{"nrhp_refnum":"83000825","name":"Saunders, William, House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"6 Prentiss St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Cambridge","county":"Middlesex County","state":"MA","lat":42.384145647000025,"lon":-71.11898410499998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1983-06-30","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A Greek Revival house at 6 Prentiss Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts, built in 1843 by the carpenter/builder William Saunders for his son. It was moved from Massachusetts Avenue to its present site circa 1926.","why_significant":"The house is argued to be a handsome, intact example of a building type that has not survived in large numbers in Cambridge. It gets its temple-front effect from colossal applied pilasters and a cornice carried across the gable. It is one of only four surviving Saunders works in Cambridge, and the only house of its date in this group that is unaltered. It also relates to the development of the North Avenue community after the railroad began passenger service.","narrative":"Built in 1843, this Greek Revival house at 6 Prentiss Street in Cambridge was made by master builder William Saunders for his son. It was later moved from Massachusetts Avenue to its current site, around 1926, which likely saved it from demolition as commercial pressure grew along the avenue. The front gable end suggests a temple without a full portico: tall applied pilasters, Tuscan at the corners and Ionic in the middle, support a cornice carried across the gable like a classical pediment. The porch entablature is decorated with wreaths. Despite replacement of the original porch column shafts, its detailing has largely survived. Only three other Saunders works remain in Cambridge, and this house has the latest date of the four, showing his mature style. It is also the only Greek Revival house of its date in the area to survive unaltered. It was listed for its role in developing the North Avenue community and as an important example of its type and style.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"William Saunders, builder","architectural_style":"Greek Revival","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Used as a nursing home at the time of the form; altered circa 1960, with the original porch column shafts replaced.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:57.491152-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/56/7904/63790456/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/83000825.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83000825/61a4e34af3-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83000825/61a4e34af3-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 3.0","author":"John Phelan","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mary_Prentiss_Inn,_Cambridge_MA.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">John Phelan</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mary_Prentiss_Inn,_Cambridge_MA.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63790456","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Saunders_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8018137"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/middlesex-county/saunders-william-house-83000825/"}