Frost, David, House
Why it's listed
This wood-frame house at 26 Gray Street, Cambridge, dates to 1815 according to deed records. Elizabeth Frost was the original owner, and her son David Frost, a painter and glazier, is the namesake. The house originally stood at 1705 Massachusetts Avenue. It was moved west in 1889 to make room for a large Colonial Revival house designed by Van Brunt & Howe, and it now sits in a more modest neighborhood that was then being developed. Its features include large chimneys, a hip roof, symmetrical proportions, a four-room center-hall plan and an entrance with an elliptical fan under a cornice. These are typical of early nineteenth-century Federal architecture. The original six-over-six window sash was later replaced with two-over-two sash. The house survives from the years between the Revolutionary War and the suburban growth of Old Cambridge, when Massachusetts Avenue was sparsely settled with modest farmhouses. It was listed for its role in the area's development and as a modest vernacular Federal example.
Significance in brief: The nomination cites Criterion A for the house's role in the development of the North Avenue section of Cambridge and as a survivor from a period when little building took place. It cites Criterion C for the house as a modest vernacular example of Federal period architecture in 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 83000801, listed June 30, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 26 Gray St., Cambridge |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | June 30, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000801 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as residential use; the house was altered and moved in 1889. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.38337, -71.12212 (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 83000801.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5233882
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.