Adams, Charles-Woodbury Locke House
Why it's listed
Built around 1840 on Winter Hill in Somerville, this Greek Revival house at 178 Central Street began as a farmhouse. Its builder, Charles Adams, was a farmer, animal husbandman and state legislator, and one of the original merchants at Boston's Quincy Market. His land once ran from Medford Street north to Broadway, and he gave the northern end for Winter Hill's first schoolhouse. The house is a three-bay, side-hall design with its gable end to the street. Notable features include a broad cornice entablature, wide corner boards, a full-width Doric porch with a roof railing added around 1910, and an offset entrance with full-length sidelights. Inside, most original doors, window and door enframements and moldings survive. It was one of the first non-agricultural houses on Winter Hill. A later resident, Woodbury Locke, worked as a cutter in Boston's leather and shoe business. The house is listed for its farm-era associations and its well-preserved architecture.
Significance in brief: It is argued to be significant under Criteria A and C at the local level. It is associated with Somerville's early-19th-century farming past and with Charles Adams, a state legislator and one of the first merchants at Boston's Quincy Market. It is also a well-preserved, finely detailed example of Greek Revival architecture.
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 89001240, listed September 18, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 178 Central St., Somerville |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | September 18, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001240 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect unknown; built by Charles Adams |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as excellent; present use is residential, the same as its original use. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.39414, -71.09964 (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 89001240.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5074967
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.