Parker, Edmund, Jr., House
Why it's listed
Built around 1826 at 287 Cambridge Street in Winchester, this two and one-half story house shows the slow shift from Federal to Greek Revival design in American homes. It has a rectangular plan and a five-bay facade typical of a Federal-period farmhouse, with a center entrance under a one-story Doric portico with fluted columns. Later changes include wood shingle siding and window sash altered to two-over-two. The house was built by Edmund Parker Jr., whose family came from Woburn and amassed large landholdings around Pond and Cambridge Streets, an area that became known as the Parker neighborhood. His brother-in-law Dana Fay, a local builder, may have constructed it. Ownership passed from Parker to David Adams, then to Edward Russell in 1885, and to a single family from 1924. Its architecture and its link to an early landowning family are the reasons it was recognized. Similar local examples include the Robert Bacon and Charles Russell houses.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is an important example of the Late Federal style in Winchester, reflecting the gradual move from Federal to Greek Revival domestic architecture. It is also tied to the Parker family, which owned land around Pond and Cambridge Streets since at least 1798.
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 89000610, listed July 5, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 287 Cambridge St., Winchester |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | July 5, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89000610 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect unknown; Dana Fay, a local builder who married Mary Parker, may have built it |
| Architectural style | Transitional Federal-Greek Revival (Late Federal) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition described as good; in present use as a dwelling, as it was originally. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 42.45625, -71.15936 (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 89000610.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5339722
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.