{"nrhp_refnum":"82001962","name":"Melvin, Isaac, House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"19 Centre St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Cambridge","county":"Middlesex County","state":"MA","lat":42.369830540000066,"lon":-71.10902973199995,"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 wood-frame residential house at 19 Centre Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts, built in 1842 by architect Isaac Melvin with Oliver Woods. It combines Greek Revival and Italianate styling.","why_significant":"The house is described as an important Italianate mansion designed by Isaac Melvin, a prominent local architect who also designed the North Avenue Congregational Church (1845). It has a cross-gable form with strong vertical emphasis and applied ornament taken from period pattern books. The reviewer recommended listing under Criteria B and C.","narrative":"This wood-frame house at 19 Centre Street in Cambridge was built in 1842 as a residence for Isaac Melvin, who designed it with his colleague Oliver Woods. Melvin was a prominent local architect, and he also designed the North Avenue Congregational Church in Northwest Cambridge in 1845. The house is a cross-gable Italianate building with a strong vertical emphasis. Its elaborate applied ornament was taken from standard pattern books of the period. Notable features include Greek Revival pilasters, an octagonal cupola and heavy pediments at the gable ends. The form describes the physical layout as Italianate while the details are primarily Greek Revival. The property originally included a mansard carriage house, and it has undergone minor remodelling several times. It remains in residential use. Reviewers regarded it as an important Italianate mansion tied to a notable local architect, which supported its listing for both its associations and its architecture.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"Isaac Melvin & Oliver Woods","architectural_style":"Greek Revival/Italianate","criteria":["B","C"],"status_note":"Present use is residential; the form notes minor remodelling several times.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:53.418322-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/62/7904/63790462/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/82001962.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/82001962/c4a9423465-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/82001962/c4a9423465-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Daderot","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Isaac_Melvin_House_-_19_Centre_Street,_Cambridge,_MA_-_IMG_4108.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Daderot</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Isaac_Melvin_House_-_19_Centre_Street,_Cambridge,_MA_-_IMG_4108.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63790462","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Melvin_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6076789"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/middlesex-county/melvin-isaac-house-82001962/"}