Wiley, Caleb, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1826 for Caleb Wiley, this house at 125 North Street in Stoneham is regarded as the town's best preserved example of the traditional Federal period house. It is a symmetrical, five-bay, two-story building with a center entry, a pitched roof and twin rear wall chimneys. It rests on a granite foundation and is clad in clapboards with narrow cornerboards and flat window architraves. Unlike earlier houses, its second-story windows are not set into a heavy boxed cornice. The 6/6 sash appears original, and the entry has half-length sidelights beneath a twentieth-century portico, the house's only alteration. The house dates from the earliest settlement along North Street. Wiley's property once covered about 47 acres in agricultural use, as was typical along the street. Twentieth-century subdivision reduced the land, but mature plantings preserve some sense of the original setting. The house is listed for its architectural integrity.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues that it is Stoneham's best preserved example of the area's standard traditional Federal period house type. It retains integrity of location, design, setting, materials and workmanship. It also dates from the earliest settlement along North Street.
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 84002848, listed April 13, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 125 North St., Stoneham |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | April 13, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002848 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Federal vernacular |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in residential use; the only noted alteration is a twentieth-century entry portico. |
| Acreage | 0.6 |
| Coordinates | 42.49838, -71.10690 (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 84002848.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5019326
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.