Garfield Street Historic District
Why it's listed
Garfield Street in Cambridge is a short residential street lined with Queen Anne houses, laid out in 1883 and built up between 1885 and 1891. All but three of the original houses remain. Most were designed by architects, including Eugene Clark, James Fogerty and William Sidebottom, and they range from small side-entrance houses costing about $4,500 to full Queen Anne examples costing as much as $10,000. Consistent lot size, setback and house height give the street unity, yet the houses vary widely in form. Wrap-around porches, towers, bays, terra cotta ornament, spindle screens, and colored and leaded glass are common. A few combine Queen Anne massing with Colonial Revival or Shingle style detail. The district takes in both sides of the street from Massachusetts Avenue to Oxford Street. It was listed because it forms a significant, distinguishable grouping and serves as an unusually complete catalogue of Queen Anne design, with a nineteenth century streetscape that remains intact.
Significance in brief: The district is described as an outstanding example of a late nineteenth century Queen Anne development and an excellent catalogue of Queen Anne architecture. Most of the houses were architect-designed and the street keeps its original nineteenth century appearance. It meets criterion C as a significant and distinguishable grouping.
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 83000803, listed June 30, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Garfield St. between Massachusetts Ave. and Oxford St., Cambridge |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | June 30, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000803 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1885-1895 |
| Architect / builder | Architects named include Eugene Clark, William Sidebottom, John Steadman, James Fogerty, Rand & Taylor and William Goodwin |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Houses are described as well-maintained, in good to excellent condition, privately owned and in residential use. |
| Acreage | 3.7 |
| Coordinates | 42.38390, -71.11776 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 83000803.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5523100
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.