Day, Anna, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1856-57 for Anna Day of Watertown, this small wood-frame cottage at 139 Cushing Street in Cambridge is a rare surviving example of Gothic cottage design on a modest scale. It keeps its original clapboard siding, drip moldings over the windows and scalloped bargeboards with acorn-shaped finials in the main gable. A barn remains on the lot, which has about 100 feet of frontage and sits roughly 18 feet back from the street. The house is one of the original cottages of the Strawberry Hill development of the 1850s. The architect is not known, and the building has been used as a residence throughout its history. A recorded survey in 1972 found it unaltered and unmoved. It was listed because of its architectural value, since few small Gothic cottages with such complete original detail survive. The reviewer cited it as a rare surviving example and recommended recognition under the criterion for architecture.
Significance in brief: The nomination describes it as a rare surviving small Gothic cottage with complete original detail, including drip moldings over the windows and scalloped bargeboards with acorn-shaped finials in the main gable. It is also one of the original cottages of the 1850s Strawberry Hill development. The reviewer recommended listing under Criterion C as a rare surviving example.
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 82001935, listed April 13, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 139 Cushing St., Cambridge |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | April 13, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82001935 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Gothic |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Residential use, the same as its original use; the form records no alterations and no moving of the building. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 42.37867, -71.15184 (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 82001935.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4766946
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.