{"nrhp_refnum":"85001040","name":"Prentiss-Payson House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"224--226 Pleasant St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Arlington","county":"Middlesex County","state":"MA","lat":42.40694442400007,"lon":-71.16155355399997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1985-04-18","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A mid-19th century frame residence at 224-226 Pleasant Street in Arlington, Massachusetts, built in 1856 by an unknown architect. It has a large main block and a small rear addition, and its rear overlooks Spy Pond.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the house is typical of the mid-19th century suburban residences built along Pleasant Street. It combines Italianate and Greek Revival features and retains integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association. It also has ties to Payson Prentiss, a local organist, music teacher and commodore of the original Arlington Boat Club on Spy Pond.","narrative":"Built in 1856 at 224-226 Pleasant Street in Arlington, this frame house sits close to the street, and its rear overlooks Spy Pond. It has a large main block and a small rear addition, with clapboard walls. The gable roof has return eaves and the windows have enframements, which are Italianate in feeling. The main entrance, with a full transom beneath an unbroken pediment, reflects Greek Revival influence. Dormers and upper-story window enframements were added around 1880. The first occupants were a Miss Prentiss and a Miss Payson, who moved from Charlestown. Later the home of Payson Prentiss, he served as organist at the First Parish Church and the Universalist Church, taught music, and was commodore of the original Arlington Boat Club on Spy Pond. The western shore of the pond was a center of seasonal recreation in the later 19th century. The house was listed for its architecture, as a typical mid-19th century suburban residence along Pleasant Street that retains its integrity.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Greek Revival/Italianate with later 19th century modifications","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Present use is residential, the same as its original use.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:56.292128-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/58/7909/63790958/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/85001040.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/85001040/89d7215468-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/85001040/89d7215468-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Daderot","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Prentiss-Payson_House,_ArlingtonMA_-_IMG_2755.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Daderot</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Prentiss-Payson_House,_ArlingtonMA_-_IMG_2755.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63790958","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prentiss-Payson_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7240566"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/middlesex-county/prentiss-payson-house-85001040/"}