Cowdrey, George, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1865 at 42 High Street in Stoneham, this small side hall cottage was the home of George Cowdrey, a Stoneham-born shoe manufacturer who was active in town affairs and served in the State Legislature. Cowdrey Street is named for him, and his landholdings included other lots nearby. The house is one of the town's few Second Empire residences to keep its original form, features and setting. Its mansard roof, bracketed cornice and segmentally arched dormers with scrolled enframements are typical of the style. An open porch with a corner gazebo on Tuscan columns and leaded stained glass sidelights were added about 1900. The builder used the slope of Farm Hill to give the house wide views to the west and detailed it carefully despite its modest size. It was the finest early house on a street that later gained several architecturally conscious homes, and it was listed for its architecture and its link to Stoneham's prosperous shoe-making era.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a good local example of a Second Empire cottage that keeps its original form, features and setting. It is also significant as the home of a local shoe manufacturer and as a typical, well preserved representative of Stoneham's residential growth during its most prosperous period. 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 84002557, listed April 13, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 42 High St., Stoneham |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | April 13, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002557 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Second Empire |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residential; the form says the building has not been moved and retains integrity of location, design, setting, materials and workmanship. |
| Acreage | 0.6 |
| Coordinates | 42.49075, -71.09533 (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 84002557.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5538167
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.