Homer-Lovell House
Why it's listed
Built in 1867 at the corner of Forest and Frost Streets in Cambridge, this clapboard house is a Second Empire design with a bell-cast mansard roof covered in fish-scale slates. It has a 2 1/2 storey main house with a side-hall plan and a 2 storey rear wing, both on brick foundations. Details include paired cornice brackets, moulded window hoods, bay windows and arched dormers. Inside, parquet floors, marble mantels and plaster cornices survive. The land came from the Frost family estate, which was subdivided into suburban house lots in the 1850s. William Frost, Jr., a merchant and real estate developer, built the house apparently on speculation near the Porter Square railroad station, which gave commuters direct service to Boston. Later owners included Eliza Homer and grocer Andrew J. Lovell, who lived there through the nineteenth century. Around 1920-1930 it became a two-family house and gained an east entry. Few intact houses of this type remain in the area.
Significance in brief: The house is a well-preserved example of the Second Empire architecture that dominated the early development of Mid-Cambridge as a well-to-do Boston suburb. It keeps its original features, including bay windows, moulded window hoods, bracketed cornices and a slate mansard roof. It also reflects the subdivision of the Frost estate and suburban growth near the Porter Square railroad station.
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 83004030, listed December 22, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 11 Forest St., Cambridge |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | December 22, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83004030 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect unknown; built by William Frost, Jr. |
| Architectural style | Second Empire |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is a two-family residence; the owners recently completed a certified rehabilitation. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 42.38543, -71.11769 (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 83004030.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5889920
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.