Stearns, Amos, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1845, this large Greek Revival farmhouse at 1079 Trapelo Road in Waltham is the only surviving building of the Stearns Farm, which once covered about 150 acres on both sides of the road and included barns, sheds, a windmill and a slaughter house. The clapboard house has a gable roof, Doric-capped cornerboards, a dentilled entablature, and a symmetrical five-bay facade with a sidelit center entry. A one-story porch with granite posts wraps the facade and east side, and its east portion was glazed in the early 20th century. The windows retain original 6/6 sash. The Stearns family, descended from settlers who arrived in Watertown in 1630, owned the property from 1782 to 1941. Amos Stearns is said to have built the present house. It was listed for its architecture and its association with Waltham's agricultural past, and it remains a dwelling surrounded by post-World War II houses.
Significance in brief: It is one of the few surviving farmhouses along the northern part of Trapelo Road, once the center of Waltham's agricultural activity. It is a well-crafted example of a center-entrance Greek Revival house. It is also tied to the Stearns family, who owned the farmstead from 1782 to 1941.
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 89001518, listed September 28, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1079 Trapelo Rd., Waltham |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | September 28, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001518 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect unknown; Amos Stearns is said to have built the house in 1845 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is a dwelling; condition listed as excellent. The east porch was enclosed in the early 20th century. |
| Acreage | 0.4 |
| Coordinates | 42.41182, -71.23609 (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 89001518.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4747955
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.