Brackett House
Why it's listed
Located at 621 Centre Street in Newton Corner, this clapboard house dates to about 1850 and shows the Greek Revival style in an elaborate temple-front form. The 2½-story main block faces the street with its gable end and a monumental Ionic portico. Most Newton Corner examples of the style instead put the pediment and entrance at the side, behind a row of four large columns, which makes this arrangement less common locally. A north wing was added around 1900, and the present detailing mixes Greek Revival and Colonial Revival elements. A carriage house survives on the property. The large corner lot at Bellevue and Centre Streets is said to go back to early settlement and may once have belonged to Deacon Samuel Hyde's farm. During the second half of the nineteenth century the house was home to Gilman Brackett, a provisioner who also owned several lots on Bellevue Street. The Burton family acquired it shortly before World War I. It is valued as a fine local example of its architectural type.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is one of several fine examples of the temple-front type of Greek Revival in Newton Corner, which meets Criterion C. The temple front was used less often there than a local variation with the pediment and entrance at the side. The lot is also tied to early settlement history on land possibly part of Deacon Samuel Hyde's farm.
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 86001777, listed September 4, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 621 Centre St., Newton |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | September 4, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86001777 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition described as very good; in use as a dwelling, as it was originally. |
| Acreage | 0.7 |
| Coordinates | 42.35009, -71.18692 (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 86001777.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4953709
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.