Hall Tavern
Why it's listed
Originally a tavern in South Duxbury, Massachusetts, this wooden house was moved to 20 Grey Gardens West in Cambridge in 1930 and restored by architect Clarence W. Brazer. Probably built in the late 1790s, it is a two-story, five-bay, center-entrance house with a hip roof and central chimney. Its style is Federal, with leftover High Georgian details, including a Doric entablature and pilasters framing an elliptical doorway, wide corner boards scored and painted to resemble quoins, and an elaborate cornice with small trumpet corbels. The shingled walls are original. Cecil Fraser arranged the move and lived in the house; he led the Buckingham School and served as a dean at Harvard Business School. The house is one of several Georgian and Federal buildings relocated in Cambridge for restoration in the 1920s. It stands in Grey Gardens, a 1922 subdivision of Georgian Revival houses, where it is the most authentic and sophisticated building. It was listed as representative of its type and period.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house meets Criterion C as a significant representative of its type and period, a Federal building with residual High Georgian details. It is also an example of Georgian and Federal houses moved for restoration in the 1920s and 1930s, and it has gained added significance in its new site within the Grey Gardens subdivision.
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 83000806, listed June 30, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 20 Gray Gardens West St., Cambridge |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | June 30, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000806 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect unknown; moved and restored in 1930 by architect Clarence W. Brazer; moved by Cecil Fraser |
| Architectural style | Federal/Late Georgian |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residential; the house was restored after its 1930 move and is described as unchanged from its original appearance in Duxbury. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Gray Gardens East and West Historic District |
| Coordinates | 42.38287, -71.12927 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 83000806.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5642647
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.