Jackson Homestead
Why it's listed
Jackson Homestead, at 527 Washington Street in Newton, Massachusetts, is a two-story Federal-style house built in 1809 by Major Timothy Jackson. It replaced a saltbox house put up on the same site in 1670 by Edward Jackson, one of the early settlers of Cambridge Village, now Newton. Beams, bricks, boards and doors from the earlier house were reused in the new one. The clapboard house has a hip roof, four end chimneys, a five-bay front and an entrance with sidelights and an elliptical fanlight. Members of the Jackson family lived here until about 1930, and a descendant gave the property to the City of Newton in 1949. William Jackson, Timothy's son, served in Congress and made the house a station for runaway slaves. The building is relatively unchanged and is now a museum furnished to reflect an early 1800s household, offering lectures and tours.
Significance in brief: The 1973 nomination argues the property is significant as a homestead acquired by an early Newton settler and occupied and maintained by his descendants for nearly 300 years. It is also described as a well-preserved, relatively unchanged example of a hip-roofed Federal house with its original outbuildings. Its occupants included Edward Jackson, Major Timothy Jackson and William Jackson, a congressman and abolitionist who made the house an Underground Railroad station.
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 73000306, listed June 4, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 527 Washington St., Newton |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | June 4, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73000306 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Major Timothy Jackson (builder of the 1809 house) |
| Architectural style | Early Republic: Federal |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture, Commerce, Social History |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a museum with lectures, tours and an educational program; described as in excellent condition and relatively unchanged. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 42.35534, -71.19475 (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 73000306.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6117163
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.