House at 230 Melrose Street
Why it's listed
This small mansard-style house at 230 Melrose Street in Auburndale, Newton, dates to about 1858, based on stylistic analysis. The architect is unknown. Clad in clapboard, it has a steep, straight-edged roof broken only by the mansard roof of a towered entrance pavilion. A full-width front verandah carries stick decoration, a feature not generally seen on mansard houses until the early 1870s. Although small mansard cottages are common across Newton, few show this much originality in their decorative detail, and the house is described as one of Auburndale's most ornate small dwellings. It also reflects the growth of suburban villages for middle-class commuters to Boston. The surrounding streets come from a subdivision by the North Auburn Dale Land Company, formed by William Jackson and eleven other men to sell houselots near the Boston and Worcester railroad tracks. The house remains a dwelling in excellent condition.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is one of Newton's finest examples of a well-detailed middle-class residence built for Boston commuters in the second half of the nineteenth century. It has a towered entrance pavilion and a stick-decorated verandah, and is described as one of Auburndale's most ornate small dwellings. It meets Criterion C.
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 86001961, listed September 4, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 230 Melrose St., Newton |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | September 4, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86001961 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Mansard |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is a dwelling, in excellent condition, not moved; the verandah was added in the late 19th century and a window altered in the 20th century. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 42.34858, -71.25072 (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 86001961.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5914137
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.