Smith, Perez, House
Why it's listed
Set back from a winding street on a large, landscaped lot at 46 Lincoln Street in Waltham, this L-shaped clapboard house combines Italianate and Greek Revival details. Perez Smith built it around 1851, a date inferred from his use of the replaced Pond End Schoolhouse as a tool shed during construction. He had bought 22 acres of former Sanderson land in 1846 and farmed it. The main block has a symmetrical three-bay facade, a center entrance with sidelights and a narrow transom, heavy Doric-style corner pilasts, a deep bracketed cornice, and round-arched attic windows. Windows have cornice-headed lintels and 6/6 sash. Rear ells of two stories and one story extend behind the main block. The house is listed as one of the best examples of its type in the city and as evidence of Piety Corner's growth as a fashionable residential area. Smith's son Edward P. Smith, a local bank president and public official, inherited the property and owned it until 1935.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it one of Waltham's finest transitional Greek Revival/Italianate houses and one of the best examples of the type in the city. It also illustrates the mid-19th century development of Piety Corner as a fashionable residential neighborhood and is associated with a prominent local family. It is argued to meet 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 89001558, listed September 28, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 46 Lincoln St., Waltham |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | September 28, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001558 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Perez Smith (builder); architect unknown |
| Architectural style | Italianate (transitional Greek Revival/Italianate) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residential; condition is described as excellent, with large rear ells of undated construction. |
| Acreage | 1.3 |
| Coordinates | 42.39210, -71.24037 (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 89001558.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7167917
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.