Proctor, William, House
Why it's listed
Standing at the corner of Massachusetts Avenue and Avon Place in Arlington, this house dates from about 1870 and is one of the town's few examples of Second Empire design. Its symmetrical rectangular form, patterned shingle roof, elaborate dormers and decorative brackets under the eaves mark the style, while the front porch, with saw-cut posts supporting a transom with cross boards, shows a Stick Style influence. The clapboard house has no outbuildings, has not been moved and has seen no major alterations. It was owned for many years by William Proctor, a teller at the Faneuil Hall Bank in Boston, who was among a growing number of commuters settling in Arlington. His son, also William, became a distinguished Boston architect and partner in Gay and Proctor, a firm that designed many Arlington buildings. The house was listed for its association with the Proctor family and for its distinctive, well-preserved architecture.
Significance in brief: The house is a highly visible local landmark and a rare example of the Second Empire style in Arlington. It is also associated with William Proctor, a Boston bank teller and early commuter, whose son of the same name was a Boston architect with the firm Gay and Proctor. The form finds it retains integrity and 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 85001041, listed April 18, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 390 Massachusetts Ave., Arlington |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | April 18, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85001041 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Second Empire |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residential; no major alterations and not moved. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Arlington Center Historic District (Boundary Increase) |
| Coordinates | 42.41270, -71.16175 (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 85001041.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8017110
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.