Wade, Jonathan, House
Why it's listed
Near Medford Square, at the corner of Bradlee Road and Brooks Lane, stands a brick house begun between 1683 and 1689 for Major Jonathan Wade, Jr. He was an early Medford selectman, its first recorded town clerk and captain of the Three County Troop. The house has two and a half stories, a central hall plan and paired chimneys at each gable end. Its five-bay east front, laid in Flemish bond, probably dates from a major renovation in the first half of the eighteenth century. The west wall, in common bond, likely reflects the earliest construction. Around 1900 the house received a bracketed hood, dormers and Colonial Revival interiors. A brick ell for medical offices was added between 1930 and 1950. Later owners included Andrew Hall and Samuel C. Lawrence, a leading citizen of Medford. It is listed as a rare surviving example of early New England brick building, one of only three extant Medford brick houses from the seventeenth century.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it a rare example of early New England brick architecture, with surviving seventeenth- and eighteenth-century facades. It is one of only three extant brick houses of the six or more built in Medford in the 1600s, along with the Peter Tufts House and the earliest part of the Isaac Royall House. It is also tied to Wade, an early Medford selectman and town clerk, and to later owners including Samuel C. Lawrence.
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 75000283, listed April 21, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 13 Bradlee Rd., Medford |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | April 21, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75000283 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1683-1689 |
| Architectural style | Colonial, Georgian and Georgian Revival elements |
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed in good condition and occupied; the house is a private residence and the north ell is still used for medical offices. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.41907, -71.11019 (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 75000283.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6274697
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.