Noves, Charles W., House
Why it's listed
Built in 1914 at 271 Chestnut Street in West Newton, this stucco house was designed for Charles W. Noyes, a lawyer about whom little is recorded. It is a 1 1/2-story Craftsman-style building under a broad clipped gable roof. The street-facing gable has banks of small-paned windows on both floors, and the entry sits on the left beneath a porte-cochere. A driveway leads to a garage at the rear. The architect, Hubert G. Ripley (1869-1942), studied at M.I.T., worked on the Columbian Exposition in Daniel Burnham's office, and later drew for Peabody & Stearns before opening his own firm in 1906. The house shares strong similarities with homes at 47 Windsor Road in Waban and 72 Dalton Road in Newton Centre. It was listed as an unusual English Craftsman design and as an example of early 20th century suburban growth in Newton, when development filled in established neighborhoods and created new subdivisions. It remains a residence in good condition.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is an unusual example of the English Craftsman style by Boston architect and local resident Hubert G. Ripley. It also represents Newton's early 20th century suburban growth, which filled in established areas as well as new subdivisions. It is cited under 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 90000030, listed February 16, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 271 Chestnut St., Newton |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | February 16, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000030 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Hubert G. Ripley |
| Architectural style | Craftsman |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residential; condition is good with no major alterations recorded. |
| Acreage | 0.7 |
| Coordinates | 42.34001, -71.22384 (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 90000030.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5083239
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.