Gaut, Samuel, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1850 on the north side of Highland Avenue in Somerville, this house is a center-gable Italianate dwelling with a three-bay center-entrance plan and a substantial rear ell. Its detail includes a trefoil window in the central gable, round-headed windows in the gable ends, high-profile bracketed window lintels, and carved brackets on the raking cornice of the center gable. A polygonal cupola with a belled finial crowns the roof. A side loggia with chamfered posts and hooded round-headed windows was added in the early 20th century during the Colonial Revival period. Highland Avenue was formerly Church Street, a main east-west route through the 19th century, and the house was probably one of its most fashionable residences of the period. Its first known resident, Samuel Gaut, was a baker who worked in Boston. The house is regarded as one of the better surviving center-gable Italianate buildings in the city and retains its integrity, so it was listed for its architecture at the local level.
Significance in brief: The house is a well-preserved example of a center-gable Italianate dwelling that keeps much of its original detail. It is one of the better examples of the type left in Somerville and reflects the city's mid-19th century development. It was likely one of the most fashionable houses on Highland Avenue, then called Church Street.
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 89001265, listed September 18, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 137 Highland Ave., Somerville |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | September 18, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001265 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition described as good; still in residential use, with no outbuildings and no move. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.38806, -71.10199 (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 89001265.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7411466
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.