{"nrhp_refnum":"82001883","name":"Aborn, John, House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"41 Orchard St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Cambridge","county":"Middlesex County","state":"MA","lat":42.39150530900008,"lon":-71.12032525699993,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1982-04-13","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A residential house at 41 Orchard Street in Northwest Cambridge, Massachusetts, built in 1846 by local housewright Joshua Fernald for original owner John Aborn.","why_significant":"It is one of the earliest Bracketed Italianate designs in Northwest Cambridge, erected only a year after the style was introduced to Cambridge. It shows the transition between Greek Revival and Italianate, and is an accomplished if modest example of the Bracketed Italianate style. The reviewer recommended listing under Criterion C.","narrative":"Built in 1846 at 41 Orchard Street in Cambridge, this clapboard house reflects the shift from Greek Revival to the Italianate taste. Local housewright Joshua Fernald built it for John Aborn, together with its neighbor at 45 Orchard Street, immediately after the street was platted for development. The location near the Fitchburg Railroad Depot suited Boston commuters. Italianate features include projecting bracketed eaves, windows with bracketed lintels, and double doors with arched upper glass panels. Its detailing is described as naive, with wide brackets. A porch was added in the 1890s. Construction came only a year after Henry Greenough introduced the new style to Cambridge, making it one of the earliest Bracketed Italianate designs in the northwest part of the city. Development on the street largely stopped after these houses were completed until the late 1880s. The house is regarded as an accomplished though modest example of its style and remains in residential use.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"Joshua Fernald, housewright","architectural_style":"Greek Revival/Bracketed Italian","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Present use is residential; a porch was added in the 1890s.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:53.631344-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/60/7904/63790460/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/82001883.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/82001883/629030e9a2-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/82001883/629030e9a2-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Daderot","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:John_Aborn_House,_41_Orchard_Street,_Cambridge,_MA_-_IMG_4646.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Daderot</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:John_Aborn_House,_41_Orchard_Street,_Cambridge,_MA_-_IMG_4646.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63790460","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Aborn_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q14715631"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/middlesex-county/aborn-john-house-82001883/"}