Abbot, Edwin, House
Also known as: Longy School of Music
Why it's listed
Built in 1889 at One Follen Street in Cambridge, this granite house was commissioned by E.H. Abbot, a lawyer and railroad company president who had moved from Milwaukee. It stands on the site of the old Cambridge Arsenal. The Boston firm of Longfellow, Alden and Harlow designed it in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, and all three architects had worked in H.H. Richardson's office. It was the first stone house in Cambridge. The walls are more than a foot thick, self-supporting masonry, and the roof is red Spanish tile, chosen partly for fireproofing. Newspapers of the time called it probably the only fireproof and the most expensive residence in the city. The interior is finished largely in oak, walnut and butternut paneling. The Longy School of Music bought the house in 1937 and still uses it. In 1968 the school added the Edward Pickman Concert Hall and library, designed by Huygens and Tappe, Inc., which echoes the house's paneling and belt courses.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it one of the finest residential interpretations of Richardsonian-inspired design in Cambridge. It was the first stone house in the city, and its architects had all worked in H.H. Richardson's office. It is also tied to the Longy School of Music, which has used the house since 1937.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 79000354, listed May 10, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1 Follen St., Cambridge |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | May 10, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79000354 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1889 |
| Architect / builder | Longfellow, Alden and Harlow |
| Architectural style | Richardsonian Romanesque |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | In adaptive use as the Longy School of Music since 1937; a 1968 concert hall and library addition is attached at the rear. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.37830, -71.12365 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 79000354.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5346190
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.