Hill, Rev. Thomas, House
Why it's listed
Set far back on a broad lawn in a residential part of Waltham, this 1845 house at 132 Church Street combines Italianate and Greek Revival details. Its three-by-two bay form, center entrance, bracketed eaves, roundhead gable windows and bracketed window canopies are Italianate, while the pedimented attic, full entablature and sidelit entrance reflect the earlier Greek Revival style. A large north ell and an early twentieth century glazed sunporch and front veranda were added later. The house was built by Thomas Hill, newly appointed minister of the First Parish Church, who served on the Waltham School Committee from 1845 to 1859, later led Antioch College and then Harvard College, and invented a calculating device called an arithmometer. He owned the house until his death in 1891, and it is the Waltham property most closely linked to his life. Its architecture and its association with Hill support its listing.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a good example of an early Italianate house with Greek Revival features. It is also the Waltham property most closely tied to Rev. Thomas Hill, a prominent nineteenth century citizen who owned it from 1845 until his death in 1891. It is cited under criteria B 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 89001528, listed September 28, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 132 Church St., Waltham |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | September 28, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001528 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect unknown; built by Thomas Hill |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival/Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture, Religion |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as excellent; in residential use, with a non-contributing garage, a sunporch and rear ells added later. |
| Acreage | 1.3 |
| Coordinates | 42.38038, -71.23206 (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 89001528.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14715826
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.