{"nrhp_refnum":"89001241","name":"Downer Rowhouses (Central Street)","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"192--200 Central St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Somerville","county":"Middlesex County","state":"MA","lat":42.39477443700008,"lon":-71.09929561699994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1989-09-18","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A five-unit Second Empire style brick apartment row at 192-200 Central Street in the Winter Hill neighborhood of Somerville, Massachusetts, built around 1880 by local real estate broker Cutler Downer.","why_significant":"The row is a well-preserved example of Second Empire design, with a steep roofline typical of the style's final years, tall narrow proportions, polygonal bays and bracketed dormers. It also reflects the late-19th-century construction of brick rowhouses for middle class residents in prestigious neighborhoods like Winter Hill. It is considered significant at the local level under Criterion C.","narrative":"Five brick apartment units joined in a single row make up this Second Empire building at 192-200 Central Street in Somerville's Winter Hill neighborhood. It was built around 1880 by Cutler Downer, a local real estate broker who lived in Winter Hill, and is a near neighbor of his similar row on Adams Street. The architect is not known. The tall, narrow building has full-height polygonal bays, recessed entrances and boldly projecting cornices. Its steep, straight-edged roofline suggests construction during the last years of the style's popularity, and the scallop-shingled slate roof survives, along with projecting dormers topped by broken pediments on brackets. Brick rowhouses were then being built for middle class residents in desirable neighborhoods such as Winter Hill. The row has no recorded major alterations, remains in good condition and still serves as multifamily housing. It was recognized for its architectural quality and its well-kept original character.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"Cutler Downer (builder, local real estate broker); architect unknown","architectural_style":"Second Empire","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Condition described as good, with no major alterations and no outbuildings; currently used as a multifamily residence.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:12:59.864063-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/48/7912/63791248/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/89001241.pdf"},"photo":null,"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63791248","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":null},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/middlesex-county/downer-rowhouses-central-street-89001241/"}