Cole House
Why it's listed
Set on a wooded hillside on the western slope of the Middlesex Fells Reservation, this house at 12 Mason Street in Winchester was built in 1886 by Frank and Emma Cole, who lived there until 1929. It then passed to Frank Sexton, who kept it until 1962. Little else is known of its history, and none of its owners appear in town histories. Its importance rests on its architecture. The house rises two and a half stories under a hip roof with cross gables and exposed rafter ends, laid out on a T-plan. A one-story porch wraps the stem of the T, supported on posts with elaborate carved braces. Shingles cover the walls beneath the porch and clapboards cover the rest. The gables carry vertical valances and stickwork, and the windows use an unusual 12/2 sash. Winchester's most fully developed example of the Stick Style, it has no major alterations and remains in excellent condition as a dwelling.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is Winchester's most fully developed example of the Stick Style. It displays stickwork and vertical valances in the gables, elaborate carved porch braces and an irregular, romantic silhouette. It also retains integrity of location, design, setting, materials and workmanship.
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 89000646, listed July 5, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 12 Mason St., Winchester |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | July 5, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89000646 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Stick Style (Queen Anne) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in excellent condition, with no major alterations and not moved; used as a dwelling, with a garage as an outbuilding. |
| Acreage | 0.6 |
| Coordinates | 42.44978, -71.12934 (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 89000646.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5142664
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.