Keyes, Amos, House
Why it's listed
Perched on the slope of Winter Hill in Somerville, this clapboard house at 12 Adams Street was built around 1860 by produce dealer Amos Keyes on Central Street. In 1870 Keyes had it moved one block to Adams Street, clearing the original site for a high-style Second Empire residence. Adams Street had been platted around 1845, but no building went up there until the house arrived. The three-bay house has a side-hall plan and a sidelight entrance in the gable end. A Doric-columned single-story porch wraps the east and south sides. Floor-length first-story windows have six-over-nine sash, while second-story windows are six-over-six. A round-headed gable window marks the shift from Greek Revival to Italianate styling. The house is in excellent condition and remains a residence. It is considered among the best preserved homes of its period in this part of Somerville and, with the Adams-Locke House on Central Street, one of Winter Hill's outstanding mid-nineteenth-century survivors.
Significance in brief: The form argues the house is a well-executed example of the transition from Greek Revival to Italianate design and is among the best preserved mid-19th-century residences in this part of north-central Somerville. It keeps its integrity of design, materials, workmanship, feeling and association despite being moved. It is significant at the local level under Criterion C, with Exception B for a moved property.
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 89001224, listed September 18, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 12 Adams St., Somerville |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | September 18, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001224 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect unknown; built for produce dealer Amos Keyes |
| Architectural style | Late Greek Revival/transitional Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is described as excellent, with no major alterations and no outbuildings. It is still used as a residence. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.39375, -71.10108 (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 89001224.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4747898
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.