Cook, Thomas, House
Why it's listed
This ca. 1850 farmhouse at 21 College Hill Road in West Somerville is a clapboard residence in the Greek Revival style. It is three bays wide and two bays deep, with an enclosed gable, an entablature and wide corner pilasters. A doorway pediment and a narrow board dividing the first and second stories were probably added in the late 19th century. The house now sits with its gable end to the street. Thomas Cook, a farmer, was one of about six landholders in the Curtis North-Broadway area. Small market-garden farms like his continued to be established into the 1860s, even after Tufts College was founded nearby in 1852. Between 1884 and about 1910 the area was subdivided for house lots, and the house was moved back from its original North Street location. Newly platted College Hill Road gave access, and the surrounding blocks filled with two- and three-family houses. It is valued as one of the few surviving farmhouses and Greek Revival houses in northwest Somerville.
Significance in brief: The form argues it is one of the few remaining farmhouses in western Somerville and a fine vernacular example of Greek Revival style. It is described as the only Greek Revival residence in its immediate vicinity. It also illustrates how a farming area was subdivided into house lots between 1884 and ca. 1910.
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 89001250, listed September 18, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 21 College Hill Rd., Somerville |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | September 18, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001250 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residential; condition is described as excellent, with no major alterations recorded. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.40892, -71.12832 (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 89001250.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7788590
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.