Williams, Charles, House
Why it's listed
This house at 108 Cross Street, on the northeast corner of Cross and Oliver Streets in East Somerville, was built around 1848 for Charles Williams, a Boston hat dealer described as a prominent citizen of the community. It is a three-bay Italianate dwelling with a projecting center pavilion, a panelled entrance door with a glazed transom and full sidelights, and a second-story Palladian window motif said to be original. Long double-hung sash at the first floor show lingering Greek Revival influence. An iron balcony was added at the Palladian window around 1900. The house is one of only a few early Italianate dwellings in Somerville built by 1850. It also illustrates how East Somerville grew after the Boston and Lowell railroad crossed the area in 1835, drawing Boston businessmen, and later laborers, to the neighborhood. The house is still residential and in good condition, though now covered with synthetic siding.
Significance in brief: The house is one of only a few early Italianate dwellings in Somerville built by 1850. It also reflects the mid-19th century development of East Somerville as a residential area near Boston. It is significant at the local level 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 89001253, listed September 18, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 108 Cross St., Somerville |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | September 18, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001253 |
| 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) | Condition described as good; present use residential; clapboard covered by synthetic siding; not moved. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.38425, -71.08886 (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 89001253.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5083605
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.