By Marian Berkowitz

19 Campbell Park owner in front of her restored porch and garden.

On the periphery of Davis Square between Mass. Avenue and the Community Path, is a closely settled, lovely neighborhood with a mix of single- and multi-family homes. Many of them are part of the Campbell Park-Meacham Road Local Historic District (LHD) designated by the City in 1989.

You might not even know about this small neighborhood unless you happen to be visiting someone there. This year, the resident owner of 19 Campbell Park, Irene Heim, received a Preservation Award from the Somerville Historic Preservation Commission for her restoration work on the exterior.

She purchased the house in 1992, because she liked the quietness of the street and its easy commute to her work at MIT. The street was named after Henry Campbell of Belmont, a real estate investor who purchased all of the lots on the street for development in the late 1800’s.

19 Campbell Park house upper level and porch details.

The Queen Anne style house is named after the original owner, Henry Weeks, and was built in 1891. Although Ms. Heim did not realize when she purchased the house that the house ≈was part of a multi-building local historic district, she now fully appreciates the historical value of the property.

She was really pleased with the guidance of the city’s Preservation Commission, which gave her helpful advice on how to preserve and respect the original architectural details of the house.

The Preservation Award recognizes her success in restoring many of its features. The window work was extensive – removing each window and taking them to a restoration specialist in Union Square who stripped layers of old paint down to the bare wood, staining them a natural color, and reinstalling them.

Ms. Heim also purchased custom storm windows to fit in the existing window frames. New steps were needed up to the front porch with the distinctive ‘sausage turned’ posts which she retained. New shingles replaced loose or broken ones, and the house was then ready for a new paint job.

At the Commission’s recommendation she stayed with a dark color for the body, ultimately a dark gray color called “Urban Bronze,” whose name she did not find very fitting, but she loves the result, especially with the cream trim.

As we wrapped up our interview, Ms. Heim pointed with pride to the extensive garden she has created to replace the area that at the time of purchase was entirely covered with asphalt. Together the garden and side porch provide a beautiful, and quiet, outdoor seating area that she enjoys during the spring and summer months, making it clear why she never wants to move.