpture
❑ Art Architecture ❑ Social/Human-
E] Commerce ❑ Literature itarian
❑ Communications ❑ Military ❑ Theater
❑ Conservation music El ❑ Transportation '
STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
This 3-story frame house was, from 1811 until 1823, the home of Nathanieh_
Bowditch, one of the most interesting scientific figures in American
history. The extraordinarily keen and analytical mind of this Salem man
produced great advances in navigation and brought continental mathematics -nom"
Z to America.
'� .
Bowditch probably set a record for discovering errors in a published work
when he uncovered 8,000 in The Practical Navigator, a manual of navigation
V written by. Englishman John Hamilton Moore. Among the most grievous errors
Moore made in compiling his work was the citation of the year 1800 as a
leap year--a mistake which resulted in several sea disasters. Thus, it is
obvious why Bowditch's The New American Practical Navigator, which appeared
F— in 1802, rapidly supplanted the earlier British work as the standard
,n manual for seamen the world over.
This house, which Bowditch occupied longer than any other of his Salem
residences, was constructed on Essex Street early in the 19th century and
w moved to its present location, 9 North Street, c. 1945. Now owned by the
W ` City of Salem and used as offices by the Park, Police, and Street Depart-
ments, the house is open to visitors by appointment. Except for the
absence of the rooftop balustrade, the exterior of the house retains its
original appearance.
Historical Background
Bowditch developed his inherently keen, analytical mind largely through
his own efforts. Born on March 26, 1773, of a family who had followed the
sea for generations', the young Bowditch received some schooling in Salem,
Massachusetts, but when twelve he became an apprentice to a ship's
chandler. Although he could study only after work, the youth did not for-
sake his interest in mathematics. Within a year, he had compiled a note-
book on navigation. With borrowed books and amazing dedication, Bowditch
continued to study as energetically as most boys of his age played. So _w
impressed were two of his older friends with his zeal and ability, that in
1791 they secured permission for him to use the volumes in Salem's Philoso-
phical Library Company. Bowditch devoured the treasures he found there.
Indicative of his intellectual discipline is the fact that when only
eighteen he copied all of the mathematical papers he found in the Trans-
actions of the Royal Society of London. By the age of twenty-one, he had
Continaedl
F 10-300a
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR STATE
(July 1959) NATIONAL.PARK SERVICE
Massachusetts - a.,;r .-+,
NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES COUNTY
INVENTORY • NOMINATION FORM Essex
FOR NPS USE ONLY
,((NATIONAL HISTORIC ENTRY NUMDER DnTE
LAND14&RI{S) (Continuation Sheet)
(Number.11 entdea)
8. Statement of Significance: (1) Nathaniel Bowditch House .,,.
"ii ``:'T
read, after teaching himself Latin, Sir Isaac Newton's Principia, even dis- '_-
covering an error in it. Moreover, with a French dictionary in one hand and a
Bible in another, he had learned French.
In 1795, the youth, slight and already gray-haired, turned to the sea. For
the next nine years, Bowditch sailed over the globe, first as ship's clerk,
then as supercargo, and on his last voyage (November 1802-December 1803) as
captain of the Putnam, which he and three others owned. On all of his voyages,
Bowditch continued his studies, especially those concerned with navigation.
It was during the period from 1795 to 1802 that Bowditch produced one of the
most remarkable scientific books ever published in America. By July 1799, he
had already published two revisions of John Hamilton Moore's error-laden The
Practical Navigator and then decided to prepare a new book. Three years later,
in 1802, his New American Practical Navigator appeared. Some 274 pages in
length, the manual contained navigational aids, tide tables, astronomical
tables, the duties of officers and a textbook on navigation. The material for
teaching navigation constituted a remarkable innovation, and it probably
stemmed from Bowditch's attempts to teach geometry to sailors while.on his
various voyages. In a short time, the book achieved outstanding popularity.
And as a sea captain later wrote, one after 1802 went to. sea with a "Testament,
a Bowditch, a quadrant; a chest of sea clothes, and a mother's blessing."
Bowditch prepared revisions for subsequent editions of the Navigator during
his life and, although somewhat altered, the book remains in general use today.
Although the Practical Navigator was Bowditch's great work, he accomplished
additional noteworthy achievements in science. His study of the We$tpn, Con-
necticut, meteor of 1867 received applause here and in Europe. Aside from that
investigation and numerous other scientific papers, Bowditch's translation of
LaPlace's Mecanique Celeste is of especial interest. From at least the time
of his last voyage in -1802-1803 until his death, the scientist labored over
translating the Frenchman's great work on mathematics and theoretical
astronomy. The job was a stupendous one, and when the first four volumes of --
the translation appeared, each contained over a thousand pages. Death cut
short Bowditch's work on LaPlace's last volume, which remains untranslated.
Bowditch enjoyed more than just .success in science. Although his first wife,
Elizabeth Boardman, died in the same year they were married, 179&, he and his
second wife, Mary Ingersoll, whom he married in October, 1800, had a happy
marriage. Bowditch was the first insurance actuary in this country. He was _
appointed president of the Essex Fire and Marine Insurance Company in 1804 and +`
remained in that position until 1823, when he moved to Boston to become presi-
dent and actuary for another firm. Bowditch died on the afternoon of March 16,
1838.
(Continued)
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6!O 921-724 . ..
Form 10-300a UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR STATE
.- (July 1969) NATIONAL PARK SERVICE - s - - -'`•`<`='
Massachusetts *�
NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES COUNTY
INVENTORY • NOMINATION FORM Essex
(IIAT FOR NPs USE ONLY
IONAL HISTORIC'
- .LANDMARKS ENTRY NUMBER DwTE
) (Continuation Sheet)
(Number all ent,les)
.r
8. Statement of Significance: (2) Nathaniel Bowditch House
( The Bowditch House remained in use as a residence until about 1945, when it
was moved to its present location to prevent its demolition in a street-
widening project. The house was subsequently acquired by the City of Salem.
Major structural repairs were necessary because of the deteriorated condition
of the building. Now restored, the house is maintained in good condition and
provides office space for the City's Park, Police, and Street Departments.
Visitors are admitted to the house by appointment with the Park Department.
OYD 921-724 _
� : -
9. MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES
Bowditch, Nathaniel. The New American Practical Navigator (1802) , ' '
Bowditch, Nathaniel Ingersoll. Memoir of Nathaniel Bowditch (2nd ed.,
Boston, 1840).. . . . ..
Berry, Robert E. Yankee Stargazer, The Life of Nathaniel Bowditch (New
York, 1941) . t ii
Struck, Dirk J. Yankee Science in the Making (New York, 1963) .
'40. 'GEOGRAPHICAL DATA - -
LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE COORDINATES LATITUnE ANC LONGITUDE COORDINATES �-
DEFINING A RECTANGLE LOCATING THE PRO-ERTY 0 DEFINING TI-H� .eN T_R POI-1 OF A an OPERTY
R OF LESS IRAN TFN ACRES
CORNER LATITUDE LONGITUDE Il LATITUDE LONGITUDE
Degrees Minutes Seconds Degrees Minutes Seconds Degrees Minutes Seconds Degrees Minutes Seconds
Nw o o . o Is r.
NE UTM 19.343970.470 240
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Sw
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APPROXIMATE ACREAGE OF NOMINATED PROPERTY: • 10.1. -- N
(LIST ALL STATES AND COUNTIES FOR PROPERTIES OVERLAPPING STATE OR COUNTY BOUNDARIES Plsrns
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STATE: E ODCOUNTY CODE
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STATE: CODE COUNTY: CODE
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STATE: - CODE COUNTY: CODE
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STATE: CODE COUNTY: CODE
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31. FORM PREPARED BY C
NAME AND TITLE: Polly M. Rettig, Historian, Landmark Review Project; original
t. form prepared by S. Sydney Bradford Historian 12/18/63 n
DATE "'1 -
ORGANIZATION
t Historic Sites Survey, National Park Service 23174
i STREET AND NUMBER: O
1100 L Street NW. - Z
CITY OR TOWN: STATE CODE
N
Washin ton tA
0 D C _ 11
12. STATE.LIAISON : �--n r _ ( REGISTER VERIFICATION'As the designated State Lir the NISI hereby certify thnl [his property is included in thetional Historic PreservatioPublic LawNational Register.89-665), I hereby nominater inclusion -in the National Register and certify that it has been ,(NATIONA ISTORIC _
evaluated according to the c-iteria and procedures set, ULU. Lkj?glparh "l,"! /2,
forth by the National Park Service. The recommended Director, orrice o!A.cheu AY auil-IIIb
En Preaervetion
- level of significance of this nomination is: - date
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t F.% Nd.-4j-301 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR STATE
Rev.742 ., ;NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
Massachusetts
t K i
NATIONAL .REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES couNrr
Essex
PROPERTY MAP FORM. FOR NFS USE ONLY
ENTRY NUMBER DATE
'
N (Type all entries - attach to or enclose with map) ENT
r.t. ..
NAME
•' =:i - j. cam:
O COMMON: Nathaniel Bowditch House
AND/OR HISTORIC: Nathaniel Bowditch House
?. 12..: LQCATI": F; I
STREET AND NUMBER;
-
v
9 North Street
CITY OR TOWN:
Salem
STATE: CODE CODE
COUNTY: '
Ln Massachusetts 025 Essex 0009
O
Z 3. MAP. REFERENCE -
SOURCE:
U.S.G.S. 7.5 minute series Salem Mass.
U.1 CALF: 1:24,000 -
t1J DATE: 1970
4:':'REQUIREMENTS ' -'
TO BE INCLUDED ON ALL MAPS
1. Property broundaries where required.
2. North arrow. _
3. Latitude and longitude reference.
INT: 135-71
Form No. 10-301 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR mi
-
Rev. 7.72 NATIONAL PARK SERVICE - ?
NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES m
PROPERTY MAP FORM(Type all entries - attach to or enclose with map)
AME
O ICOMMON, Nathaniel Bowditch House
AND/OR NlsroRlc: Nathaniel Bowditch House -_
�.
2- LOCATION - -^
:V_. STREET ANO NUM BER:
9 North Street
•= CITY OR TOWN: -
a Salem
Ih STATE: COO-
COUNTY:
' CODE ,.
vt Massachusetts 025 Essex 009
3. °MAP.REFERENCE "'`=`•-
SOURCE: �
LU SCALE: Essex Registry of Deeds Southern Districtt5
reduced- Q Scale- dC—�i��{P ao. n a wl
Lf.! DATE. 1947 �' - -
4. REQUIREMENTS
TO BE INCLUDED ON ALL MAPS _
I. Property 6roundaries where required.
2. North arrow. --
3. Latitude and longitude reference. [
INT: 1JJ•)3