Fuller, Enoch, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1850 at 72 Pine Street in Stoneham, this eight-sided clapboard house is regarded as the town's most elaborate and best preserved mid-nineteenth century octagon. It rises two stories to a low pitched roof with a central cupola. A one-story verandah with chamfered posts, pendant drop brackets and a cut baluster rail wraps the whole building, and both street sides have entries with full-length glazed side lights and transoms. Inside, a flying staircase rises in the central stairhall. The house sits on a large elevated corner lot. It was built for Enoch Fuller, reportedly a friend of P.T. Barnum who admired Barnum's octagon in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Fuller lived there only briefly, and by 1858 it served as a boarding house. By 1874 it belonged to a shoe tip manufacturer. The structure appears to use interlocking timber construction, a technique also seen in Wakefield octagons. It was listed for its architectural significance and integrity.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is Stoneham's best preserved and most elaborate mid-nineteenth century octagon house, with integrity of location, design, setting, materials and workmanship. It is the best detailed of three Stoneham octagons and appears to use interlocking timber construction rather than standard stud walls. It is listed under criterion C.
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 84002619, listed April 13, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 72 Pine St., Stoneham |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | April 13, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002619 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Octagon |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Recorded in 1979 as a private residence, used as a residence originally and at that time, with no major alterations and not moved. |
| Acreage | 0.4 |
| Coordinates | 42.47567, -71.09799 (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 84002619.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5379296
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.