Farquhar, Samuel, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1868 at 7 Channing Street in Newton Corner, this small dwelling shows how the Mansard style was scaled down for modest homes. The cottage follows a sidehall plan, and its bellcast Mansard roof gave extra headroom for living space in the attic story. The roof is covered in hexagonal and square slates in red, yellow and black, a banded pattern of contrasting color that was uncommon before 1868. A rear corner tower has a polygonal slate roof topped with wrought iron cresting, and the ornamental trim on the front veranda and dormers remains well preserved. Samuel Farquhar, a local slater, lived here in the 1870s, and the roof displays his craft. His family kept the property into the early 1900s. The house is regarded as one of the best Mansard cottages in Newton, in a neighborhood where Channing Street holds several other fine examples. Asbestos siding was added in the twentieth century, and the house remains a dwelling.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is one of the finest examples of the Mansard cottage form in Newton. Its elaborately patterned, polychrome slate roof shows the skill of Samuel Farquhar, a local slater who lived there. It meets Criterion C for architecture.
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 86001798, listed September 4, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 7 Channing St., Newton |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | September 4, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86001798 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Mansard |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition described as good; still used as a dwelling, with 20th-century asbestos siding applied. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 41.87181, -71.17173 (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 86001798.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7411361
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.