Mason, John, House
Why it's listed
Set on a landscaped hillside east of Winchester's town center, this two-and-one-half story house at 8-10 Hillside Avenue was built in the early 1860s, possibly as a speculative venture. It is a high-style Italianate dwelling on a T-plan, with a truncated hip roof of grey slate, polygonal bays, porches on three elevations, and broad eaves carried on scroll brackets with pendant drops. An elaborate open porch with paired chamfered columns shelters the offset entrance. The house was sold at auction to John C. Mason before 1875. Mason was among the earliest prosperous Boston businessmen to settle in Winchester in the third quarter of the nineteenth century. He served as a selectman and water commissioner and helped found the Crawford Memorial Methodist Church. In 1893 he sold part of his grounds as house lots on Hillside Avenue and the newly laid out Crescent Avenue. The house is recognized for its architecture and for its link to the town's early suburban growth.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a well-detailed example of a high-style Italianate house. It is also tied to John C. Mason, one of the first Boston businessmen to settle in Winchester during the early suburbanization of the town. It meets criteria A and C.
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 89000634, listed July 5, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 10 Hillside Ave. (formerly 8-10 Hillside Ave.), Winchester |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | July 5, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89000634 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is a dwelling; condition is listed as excellent with no major alterations. |
| Acreage | 0.7 |
| Coordinates | 42.44974, -71.13190 (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 89000634.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6247084
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.