Howells, William Dean, House
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Why it's listed
This wooden Mansard-style house at 37 Concord Avenue in Cambridge was built in 1872-73 for the writer William Dean Howells. His wife designed it and supervised its construction. The two-story house is notable for beveled stickwork, especially around the front porch and on the first floor. In 1914 a three-story section was added to the rear to provide apartments, and the mansard windows at the front were enlarged into a double dormer. Architect R.C. Groverstein oversaw this work, and the alterations were done with care to repeat the original detailing. The house remains residential, the same use as when it was built. It was listed for its architectural character and for its association with Howells, whom reviewers recognized as a leading writer, editor and literary critic whose work shaped American literature in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The property sits on a lot with about 70 feet of frontage, set roughly 30 feet back from the street.
Significance in brief: The house was the home of writer William Dean Howells, and his wife designed it and supervised its construction. It was later enlarged with a careful rear addition that repeated the original detailing. A reviewer noted Howells's impact on American literature as a leading writer, editor and literary critic of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
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 82001949, listed April 13, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 37 Concord Ave., Cambridge |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | April 13, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82001949 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Mrs. William Dean Howells (designer); R.C. Groverstein oversaw the 1914 alterations and addition |
| Architectural style | Mansard |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Literature, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residential; altered in 1914 with additions. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 42.38022, -71.12687 (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 82001949.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8007718
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.