Building at 202-204 Charles Street
Why it's listed
Built around 1913 on a densely settled residential street in Waltham, 202-204 Charles Street is a wood-frame apartment building with a double entrance and a Colonial Revival design. Its front facade has a two-tier projecting porch flanked by octagonal bays, with fluted Tuscan columns, turned balusters and fluted Doric pilasters at the corners. Dentils mark the cornices over the center second-floor windows and the entrance, and the flat roof has a deep cornice with modillion blocks. Aluminum siding was applied around 1987, but the detailing remains intact. Henry Milesky, who lived elsewhere on Charles Street, owned the building, which was always rented. Tenants in 1923 included a conductor, a buckle maker, a commercial artist, a foreman and several linemen. The building was listed because it reflects Waltham's turn-of-the-century growth in multi-family housing and is a well-preserved example of Colonial Revival architecture among smaller, plainer neighbors.
Significance in brief: The building is argued to be a link with Waltham's intensive turn-of-the-century residential expansion, which took the form of multi-family dwellings. It is also a good example of the Colonial Revival style with its important detailing intact despite recent aluminum siding. It is considered to meet criteria A and C.
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 89001493, listed September 28, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 202--204 Charles St., Waltham |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | September 28, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001493 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition described as good; currently in use as multi-family residential, as it was originally. Aluminum siding was added around 1987. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 42.37254, -71.24624 (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 89001493.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4986549
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.