Wannalancit Street Historic District
Why it's listed
Wannalancit Street Historic District is a hillside residential neighborhood in Lowell, Massachusetts, just south of the Merrimack River and east of the Pawtucket Canal. It holds 21 contributing buildings and structures, mostly two- to two-and-a-half-story wood-frame houses built between about 1851 and 1936, along with carriage houses and garages. The street was laid out around 1850 on land long held by the Bowers family, during a period when Lowell's mills drew rapid population growth and created demand for middle-class housing away from the mills. Merchants, business owners, engineers and physicians built here. The houses show a range of styles, from a modest Greek Revival and Gothic Revival dwelling to Italianate, Second Empire, Queen Anne and Colonial Revival homes. The standout is the round granite Jonathan Bowers House, known as the Round House, with its fishscale mansard roof. Architect Frederick W. Stickney designed the Oliver E. Cushing House. The district remained a residential area through the mid-twentieth century.
Significance in brief: The district is significant for its role in Lowell's mid-nineteenth to early twentieth century residential growth, as a moderately affluent neighborhood of merchants and business owners. It is also a well-preserved collection of houses in many styles, including Greek Revival, Italianate, Second Empire, Queen Anne and Colonial Revival. It was judged locally significant under 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 98000541, listed May 20, 1998. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 14-71 Wannalancit St., and 390, 406 Pawtucket St., Lowell |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | May 20, 1998 |
| Reference number | 98000541 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | ca. 1852-1947 |
| Architect / builder | Stickney, Frederick W. |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian: Italianate, Queen Anne, Second Empire; Colonial Revival; Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Community Planning and Development |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Most buildings are described as in good condition and the district's integrity is good. Common alterations are aluminum siding and replacement windows. Current use is single and multiple dwellings. |
| Acreage | 5.5 |
| Within district | Lowell National Historical Park |
| Coordinates | 42.64680, -71.32902 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 98000541.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7968029
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.