Bottume, John, House
Why it's listed
Built about 1858 at 4 Woodland Road in Stoneham, this granite Italianate house faces Spot Pond and was constructed for John Bottume, a commercial merchant whose son J. Frank became an attorney. The house has a T-shaped plan, uncoursed granite ashlar walls, a bracketed roofline with full raking cornice at the gable ends, and round-arch windows. It is somewhat more modest than the nearby William Bailey Lang House, which it resembles. Together they are the only survivors of about half a dozen fine houses built for Boston businessmen at mid-century, men who used Spot Pond as a retreat and took little part in Stoneham's business or political life. The property was acquired by the Middlesex Fells Reservation in 1894, and it is now used as a Metropolitan District Commission supervisors' house. Its curving granite wall with entrance posts still separates it from Woodland Road. It was listed for architectural significance because it keeps its original setting, and no major alterations are recorded.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is one of two remaining fine Italianate residences built on the shore of Spot Pond in the mid-nineteenth century. It is the only one of Stoneham's romantically inspired mid-century residences to retain its original setting. It is said to have integrity of location, design, setting, materials and workmanship.
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 84002513, listed April 13, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 4 Woodland Rd., Stoneham |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | April 13, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002513 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as the Metropolitan District Commission Supervisors' House; no major alterations recorded and the house has not been moved. |
| Acreage | 1.1 |
| Within district | Middlesex Fells Reservoirs Historic District |
| Coordinates | 42.45400, -71.09106 (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 84002513.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6222551
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.