House at 25 Avon Street
Why it's listed
This house at 25 Avon Street in Wakefield was built around 1889 as a dwelling and is still used as one. Avon Street was laid out in 1848 on land of Lemuel Sweetser by his heirs, and the lot belonged to Oliver Perkins, a provisions dealer who lived elsewhere on the street and bought and sold property on the West Side. The house is regarded as one of the most exuberant Queen Anne designs in Wakefield. Its designer drew on nearly every available motif, combining Shingle Style forms, such as the rounded dormer roof, shingled brackets and curved bays beneath a hipped roof, with Queen Anne features including south and west porches with arched openings, sunburst spandrels, floral relief on the porch pediment and stained glass windows. Walls are shingle and clapboard, and a carriage house also contributes. No major alterations are recorded, and the house retains its original character.
Significance in brief: The house is a well-preserved and especially exuberant example of Queen Anne architecture in Wakefield, blending Shingle Style and Queen Anne details. It retains integrity of location, setting, design, materials, workmanship, feeling and association. It was judged eligible under criterion C at the local level.
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 89000731, listed July 6, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 25 Avon St., Wakefield |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | July 6, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89000731 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne (with Shingle Style elements) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is listed as fair; the building is in present use as a dwelling with no major alterations recorded. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.50429, -71.07424 (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 89000731.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5914171
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.