Shoe Shop-Doucette Ten Footer
Why it's listed
A tiny shoemaking shop at 36 William Street in Stoneham, Massachusetts, preserves a once-common piece of local industry. Built around 1850 for Peter Doucette, the 10 by 10-foot building is one story high with a gable-roofed attic, clapboard siding, simple corner boards, door and window surrounds, and six-over-six sash. It was moved from nearby Pine Street in 1967 and now sits on the grounds of the Stoneham Historical Society, where it serves as a shoe industry museum. Inside are shoe lasts, a shoe bench, lap stone, hammer, awls, wooden pegs, skivers, edgers, pincers, a rolling machine and a sewing machine. Many shops like it were scattered across Stoneham in the 19th century, usually worked by an owner-shoemaker alone or with family, with materials stored in the attic. It was listed for its association with the town's industrial past and as a well preserved example of this building type, with a reviewer noting it as the best surviving one.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the shop is a well preserved example of a type of small shoemaking shop used by many shoemakers from the late 18th to mid 19th centuries. It is tied to Stoneham's industrial past, and the reviewer called it the best surviving example of an historically important building type. It meets criteria A and 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 84002821, listed April 13, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 36 William St., Stoneham |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | April 13, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002821 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Vernacular; Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Now used as a museum of the shoe industry holding tools and artifacts, on the grounds of the Stoneham Historical Society; moved from Pine Street in 1967. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 42.48268, -71.09846 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 84002821.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7500013
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.