Hooper-Eliot House
Why it's listed
Built in 1872 for Edward W. Hooper, this wood-frame house at 25 Reservoir Road in Cambridge was designed by the firm Sturgis & Brigham. It is regarded as an early and pioneering example of the Georgian Revival, shown in its gambrel roof, five-bay facade with a center entrance, and a main stairway patterned after the one in the John Hancock House. John Sturgis had measured that staircase before its demolition and had studied Georgian architecture during years spent in England. The design is not a pure revival, since Stick Style detailing, including a band between the first and second stories, appears alongside Georgian elements. Lois Lilley Howe remodelled the entrance in 1902, giving it a south-facing doorway with a broken scroll pediment, and a rear ell was added in 1889. The Reverend Samuel A. Eliot bought the house in 1902 and lived there for the rest of his life. He led the American Unitarian Association and served the Arlington Street Church.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the house as an early work of the Georgian Revival, combined with Stick Style detailing, by a firm that helped popularize the revival. It also notes an association with the Reverend Samuel A. Eliot, who bought the house in 1902 and lived there for the rest of his life. Eliot was president of the American Unitarian Association and a minister at the Arlington Street Church.
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 83000809, listed June 30, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 25 Reservoir Rd., Cambridge |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | June 30, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000809 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Sturgis & Brigham (1872); Lois Lilley Howe (1902 entrance remodelling) |
| Architectural style | Stick Style / Georgian Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as residential in present use; the entrance was altered in 1902 and a rear ell was added in 1889. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.37914, -71.13655 (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 83000809.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5898335
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.