Valentine Soap Workers Cottage
Why it's listed
Built in 1835-36 by Charles Valentine, who ran a slaughterhouse and soap factory in Cambridgeport, this double cottage at 5-7 Cottage Street housed his factory workers. A matching twin stands at 101 Pearl Street, and a third similar house built in 1841 has since been demolished. Each is a modest five-bay house divided lengthwise, with broad gable ends and relatively steep roofs that give a Federal character. Both have been covered with artificial siding and have received small additions, though the original clapboards remain underneath. The houses were placed about three blocks from the factory, on the edge of the Central Square neighborhood, reflecting the unpleasant nature of the industry. Soap making began on an industrial scale in Cambridgeport in 1804 and grew large, yet no other structures from it survive. The cottages were listed as rare early factory housing in Cambridge and for their social and architectural importance.
Significance in brief: The cottages are argued to be early examples of factory housing, a rare type in Cambridge, and are tied to soap manufacturing, once a major Cambridge industry. They are the only surviving structures from that industry. The nomination holds that the original fabric is intact beneath later siding and additions.
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 83000832, listed June 30, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 5-7 Cottage St., Cambridge |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | June 30, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000832 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Charles Valentine (builder/owner) |
| Architectural style | Federal (the earlier form calls it no particular style) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Residential use; covered in artificial siding with original clapboards remaining beneath, and minor alterations including a later center door, porch and gable-end entrance. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.36260, -71.10563 (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 83000832.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7911017
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.