Wright House
Why it's listed
Built around 1895 at 54 Vinal Avenue in Somerville, this 2 1/2-story gable-roofed house combines two late Victorian styles. Its asymmetrical Queen Anne form includes varied window sizes and placement, a conical bay offset to the right, and a polygonal bay on an ogee base with a spring eave roof offset to the left. Shingle Style treatment appears in the wood shingle walls, which are cut in a variety of patterns, and in the entrance porch, which has wide shingled posts and a band of sawtooth shingles along its frieze. The house faces east in a late-19th-century residential neighborhood between Prospect Hill and Central Hill. It was built by Walter Wright, a milk can manufacturer with offices in Charlestown who was active in a nearby Universalist church. The house is recognized for its well-preserved integrity of design and for being the only property in its group of nominations to embody both styles. It has had no major alterations, remains in its original location and is in good condition.
Significance in brief: The house is argued to be a good example of Queen Anne massing and form combined with Shingle Style details and wall surfaces. It retains integrity of location, design, materials, workmanship and association, and meets Criterion C at the local level. It is the only house in the Somerville multiple resource nomination that embodies both styles.
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 89001293, listed September 18, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 54 Vinal Ave., Somerville |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | September 18, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001293 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect unknown; built by Walter Wright |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne/Shingle Style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition described as good, with no major alterations and not moved; used as a residence. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.38509, -71.09691 (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 89001293.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8038220
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.