Libby, Nelson F., House
Why it's listed
Perched on a rise above a busy stretch of Weston Street in Waltham, this Queen Anne style house was built in 1891 for Nelson F. Libby, an owner of the Libby and Larcom planing mill at Prospect and Felton Streets. Its basically boxy, gable-roofed form is disguised by projecting bays, turrets and porches. Notable features include a corner tower with a bell-shaped roof and round-headed windows, a recessed attic-level porch with balustrade and spindle screen, a cross gable with triple arched windows, and a verandah with bulbous turned posts and a segmental fan at the entry. The only major change is the replacement of clapboards with wood shingles around the 1920s. The mill probably produced the woodwork for the house and apparently supplied many other Waltham homes and commercial blocks of the period. The Libbys sold the property in 1908 to Alfred L. Chase, a salesman. It remains a dwelling surrounded by a fieldstone wall.
Significance in brief: The house is a well-designed example of Queen Anne architecture that keeps its fine details and massing despite replacement of clapboards with wood shingles. It was also the home of Nelson F. Libby, a local industrialist whose planing mill apparently supplied woodwork for many Waltham houses and commercial blocks.
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 89001521, listed September 28, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 147--149 Weston St., Waltham |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | September 28, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001521 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect unknown; built by Nelson F. Libby (owner of Libby and Larcom planing mill) |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is a dwelling; condition described as good, with a non-contributing garage. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 42.37382, -71.25442 (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 89001521.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6990504
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.