Knight, R. A.-Eugene Lacount House
Why it's listed
Near Davis Square in Somerville, 34 Day Street is a small Second Empire house built around 1870. It is a 1 1/2-story, two-bay mansard cottage clad in clapboard, with spring eaves and recessed, segmental-arched dormers. Polygonal bays, cornice window lintels and a flat-roofed entrance porch with sawn ornament add detail. A gazebo stands at the rear, and a generous side yard hints at how similar properties once looked. The surrounding area is now densely built with multi-family houses and apartment blocks. The house was listed for its architecture: it survives largely unaltered and represents the mansard cottage, a style many builders in the Davis Square area chose in the 1860s and 1870s, after the Day estate was subdivided in 1867. Eugene LeCount, the second owner, served as an enlisted man in the Civil War and wrote a lengthy autobiography describing that service. Little else is known about the house's history. It remained a residence and was in excellent condition when recorded.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is an intact example of a Second Empire cottage, a style popular with Somerville builders after the Civil War for both modest and pretentious homes. It also has a minor historical link to Eugene LeCount, a later occupant who left a detailed Civil War autobiography. It meets Criterion C at the local level.
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 89001256, listed September 18, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 34 Day St., Somerville |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | September 18, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001256 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Second Empire |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Recorded in 1986 as in excellent condition, with no major alterations, and in use as a residence. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.39514, -71.12349 (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 89001256.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7273436
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.