Dunbar-Stearns House
Why it's listed
Located at 209 Linden Street in Waltham, this house began in 1846 as a high-style Greek Revival residence built by Charles Harrington for Peter Dunbar. Harrington, a Bleachery worker who was also one of the city's important nineteenth-century builders, laid out half of Linden Street and built three houses there, creating one of Waltham's first suburban developments. In 1892 oil merchant Joseph R. Stearns completely remodeled the house in the Queen Anne style. He added a round tower with a bell-shaped roof and a decorated porch, and covered the walls with patterned shingles in scallop, spade and jagged-flame shapes. Around 1915 the house was moved forward on its lot, and its two rear ells became separate homes on Linden Terrace. Greek Revival traces survive at the rear. The house was recognized for its architecture, especially the shinglework, as a notable local example of Queen Anne design.
Significance in brief: The house is considered locally significant as a notable Queen Anne remodeling of an earlier Greek Revival house. It has some of the most elaborate and best preserved patterned shinglework in Waltham. It was also part of one of the city's first suburban developments, laid out by builder Charles Harrington.
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 89001517, listed March 9, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 209 Linden St., Waltham |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | March 9, 1990 |
| Reference number | 89001517 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Charles Harrington |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival/Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed in excellent condition and used as a residence. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 42.38182, -71.21778 (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 89001517.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5314180
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.