Dana-Palmer House
Why it's listed
Built in 1822, this wooden house at 12-16 Quincy Street in Cambridge combines a Federal-style hipped roof with a later Greek Revival porch. Details include a continuous balustrade around the eaves, rounded bays under the porch and a fanlight over the front door. It is one of two surviving structures on Quincy Street that recall the neighborhood's original residential quality. The house first stood on the site of Lamont Library, on a knoll that was part of the fortifications of Washington's camp. The land came to the Dana family in the early eighteenth century, and residents included Richard Henry Dana, Sr., and his son Richard Henry Dana, Jr., author of Two Years Before the Mast. Harvard College bought the property in 1835. It served as an observatory for William C. Bond from 1839 to 1843, and later housed professors, including George Herbert Palmer, and President James Bryant Conant during World War II. Moved in 1947, it was restored to its original dimensions.
Significance in brief: The house is significant under Criterion C as a Federal-style structure and as one of two surviving buildings on Quincy Street that recall the neighborhood's original residential character. It is significant under Criterion B for its many associations with people important to the history and development of Harvard College, including the Dana family, William C. Bond, George Herbert Palmer and James Bryant Conant.
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 86001682, listed May 19, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 12--16 Quincy St., Cambridge |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | May 19, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86001682 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Federal/Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residential; the house was moved in 1947 and restored to its original dimensions. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.37315, -71.11448 (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 86001682.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5214648
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.