Stewart, Frank H., House
Why it's listed
Built around 1909 for lawyer Frank H. Stewart, this large Classical Revival house at 41 Montvale Road in Newton Centre is a two-story stucco building under a green tile hip roof with exposed rafter ends and three hipped dormers. A long one-story porch with a matching roof spans the facade, ending in glazed polygonal bays, and an entry with sidelights sits at its center. Two-story wings with one-story porches extend from the sides. The architect is unknown because few building permits survive from before 1915. The house was built in a subdivision commissioned by the Newton Boulevard Syndicate, designed by Olmsted, Olmsted and Eliot with local engineer Charles S. Rice, and carved from Robert Bishop's nineteenth century estate near Commonwealth Avenue. The Stewart family lived on Montvale Road until the early 1940s. The house is regarded as one of Newton's finest and most intact Classical Revival estates and an example of early twentieth century suburban growth. It remains a residence in good condition with no major alterations.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is one of the finest and most intact of Newton's large early 20th century Classical Revival houses. It also represents the city's early 20th century suburban expansion, which filled in established areas and opened new subdivisions. 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 90000111, listed February 21, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 41 Montvale Rd., Newton |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | February 21, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000111 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| 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 good and no major alterations are recorded. The house is largely screened from the street by vegetation. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.33547, -71.18398 (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 90000111.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5487035
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.