Church, William L., House
Why it's listed
Built in 1916 at 145 Warren Street in Newton Centre, this one-story Craftsman style bungalow was the home of William Lee Church and his wife Sarah. It has a rectangular plan, squared projecting window bays, banded shingle siding and a low hip roof covered in tiles. The entry porch has rusticated brick piers and heavy carved struts, and an original built-in bench survives beside it. Original sash, some with stained glass transoms, remains on the side elevations. The main alteration is the replacement of the sash in the right-hand window bay, which could easily be reversed. Church was an engineer who worked for firms in New York and Boston, and the architect and builder are unknown, though he may have contributed to the design. The house is considered significant as an example of Newton's early 20th century infill and subdivision growth and as an unusually detailed bungalow that keeps to a single story, unlike many local examples.
Significance in brief: The house represents Newton's early 20th century growth, which filled in established areas and created new subdivisions. It is also an exceptionally detailed Craftsman bungalow, surpassed locally only by the Goodbar House. It meets 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 90000112, listed February 21, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 145 Warren St., Newton |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | February 21, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000112 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect and builder unknown |
| Architectural style | Bungalow (Craftsman style) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residential; condition is described as good. |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Coordinates | 42.32978, -71.18913 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
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 90000112.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8014150
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.