Locke, Asa, House
Why it's listed
Standing at 68 High Street in Winchester, this two-and-one-half story farmhouse was built around 1855 in the Italianate style. It has a gabled roof, an entrance offset to the left, and a three-bay facade with full-length six-over-six windows on the lower story. Bracketed sills, canted-corner surrounds, and a two-sided open porch with chamfered posts add detail, and a gabled bay with a lunette window faces east. A low granite retaining wall borders the lot. The house was built by Asa Locke, a prosperous farmer who sold produce in the Boston and Charlestown markets. The Lockes descended from James Locke, who was farming nearby by 1699, and the family held extensive land in the area into the 1930s. Asa's son Elbridge inherited the house in 1857, and it left family ownership in 1902 when Handel Pond, a partner in the Ivers & Pond Piano Company, bought it. It is valued as a well-preserved sidehall Italianate farmhouse and for its Locke family connections.
Significance in brief: The house is a well-preserved example of a sidehall Italianate farmhouse in Winchester. It is also tied to the Locke family, a prominent local family with extensive landholdings around the house from at least 1699.
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 89000631, listed July 5, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 68 High St., Winchester |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | July 5, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89000631 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Built by Asa Locke; architect unknown |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as excellent; present use is a dwelling, as was the original use. |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Coordinates | 42.44345, -71.15989 (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 89000631.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4803135
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.