Building at 1715-1717 Cambridge Street
Why it's listed
Built in 1845 on Cambridge Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this two-story, gable-roofed wood house is a Greek Revival double house with a full-width Doric porch. Royal Richardson, a real estate speculator, had it built as a rental property, and builders Zenas Crowell and John Pickering carried out the work. It once belonged to a row of four similar houses, each turning its gable flank to the street, with a Doric portico and four pedimented dormers; two of the four have been demolished. Its closest survivor is the neighboring house at 1707-1709. The original building contracts still exist and say that each house was to copy an existing house for appearance and quality of materials, which points to a lack of working drawings and the use of pattern book ornament. Costs ranged from $2,500 to $4,000. Gothic sash and panelled Gothic doors show mixed stylistic detail. The property was listed for its architectural importance in Cambridge.
Significance in brief: The house is one of two nearly identical surviving Greek Revival double houses from a row of four built by speculator Royal Richardson. It is argued to represent the high point of vernacular Greek Revival in Cambridge. The surviving building contracts show how houses were built from existing models rather than working drawings.
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 83000788, listed June 30, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1715-1717 Cambridge St., Cambridge |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | June 30, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000788 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1845 |
| Architect / builder | Zenas Crowell & John Pickering, builders |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residential; the form states it has not been altered or moved. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.37545, -71.11213 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 83000788.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4986546
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.