Simpson House
Why it's listed
Located on a prominent corner lot at Hunnewell Avenue and Grasmere Street in Newton Corner, this house dates from the late 1890s and combines Queen Anne design with Colonial Revival touches. Its boxy form has projections at each corner and a complex roofline with many dormers and gables. The first level is faced in random rusticated stone, and windows vary in size and shape, including a Palladian window flanked by free-standing columns. A long veranda with a stone base, Ionic columns and a porte-cochere dominates the street facade. An ornate carriage house survives at the rear. The house was built for Joseph Simpson, born in 1851, who bought most of the Henry Claflin estate land in the late 1890s; Grasmere Street's northern end and Simpson Street were laid out there. He founded the Simpson Brothers Corporation, a concrete paving firm, with his brother and served as its president. The house is recognized as an exceptionally elaborate and well-preserved example of late Queen Anne design.
Significance in brief: The house is described as one of Newton's finest examples of an elaborate Queen Anne style house with abundant Colonial Revival overtones, meeting Criterion C. It is also tied to Joseph Simpson, who bought much of the Claflin estate land and had Grasmere and Simpson Streets laid out on it.
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 86001880, listed September 4, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 57 Hunnewell Ave., Newton |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | September 4, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86001880 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne/Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed in very good condition with no major alterations; still used as a dwelling. |
| Acreage | 0.6 |
| Coordinates | 42.35609, -71.17462 (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 86001880.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7521106
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.