Bigelow Street Historic District
Why it's listed
Bigelow Street in Cambridge is lined with large Mansard-roofed houses built between 1869 and 1874. Albert Vinal laid out the street in 1868 and sold most of the lots to individual housewrights and masons. No two houses are identical, yet the group looks consistent because it was built in a short period. Rooflines and setbacks are uniform and follow the incline of the street, and the houses carry abundant, high quality decorative detail. Each cost about $11,000 when new, a high price for the time. Early occupants included a leather merchant, an iron foundry owner, a government detective, a Clerk of the Courts and the treasurer of a savings bank. One later house, from 1883-84, is Queen Anne in style, and one Mansard house was moved to the street to make way for City Hall. The district covers both sides of the street between Harvard Street and Massachusetts Avenue and remains privately owned, residential and in good condition.
Significance in brief: The street holds a nearly uniform group of Mansard-style houses built within a short span, with high quality decorative detail and varied plans. Rooflines and setbacks follow the rising slope of the street. The houses were costly for their time and were home to prosperous businessmen and officials. The reviewer cited Criterion C and described the group as a fine row of houses.
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 82001922, listed April 13, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Bigelow St., Cambridge |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | April 13, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82001922 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1870-1875 |
| Architect / builder | Builders named include Russell Snow (21-23 Bigelow Street); land developed by Albert Vinal, who sold lots to individual housewrights and masons |
| Architectural style | Mansard (Second Empire), with one Queen Anne house |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition, privately owned and in residential use. One owner filed an objection to listing in 1981. |
| Acreage | 3.5 |
| Coordinates | 42.36837, -71.10509 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 82001922.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4906819
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.