Ward, Ephraim, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1821 at 121 Ward Street in Chestnut Hill, this Federal-style house replaced an earlier Ward family home on the same site, a house of 1661 known as the Garrison House and said to have sheltered people during King Philip's War. Ephraim Ward had the older building torn down and put up the present clapboard dwelling, a blocky rectangular form with a low hip roof, a five-bay facade, paired outer windows, and a narrow entrance framed by slender pilasters and a panelled entablature. Seven generations of the Ward family lived on the site, and the family occupied the present house until 1974. The Wards raised cattle, kept extensive fruit orchards and grew traditional crops, working land alongside Ephraim's brothers nearby. His son Thomas and Thomas's wife Hannah continued farming until after 1900. The house is valued as a well-preserved Federal period dwelling and for its link to this farming family.
Significance in brief: It is presented as one of relatively few well-preserved Federal period dwellings in the eastern half of Newton. It is also tied to the Ward family, farmers who owned large amounts of land in the area during the nineteenth century. The form cites Criteria B 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 86001894, listed September 4, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 121 Ward St., Newton |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | September 4, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86001894 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Ephraim Ward (builder of the present house; architect unknown) |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition described as excellent; present use is a dwelling. Alterations in the 1860s included interior remodelling and a north wing addition. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 42.33802, -71.17740 (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 86001894.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5382345
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.