House at 15 Davis Avenue
Why it's listed
Built in the 1850s, this small house at 15 Davis Avenue in West Newton is a well-preserved example of Italianate residential design. It has a front-gabled main block with an offset rear ell that appears to be part of the original plan. Clapboards cover the exterior, and the house has seen no major alterations. Its wooden trim is unusually elaborate for such a narrow dwelling: paired scroll brackets at the eaves, bracketed lintels over the windows and doorway, paneled corner pilaster strips, sidelights and a transom at the entrance, long parlor windows and 6/6 sash. Gothic Revival hood mouldings, an uncommon feature among West Newton's Italianate houses, appear in the gable, second story and rear ell. The house resembles 3 Davis Avenue. Margaret Tufts, a widow, owned it in 1868, and Joseph Symonds bought it in the late 1870s, his family keeping it through the century. Both lots were among the first sold by Seth Davis, who once owned the surrounding land.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is an elaborately detailed and well-preserved example of a modest Italianate residence, meeting criterion C. Its ornate wooden trim is unusually fine for a small, narrow dwelling, and it combines Italianate detailing with Gothic Revival hood mouldings uncommon in West Newton. It also appears to be among the first lots sold off by Seth Davis.
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 86001817, listed September 4, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 15 Davis Ave., Newton |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | September 4, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86001817 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Recorded in good condition in 1977, with no major alterations, no outbuildings and not moved. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 42.35197, -71.22474 (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 86001817.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5913964
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.