Hawkins, Lorenzo D., House
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 about 1870 at 1 Cedar Street in Stoneham, this Second Empire cottage was the home of Lorenzo D. Hawkins, a machinery and shoe manufacturer who owned it from construction until at least 1906. The house has an irregular side-hall plan and a complex roof line covered in scalloped slate. Notable features include a bracketed entry porch with double doors, arched bay windows and dormers, and a heavily bracketed cornice. It rests on a granite foundation, is clad in clapboards, and sits on a hilly lot behind an uncoursed granite retaining wall. A two-and-a-half-story carriage house to the rear has a shallow mansard roof with silver scalloped shingles and polychrome diamond insets. Although small in scale, the cottage was built with lavish wood, glass and slate detail, and it is counted among the most finely crafted buildings in Stoneham. It was built during the town's period of greatest prosperity. Both structures remain well maintained with original materials and finishes intact.
Significance in brief: The form calls it an outstanding local example of the Second Empire style, with finely crafted wood, glass and slate detail. It was also the home of Lorenzo D. Hawkins, a local machinery and shoe manufacturer. It was built during Stoneham's greatest period of prosperity and meets 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 84002639, listed April 13, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1 Cedar St., Stoneham |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | April 13, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002639 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Second Empire |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Both the house and the barn are described as well maintained, with all original materials and finishes intact; no major alterations are recorded. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Within district | Nobility Hill Historic District |
| Coordinates | 42.48006, -71.10397 (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 84002639.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6680686
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.