Bennink-Douglas Cottages
Why it's listed
Four double cottages at 35-51 Walker Street in Old Cambridge form a small group of Mansard-style workers' housing built in 1874. Each is one story over a brick foundation, with a full mansard roof, scored flush boarding on the street front, and clapboards on the sides and rear. Paired paneled doors sit between projecting bays, and decoration is limited to doorway brackets and scalloped or hexagonal slates. The builders, house carpenter Gerritt L. Bennink and builder William G. Douglas, bought the lots from the subdivided Stearns pasture after Walker Street was laid out in 1868. None of the houses had sold by 1876, possibly because of the Panic of 1873. The group reflects Cambridge's rapid post-Civil War growth and the use of double houses on small lots as an affordable answer to housing demand. It was listed for its architecture as a rare cluster of double Mansard cottages and for what it shows about multi-family housing development. The original steps are gone, and one pair has a Colonial Revival porch.
Significance in brief: The cottages are cited under Criterion C as a distinguishable group showing the characteristics of the Mansard cottage type, and under Criterion A for illustrating the development of low- and middle-income double houses in Cambridge after the Civil War. They are described as a rare grouping of double Mansard cottages in Old Cambridge and retain a high degree of integrity.
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 86001272, listed May 19, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 35--51 Walker St., Cambridge |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | May 19, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86001272 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | G.J. Bennink & W.G. Douglas, builders |
| Architectural style | Mansard |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residential; the form reports no major alterations, though the original steps are gone and 49-51 has a Colonial Revival porch. |
| Acreage | 0.4 |
| Coordinates | 42.37997, -71.12346 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 86001272.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4889895
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.