Brooks, Shepherd, Estate
Why it's listed
Set on sixty acres in West Medford, this red brick Queen Anne house was commissioned by Shepherd Brooks in 1880 as a summer home and working farm. The Boston firm Peabody and Stearns designed it, and Norcross Brothers of Worcester, builders for Henry Hobson Richardson, finished it in 1881 at a cost of $39,361.42. A brick carriage house and a decorated wooden shed remain beside it. Brooks spent summers cultivating the family farm and winters in Boston, and his crops were known along the East Coast. The house combines a hip-roofed core with irregular elevations, brownstone window trim, a three-story entrance bay, and a two-story porch. Inside, much original woodwork survives, including built-in cabinets and mantelpieces. A Harvard-affiliated scholar cited in the nomination described it as a rare blend of two stylistic approaches. The estate was given to the City of Medford in 1950 for use as a nursing home, and its grounds are valued as conserved open space.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it Medford's best example of a Boston gentleman's late 19th century summer house and farm that keeps much of its acreage. The house and outbuildings are Peabody and Stearns' major local commission and a significant work in the firm's development. The sixty-acre site is also an important part of Medford's conserved open space.
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 75000271, listed April 21, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 275 Grove St., Medford |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | April 21, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75000271 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1880-1881 |
| Architect / builder | Norcross Bros / Peabody & Stearns |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Agriculture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Given to the City of Medford in 1950 and used as a nursing home; the house is in good condition, with its interior woodwork largely retained and an iron fire escape added after the nursing home conversion. |
| Acreage | 60 |
| Coordinates | 42.43346, -71.13898 (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 75000271.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7494465
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.