Flagg-Coburn House
Also known as: Coburn House
Why it's listed
Perched on a granite ledge above the Merrimack River in eastern Lowell, this 1926 house looks like a low European country cottage, with a steep roof, deep eaves and fieldstone chimneys. Architect Ernest Flagg of New York designed it for Frederick W. Coburn, a Lowell-born historian whose family had taken part in the city's early industrial development. Walls of rubblestone around a poured concrete core, a concrete slab in place of a basement, and distinctive ridgeline dormers reflect Flagg's system for inexpensive small houses that avoided tie beams. Local builder Rolf E. Runnels carried out the construction. The house is the earliest known New England example of this design. It stood apart from the modest bungalows and two-family houses typical of Lowell in the 1920s, a decision tied to a family interested in the arts. The Coburns lived there until the late 1940s. The interior keeps its original plan, and the main change is the later enclosure of a rear patio.
Significance in brief: It is the earliest known New England example of Ernest Flagg's design for a small, inexpensive suburban bungalow, built with his modular stone-and-concrete system without tie beams or a basement. As the work of a master architect, it meets Criterion C at the local and state levels. It also reflects an unusual choice by an arts-minded family in a city whose 1920s construction was mostly modest bungalows.
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 86001052, listed May 15, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 722 E. Merrimack St., Lowell |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | May 15, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86001052 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- (specific date 1926) |
| Architect / builder | Architect Ernest Flagg; builder Rolf E. Runnels |
| Architectural style | Old World cottage-like small house of rubblestone and concrete, based on Flagg's modular small-house system |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied private residence; interior retains original plan, and the rear patio was later enclosed as indoor space. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.64603, -71.28668 (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 86001052.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5456926
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.