Orne, Sarah, House
Why it's listed
Sarah Orne House at 10 Coolidge Hill Road is a two-story, five-bay wood frame house with a hip roof, a center entrance and a single dormer above it. A porch spans the full front, and a round-headed stair window sits above the entry. It began in 1807 as a store built by John Orne, son of Sarah Orne, on land across the present parkway. In 1809 it was moved to its current site and enlarged into a house by his mother. The house belongs to the Josiah Coolidge Farm area, the last working farm in Cambridge, which was subdivided in 1910. In 1936 the service wing was separated and became 8 Coolidge Hill Road. The barn was remodeled as a residence in 1900 by Ralph Adams Cram and is now 6 Coolidge Hill Road. The house was listed as an early farmhouse of its period that survives from when most of the hill was farmland, and for its link to the growth of Cambridge.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is an important early farmhouse from when Coolidge Hill was still farmland. It meets Criterion A for its association with the development of Cambridge and Criterion C as an important example of its type. The 1809 move was early enough that it does not detract from its significance.
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 83000822, listed June 30, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 10 Coolidge Hill Rd., Cambridge |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | June 30, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000822 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect unknown; built by John G. Orne, son of Sarah Orne, and enlarged into a house by Sarah Orne |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residential; the service wing was separated in 1936 and is now 8 Coolidge Hill Road. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.37404, -71.13953 (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 83000822.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7422655
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.