{"nrhp_refnum":"86001960","name":"Davis, Seth, House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"32 Eden Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Newton","county":"Middlesex County","state":"MA","lat":42.35098681300008,"lon":-71.22446534899996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1986-09-04","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Social History"],"significance_levels":["state","local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A brick Greek Revival house at 32 Eden Avenue in West Newton, Massachusetts, built in the 1820s by an unknown architect. It was built as a residence and remains in residential use.","why_significant":"The nomination calls it one of the finest remaining Greek Revival buildings in Newton and a remarkably well-preserved example of the style. It is also tied to Seth Davis (1787-1888), one of West Newton's leading 19th-century figures. The use of brick for detailing is unusual in a town where wood-frame construction was preferred.","narrative":"Built in the 1820s at 32 Eden Avenue in West Newton, this brick house is a well-preserved example of Greek Revival architecture. It once sat amid large landscaped grounds reaching toward Cheesecake Brook. The front elevation has a doorway with sidelights, and Doric porticoes mark both the front and the Eden Avenue side. Brick forms much of the detailing, including a three-part cornice, wide corner pilaster strips and a dentil-trimmed gable panel, while brownstone caps the window heads. This use of brick was unusual in early 19th-century Newton, where wood framing was favored. The house is linked to Seth Davis (1787-1888), who arrived in West Newton at fifteen and became a teacher, astronomy lecturer, trial justice and county commissioner. He also grew wealthy through property, and several local streets and a school bear his name. About fifteen thousand people celebrated his hundredth birthday in 1887. The house is still a residence in good condition.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Greek Revival","criteria":["B","C"],"status_note":"Recorded in good condition, in residential use, not moved; porch balustrades were added in the early 20th century.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:13:00.294535-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/25/7914/63791425/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/86001960.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/86001960/f4f6c33f7a-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/86001960/f4f6c33f7a-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"User:Magicpiano","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NewtonMA_SethDavisHouse.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:NewtonMA_SethDavisHouse.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63791425","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seth_Davis_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7456456"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/middlesex-county/davis-seth-house-86001960/"}