Whitney-Farrington-Cook House
Why it's listed
Set well back from Trapelo Road on a tree-shaded one-acre lot, this c. 1858 farmhouse in Waltham is a clapboard Italianate building with a three-bay by two-bay, center-hall plan. Its main facade has a Tuscan-columned entrance porch, a doorway with multipane sidelights and pilasters, and six-over-six wood windows with raised moldings. The gable ends have return eaves, and a one-story ell extends to the rear. The land belonged to the Hastings family before the 1820s, and Abel Farrington bought the property in 1858, when the present house may have been built. It stayed with the Farringtons until 1887, when it was sold to William E. Cook. Local records leave the early history uncertain, including a claim that the house once served as a smallpox hospital on Pigeon Hill, which the nomination finds little evidence to support. The house was listed for its link to the road's development and as a rare center-hall Italianate example in the city.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house reflects Trapelo Road's development as the main transportation corridor in northern Waltham from the 17th to the 20th century. It is also a well-preserved, well-sited vernacular Italianate farmhouse. Its 3-bay, center-hall plan is a locally rare variation, since side-hall or irregular plans are far more common.
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 89001510, listed September 28, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 385 Trapelo Rd., Waltham |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | September 28, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001510 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Private residence in good condition, with no major alterations recorded. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 42.39835, -71.21071 (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 89001510.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7996664
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.