Willis, Stillman, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1839 for Stillman Willis, this wooden house began as a plain Greek Revival home at 1740 Massachusetts Avenue, with large fields behind it and easy access to the Porter Square train station for commuting to Boston. In 1883, development pressures pushed it onto a side street, and it was moved to its present site at 1 Potter Park. There it received a large-scale modernization. The original eaves, entablature, pedimented gable, Ionic porch columns, flush siding and window layout all remain. Added to this were pressed ornamentation, bracketed window cornices, panels with cartouches, a frieze of disks and heavily molded bases at the window sills. The porch gained horseshoe arches with scrolls and openwork, along with triglyphs and garlands on its frieze. A garage was added in 1905. The house is considered unique in Cambridge, and perhaps in Massachusetts, and was recognized for the distinctive layering of Colonial Revival and Italianate detail over a Greek Revival core.
Significance in brief: The house is presented as a textbook example of a drastic updating of a Greek Revival house. After its 1883 move, elaborate Colonial Revival and Italianate ornamentation was added to the basic Greek Revival form. It is described as unique in Cambridge and perhaps in Massachusetts for its architectural detailing.
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 82001985, listed April 13, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1 Potter Park, Cambridge |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | April 13, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82001985 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, with later Colonial Revival and Italianate ornamentation |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residential; the form lists a garage added in 1905. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 42.38448, -71.12045 (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 82001985.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7617259
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.