{"nrhp_refnum":"89001532","name":"Hagar-Smith-Livermore-Sanderson House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"51 Sanders Ln.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Waltham","county":"Middlesex County","state":"MA","lat":42.38868169400007,"lon":-71.24486937799998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1989-09-28","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Community Planning and Development","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A house at 51 Sanders Lane in the Piety Corner area of Waltham, Massachusetts, with a rear section dating to the mid-18th century (possibly 1716), a front portion added around 1793, and Italianate alterations around 1856.","why_significant":"The house shows a long architectural evolution from the mid-18th century to the mid-19th century, combining Georgian and Italianate features. It is traditionally known as Waltham's oldest house and reflects the growth of Piety Corner. It is also associated with a succession of prominent local families, including the Hagars, Smiths, Livermores, Sandersons and Worcesters.","narrative":"This house at 51 Sanders Lane in Waltham's Piety Corner area is traditionally called the oldest in the city. Early 20th-century researcher Joseph R. Worcester dated it to 1716, though physical evidence points to the mid-18th century. The rear ell holds the oldest fabric. The front block was added in the 1780s, around 1793 by the form's dating, as a 1½-story cottage. It was later raised to a 2½-story block under a slate gambrel roof. Around 1856 the house was updated with Italianate details, including an overhanging roof, modillion cornice, eared entry surround and a bracketed piazza. Heavy molded window caps survive from the 18th century. Owners included William Hagar, Nathaniel Smith, Nathaniel Livermore and Deacon John Sanderson, a cordwainer who enlarged the house. Thomas Worcester bought it as a summer home in 1856, and his son Benjamin later used it as a dormitory for a New Jerusalem church school. The house was listed for its architecture and its links to the area's settlement.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Italianate with Georgian features","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Present use is a dwelling; condition is described as excellent and the property has not been moved.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:13:01.053761-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/81/7917/63791781/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/89001532.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/89001532/a9593ed696-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/89001532/a9593ed696-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"User:Magicpiano","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WalthamMA_HagarSmithLivermoreSandersonHouse.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_HagarSmithLivermoreSandersonHouse.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63791781","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hagar%E2%80%93Smith%E2%80%93Livermore%E2%80%93Sanderson_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5638543"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/middlesex-county/hagar-smith-livermore-sanderson-house-89001532/"}