Russell, Susan, House
Why it's listed
This small Greek Revival house at 58 Sycamore Street in Somerville, Massachusetts, dates from about the 1830s. It is a clapboard-sided building of 1 1/2 stories and three bays, with a side entryway and a rear ell. The recessed, sidelit entry, batten door and cornerboards are original features, though the overhanging eaves appear to have been rebuilt. Sycamore Street was long mainly a road to the Tufts House at 78 Sycamore Street, and the land was originally Tufts family property. A house appears at this spot on the 1852 Draper map, and it was probably built after the Boston and Lowell Railroad laid its line next to the site in 1835. In 1850 it may have belonged to John Russell, a Medford Street grocer, and in 1874 it belonged to his widow, Susan Russell. The house was listed as a well-preserved example of a modest Greek Revival residence once common in Somerville, with good integrity, and as locally significant for its architecture.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a well-preserved example of a modest Greek Revival residence, a type once common in Somerville. It retains integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association. It is significant at the local level under Criterion 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 89001286, listed September 18, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 58 Sycamore St., Somerville |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | September 18, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001286 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residence; condition is described as good, with no major alterations, no outbuildings, and not moved. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.39007, -71.10060 (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 89001286.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7648342
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.