Peabody-Williams House
Why it's listed
Built in 1891 at the corner of Norman and Lakewood roads in Newton Highlands, this house was designed by Boston architect J. Williams Beal for William Edes Peabody, a Boston lawyer. It is a Shingle Style residence with a complex roofline, turrets, dormers, a belt course of molded trim and cut shingles, and a large elliptical hood over the entrance. Beal's early residential work showed a Richardsonian influence, and this house is cited as typical of it. The interior remains largely as built and contains work by the Scottish-born wood-carver Andrew Lees of Wellesley Hills, including eight mantels, bas-relief details in the Lake Room and a carved scallop over the front door. Lees's daughter married into the Williams family, who bought the house around 1895 and owned it until 1965. The property is recorded as unaltered apart from new wiring, plumbing and a furnace, and it is still used as a residence.
Significance in brief: The house is presented as an elaborate, well-preserved example of the Shingle Style by a well-known Boston architect. It is also closely associated with the wood-carver Andrew Lees, who carved mantels and other interior details. It meets criteria B 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 86001863, listed September 4, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 7 Norman Rd., Newton |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | September 4, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86001863 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | J. Williams Beal (architect) |
| Architectural style | Shingle Style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Art, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition and in use as a residence, with no major alterations. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Within district | Woodland, Newton Highlands, and Newton Centre Railroad Stations, and Baggage and Express Building |
| Coordinates | 42.32562, -71.20440 (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 86001863.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7157217
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.