{"nrhp_refnum":"90000173","name":"Upham, Phineas, House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"255 Upham St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Melrose","county":"Middlesex County","state":"MA","lat":42.44902330300005,"lon":-71.05259026099998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1990-03-09","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Historic - Non-Aboriginal","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A 2 1/2-story, center-chimney clapboarded house at 255 Upham Street in Melrose, Massachusetts, begun as a one-cell First Period half house and dated about 1703 to 1740. It was enlarged in the early 18th century.","why_significant":"It keeps a late First Period half house with late First Period and Second Period additions, and its additive form is a good example of the likely common fate of one-cell houses (Criterion C). Hidden corner posts and joints may yield information on early building construction in Massachusetts Bay (Criterion D).","narrative":"Located at 255 Upham Street in Melrose, this 2 1/2-story clapboarded house with a center chimney began as a two-story, one-cell lobby-entry half house east of the chimney. Early in the 18th century a one-cell addition was built to the west, followed by a rear lean-to. In the late 18th or early 19th century the north roof slope was raised. Inside, oak summer beams with chamfers and lamb's tongue stops, chamfered chimney girts, corner posts and original attic rafters survive. Restorations took place in 1914 and 1952. Phineas Upham, one of Melrose's original settlers, moved there in 1703 and his first house, now destroyed, stood on the same property. Local histories say he built this house for a son, and the estimated date range is 1703 to about 1740. The Upham family owned it for most of its history. It was listed for its surviving late First Period fabric and its additive form, and for concealed framing that may inform study of early construction.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"Unknown; the house is traditionally said to have been built by Phineas Upham (1682-1766).","architectural_style":"First Period core with Second Period additions","criteria":["C","D"],"status_note":"Condition is described as good; the house is a residence and was restored in 1914 and 1952.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:13:04.437797-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/11/7904/63790411/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/90000173.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/90000173/bd762c86db-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/90000173/bd762c86db-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"User:Magicpiano","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MelroseMA_PhineasUphamHouse.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:MelroseMA_PhineasUphamHouse.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63790411","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phineas_Upham_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7186374"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/middlesex-county/upham-phineas-house-90000173/"}