Jackson, Samuel, Jr., House
Why it's listed
Located at 137 Washington Street in Newton Corner, this two-and-one-half story clapboard house sits on a suburban lot of 9,470 square feet along an early road that remains one of the city's main east-west thoroughfares. The form dates it to 1760, with a porch and trim added around 1850. Its rectangular plan, low-pitched hip roof, five-bay facade, twin rear wall chimneys and long rear ell reflect Federal period design, while the full-length sidelights at the entrance and the full-width veranda with fluted Doric columns are mid-nineteenth century changes. Edward Jackson, brother of Newton's first settler John Jackson, built an earlier house on the site. His great-grandson, Captain Samuel Jackson, had it torn down to build the present house. Jonathan Hunnewell owned the property by 1797, followed by Charles Torrey in 1827 and Josiah Gillmore from 1843. It was listed for its architecture and its link to the Jackson family.
Significance in brief: The form describes it as one of the city's most important and well-preserved Federal dwellings, with intact interior and exterior features. It is also associated with the Jackson family, whose members were among Newton's first settlers. It meets Criteria B and 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 86001843, listed September 4, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 137 Washington St., Newton |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | September 4, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86001843 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Federal/Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is dwelling; condition described as very good. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 42.35599, -71.17972 (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 86001843.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7411819
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.