House at 32 Morrison Road
Why it's listed
This 2½-story house at 32 Morrison Road in Wakefield dates to about 1906-08 and sits on a tree-shaded lot under an acre, facing west. It is clad in shingles and fieldstone and has a gambrel roof with an intersecting gambrel gable holding a Palladian window composition. A corner tower in the Tudor Revival manner projects a porch with fieldstone aprons, a technique popularized by the Craftsman style. A garage from about 1908 is also on the lot. The house lies in Wakefield Park, a development carved largely from land of Dr. Charles Jordan and J. S. Merrill. Morrison Road was among the earlier streets Merrill planned, and by 1892 Merrill and Charles S. Hanks were developing about 100 acres into an upper-class suburb for affluent commuters drawn to Wakefield's healthy atmosphere. The house was recognized for its well-preserved combination of Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival and Craftsman features, and for its link to that suburban growth, at the local level of significance.
Significance in brief: The house is argued to typify Wakefield's tendency to blend Colonial Revival with other styles, here Tudor Revival and Craftsman. It is well preserved and retains its integrity. It also reflects the growth of Wakefield Park as an upper-class commuter suburb.
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 89000723, listed July 6, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 32 Morrison Rd., Wakefield |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | July 6, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89000723 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival (combined with Tudor Revival and Craftsman elements) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is a dwelling; condition is described as good, with no major alterations. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.50043, -71.08847 (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 89000723.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5914250
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.