Potter-O'Brian House
Why it's listed
Set on a rise above the Pine and Newton Street intersection in Waltham's South Side, 206 Newton Street is a brick Italianate house dating from about 1849 to 1854. Its main block is rectangular, two stories tall and five bays wide, with a flat roof, deep eaves, stone lintels, raised brick corner piers and two rows of brick dentils. A Colonial Revival porch with fluted Doric pilasters was added later. It is the only masonry Italianate house in Waltham. Deed research places its construction in the late 1840s, and the 1854 map shows it. In the 1870s it operated as a boarding house under Sarah Potter, probably serving workers from the nearby Newton Chymical Company. After that firm closed in 1872, the house was sold in 1874 to grocer James O'Brien. His ownership reflects the neighborhood's shift toward a largely Irish community after the South Side passed from Newton to Waltham.
Significance in brief: It is one of Waltham's very few pre-20th century masonry houses and the only brick Italianate house in the city. It served as a mid-19th century boarding house run by the Potter family, then from 1874 as the home of grocer James O'Brien. Its history reflects the South Side's change after the Newton Chymical Company closed and the area became an enclave of Irish workers.
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 89001538, listed September 28, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 206 Newton St., Waltham |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | September 28, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001538 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Private residence in fair to good condition; the rear ell has 20th century siding. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 42.37025, -71.22952 (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 89001538.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7235243
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.