Gale-Banks House
Why it's listed
Built about 1798 by Jacob Gale, this farmhouse at 935 Main Street in Waltham is an early Federal-style dwelling now surrounded by commercial development. It has a five-by-four bay double profile, a low hipped roof, cornerboards, two large brick chimneys that were probably rebuilt, and an entrance with pilasters, a narrow transom and sidelights. A hipped dormer and a porch with fluted Doric columns were apparently added in the nineteenth century. The land had belonged to the Gale family since the seventeenth century. In 1855 Nathaniel P. Banks bought the homestead and its roughly twenty acres. Born in a Waltham mill tenement, Banks became a state legislator, congressman, Speaker of the House, Governor of Massachusetts and a Union general. The house was valued as one of the few well-preserved early Federal farmhouses left in the city. Reviewers accepted it for its architecture, and its connection to Banks adds historical interest.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is a well-preserved, rare example of an early Federal farmhouse in Waltham. It was also the home of Nathaniel P. Banks, a Massachusetts governor, congressman, Speaker of the House and Civil War general. The final review accepted it for architecture under Criterion C as a locally significant early Federal farmhouse.
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 89001545, listed March 9, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 935 Main St., Waltham |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | March 9, 1990 |
| Reference number | 89001545 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Built by Jacob Gale; architect unknown |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as excellent; the property has not been moved and has no outbuildings. The porch roof balustrade, the main roof balustrade and the access door have been removed. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 42.37599, -71.24891 (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 89001545.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5518255
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.