Bainbridge, Randolph, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1900 for Randolph Bainbridge, who later served as Quincy's Commissioner of Public Works from 1901 to 1911, this single-family house stands near the top of Wollaston Hill on Grandview Avenue. It is a Shingle Style dwelling with wood shingles covering the walls and massive two-story cross gambrel roofs borrowed from Colonial Revival design. A simple one-story columnar porch fronts the main facade, and each gable has a Palladian window. The house is regarded as the best example of this gambrel-roofed Shingle Style type in Wollaston Heights. The neighborhood was marketed from 1869 by the Wollaston Land Associates as a status community for affluent Quincy businessmen and Boston commuters, helped by free railroad passes for lot buyers. Most of its houses were built by 1900. Later owners included John B. Buchanan, a Boston editor, in the 1910s and 1920s. The house retains its original design, materials and setting, and a later garage is the only noncontributing element.
Significance in brief: The house is a well-preserved example of the Shingle Style with a Colonial Revival gambrel roof, considered the best of its type in Wollaston Heights. It also reflects the growth of Quincy's first affluent suburban neighborhood, built for businessmen, civic leaders and Boston commuters. Its builder served as Quincy's Commissioner of Public Works from 1901 to 1911.
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 89001340, listed September 20, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 133 Grandview Ave., Quincy |
|---|---|
| County | Norfolk County |
| Listed | September 20, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001340 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect unknown; built by Randolph Bainbridge |
| Architectural style | Shingle Style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is a single-family dwelling, in good condition, with no major alterations; a 1930s one-car garage at the rear is noncontributing. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 42.26125, -71.01751 (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 89001340.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7291787
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.