Maxwell, Louis N., House
Why it's listed
Built around 1890 at 16 Herrick Street in Winchester, Massachusetts, this 2½-story house is regarded locally as the town's most fully developed example of the Shingle Style. Its gable end faces the street beneath a sweeping lean-to roofline that shelters one porch, while a second porch is recessed into the center of the facade. A conical tower with horizontal bands of windows rises on the opposite side, and a bulging gable window adds a characteristic touch of the style. Shingles wrap the entire building. The house sits in a tightly developed residential neighborhood just east of the downtown commercial area and has had no major alterations. Little is known of its history beyond its owners. Louis N. Maxwell lived there from 1890 to 1897, followed by Caroline M. Burley until 1917 and Rufus F. Herrick until 1954. It was listed for its architectural qualities and retains integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is the most fully developed example of the Shingle Style in Winchester. Its defining features are a shingle skin wrapping the whole house, a sweeping roofline, a corner tower with horizontal bands of windows, and porches contained within the building's plane. It meets criterion C for architecture.
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 89000650, listed July 5, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 16 Herrick St., Winchester |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | July 5, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89000650 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Shingle Style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently used as a dwelling; condition described as good, with no major alterations and not moved. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 42.44640, -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 89000650.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14715677
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.