Cogan, James, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1890 at 48 Elm Street in Stoneham, this Queen Anne style house was the home of shoe manufacturer James Cogan. Behind its shingle and clapboard walls is a traditional rectangular core, updated and disguised by cross gables on heavy foliate brackets, a corner tower with a conical roof, and a broad front verandah that wraps around the tower. The entry sits beneath the verandah in one of the cross gables and is framed by etched glass sidelights. Windows have simple frames with one-over-one sash. The house was carefully sited on its corner lot and resembles houses on High and Chestnut Streets in both architecture and economic level, reflecting Stoneham's suburban expansion. James Cogan and his brother Bernard ran the family firm of Patrick Cogan and Son, founded in 1876, one of three major shoe establishments to continue into the 20th century. The house was listed for its integrity, its Queen Anne design and its link to the shoe industry.
Significance in brief: The house is a well-preserved, well-executed local example of the Queen Anne style. It is also associated with the Stoneham shoe industry, as a type of house built by shoe manufacturers as they rose socially. The form states 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 84002550, listed April 13, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 48 Elm St., Stoneham |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | April 13, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002550 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residential; the form lists no major alterations and no outbuildings. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 42.48740, -71.09680 (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 84002550.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6131540
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.