Richardson, Dr. S. O., House
Why it's listed
This Greek Revival house at 694 Main Street in Wakefield was built between 1837 and 1841 for Dr. Solon O. Richardson and moved to its present corner site in the mid-1840s. It is regarded as one of the most high style Greek Revival houses in town. Unusually for Wakefield, it is a gable-end house with five bays facing the street. The center door sits in a deeply recessed surround with a fluted architrave, bossed cornerblocks, thin fluted pilasters, three-quarter-length sidelights and a four-light transom. A flushboarded pediment holds a gable window topped by a dummy fan. Richardson was a doctor who turned to manufacturing the medicinal Richardson's Sherry Wine Bitters, begun by his father in 1808. He redesigned the bottles, labels and wrappers and developed new marketing methods. He also founded the Richardson Light Guards in 1851, and the house may have served as its first armory. A rear addition has been made, but the house is otherwise little altered.
Significance in brief: The house is described as one of the most high style Greek Revival houses in Wakefield, with unusually fine detailing and the town's only gable-end house with five bays facing the street. It is also tied to Dr. Solon O. Richardson, a prominent doctor and manufacturer of Richardson's Sherry Wine Bitters who founded the Richardson Light Guards.
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 89000696, listed July 6, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 694 Main St., Wakefield |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | July 6, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89000696 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as fair; a two-story rear addition dates from this century and a garage is noncontributing. The house is used as a dwelling. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.49529, -71.06871 (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 89000696.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5304362
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.