Rawson, Warren, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1885-1890 at 37-49 Park Street in Arlington, this long rectangular frame building was constructed to house farm workers. Its clapboard main facade is plain, with regular rows of simply framed doors, windows and dormers and no saw-cut or incised decoration. It was built by Warren W. Rawson, a market gardener regarded as the first in Arlington to apply extensive scientific methods to farming, including steam-heated hothouses and electric arc lamps. In the 1890s he employed as many as 65 laborers. A 1902 directory lists residents including six Irish farm workers and a steamfitter, who could see Rawson's fields from their rear windows. Multi-unit worker housing was typical of industrial cities such as Lowell and Lawrence, but few New England farms were large enough to need it, so this dormitory form may be unique to Arlington. It remains in residential use and retains its integrity, and it was listed for its association with the town's market gardening and as a vernacular example.
Significance in brief: It is a remnant of northeast Arlington's era as a major market gardening center and may be a building form unique to Arlington, a dormitory for farm laborers. It is tied to market gardener Warren W. Rawson, who applied extensive scientific techniques to farming. The form finds it well preserved and meeting criteria A 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 85001042, listed April 18, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 37--49 Park St., Arlington |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | April 18, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85001042 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect unknown; built by Warren W. Rawson |
| Architectural style | Late 19th C. Frame Vernacular |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is five-unit residential; no major alterations recorded and the building has not been moved. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.41469, -71.14250 (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 85001042.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7970447
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.