House at 42 Hopkins Street
Why it's listed
Built in the 1850s on a high lot in the northwestern part of Wakefield, this 2½-story Italianate house replaced the original Hopkins family homestead. The Hopkins family were early settlers, and their farm stayed in the family and was worked into the 1920s. Open farmland surrounded the house as late as 1906, and the land was sold and developed in the 1940s and 1950s, making it one of the later developments on the town's west side. Architecturally, the house shows how Italianate buildings grew larger than Greek Revival ones once balloon framing replaced mortise-and-tenon construction. It has a gabled roof with a cross-gabled dormer, corner pilasters beneath a wide frieze, a high granite foundation, and paired brackets at the eaves and bays. Eastlake incised designs and a shingled gable that anticipates the Queen Anne style add variety. A Colonial Revival portico was added around the 1880s. The house was listed for its local architectural significance.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as a good local example of balloon framing, which came into increasing use in Wakefield after 1850, and says it keeps much of its original Italianate detailing. It is also tied to the Hopkins family, early settlers whose farm lay in the northwestern part of town. It meets 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 89000732, listed July 6, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 42 Hopkins St., Wakefield |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | July 6, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89000732 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Recorded in fair condition and in use as a dwelling, with a Colonial Revival portico added c. 1880s. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.50380, -71.09625 (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 89000732.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5914316
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.