Jackson House
Why it's listed
Standing at 125 Jackson Street in Newton Centre, this farmhouse is a traditional two-and-a-half-story, gable-roofed dwelling with a five-bay facade, a central hall plan with two rooms per floor, and two interior ridge chimneys. Records show Abraham Jackson mortgaged a house and barn here in 1768, and the property was sold in 1782 to Aaron Richards, a carpenter from Dedham, who may have built the present house on the earlier foundations. One expert has suggested a date of about 1790. Greek Revival touches, including wide panelled corner boards and a Doric-porticoed entrance, were probably added in an 1850s remodelling. After Richards died in 1823, the farm passed to Ephraim Jackson Jr., and it was subdivided in 1860. The Boston Children's Aid Society occupied the house by 1874. It was listed as one of the earliest surviving structures in Newton Centre and as a well-preserved Georgian farmhouse. It remains a dwelling in excellent condition.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is one of the earliest surviving structures in Newton Centre (Criterion A). It is also a well-preserved example of a vernacular Georgian farmhouse (Criterion C), with later Greek Revival features added around the 1850s.
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 86001841, listed September 4, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 125 Jackson St., Newton |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | September 4, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86001841 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect unknown; Aaron Richards, a carpenter, possibly built the present house |
| Architectural style | Vernacular Georgian (with Greek Revival modifications) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as excellent; present use is a dwelling, the same as its original use. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.32027, -71.18771 (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 86001841.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6117170
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.