Building at 42 Edward J. Lopez Avenue
Why it's listed
A modest wood-frame house at 42 Edward J. Lopez Avenue preserves a piece of East Cambridge's earliest residential development. Built around 1830 in the Late Georgian-Federal manner, it was moved to its present lot about 1900 from a site that records have not identified. The move probably relates to construction of part of the court house complex or development near the Broad Canal, and because access to the area was limited, the house cannot have travelled far. It is a simple worker's cottage of a type once common in the neighborhood, with 6-over-6 sash windows, plain window moldings and a restrained doorway. Similar houses date from roughly 1810 to 1830, and few remain. A restoration sympathetic to the building's origins has made it a local landmark. It is still used as a residence. Reviewers recognized it as one of the few surviving examples of its type in East Cambridge, which supported its listing for architectural significance.
Significance in brief: It is an unusual survivor of the first period of East Cambridge's development and one of few surviving examples of Federal frame construction in the area. Its simple window moldings, doorway and 6-over-6 sash windows show the type of architecture that once typified the neighborhood. A sensitive restoration has made it a local landmark.
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 82001928, listed April 13, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 42 Edward J. Lopez Ave., Cambridge |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | April 13, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82001928 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Late Georgian-Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a residence; described as restored in a way sympathetic to its origins. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 42.36776, -71.07957 (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 82001928.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4986573
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.