Loring, George, House
Why it's listed
Built by about 1895 at the corner of Highland Avenue and Putnam Street in Somerville's Central Hill area, this brick and shingle house was designed by architect George Loring for his own family. It sits on the remaining lot of the family's earlier Italianate house next door at 78 Highland Avenue. The house is organized under one large gable and massed as a simple rectangle, with a symmetrical, horizontally oriented facade. Broad chimneys and a steep shingled roof recall English medieval buildings. Other features include lattice-mullioned windows in the oriels, shed-roof dormers, and a recessed entrance flanked by projecting brick bays. Loring, born in Boston in 1851, formed a partnership with Sanford Phipps in 1889 and designed many buildings at Tufts University, public buildings in Somerville, and over 100 Somerville houses. The house is valued as a well-preserved Shingle Style design and as an example of the substantial single-family homes built on Highland Avenue in the late nineteenth century.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is one of the few architect-built Shingle Style houses in Somerville and one of the best conserved local examples. It is tied to architect George Loring, who designed and lived in it. It also represents late-19th-century development of substantial single-family homes on fashionable Highland Avenue. It is significant 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 89001263, listed September 18, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 76 Highland Ave., Somerville |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | September 18, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001263 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Loring & Phipps |
| Architectural style | Shingle Style/Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is described as good, with no major alterations, and the house is in residential use. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.38617, -71.09707 (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 89001263.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5541832
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.