Sanderson, John, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1826, this Federal farmhouse at 562 Lexington Street in Waltham is one of five Federal farmhouses in the Piety Corner area and the only one in the city with a brick rear wall. It is a two-story clapboard building under a low gable roof, with a symmetrical five-bay facade, a projecting hip-roof porch at the entry, 6/1 sash windows, two rear chimneys, and a granite foundation. The land belonged to Jonathan Sanderson, Sr., an early settler of Piety Corner, and passed through several generations before John Sanderson replaced an older house with this one. John died at sea in 1831, and his brother Charles bought the estate in 1837. Sanderson family members lived here for almost a hundred years, until Lowell Sanderson died in 1915. The house reflects the area's farming past and the family's long local prominence, and it keeps its original location, setting, and design character.
Significance in brief: It is one of the few surviving Federal farmhouses in Waltham and the only one with a rear wall of brick. For almost a hundred years it was home to members of the Sanderson family, prominent in the Piety Corner area since the seventeenth century. It is tied to the city's agricultural history and retains good integrity.
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 89001563, listed September 28, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 562 Lexington St., Waltham |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | September 28, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001563 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect unknown; reportedly built by John Sanderson |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is described as good; present use is residential. |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Coordinates | 42.39496, -71.23695 (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 89001563.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6256631
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.