Valentine Soap Workers Cottage
Why it's listed
Two matching double cottages at 101 Pearl Street and 5-7 Cottage Street in Cambridgeport were built in 1835-36 by Charles Valentine, who owned a slaughterhouse and soap factory. He built them to house his workers, and they remain residential. Each is a 1½-story house divided lengthwise, with a center entrance on a five-bay facade. Broad gable ends, relatively steep roofs and severe detailing give them Federal characteristics. Artificial siding now covers the original clapboards, and later additions include a gable-end entrance at 5-7 Cottage Street and a porch and shed at 101 Pearl Street. They are considered significant as early examples of factory housing, a rare type in Cambridge, and for their link to soap manufacturing, which began on an industrial basis in Cambridgeport in 1804. A third similar house, built in 1841, has been demolished. The cottages are the only surviving structures tied to that industry.
Significance in brief: The cottages are early examples of factory housing, a rare type in Cambridge. They are also associated with soap manufacturing, once a major Cambridge industry, and no other structures from that industry remain. The form argues that their basic integrity is intact and recoverable 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 83000833, listed June 30, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 101 Pearl St., Cambridge |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | June 30, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000833 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Charles Valentine, builder |
| Architectural style | Federal characteristics (older form states no particular style) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Residential use; covered with artificial siding over original clapboards, with minor alterations. |
| 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 83000833.
- 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.