Harding House-Walker Missionary Home
Also known as: See Also:Walker Home for Missionary Children
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Built around 1850, this clapboard house at 161-163 Grove Street in Auburndale, Newton, is an L-plan Italianate residence with deep bracketed eaves, porches with quadrant struts, and 6/6 windows with bracketed lintels and sills. The entrance, with transom and sidelights, sits where the two wings meet. It was built for Reverend Sewell Harding, one of several ministers who speculated in real estate as Auburndale began to suburbanize. Harding sold the house in the mid-1860s to Thomas Williams, a Boston merchant, but kept the western part of the property, where he built a Mansard-style mansion that burned in 1911. Harding's daughter, Eliza Walker, founded the Home for Missionaries' Children on nearby Hancock Street. For several decades in the early twentieth century the house served as a Lasell Female Seminary dormitory. In 1925 the Walker Missionary Home bought it for use as a group residence. It remains well preserved, with a 20th century addition.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is significant for its association with Rev. Sewell Harding, a prominent local resident active in real estate speculation during Auburndale's early suburbanization. It is also described as one of Auburndale's best-preserved ornate L-plan Italianate residences. Later uses as a Lasell Female Seminary dormitory and as the Walker Missionary Home add to its local history.
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 86001810, listed September 4, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 161--163 Grove St., Newton |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | September 4, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86001810 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed in good condition, with a 20th century addition; present use is institutional (originally a private dwelling). |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.34175, -71.25024 (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 86001810.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14715504
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.