Lamson, Rufus, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1854, this brick double house at 72-74 Hampshire Street in Cambridge was the home of Rufus Lamson, a local mason who served on the Common Council from 1854 to 1855. It is built of pressed brick in the Greek Revival style, and the architect is recorded as anonymous. The form notes that freestanding brick examples of this style are relatively rare in Cambridge, which gives the house considerable architectural importance. A thin, elegant brick molding caps the main facade and forms a complete entablature, rather than only a cornice as in earlier Federal designs. Both halves of the house also have a subtle raked cornice of corbelled brick along the gabled walls. The building sits close to the street, about eight feet back, with roughly 58 feet of frontage. It has no outbuildings, has not been altered or moved, and remains in residential use, as it was originally.
Significance in brief: The form argues the pressed brick double house is architecturally important because freestanding brick Greek Revival houses are relatively rare in Cambridge. Its thin, elegant brick molding forms a complete entablature rather than just a cornice, setting it apart from earlier Federal designs. It was also the home of Rufus Lamson, a local mason and Common Council member.
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 82001955, listed April 13, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 72-74 Hampshire St., Cambridge |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | April 13, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82001955 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residential; the form records no alterations and no moves. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 42.36768, -71.09366 (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 82001955.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7378065
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.