House at 41 Middlesex Road
Why it's listed
Built in 1894, this Shingle Style house on Middlesex Road in Chestnut Hill, Newton, reflects the growth of the area as a year-round suburb for Boston businessmen and professionals. William Dupee, who also owned an estate on Beacon Street, built it. Later it belonged to George Warren, who ran a roofing business. The first story is fieldstone, a favorite local combination, and the upper floors are covered in dark brown stained wood shingles. Swept conical roofs on the turret and veranda stand out, and the house is a mass of interlocking geometric forms typical of mainstream Shingle Style design. Upper window sashes have diamond-paned muntins, a medieval motif popular in late Queen Anne designs. A 1930s one-and-a-half-story wing and garage were added, and the condition is very good. It was listed as an outstanding local example of its style and of the large commuter houses of 1890s Chestnut Hill.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it an outstanding local example of Shingle Style architecture. It is also representative of the large suburban houses built by Boston commuters in Chestnut Hill in the 1890s. 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 86001830, listed September 4, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 41 Middlesex Rd., Newton |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | September 4, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86001830 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect unknown; built by William Dupee |
| Architectural style | Shingle Style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is a dwelling; condition is described as very good, with a 1930s wing and garage added. |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Coordinates | 42.32595, -71.16351 (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 86001830.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14715582
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.