Locke, Capt. Benjamin, House
Why it's listed
Located in Arlington Heights, this 2½-story clapboard house at 21 Appleton Street has a five-bay facade, a central hall plan one room deep, and a central chimney. Its earliest portion, a one-story single-bay structure, is believed to date from about 1720, when Francis Locke moved from Woburn to Menotomy, now Arlington. A rear ell was added about 1820, an enclosed entry porch in the mid-19th century, and a shed-roof porch about 1900. Captain Benjamin Locke, Francis's grandson, served on the Prudential Committee, commanded 50 men at Lexington and Bunker Hill, and in 1780 chaired a committee that founded a Baptist Society opposed to paying ministerial taxes to the Congregational Church. The Society bought the house in 1781 for 100 silver dollars and converted it into a meetinghouse. In 1790 it was sold back to Locke and refitted as a residence, then sold to his son. Locke descendants held the property until 1975.
Significance in brief: The house is tied to the Locke family and to the growth of Arlington. Captain Benjamin Locke, a grandson of Francis Locke, served on the Prudential Committee, commanded men at Lexington and Bunker Hill, and helped found a Baptist Society in Menotomy. The Society bought the house in 1781 and used it as a meetinghouse before it returned to Locke family ownership.
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 78000432, listed July 21, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 21 Appleton St., Arlington |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | July 21, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78000432 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Areas of significance | Religion |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition, occupied, and used as a private residence; fitted with aluminum storm sash. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 42.42358, -71.17708 (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 78000432.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5036411
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.