Pinkham, Richard, House
Why it's listed
Richard Pinkham, a Medford housewright, bought land along the former Middlesex Canal in 1849 and built this house at 24 Brooks Park around 1850. Its most distinctive feature is an octagon rising through the middle of the building, flanked by two-story wings and a rear ell in a cruciform plan. The octagon has a heavily bracketed cornice and flush-board siding typical of the Italianate style, while the other elevations are clapboarded. The foundation combines fieldstone, brick and dressed granite. Inside, some original octagon-room trim survives alongside 1930s and 1940s changes. The house was listed for its architecture because it blends Italianate detailing with the octagon mode popularized by Orson Fowler's 1849 book, and a survey found no other octagonal buildings in Medford. Pinkham likely worked from pattern books and builders' guides. The property also has potential for archaeological remains of the canal and former outbuildings. A hip-roofed garage built in 1913 stands beside the house.
Significance in brief: The house is significant under Criterion C as an unusual example of the Italianate style incorporating the octagon form. It is Medford's only attempt at an octagonal house form. It was also designed and built by a local housewright on the newly laid out Brooks Park greensward.
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 07001399, listed January 16, 2008. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 24 Brooks Park, Medford |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | January 16, 2008 |
| Reference number | 07001399 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1850-1957 |
| Architect / builder | Richard G. Pinkham, housewright |
| Architectural style | Mid-19th Century/Italianate, Octagon Mode |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Historic and current function is single dwelling; the house retains good condition of original sheathing with selective replacement. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.41206, -71.10923 (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 07001399.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7328442
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.