Beard, Padilla, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1850 on a corner lot at 18 Maple Street in Stoneham, this clapboard house shows a transitional blend of Greek Revival and Italianate design. It follows a simple side hall plan and is decorated with corner pilasters, shaped window lintels and bracketed door hoods. The main entry keeps its original door with paired, glazed arches. The main block rests on a granite foundation, while a large two-story rear ell sits on brick. The house is unusual less for its design than for its high degree of preservation, and no major alterations are recorded. It was listed for its link to Padilla Beard, the first coach driver on the stage line connecting Reading and Boston, which ran from 1833 until a horse car line replaced it in 1859. Beard kept his horses behind the house, and after the railroad arrived in 1861 he worked as a conductor.
Significance in brief: The house retains integrity of location, design, setting, materials and workmanship. It is associated with the early development of Stoneham's transportation system through Padilla Beard, the first coach driver on the Reading-Boston stage line, who later became a railroad conductor.
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 84002507, listed April 13, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 18 Maple St., Stoneham |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | April 13, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002507 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival (transitional Greek Revival/Italianate) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in residential use; the form reports no major alterations and a high degree of preservation. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 42.47648, -71.10264 (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 84002507.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7123751
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.