Fay, Issac, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1843, this clapboard house at 125 Antrim Street in Cambridge is a three-bay, side-hall Greek Revival dwelling. Its most notable features are a wrap-around porch with Ionic capitals on three columns, large corner pilasters with leaf-molded capitals, and an octagonal cupola. The house originally stood on Fayette Street and was moved to its present site in 1856. It was built for Isaac Fay, who later served as a city alderman and supported the Cambridge Hospital. The nomination describes it as one of the city's finest examples of its type, in remarkably intact condition, and the only Greek Revival house in Cambridge that still retains both the porch and the cupola. It also marks the early development of the Mid Cambridge area. Land south of Cambridge Street, held by real estate speculators, stayed unbuilt until the 1840s, when parallel streets were laid out and lots sold quickly. This was among the first houses there. It is listed for its architectural significance.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it one of the city's finest three-bay side-hall Greek Revival houses, in remarkably intact condition. It is the only Cambridge Greek Revival example to keep its wrap-around Ionic porch and octagonal cupola intact. It was also one of the first houses built in the area, which makes it important to the development of Mid 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 83000799, listed June 30, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 123 Antrim St., Cambridge |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | June 30, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000799 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residential; the form says the house is unaltered but was moved in 1856. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.37290, -71.11375 (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 83000799.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6076300
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.