Banks, E. Sybbill, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1892 at 27 Appleton Street in Waltham, this L-plan house rises two and a half stories to a gable roof and shows the vernacular Queen Anne style in clear detail. Walls are clapboard, with patterned shingles in the gable fields. A verandah with spindle valance, balustrade and turned posts runs across the facade and around the south side, and a pediment with a sunburst detail marks the entry. Modified palladian windows light the gable fields, and the north side has stairway windows and an oculus. It was built for E. Sybbill Banks, daughter of Colonel Nathaniel P. Banks, a Civil War and local hero. Banks was a single woman, active in Waltham amateur theatre, who taught elocution and worked in post offices, becoming one of the first women pensioned by the federal government. She sold the house in 1910 to a mechanical engineer, and his daughters' trust held it until 1984. Few occupants have lived there, so many original finishes survive. It was among the first houses built in the Appleton Street area.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is an unusually well-detailed and well-preserved vernacular example of the Queen Anne style. It was among the first of several Queen Anne and turn-of-the-century homes built in the Appleton Street area. It was built for a single working woman of some repute, the daughter of Civil War figure Colonel Nathaniel P. Banks.
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 89001488, listed September 28, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 27 Appleton St., Waltham |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | September 28, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001488 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is described as good; present use is dwelling. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 42.37597, -71.23191 (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 89001488.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5322156
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.