House at 20 Lawrence Street
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
This house at 20 Lawrence Street in Wakefield was built in the 1880s as a dwelling and still serves as one. Set in a mid-to-late nineteenth-century residential area near Lake Quannapowitt, it is basically an L-shaped gable house with the complex spatial arrangements typical of Queen Anne design. Its decoration blends Queen Anne, Shingle Style and Colonial Revival elements, including an oversized double-sloped gable field on shingled braces and stair and bay windows with stained glass panels. Around 1950 the first-floor wrap-around porch was enclosed and a second-floor porch was filled with an oriel, yet the house keeps its overall design character. It was probably built by Edwin C. Miller, an MIT graduate who joined his father's piano company, became its director in 1895, and served on the Board of Trade and in the state Legislature in 1893. The house was recognized for its architecture at the local level.
Significance in brief: The house is a good example of a design combining the popular 1880s styles of Queen Anne, Shingle and Colonial Revival, especially in its complex spatial arrangements, despite later alterations. It retains integrity of design, setting, location, materials, workmanship, feeling and association. It is also tied to Edwin C. Miller, a piano manufacturer and local civic leader who probably built it.
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 89000680, listed July 6, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 20 Lawrence St., Wakefield |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | July 6, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89000680 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Edwin C. Miller (probably built) |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne (mixed with Shingle Style and Colonial Revival) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently a dwelling; condition described as fair. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.51005, -71.06932 (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 89000680.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5914098
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.