House at 28 Wiley Street
Why it's listed
Set into a hillside on a minor road in Wakefield, this small brick house is dated 1765? and 1780-1840 and is still a residence. It is one and one half stories under its east half, but its western half rises a full two and one half stories because of the slope. The kitchen sits at ground level. The plan follows the traditional Georgian/Federal form of five bays with a center entrance under a gable roof, and the Federal door surround has three-quarter-length sidelights and a portico that may be later. Its age is uncertain. Brick buildings were not common in the area before the Revolution, so the brick section may have been added to an earlier wooden house between 1790 and 1850, and the original wooden house has apparently been demolished. A 1765 map labels the site Nat. Wiley's old house. The Wiley family lived in the neighborhood from before 1672, and Dr. Ernest Tyzzer, an early cancer expert, lived here in 1927. The house is valued locally as a well-preserved Federal example.
Significance in brief: The form argues the house is either an unusual pre-Revolutionary brick dwelling or the surviving brick addition to an earlier wooden house that is now lost. Either way it is a well-preserved example of the Federal style that keeps its integrity of location, setting, design, materials, workmanship, feeling and association. It also relates to the long-established Wiley family of the neighborhood and to Dr. Ernest Tyzzer, an early cancer expert.
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 89000695, listed July 6, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 28 Wiley St., Wakefield |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | July 6, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89000695 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1765? & 1780-1840 |
| Architectural style | Federal Vernacular |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residential; condition is described as fair. Two noncontributing outbuildings are listed: a 1 1/2 story barn with attached shed, and a one-car garage with porte cochere. |
| Acreage | 8.5 |
| Coordinates | 42.49731, -71.04663 (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 89000695.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5914199
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.