Reardon, Edmund, House
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
This Queen Anne house at 195 Erie Street in Cambridge was built in 1884 for Edmund Reardon. It is a wood-frame, rectangular block capped by a hip roof and intersected by front and side cross gables. The front slope of the hip roof sweeps down to cover a second-story porch, and the first-floor porch has heavy timber arches with open spandrels filled with bun-shaped turnings. Half-timbering and a triple panel of carved wooden ornament in the facade gable add to the exuberant design. The architect is not known. The house is considered an extremely fine example of domestic Queen Anne architecture. It is also tied to the Reardon family, whose large soap factory stood several blocks away. Edmund Reardon served as an alderman from 1870 to 1877 and as a common councilman from 1874 to 1875. The house began as a single-family dwelling and still serves as a residence, with a third-floor apartment that has its own entrance. Minor alterations were made in 1977.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it an extremely fine example of domestic Queen Anne architecture. It is also historically important for its association with the Reardon family, whose large soap factory stood several blocks away. Edmund Reardon also served as an alderman and common councilman.
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 82001972, listed April 13, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 195 Erie St., Cambridge |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | April 13, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82001972 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Anonymous architect |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residential; the original single-family dwelling later gained a third-floor apartment with a separate entrance. Minor alterations were made in 1977. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 42.36039, -71.10799 (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 82001972.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5339768
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.