Hill, Aaron, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1754 for Aaron Hill, this wood-frame house now stands at 17 Brown Street in Cambridge. It began as a two-story gambrel-roofed house on the site of today's 99 Brattle Street. Around 1867-68, when the Episcopal Theological School began developing that site, the house was moved to a nearby side street and raised one story, with a new first floor placed beneath it. Hill was a Cambridge mason, selectman, assessor, state legislator and Deacon of the First Church. The house is one of seven of its period left in Cambridge that were occupied by patriots during the Revolution; all but one have been moved. Together they show the difference between modest patriot houses and the elegant Tory mansions along Brattle Street. Features include nine-over-six and eight-over-twelve windows on the rear elevation and bowed second-story window lintels. The house is still used as a residence.
Significance in brief: The nomination cites Criterion A for associations with the Revolutionary period in Cambridge, Criterion B for its link to Deacon Aaron Hill, and Criterion C as an example of mid-18th century residential architecture. It is one of seven surviving houses of the period occupied by patriots, nearly all moved, which illustrate the contrast with the Tory mansions on Brattle Street.
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 83000807, listed June 30, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 17 Brown St., Cambridge |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | June 30, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000807 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect unknown; built for Aaron Hill |
| Architectural style | Late Georgian/Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residential, the same as its original use. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.37622, -71.12892 (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 83000807.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14715378
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.