House at 391 Williams Street
Why it's listed
This c. 1820 house at 391 Williams Street in Stoneham is a Greek Revival cottage that the survey form calls the most pretentious of the town's several well-preserved examples. It is symmetrical, five bays wide, with a center entry and chimney under a pitched roof with pedimented dormers thought to be original. A one-story ell extends to the rear. The house rests on a granite foundation and is clapboarded on all sides except the facade, which is flush boarded in imitation of grander buildings. Windows have 6/6 sash, the entry has three-quarter-length sidelights, and pointed arch windows light the gables. A full-width front porch on Tuscan columns was added in the early twentieth century. The land was long held by the Richardson family, who farmed and made shoes, and kept a shoeshop on the property. The house was listed for its architectural character and its retained integrity as a locally notable Greek Revival cottage.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is significant as a locally pretentious example of a Greek Revival cottage, the most pretentious of Stoneham's several well-preserved examples. It retains integrity of location, design, materials and workmanship. It is listed under 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 84002688, listed April 13, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 391 Williams St., Stoneham |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | April 13, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002688 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Residential use; a front porch was added in the early twentieth century (c. 1920). |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 42.48985, -71.11038 (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 84002688.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14715581
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.