Stickney-Shepard House
Why it's listed
Built in 1846-1847 at 11-13 Remington Street in Cambridge, this wooden double cottage with a large rear ell is a compact example of Greek Revival design. Heavy cornices, end pilasters and a full front porch with two plain columns on pedestals and two fluted Doric columns give it a classical character. Four front windows hold nine-over-nine sash, two dormers break the roof, and a central chimney rises above it. Side entrances have canopies with brackets in an 1870s style. The lot came from the Dana estate, which was sold off between 1819 and 1854 with deed restrictions that kept the neighborhood residential near Massachusetts Avenue. Builders N.U. Stickney and S.P. Shepard bought the lot in 1846 and also built Holden Chapel in Harvard Yard. It is among the smallest double Greek Revival houses in Cambridge and represents a house type common in the Dana Hill area. It remains in residential use with no recorded major alterations.
Significance in brief: The house is significant under Criterion C as a strongly representative example of Greek Revival architecture in the survey area. It is one of the smallest double Greek Revival houses in Cambridge. It also illustrates the double-house type common in the Dana Hill neighborhood, which became the city's most important new residential area between 1830 and 1854.
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 86001315, listed May 19, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 11--13 Remington St., Cambridge |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | May 19, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86001315 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | N.U. Stickney & S.P. Shepard |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residential; no major alterations are recorded and the building has not been moved. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 42.37128, -71.11363 (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 86001315.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7616284
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.