Atwood, Ephraim, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1839 for Isaac Livermore, this small clapboard house at 110 Hancock Street in Cambridge combines Gothic cottage details with Greek Revival form. It is one of two adjacent twin Gothic cottages. The house stands with its gable end facing the street, and a side porch is included under the gable, supported by Doric columns; the porch has since been enclosed. Its most noticeable decoration is the cut bargeboards in the end gable and the dormers, which survive in abundance. The lot is modest, with about 50 feet of frontage, and the house sits roughly 15 feet back from the street. A local historical commission survey recorded it in 1966 and found it neither altered nor moved since construction. It has been used as a residence from the start. The property was listed for its architectural character, as a well-preserved example of a modest cottage mixing two styles.
Significance in brief: The form describes it as one of two adjacent twin Gothic cottages that is basically Greek Revival in form. It keeps abundant ornament, including cut bargeboards in the end gable and dormers. The only theme checked is 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 83000781, listed June 30, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 110 Hancock St., Cambridge |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | June 30, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000781 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival (small Gothic cottage with Greek Revival forms) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Residential use; the form reports the building as unaltered and not moved, with the side porch enclosed. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.36923, -71.10755 (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 83000781.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5382238
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.