Colburn, Sarah Foster, House
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Why it's listed
Built in 1841 at 7 Dana Street in Cambridge, this 2½-story frame house blends Greek Revival and Gothic details in an unusual way. Its steeply gabled facade has five unevenly spaced fluted columns with stylized Doric capitals, a deeply projecting gable pierced by pointed arch openings, and a narrow lancet window at the peak. Acorn-pattern bargeboards trim the eaves, and cast iron railings with a floral pattern fill the space above the columns. The design relates to a rare house type from the Connecticut River Valley and is unique in Cambridge. Housewright Nathaniel A. Virgin, born in New Hampshire in 1814, trained in that valley before moving to Cambridge. The house was part of the Dana Hill development, planned by speculator Isaac Livermore after Judge Francis Dana's mansion burned in 1839. Livermore's niece, Sarah Foster Colburn, bought the house in 1842. Apart from a 1927 apartment conversion and a rebuilt rear ell after a 1934 fire, it remains largely intact, and it was recognized as the city's most important Gothic Revival residence.
Significance in brief: It is described as a unique Cambridge example of a rare Connecticut River Valley house type that blends Gothic and Greek Revival elements. The reviewer called it the most important example of Gothic Revival residential architecture in Cambridge and the only intact example of its type. It is also part of the mid-nineteenth century suburban development of Dana Hill.
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 82004968, listed April 13, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 7 Dana St., Cambridge |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | April 13, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82004968 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Nathaniel A. Virgin |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival and Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in good condition; converted to four apartments in 1927 but otherwise described as remarkably intact. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.36998, -71.11049 (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 82004968.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7421625
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.