Opposition House
Why it's listed
Opposition House at 2-4 Hancock Place in Cambridge is a hip-roofed, clapboard Federal style double house dated to 1807 from tax records. Judge Francis Dana, its original owner, had it built as a deliberate obstacle. By 1803 there were attempts to extend Harvard Street across his estate, and he opposed them fiercely. Placing the house in the road's path was meant to stop further extension, but the effort failed, the road was realigned, and the house was later moved from Harvard Street to its present location, in 1863 or 1865, when more intensive use of the land was wanted. The move is treated as typical of Cambridge's earliest surviving buildings and as no detriment to its importance. It is the oldest surviving house on Dana Hill, has only minor alterations, and continues in residential use. Its story illustrates early conflict over land and road building in the area.
Significance in brief: It is the oldest surviving house on Dana Hill and a historical curiosity. It was built in the path of a planned Harvard Street extension to block the road across Judge Dana's estate. The reviewer recommended listing under Criterion A for its historical associations with the development of the immediate area.
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 82001969, listed April 13, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 2-4 Hancock Pl., Cambridge |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | April 13, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82001969 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect anonymous |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residential; altered in minor ways and moved in the early 1860s. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 42.36961, -71.10659 (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 82001969.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7098628
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.