Kessler, William F., House
Why it's listed
This 1.5-story shingle-clad house at 211 Highland Street in Newtonville was built in 1913 for Mr. and Mrs. William F. Kessler (spelled Keesler in the narrative text) by Frank E. Kneeland, a local builder from Newton Centre. Little is known about the family, though city directories list Mr. Kessler as a salesman. The house is an example of the rustic Craftsman style. A gable roof with exposed rafter ends covers it, and a large dormer with varied rooflines breaks the front slope. The roof extends forward to shelter a verandah carried on heavy brick and fieldstone piers. The entry has sidelights, with a multi-pane three-part window on one side and a bow window on the other. A brick and fieldstone chimney rises along the left side. The house is little altered and retains its integrity, and it reflects Newton's suburban growth in the early twentieth century, when established neighborhoods were filled in alongside new subdivisions.
Significance in brief: The form argues the house is a well-detailed, little-altered early example of the rustic Craftsman style. It also represents Newton's suburban expansion in the 1920s, which brought infill of established areas along with new subdivisions. It is cited under 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 90000048, listed February 16, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 211 Highland St., Newton |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | February 16, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000048 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect unknown; built by local builder Frank E. Kneeland of Newton Centre |
| Architectural style | Craftsman |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is described as good, with present use residential and no major alterations, outbuildings, or moves recorded. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 42.34781, -71.21634 (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 90000048.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8008817
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.