Gill, Charles, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1860 at 76 Pleasant Street in Stoneham, this clapboard cottage is a well-preserved example of the Second Empire style. It has a side hall plan, a rear cross ell, and a flat-roofed, bracketed porch set into a corner. Its mansard roof carries pedimented dormers above a bracketed and dentilated cornice. The three-bay facade includes an original glazed entry with a bracketed hood and two full-length windows with 2/2 sash. The house sits on a relatively large, tree-covered lot that adds to its historic setting. Charles Gill, a shoemaker according to town directories, lived here. His mansard-roofed cottage represents a type popular across Stoneham in the 1860s, when the town was at its most prosperous. Most of these cottages are small but well detailed, and this is described as one of the best preserved and documented examples. It was listed for its architecture and its link to the town's residential development.
Significance in brief: It is one of three intact Second Empire cottages in Stoneham and displays many characteristic features of the style. It was also the home of Charles Gill, a local shoemaker, and represents the town's residential growth in its most prosperous period. The nomination cites criteria A and 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 84002623, listed April 13, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 76 Pleasant St., Stoneham |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | April 13, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002623 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Second Empire (Mansard) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is as a residence; no major alterations are reported. |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Coordinates | 42.47739, -71.09245 (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 84002623.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5078041
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.