Johnson, Newell D., House
Why it's listed
Built in 1894 at 428 Lexington Street in Waltham, this Queen Anne house sits on a busy corner in the Piety Corner area, among large nineteenth and early twentieth century homes. It is considered the most elaborate and best-preserved Queen Anne house in the neighborhood and one of the finest in the city. Original features survive, including an octagonal tower with arched windows and butted shingles, fishscale shingles on a three-sided bay, curved brackets under the cornice, bull's-eye windows, fluted porch posts and a molded eyebrow roof on the porch. Lively turrets, cross-gables and porches disguise its boxy hip-roof form. The site carries earlier history: Deacon Jonathan Sanderson Sr., an early settler, built a house nearby in 1689, and the Sanderson homestead stood here until Fannie M. Johnson, wife of dentist Newell D. Johnson, bought the property in 1893. The Johnsons took down the old house and built the present one in 1894.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is the most elaborate and best-preserved example of Queen Anne architecture in the Piety Corner area and one of the best in the city. It keeps its original features and finishes, and it also occupies the site of an early Sanderson family homestead.
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 89001564, listed September 28, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 428 Lexington St., Waltham |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | September 28, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001564 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residential; condition is described as good, with no major alterations and no outbuildings. |
| Acreage | 0.6 |
| Coordinates | 42.39105, -71.23912 (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 89001564.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7017695
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.