{"nrhp_refnum":"87001397","name":"Lawrence, Phineas, House","other_names":["Phineas Lawrence--Coffin House"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"257 Trapelo Rd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Waltham","county":"Middlesex County","state":"MA","lat":42.395283746000075,"lon":-71.20634854999997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1987-08-20","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Community Planning and Development","Agriculture","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A ca. 1810 Federal-style farmhouse at 257 Trapelo Road in Waltham, Massachusetts, with a ca. 1860 rear ell, a ca. 1925 garage addition and a late 19th century barn, on a one-acre lot.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the house is one of the few remaining Federal-period farmhouses typical of Waltham's early agricultural era, and it keeps its integrity of location, design, setting, materials and workmanship. It was also the birthplace and home of Phineas Lawrence (1826-1924), a civic leader, businessman and local historian who wrote about the Trapelo Road area and the Brown family. It is rated significant at the local level.","narrative":"Set on a wooded one-acre lot along Trapelo Road in Waltham, this two-story, five-bay Federal farmhouse dates to about 1810. It has a center hall plan, clapboard front, brick side walls to the cornice line, a granite foundation and three chimneys. A two-story rear ell was added around 1860, and a garage, porches and entrance pavilions followed in the 20th century. A small late 19th century barn also stands on the property. The house was probably built by the father and uncle of Phineas Lawrence, whose family prospered as farmers as local roads and industry grew. Lawrence was born here in 1826, ran a dairy farm, served on Waltham's early Boards of Aldermen, and wrote local and family histories of the Trapelo Road area. When the state took surrounding land for hospitals, the old farm shrank to its present size. The house is valued as a rare surviving example of Waltham's farmhouses from its agricultural period.","period_of_significance":"1800-1899 and 1900- (specific dates ca. 1810, 1860, 1925)","architect_builder":"Unknown","architectural_style":"Federal","criteria":["A","B","C"],"status_note":"Described as in good condition and architecturally intact despite minor alterations; used as a private residence.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:13:01.695428-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/20/7955/63795520/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/87001397.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/87001397/94ff3249ba-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/87001397/94ff3249ba-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"User:Magicpiano","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WalthamMA_PhineasLawrenceHouse.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:WalthamMA_PhineasLawrenceHouse.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63795520","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phineas_Lawrence_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7186358"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/middlesex-county/lawrence-phineas-house-87001397/"}