The oldest house in the Paterson Park neighborhood, the Matthew and Mary Armington House was constructed in 1862. Matthew was a fluid-extract manufacturer and his wife was a teacher. The modest house was one of the first in the newly established neighborhood – originally part of Moses Brown’s Elm Grove Farm. Stylistically, it evokes a rural farmhouse – paying homage to the area’s past use – with its full-length entrance porch, symmetrical façade, and simple trim.
Elm Grove Farm was platted in 1861 by Moses Brown’s great-grandson, Moses B. Jenkins. It was later re-platted by civil engineer Charles E. Paine and called the Blackstone Park Plat. A handful of houses were built after the re-platting of the area, with the Armington house being the first. Several houses were constructed on nearby Angell Street, to encourage development, but this effort was slow to catch on.
The Armington family lived here for many years, selling to Byron and Gertrude Lillibridge in 1916. Mr. Lillibridge was a surgeon and physician. Over the years, many other families would live in this house, all with varying professions: teachers, social workers, and an investment banker. It was during the Lillibridges’ ownership that a bay window was added, replacing one of the fireplaces. The covered porch and roof dormer were also added during this time.
— Festival of Historic Houses Guidebook, 2019
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