Curtis, William, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1839 at 2330 Washington Street in Lower Falls, Newton, this 2-1/2-story clapboard house was the second home of paper manufacturer William Curtis. Needham housewright William Lyon is credited with building it. The house combines a traditional Federal form, with a five-bay center-entrance facade and four end chimneys, with Greek Revival details such as two-story corner pilasters, a wide paneled frieze, gable-end pediments and Doric porch columns. Side and transom lights frame the door, and a recessed two-story wing extends to the west. Curtis and his brother Allen inherited their father Solomon's paper business in 1818, installed Fourdrinier machines in 1828 and built larger stone mills on a Charles River island in 1834. The house reflects the success of those mills, which closed before the Civil War. It is recognized for its architecture, its association with Curtis, and its link to Lower Falls papermaking. It now serves as offices facing a busy commercial highway.
Significance in brief: It is presented as an important example of transitional Federal/Greek Revival architecture in Newton. It was the home of William Curtis, a prominent Lower Falls resident, and it reflects the prosperity of the Curtis paper mills, which were among the largest in New England.
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 86001788, listed September 4, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 2330 Washington St., Newton |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | September 4, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86001788 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | William Lyon (Needham housewright) |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival (transitional Federal/Greek Revival) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition good; currently used as offices; originally a residence. No major alterations and not moved. |
| Acreage | 0.6 |
| Coordinates | 42.32541, -71.25694 (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 86001788.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8007404
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.