{"nrhp_refnum":"76000306","name":"Davis, William Morris, House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"17 Francis St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Cambridge","county":"Middlesex County","state":"MA","lat":42.378403472500054,"lon":-71.11231014082156,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1976-01-07","is_nhl":true,"nhl_designated_date":"1976-01-07","areas_of_significance":["Science"],"significance_levels":["national"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A 2½-story frame house at 17 Francis Street in Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, with a gabled roof and a gambrel-roofed wing, sheathed in shingles and probably built in the 1890s. The builder is unknown.","why_significant":"The house is significant as the home of geologist and geographer William Morris Davis from 1898 to 1916, years in which he did some of his most productive work. Davis's work in meteorology, geology and geomorphology helped turn the study of geography in America into a true earth science. The form says the building itself has no particular architectural significance but retains integrity of association with the Davis period.","narrative":"This shingled, 2½-story frame house at 17 Francis Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts, combines a gabled main block with a gambrel-roofed wing. It has an irregular window arrangement, a columned entrance porch, a side entrance and a bay window facing the street. Its builder is unknown, and the shingle covering suggests construction in the 1890s. The nomination does not claim architectural distinction for the building. Its importance lies in its association with William Morris Davis, who lived here from about 1898, when he became Sturgis-Hooper Professor of Geology at Harvard, until 1916. Davis wrote over 500 books and articles, including the textbook Elementary Meteorology and a major study of landforms that introduced concepts such as the erosion cycle. His work turned the study of geography in America into a true earth science. The house has seen no significant exterior alterations and remains a private residence.","period_of_significance":"1898-1916","architect_builder":"unknown","architectural_style":"Shingle style (Queen Anne movement) with Georgian Revival elements","criteria":[],"status_note":"Described as in excellent condition, with no significant exterior alterations, an intact basic interior plan apart from a third-floor apartment, and still used as a private residence.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:54.96625-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/79/7937/63793779/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/76000306_NHL.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/76000306/572982b1ef-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/76000306/572982b1ef-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"User:Magicpiano","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CambridgeMA_WilliamMorrisDavisHouse.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">User:Magicpiano</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CambridgeMA_WilliamMorrisDavisHouse.jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"86001680","name":"Shady Hill Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/massachusetts/shady-hill-historic-district-86001680/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63793779","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_M._Davis_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8014868"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/middlesex-county/davis-william-morris-house-76000306/"}