Pratt, Miles, House
Also known as: Pratt-Robinson-Wright House
Why it's listed
Built about 1863 at the corner of Mt. Auburn and Palfrey Streets in Watertown, this wood-frame house is described as the town's finest high-style Italianate residence. Its main block is three bays wide and two and a half stories tall, with a large rear wing, shiplap siding meant to simulate stone, paired eave brackets, and a scalloped entry canopy that supports a small balcony. A loggia, bay windows, an oriel and a carriage house complete the property. Miles Pratt, born in 1825, moved here around 1863. He founded the Pratt Company, a stove manufacturer that made cannonballs and shells for the Watertown Arsenal during the Civil War, and he helped found the Watertown Free Public Library. His daughter and son-in-law later lived here, and they co-wrote a local history. The house passed to the First Parish Church in 1978. A preservation restriction was placed on it in 1982, the first of its kind on a Watertown residence. It now serves as offices.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it Watertown's best example of high-style Italianate residential architecture. It is also tied to Miles Pratt, a local stove manufacturer and civic leader, and to the development of Mt. Auburn Street as a fashionable residential street. The site also has potential prehistoric and historic archeological value.
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 85000980, listed May 9, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 106 Mt. Auburn St., Watertown |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | May 9, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85000980 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Rehabilitated for use as offices; condition listed as excellent; carries a preservation restriction on significant exterior features of the house and carriage house. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 42.36769, -71.17988 (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 85000980.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6851514
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.