DeRosay-McNamee House
Why it's listed
Built in 1895-1896 at 50 Mt. Vernon Street in Cambridge's Avon Hill area, this two and one-half story house is faced in pressed red brick with limestone trim and a steep slate hip roof. Architect William E. Clarke designed it for D. Warren DeRosay, a local brick manufacturer who introduced mechanical dryers to Cambridge brickmaking. John H. H. McNamee, a bookbinder and Harvard Square property owner who served as mayor in 1902 and 1903, owned it after 1899. The symmetrical facade has two-story bow windows, a porch with reeded Corinthian columns, and copper-clad oriel windows on the side elevations. Inside, a central chimney anchors an unusual plan, and the finishes blend Queen Anne and Colonial Revival elements. It was listed because it is a well-preserved Colonial Revival design, the most ambitious in its neighborhood, on a street that has lost much of its original character, and because it illustrates the final phase of Avon Hill's development as a district of substantial houses.
Significance in brief: The house is a well-preserved, high-quality example of Colonial Revival architecture on a street where many other houses have been altered or subdivided. It is the most architecturally ambitious house in its neighborhood and unusual for its brick construction among wood-frame neighbors. It also reflects the last phase of Avon Hill's development, and is tied to a local brickmaker and a later mayor of Cambridge.
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 90000142, listed March 2, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 50 Mt. Vernon St., Cambridge |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | March 2, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000142 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1895-1907 |
| Architect / builder | Clarke, William E. |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Converted to apartments in the early twentieth century, a use that continues; the porch and decks were restored and the exterior and hallways rehabilitated in 1988. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.38774, -71.10939 (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 90000142.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5244069
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.