Kidder-Sargent-McCrehan House
Why it's listed
Built around 1792 for Nathaniel Kidder, this farmhouse at 146 Rindge Avenue in Northwest Cambridge is described as the area's finest rural vernacular example of the Federal style. It is also the only farmhouse from before the nineteenth century there to keep its original features intact, and the only eighteenth-century farmhouse still on its original site. The house is set at an angle to the street so the front entrance faces east in the colonial manner. It follows a typical eighteenth-century four-room, center-hall plan, while small second-story windows, short eaves and a sidelight entry show Federal influence. The Kidder family acquired the land in 1706 and kept it until 1835, when it was sold to Solomon Sargent. Sargent sold off farm acreage as building lots in the 1840s, and in 1867 the house and its lot went to Jeremiah McCrehan, whose family held it until the 1940s. It remains a residence today.
Significance in brief: The form calls it the finest rural vernacular example of the Federal style in Northwest Cambridge and the only pre-nineteenth-century farmhouse there to survive with its original features intact. It is also the only eighteenth-century farmhouse remaining on its original site. The reviewer recommended listing under Criterion C as a rare surviving example.
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 82001952, listed April 13, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 146 Rindge Ave., Cambridge |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | April 13, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82001952 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Residential use, the same as the original use. Shingles were added in the 1920s and one wall has been restored. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 42.39293, -71.13070 (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 82001952.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6404653
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.