Jenkins, Franklin B., House
Why it's listed
Built around 1895 at 35 Chestnut Street in Stoneham, this shingle-clad house is regarded as the town's best example of the Queen Anne style with Shingle Style influences. Its L-shaped plan joins two cross-sections at a prominent octagonal corner tower, and intersecting pitched roofs cover the 2½-story form. An open verandah wraps from the front entry toward the rear. Details include a triple window on the facade, two stained glass stair windows and a gable lunette on the side elevation. The house was the residence of Franklin B. Jenkins, a partner in Vinton and Jenkins, which in 1891 was the third largest shoe manufacturer in Stoneham. It stands in the Mt. Discovery area, one of three subdivision efforts in town, developed at this end of Chestnut Street from the mid 1880s. Together with the Lamson and Hill houses, it forms a distinctive group of three period houses, and it retains its integrity of location, design, setting, materials and workmanship.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it Stoneham's best late example of the Queen Anne style with Shingle Style influences. It is also cited as representative of the town's suburban expansion and as associated with Franklin B. Jenkins, a local shoe manufacturer. It meets criteria A, 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 84002702, listed April 13, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 35 Chestnut St., Stoneham |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | April 13, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002702 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne/Shingle |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present and original use is residential; no alterations are noted and the house has not been moved. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Within district | Nobility Hill Historic District |
| Coordinates | 42.47970, -71.10396 (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 84002702.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14715478
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.