House at 12 West Water Street
Why it's listed
Built around 1860 on a high raised lot facing north, this house at 12 West Water Street in Wakefield is a Mansard style dwelling. It has a slate mansard roof with a patterned surface, pedimented dormers and paired brackets under the eaves. The north facade is three bays wide with a wide double-door entry at the side and a porch with unusually fine posts, whose capitals are carved with acanthus leaves. The exterior was shingled and additions were made on the south side around 1900. West Water Street was laid out after 1830 and had no houses on the 1857 map. By 1874 Cyrus Wakefield owned all lots on the north side and had probably sold the first six lots on the south side. He is known to have built houses and sold them to employees. The house was listed as one of the better preserved mansard houses in the town center, where many similar buildings have been altered or lost.
Significance in brief: The house is described as one of the better preserved mansard-roof houses in Wakefield and one of the few remnants of that type built in the town center in the 1860s and 1870s. Many similar buildings have been altered or lost. It is also linked to Cyrus Wakefield's development of West Water Street, possibly as housing for his employees.
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 89000708, listed July 6, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 12 W. Water St., Wakefield |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | July 6, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89000708 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Mansard Style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is listed as good; the building is in present use as a dwelling, with shingles over the exterior and additions on the south side from about 1900. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.50201, -71.07088 (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 89000708.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5913925
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.