Hill, Abraham, House
Why it's listed
Set sideways to a busy suburban street in Belmont, this 2 1/2-story clapboarded house at 388 Pleasant Street dates to about 1725-1750. It may have begun as a one- or two-cell central chimney building, later altered to a central hall plan by removing the chimney and adding twin interior stacks. The roof was raised around 1800 to cover the rear rooms, a Beverly jog was added, and a carriage house was attached in the 19th century and later converted to living space. Inside, the right-hand rooms show late transitional First Period features, including exposed framing with narrow quirked beads and feather-edged sheathing. Simple Federal finishes and much 18th-century plaster survive. The house was listed for its architectural integrity and for what it shows about changing house plans. It is also tied to Abraham Hill, an early Menotomy official who served as constable, surveyor of highways and fence viewer. Its roof framing may offer further evidence about local building practice.
Significance in brief: It retains integrity of location, materials, workmanship and design in its transitional First Period quirk-beaded frame. Its 18th-century conversion to a central hall plan typifies the adaptation of central chimney houses to a new plan aesthetic. It is also associated with Abraham Hill, an early Menotomy local official, and more accurate dating could yield information on principal rafter roofs without collar beams.
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 90000164, listed March 9, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 388 Pleasant St., Belmont |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | March 9, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000164 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | First Period |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is described as good; present use is residence. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.40287, -71.16773 (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 90000164.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4668906
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.