House at 15 Chestnut Street
Why it's listed
Built around 1885 as a single-family dwelling, this Colonial Revival house on Chestnut Street in Wakefield now serves as a funeral home. It rises two and a half stories under a hip roof with flared eaves, a feature that appears late in the style's development. The cornice resembles a pattern book illustration, with modillion blocks, a dentilled frieze, and egg and dart and acanthus moldings above broad fluted Ionic pilasters. A southern porch rests on paired columns beneath a balustrade with urns and a pediment. The second floor has a Palladian window composition, the first-floor windows sit in rounded bays, and the door has a carved surround with wide leaded sidelights. It is one of only two full-blown high-style Colonial Revival houses in Wakefield and remains in excellent, unaltered condition. Chestnut Street was laid out in 1847 as the railroad drew new residents, and in 1889 the house was occupied by Thomas J. Skinner, a Boston bookkeeper.
Significance in brief: The form describes it as one of only two full-blown, high-style Colonial Revival houses in Wakefield, with the style's scale and exterior decoration at their peak. It is well preserved and retains its integrity. It also reflects the street's growth after the railroad brought new residents.
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 89000726, listed July 6, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 15 Chestnut St., Wakefield |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | July 6, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89000726 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is listed as excellent with no major alterations; present use is a funeral home, and a garage is a contributing outbuilding. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.50367, -71.07336 (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 89000726.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5913961
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.