Gilmore, Onslow, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1875 at 477 Main Street in Stoneham, this Italianate house was the home of Onslow Gilmore, a realtor and insurance man who owned considerable property in the 1870s and 1880s. Gilmore came to Stoneham from New Hampshire in 1850 and served as town treasurer and state representative. He was also treasurer of the Stoneham Savings Bank and a director and treasurer of the E.L. Patch Company. The house has an L-shaped plan with the entry and an open porch on carved posts at the angle of the L. Surviving details include a bracketed cornice, a patterned slate roof, paired arched gable windows, first-story bay windows, original 2/2 sash, and granite curbing and posts. Asbestos siding has replaced the clapboards. It is nearly identical to its neighbor at 481 Main Street. It is valued as one of the few period houses left on a street once lined with elaborate residences, civic buildings and commercial structures.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it a fine local example of the Italianate style and one of the few period houses remaining on Main Street. It retains integrity of location, design and workmanship. It is also tied to Onslow Gilmore, a realtor, insurance man and town official.
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 84002625, listed April 13, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 477 Main St., Stoneham |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | April 13, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002625 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | High Victorian Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residential; the house is now clad in asbestos siding, but much of its original trim and its patterned slate roof remain. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 42.47560, -71.10163 (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 84002625.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7094559
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.