Warren, H., House
Why it's listed
Built around 1870, this Second Empire cottage at 205 School Street sits in the Winter Hill neighborhood of north-central Somerville. It has clapboard siding, a mansard roof, and projecting bays on both the main and side facades. Each bay holds four rectangular pedimented windows on the first and attic stories, with a carved floral ornament filling each broken pediment. Wooden quoins at the corners imitate stone. The house has no outbuildings, has seen no major alterations, and remains in excellent condition as a residence. It was one of the first houses on School Street after the area was subdivided into lots following the Civil War, and it was probably built by J. K. Moore, a cabinetmaker who lived nearby on Maple Street. It is considered one of the best-crafted mansard-roofed cottages in Winter Hill and the finest example of its style in the area's late-19th-century growth, significant at the local level for its architecture.
Significance in brief: The form argues it is the best example of Second Empire style in the late-19th-century development of Winter Hill, finely detailed on a modest scale. It retains integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association. It is also one of the first houses built on School Street after the area was subdivided following the Civil War.
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 89001283, listed September 18, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 205 School St., Somerville |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | September 18, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001283 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Probably built by J. K. Moore, a cabinetmaker (no architect) |
| Architectural style | Second Empire |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition described as excellent; present use is residence; no major alterations and not moved. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.39042, -71.09599 (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 89001283.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5628659
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.