Wood, J. A., House
Why it's listed
Built in 1888 for James A. Wood, a lumber dealer, this large clapboarded house at 3 Sacramento Street in Cambridge was designed by the architectural firm Hartwell & Richardson. It has a center front entrance between two segmental bay windows, a second story carried on carved brackets, a Palladian window on the east gable, and a turret at the rear. Details include a molded cornice, a carved pediment, fluted porch columns and carved dormer friezes. The house originally faced North Avenue, now Massachusetts Avenue, but was turned ninety degrees to face Sacramento Street in 1925, when a block of stores went up along the avenue. It is valued as an early Colonial Revival work by a firm that had previously designed Shingle Style houses, including the Yerxa House. It also reflects the era before trolleys brought apartments and shops, when wealthy residents built large homes along the wide avenue.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is significant under Criterion C as an early example of the Colonial Revival style by Hartwell & Richardson, marking the firm's shift away from the Shingle Style. It also recalls the period when wealthy Cambridge residents built large homes along Massachusetts Avenue.
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 86001319, listed May 19, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 3 Sacramento St., Cambridge |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | May 19, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86001319 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Hartwell & Richardson |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residential; the house was moved in 1925 and the form reports no major alterations, though the original shutters have been removed. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 42.38278, -71.11955 (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 86001319.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6104541
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.