Johnson, Edwin C., House
Why it's listed
This clapboard house at 177 Weston Street in Waltham was built around 1847-1853 and blends Greek Revival and Italianate styles. Italianate elements include its massing, center hall plan, cornice-headed windows and gable roof with return eaves. Greek Revival features include the pedimented entrance with pilasters and sidelights, wide cornerboards and fascia boards. A stylish cupola seen in a late 19th century bird's-eye view has since been removed, but the house is otherwise little altered and in good to excellent condition. It was built on land that had been part of Nehemiah Warren's extensive farmlands. Edwin C. Johnson bought the lot in 1846, and the house appears labeled with his name on the 1854 map. Johnson sold the property in 1862 to Harvey Garcelon, who sold it to Charles H.B. Caldwell in 1863. The house is significant as a well-preserved architectural example and as a marker of the beginnings of suburban house building along Weston Street.
Significance in brief: The house is a large, well-detailed and well-preserved example of the transitional Greek Revival/Italianate style, with a symmetrical three-bay facade and a pedimented entry with sidelights. It also represents the earliest suburbanization of Weston Street. It meets criteria A 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 89001522, listed September 28, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 8 Caldwell Rd., Waltham |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | September 28, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001522 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival/Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed in good to excellent condition with no major alterations; a late 19th century cupola has been removed. Present use is a private residence. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 42.37431, -71.25675 (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 89001522.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5346284
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.