Sherburne, Warren E., House
Why it's listed
Built in 1893 at 11 Percy Road in Lexington, this 2½-story clapboard house was designed by Boston architect Samuel D. Kelly for Warren Sherburne, owner of a prosperous glass-making company. The hip-roofed house has irregular massing, a bracketed cornice, conical-roofed bays, a barrel-vaulted entrance portico and carved garlands. Curved glass panes and stained glass reflect the owner's trade. Inside, a Queen Anne living-hall with inglenook and carved stairs sits alongside Colonial-inspired fireplace garlands and molded plaster walls. Kelly, who had earlier designed the Sherburne family home on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston, worked in the eclectic manner of the late nineteenth century. The house was listed because it is among the finest of the few survivors in Lexington of the large country houses built by early commuters from Boston. Most of its contemporaries were lost to fire or demolition. A garage stands to the north on about an acre of landscaped grounds.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it one of the finest of the few remaining examples of its type in Lexington. It was built for glass manufacturer Warren Sherburne, whose business is reflected in the generous use of curved glass panes. It also shows the late nineteenth-century blend of Queen Anne massing with Colonial Revival decoration, and survives from an era when most comparable estates were lost to fire or demolition.
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 77000178, listed December 2, 1977. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 11 Percy Rd., Lexington |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | December 2, 1977 |
| Reference number | 77000178 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Samuel D. Kelley (Kelly), architect of Boston |
| Architectural style | Eclectic, combining Queen Anne massing with Colonial Revival decorative detail |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as unaltered, on its original site, and used as a private residence. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.44221, -71.21967 (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 77000178.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14715985
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.